RFK Rankings · New Orleans
Best Restaurants for Brunch in New Orleans (2026)
Jazz and Creole brunch · New Orleans · 6 rooms ranked · Updated June 2026
Compiled by the Restaurants for Kings editorial team · Published February 27, 2024 · Updated June 8, 2026 · Reviewed by Fredrik Filipsson, Editor-in-Chief · How we rank · Corrections
At Commander's Palace a jazz trio works the room between the turtle soup and the bread-pudding souffle, and at Brennan's the bananas Foster is still finished tableside. New Orleans invented the long Creole brunch, balloons and all. These six, ranked, are where to spend a weekend morning in the city when the table is the event.
1.Commander's Palace
The Garden District jazz brunch that defines the genre, balloons and turtle soup and all; book weeks out for a weekend table.
Commander's Palace has run at 1403 Washington Avenue in the Garden District since 1893 and is the marquee New Orleans brunch. The Joe Simon Jazz Trio works the room on Saturdays from eleven and Sundays from ten, and the turtle soup and Creole bread-pudding souffle are the dishes the city books for.
Brunch sits roughly in the USD 45 to USD 70 range before the famous twenty-five-cent martinis, and the room turns festive with balloons on a weekend. This is a reservation, not a walk-up, so book several weeks out for a Saturday or Sunday table.
2.Brennan's
The pink French Quarter landmark that invented bananas Foster, finished tableside at brunch; reserve the courtyard for a special weekend.
Brennan's has anchored 417 Royal Street in the French Quarter since 1946 and celebrates eighty years in 2026. The kitchen invented bananas Foster here, and it is still flamed tableside, alongside eggs Hussarde and turtle soup on the brunch card.
A full brunch runs roughly USD 50 to USD 75 a head, and the pink dining rooms and courtyard are the draw. Reserve the courtyard for a milestone weekend rather than arriving on spec to a full house.
3.Antoine's
New Orleans' oldest restaurant runs a Sunday jazz brunch of baked Alaska and cafe brulot; book for living French Quarter history.
Antoine's opened on St. Louis Street in the French Quarter in 1840, the oldest restaurant in the city, and runs a Sunday jazz brunch with the Jerry Embree Trio from 10:30. The tableside baked Alaska and the flaming cafe brulot diabolique are the set pieces.
A multi-course brunch sits around USD 45 to USD 65, with bottomless mimosas as an add-on. Book the Sunday seating for the music and the history rather than treating it as a quick weekday stop.
4.Court of Two Sisters
The French Quarter courtyard with a daily live-jazz brunch buffet; come for the wisteria patio rather than a la carte precision.
The Court of Two Sisters sits at 613 Royal Street and runs a daily jazz-brunch buffet in one of the Quarter's largest courtyards, shaded by a wisteria-draped arbor. A strolling jazz trio plays through the service seven days a week.
The buffet runs roughly USD 40 to USD 45 a head and spreads Creole staples alongside eggs, hash and carved meats. Come for the courtyard and the daily music rather than for plated precision; this is the relaxed, all-you-can-eat pick.
5.Atchafalaya
An Irish Channel brunch of shrimp and grits and a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar; book Thursday to Monday for the neighborhood room.
Atchafalaya runs at 901 Louisiana Avenue in the Irish Channel, a women-owned room serving brunch Thursday through Monday. The Lowcountry shrimp and grits and the fried green tomatoes with butter-poached shrimp are the orders, plus a DIY Bloody Mary bar.
Brunch plates fall in the USD 14 to USD 24 range, which keeps it well below the Quarter landmarks. Book a weekend table for the neighborhood room and the Bloody Mary build; note the kitchen closes Tuesday and Wednesday.
6.Elizabeth's
The Bywater institution famous for praline bacon and oversized breakfasts seven days a week; walk in early for the no-fuss room.
Elizabeth's sits at 601 Gallier Street in the Bywater and serves breakfast and brunch seven days a week from eight. The praline bacon, the fried-oyster eggs Florentine and the cornbread-waffle duck hash are the dishes that fill the small room.
Plates run roughly USD 12 to USD 20, the cheapest serious brunch on this list, and the room is no-fuss and local. There are no reservations, so arrive early on a weekend for the Bywater table rather than queuing through the morning.
Not for everyone
Famous, but not actually a brunch destination
Galatoire's. The Bourbon Street landmark is a legendary Friday-lunch and dinner room, not a brunch destination, and its prized downstairs tables are first-come on a Friday. It is essential New Orleans dining, but it is not where to book a Sunday jazz brunch.
Cafe du Monde. The Decatur Street stand serves beignets and chicory coffee around the clock, not a sit-down brunch. Stop for a powdered-sugar plate before or after, but do not treat it as the weekend meal; it is a coffee stand, not a table.
Herbsaint and Cochon. Donald Link's Warehouse District rooms are lunch-and-dinner destinations, not weekend brunch spots. Save Herbsaint's shrimp and Cochon's whole-hog cooking for the evening; neither runs the Saturday-and-Sunday brunch the rooms above are built for.
How to brunch well in New Orleans
New Orleans brunch clusters in three areas: the Garden District around Washington Avenue, the French Quarter along Royal and St. Louis Streets, and the downriver neighborhoods of the Irish Channel and Bywater. The Quarter and Garden District rooms are the jazz-brunch landmarks; the neighborhood rooms are the value plays.
The landmark rooms run on reservations and on the jazz schedule, so book Commander's Palace, Brennan's and Antoine's weeks ahead and time your table to the trio. The neighborhood rooms like Atchafalaya and Elizabeth's are easier, but Elizabeth's takes no bookings, so arrive early on a weekend morning.
Frequently asked
Where is the best jazz brunch in New Orleans?
Commander's Palace in the Garden District is the definitive jazz brunch, with the Joe Simon Trio working the room on Saturdays and Sundays around the turtle soup and bread-pudding souffle. For Sunday jazz in the French Quarter, Antoine's runs the Jerry Embree Trio from 10:30; the Court of Two Sisters plays its courtyard buffet daily.
Do you need a reservation for brunch in New Orleans?
Yes at the landmarks. Commander's Palace, Brennan's and Antoine's all fill their weekend tables, so book several weeks out, especially for a Saturday or Sunday. The neighborhood rooms are easier: Atchafalaya takes weekend bookings, but Elizabeth's in the Bywater is walk-in only, so arrive early.
What is the most affordable brunch in New Orleans?
Elizabeth's in the Bywater is the value pick, with oversized plates and its famous praline bacon from around USD 12 to USD 20. Atchafalaya in the Irish Channel keeps shrimp and grits and a DIY Bloody Mary bar in the USD 14 to USD 24 range. Both sit well below the Garden District and French Quarter landmarks.
Which New Orleans brunch is best for a celebration?
Commander's Palace is the celebration pick, with balloons, a jazz trio and twenty-five-cent martinis turning a weekend table into an event. Brennan's courtyard in the French Quarter, with bananas Foster flamed tableside, is the other milestone room. Book either weeks out and ask for the courtyard or a prime table.
Is Cafe du Monde a good brunch in New Orleans?
Not as a sit-down brunch. Cafe du Monde on Decatur Street serves beignets and chicory coffee around the clock, so it is a stop rather than a meal. For the weekend brunch itself, the Garden District, French Quarter and downriver rooms above are the destinations; save the beignets for before or after.
Related rankings
More from RFK
Browse the full New Orleans dining guide, read the Commander's Palace profile and the Brennan's profile, compare the city's casual rooms in the New Orleans walk-in ranking and its counter seats in the New Orleans solo dining ranking, or open the full RFK rankings index.
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