Café Normandie Restaurant - French Seafood Dining in Annapolis, MD

In the past couple of weeks, I've had two business lunches at Cafe Normandie, and I like it! This French restaurant has been open in Annapolis since 1986, which is incredible. And I can see why. The menu is really broad, with lots of French specialties (escargot, duck mousse, country pate, baked brie, crepes, omelets, bouillabaisse, trout almondine, etc.) and some Mid-Atlantic specialties and American favorites as well (crabcake sandwich, burger), so there's likely something for everyone. Both times I've gone for lunch, I've had their Niçoise Salad, because it's such a great lunch - ahi tuna (I got it rare), tomato, cucumber, red onion, green beans, olives, anchovies, hard-boiled eggs, mixed peppers, and their house basil vinaigrette. The service is great - always friendly. The restaurant is a little dated but in a charming way that I actually appreciate (in a time when so many restaurants look exactly the same and can be style over substance) - it's cozy and old-fashioned and feels French Country chic. Overall, it's a place I'm happy to go back to - whether for a business lunch or a meal with friends.

First of all... YUM! Excellent food, delicious flavors and kind service! Had a fun friend birthday dinner, parking wasn't too bad.

Great breakfast place Nice find food was delicious. Omelette and steak and eggs Nice cappuccino

Today was my second time at Cafe Normandie. The ambience is quaint. We were seated at the high top table which was comfortable. Our server Anna was lovely. The restaurant got busy fairly quickly but she took our drink orders right away. My significant other has an egg allergy and mostly all of the brunch menu has eggs. We asked for the lunch menu but since it was 11 am, they only offered the breakfast menu. My significant other ordered the steak without the eggs and substituted the eggs with spinach and mushrooms. He asked for the steak medium rare but it came out well done and cut like leather. We couldn't find our server because she was making drinks. By the time she came back and offered to make another steak, we were already finished eating. I felt so bad for him because all he ate was spinach. If you are the owner or manager of Cafe Normandie, can you please add non-egg menu items. The waffles are not an option because it doesn't contain protein. Possibly a burger or fish option would be a nice addition to your brunch menu. I did enjoy the ham, brie, and scrambled eggs crepe. Please note in the menu the cheese option is Swiss. I just substituted the Swiss cheese with Brie because I don't like Swiss cheese. For the lunch menu, you will see many crepe options. Not sure why they only have one option for crepes in the breakfast menu. Although I had a good experience with my meal, I would not go back for breakfast if my significant other cannot eat anything on the menu.

I'm so ashamed that it's taken me this long to finally dine here! I've lived around Annapolis most of my life, and I even went to school just blocks away. But dining here... it just never happened for various reasons. Until recently. We finally had a date night and we made the most of it. Strolling around downtown Annapolis and enjoying the cooler Fall air and cozy little town. We made reservations online in advance, and I'm glad we did! This place was packed! We started off with the baked mussels for an appetizer. They were cooked very well (not rubbery and not raw), with a flavorful herbed butter sauce on the plate. Use the bread to sop up all the goodness! Next, we each tried a soup, the cream of crab and the classic French onion. Both were tremendous! Depending on your mood, either one will more than satisfy. The cream of crab was velvety and had a sizeable portion of lump crab meat. The French onion might have been the best I've had; the broth was killer and the onions, cheese, and crouton rounded things out. Our entrées were the roasted corn risotto with scallops and the roasted half duck with raspberry sauce. The risotto was very good! The corn added a fun sweetness and crunchy texture, while the creamy risotto made a perfect bed for the scallops (also expertly cooked). The duck was fantastic, and the meat literally just fell off the bone. The skin was flavorful, but lacked the crispiness after being blanketed with the sauce. The sauce was a great contrast between sweet and savory, with not a strong raspberry flavor, but a deeply crafted taste and unctuous mouthfeel. Yeah... it was good. We didn't have room for dessert at this point, which is a darn shame, as everything looked so good! I really wanted to try the peach tart, which I think is a seasonal dish, so maybe next time. Save room! The décor is really cozy and quaint. There is a fireplace in the center of the room and exposed wooden beams above. It has a French cottage atmosphere and a warm light scheme. Overall, this is a must-do place in Annapolis. I really wish I had tried this place out sooner, but I plan on returning frequently. If you dig on French cuisine, I highly recommend trying them out!