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A three piece band plays around a table during brunch at Arnaud’s.
Jazz brunch at Arnaud’s.
Arnaud’s/Official

11 Jazz Brunches to Keep the Beat in New Orleans

Enjoy the weekend feast with a soundtrack

by Beth D'Addono
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Jazz brunch at Arnaud’s.
| Arnaud’s/Official
by Beth D'Addono

Yep, we did brunch first too.

New Orleans claims many American firsts, ranging from opera performances to movie theaters and cocktails. Even the game of craps started here, in what is now the Marigny. Brunch lovers will be pleased that the beloved meal that bridges breakfast and lunch tops the list. First observed locally in 1884, brunch started as a second breakfast cooked by Madame Begue of Begue’s restaurant for hungry French Market butchers who closed down their stalls around 11 a.m.

Since jazz was also birthed here, combining the two makes perfect sense. Add in a few potent eye-openers, and get ready to experience what for many is a favorite meal of the whole darn week. Drag brunch more your speed? Here are eight options to liven up any weekend.

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Commander's Palace

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This landmark family-owned restaurant in the Garden District is recognized globally for its profound commitment to customer service, a throwback to Miss Ella’s insistence on excellence. Chef Meg Bickford elevates Commander’s Palace jazz brunch with the likes of Breaux Bridge crawfish strudel, cochon de lait eggs Benedict built on pork shoulder slow-roasted for 16 hours, and a pork belly cinnamon roll that is off the chain. Here. it’s not a jazz brunch without an end-of-meal second line.

1403 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 899-8221
(504) 899-8221

Also featured in:

Red Fish Grill

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The list of hard-working, talented musicians in New Orleans is endless, with many of them powering popular weekend brunches around town. At Red Fish Grill at the edge of Bourbon Street, it’s Joe Krown, one of the city’s most respected keyboard players, on piano. This guy plays Jazz Fest, he tours the country with the Kenny Wayne Shepherd band and when he’s in town, he entertains at Red Fish solo while guests enjoy the likes of gulf shrimp, spinach and brie omelet, gator breakfast tacos, and crab Croque Madame. Two hours of bottomless cocktails run $28, so drink up.

115 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 598-1200
(504) 598-1200

Also featured in:

Arnaud's

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A French Quarter staple since 1918, Arnaud’s offers the sounds of Dixieland Jazz along with a four-course prix fixe Sunday brunch menu ranging from $15.50 to $49, depending on the entree. Go the egg route — shirred eggs in a Creole sauce with andouille sausage perhaps? Or get decadent with a slab of savory crabmeat cheesecake oozing brie.

813 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70112
(504) 523-5433
(504) 523-5433
Arnaud’s jazz brunch.
Arnaud’s/Official

Also featured in:

Mr. B's Bistro

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Mr. B’s has a special something, a certain je ne sais quoi that turns guests into family and every meal into a memorable experience. Sunday jazz brunch is a winner, replete with dishes both traditional and fun. Flash-fried oysters are served with jalapeno tartar sauce, duck confit spring rolls dip into soy ginger sauce, and the shrimp in the shrimp and grits are wrapped in bacon; lagniappes abound. Save room for dessert.

201 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 523-2078
(504) 523-2078

Also featured in:

Broussard's Restaurant & Courtyard

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Jazz fills the air at Broussard’s for brunch Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with a menu of sweet and savory specialties created by chef Jimi Setchim. Order dishes like shrimp and grits and oysters Broussard from the a la carte menu or opt for three courses for $48. Bring the kiddos — they can get fried chicken and waffles or scrambled eggs, grits, and bacon for $12.

819 Conti St, New Orleans, LA 70112
(504) 581-3866
(504) 581-3866
Broussard’s.
Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

Also featured in:

Antoine's Restaurant

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It isn’t every brunch that serves Baked Alaska for dessert. Antoine’s has that market cornered, with a toe-tapping jazz brunch served both Saturday and Sunday, even at the bar. The menu brims with New Orleans specialties like seafood gumbo, oysters Rockefeller, and eggs Sardou. Get bottomless mimosas or rosé for $18.

713 St Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 581-4422
(504) 581-4422
Antoine’s Baked Alaska.
Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

Also featured in:

The Court of Two Sisters

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There’s a live jazz buffet every day of the week at the Court of Two Sisters, a French Quarter spot especially popular with visitors. Reservations are recommended for a repast that might include grits and grillades, gumbo, and shrimp etouffee. There’s a lovely courtyard for outside dining.

613 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 522-7261
(504) 522-7261
The Court of Two Sisters

Also featured in:

Miss River

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Miss River at Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans recently debuted a new weekend brunch menu, with a jazz band stirring things up on Saturdays and Sundays. Chef Alon Shaya goes for a celebratory vibe, with a $70 three-course brunch served family style. Start with a zippy link of Best Stop Cajun boudin served with crackers, mustard, and scallions, and move onto the likes of buttermilk-fried chicken and biscuits served with dipping sauces, pain perdue topped with bananas, or clay pot dirty rice with duck egg and creamy liver pate. Drink up — the showstopper is definitely the flaming espresso martini flambeed tableside.

2 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 434-5701
(504) 434-5701
Miss River/Official

Also featured in:

Muriel's Jackson Square

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Choose from an a la carte or three-course option at Muriel’s for a festive Sunday brunch accompanied by a roving trio of trad jazz dynamos. There’s a special $8 list of brunch cocktails, ideal for pairing with the likes of turtle soup, bananas Foster pain perdue, and duck and chaurice sausage hash. If your food starts to disappear before your eyes, it just might be that hungry ghost who’s been hanging around since the 18th century. A drink in the Seance Lounge perhaps?

801 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 568-1885
(504) 568-1885

Also featured in:

Steamboat Natchez

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What’s more traditional than rolling on the river, the sounds of jazz and the smells of Southern comfort food wafting in the air? Brunch is optional on the Steamboat Natchez Sunday jazz cruise, but for an additional $29, the buffet dishes faves like grits and grillades, gumbo, creamed spinach, and pain perdu, with warm bread pudding and bananas foster for dessert.

400 Toulouse St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 569-1401
(504) 569-1401
Steamboat Natchez

Also featured in:

The Maison

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Every Sunday it’s swing dancing and jazz during brunch at Maison on Frenchmen Street. Spend $10 to reserve a table for up to three friends, an additional $5 a head after that, worth it to snag a good table at this popular spot. The well priced menu runs the gamut from biscuits and gravy to a burger po-boy and buttermilk pancakes with real maple syrup.

508 Frenchmen St, New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 371-5543
(504) 371-5543

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Commander's Palace

1403 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130

This landmark family-owned restaurant in the Garden District is recognized globally for its profound commitment to customer service, a throwback to Miss Ella’s insistence on excellence. Chef Meg Bickford elevates Commander’s Palace jazz brunch with the likes of Breaux Bridge crawfish strudel, cochon de lait eggs Benedict built on pork shoulder slow-roasted for 16 hours, and a pork belly cinnamon roll that is off the chain. Here. it’s not a jazz brunch without an end-of-meal second line.

1403 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 899-8221
(504) 899-8221

Red Fish Grill

115 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130

The list of hard-working, talented musicians in New Orleans is endless, with many of them powering popular weekend brunches around town. At Red Fish Grill at the edge of Bourbon Street, it’s Joe Krown, one of the city’s most respected keyboard players, on piano. This guy plays Jazz Fest, he tours the country with the Kenny Wayne Shepherd band and when he’s in town, he entertains at Red Fish solo while guests enjoy the likes of gulf shrimp, spinach and brie omelet, gator breakfast tacos, and crab Croque Madame. Two hours of bottomless cocktails run $28, so drink up.

115 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 598-1200
(504) 598-1200

Arnaud's

813 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70112

A French Quarter staple since 1918, Arnaud’s offers the sounds of Dixieland Jazz along with a four-course prix fixe Sunday brunch menu ranging from $15.50 to $49, depending on the entree. Go the egg route — shirred eggs in a Creole sauce with andouille sausage perhaps? Or get decadent with a slab of savory crabmeat cheesecake oozing brie.

813 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70112
(504) 523-5433
(504) 523-5433
Arnaud’s jazz brunch.
Arnaud’s/Official

Mr. B's Bistro

201 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Mr. B’s has a special something, a certain je ne sais quoi that turns guests into family and every meal into a memorable experience. Sunday jazz brunch is a winner, replete with dishes both traditional and fun. Flash-fried oysters are served with jalapeno tartar sauce, duck confit spring rolls dip into soy ginger sauce, and the shrimp in the shrimp and grits are wrapped in bacon; lagniappes abound. Save room for dessert.

201 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 523-2078
(504) 523-2078

Broussard's Restaurant & Courtyard

819 Conti St, New Orleans, LA 70112

Jazz fills the air at Broussard’s for brunch Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with a menu of sweet and savory specialties created by chef Jimi Setchim. Order dishes like shrimp and grits and oysters Broussard from the a la carte menu or opt for three courses for $48. Bring the kiddos — they can get fried chicken and waffles or scrambled eggs, grits, and bacon for $12.

819 Conti St, New Orleans, LA 70112
(504) 581-3866
(504) 581-3866
Broussard’s.
Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

Antoine's Restaurant

713 St Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130

It isn’t every brunch that serves Baked Alaska for dessert. Antoine’s has that market cornered, with a toe-tapping jazz brunch served both Saturday and Sunday, even at the bar. The menu brims with New Orleans specialties like seafood gumbo, oysters Rockefeller, and eggs Sardou. Get bottomless mimosas or rosé for $18.

713 St Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 581-4422
(504) 581-4422
Antoine’s Baked Alaska.
Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

The Court of Two Sisters

613 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130

There’s a live jazz buffet every day of the week at the Court of Two Sisters, a French Quarter spot especially popular with visitors. Reservations are recommended for a repast that might include grits and grillades, gumbo, and shrimp etouffee. There’s a lovely courtyard for outside dining.

613 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 522-7261
(504) 522-7261
The Court of Two Sisters

Miss River

2 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Miss River at Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans recently debuted a new weekend brunch menu, with a jazz band stirring things up on Saturdays and Sundays. Chef Alon Shaya goes for a celebratory vibe, with a $70 three-course brunch served family style. Start with a zippy link of Best Stop Cajun boudin served with crackers, mustard, and scallions, and move onto the likes of buttermilk-fried chicken and biscuits served with dipping sauces, pain perdue topped with bananas, or clay pot dirty rice with duck egg and creamy liver pate. Drink up — the showstopper is definitely the flaming espresso martini flambeed tableside.

2 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 434-5701
(504) 434-5701
Miss River/Official

Muriel's Jackson Square

801 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Choose from an a la carte or three-course option at Muriel’s for a festive Sunday brunch accompanied by a roving trio of trad jazz dynamos. There’s a special $8 list of brunch cocktails, ideal for pairing with the likes of turtle soup, bananas Foster pain perdue, and duck and chaurice sausage hash. If your food starts to disappear before your eyes, it just might be that hungry ghost who’s been hanging around since the 18th century. A drink in the Seance Lounge perhaps?

801 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 568-1885
(504) 568-1885

Steamboat Natchez

400 Toulouse St, New Orleans, LA 70130

What’s more traditional than rolling on the river, the sounds of jazz and the smells of Southern comfort food wafting in the air? Brunch is optional on the Steamboat Natchez Sunday jazz cruise, but for an additional $29, the buffet dishes faves like grits and grillades, gumbo, creamed spinach, and pain perdu, with warm bread pudding and bananas foster for dessert.

400 Toulouse St, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 569-1401
(504) 569-1401
Steamboat Natchez

The Maison

508 Frenchmen St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Every Sunday it’s swing dancing and jazz during brunch at Maison on Frenchmen Street. Spend $10 to reserve a table for up to three friends, an additional $5 a head after that, worth it to snag a good table at this popular spot. The well priced menu runs the gamut from biscuits and gravy to a burger po-boy and buttermilk pancakes with real maple syrup.

508 Frenchmen St, New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 371-5543
(504) 371-5543

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