Cafe Normandie

The food was absolutely délicieuse. We were lucky and got there right as an outside table opened up as they were fully booked inside. Service took a bit, but it was a great morning in downtown Annapolis that we didn't mind. We all ordered a croque madame and just from the look of it, we knew it was going to be good. The first bite changed me. The flavors blended so nicely. The creaminess of the cheese, saltiness of the ham and the egg on top may as well have been a cherry. Other things that were great: the look and feel of the outdoor seating, the history section in the menu and the location right on a street that runs to the State House with amazing brick buildings.

Came here for lunch and was notified of the wait. My date and I walked around Main Street a little more and checked in, and they had a table available. When we came in, we had a nice waiter come by. It took a little longer than expected for them to take our order, but we understood only having 2 waiters in lunch rush for the restaurant is tough. We had the soft shell crab entree and a croque monsieur, which were delightfully tasty, but I HAVE to tell you about the calamari we had. I was expecting another batter-y deep fried pile of food, but what I got instead was an experience. The calamari itself was glorious: crunchy and succulent, along with the salad underneath. But together with the vinaigrette sauce and the umami flavors from the calamari took it to the next level and made us have to stop and really appreciate what we get to enjoy on our afternoon. If there’s any appetizer to get, it’s the calamari.

A nice French restaurant with very good French cuisine. I was lucky to have made reservations here a week ago. When we arrived for lunch they were turning away patrons who did not have reservations. They were short staffed, but the waitress and support staff pitched in and made it an amazing experience. The French onion soup was perfectly cooked, with oodles of melted cheese on top. The apple and brie crepes my wife ordered was perfect as was the crab almondine the waitress had suggested. Coffee was strong and flavorful and refills kept coming. Water was served in these beautiful brass glasses. An almost perfect lunch experience in downtown Annapolis.

Was here 22 years ago and was so excited to find Cafe Normandie has even better food than the first time. We asked Chef Jean-Louis to select his favorites. The goat cheese topped toasted bread appetizer, wow and the calamari Normandie was a costal French spin and double wow. The topper was the the sautéed mushrooms on the Filet Mignon. Bon appétit for sure!

Food mostly great. The baked Brie is a must appetizer. Coffee (Latte & cappuccino) were delish! Steak sandwich-amazing! Omelet with apples and cheddar….yuck! Not for me but I didn’t return it because I ate the egg around the apples and I didn’t want to make a big deal about it. Service was great as well, very fast and caring. I’m taking a star off for atmosphere….the decor is very outdated, too many fake flowers make the place look cheap and tasteless. There was a loud Latin American music blasting in the kitchen…so no French atmosphere what’s so ever.