We came to Cafe Normandie to celebrate a graduation dinner for my girlfriend's son from the Naval Academy and had an exceptional dinner here! Our waitress, Amanda, was super nice, knowledgeable and knew the menu thoroughly. The food and drinks were exceptional. The manager, Jiliani, was incredibly nice and attentive. Chef/owner Jean-Louis made some incredible dishes. The duck mousse pate, and escargots appetizers were an excellent beginning to an exceptional meal. The bison filet with mushrooms, bouillabaisse, trout almondine, veal Normandie and chef's special were all standouts! The cocktails were fantastic and the wine selections perfect! However, it was the hospitality of our server, Amanda, manager, Jiliani, and meeting chef Jean-Louis that made the meal truly fantastic! We will be back! read more

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Cafe Normandie was good, but not amazing. We had the escargot, scallops, and quail, and everything was decent, although none of the dishes really stood out. The service was okay. Our biggest issue was the layout and being seated right next to the front door, which was constantly opening throughout the meal. It wasn't horrible, but it definitely made the experience less comfortable. We might stop in again if we're already in the area and give it another chance, but based on this visit, it's not somewhere we would go out of our way to return to. read more

A truly non-pretentious French resto. I stopped in with a piece of luggage while waiting for a friend to get out of work and they were gracious enough to let me leave it close to the door instead of jamming up my table. Service was a little hands-off but still warm and courteous, and I received some great recommendations. It honestly felt like being in an auberge I used to go to as a kid. Although I was a later arrival I wasn't rushed out when I was one of the straggler tables at the end of the night. The ambiance definitely gives cozy date night vibes. The house dressing on the salad was lovely - lots of flavor on very fresh produce. I chuckled when ordering beef and saw the line on the menu about not being able to return medium well/well done meat, because it was so culturally French. And yes, the steak here is fantastic. Save room for something sweet here - the clafoutis (a mixed berry that night) wasn't overly sweet and a perfect way to end. read more

Amazing place. We tried the 4th of July Pre Fixe menu with wine and loved it. The doctor is very nice and roomy but not too pretentious. Our service was great as well. They used to have brunch which had times on OpenTable including one we were going to meet a friend. However, they discontinued it so was glad to come during dinner instead. read more

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The food, the atmosphere, the service was right on time. The drinks were served chilled and the flavor is amazing. The food is very fresh and everything was cooked to perfection. Wine Wednesday is my favorite thing. 1/2 price Vintage bottles of wine!!!WOW read more

A charming little French café good for a date night. I loved the décor that evokes the feel of a European restaurant. We were greeted by a friendly hostess and seated right away (we had reservation) and our server was prompt and courteous throughout the meal. The food was great. I think they can ease on the salt a bit. We will definitely try next time. read more

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First time here for our Anniversary. Ambiance was very nice and food outstanding. Escargots were incredible. French onion soup the best I've had. Duck with raspberry & Scallops Risotto (garlic added). Truly amazing. Service was sub par but we had a great time and not in a rush. Server seemed in the weeds from the get go. Wonderful time. read more

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This is a romantic and beautiful French restaurant. The duck mousse is phenomenal, my husband loves the bone marrow and if you come between 5 and 6:30 pm there is a special dinner menu that is incredibly priced in our favor. Wine is lovely. Service is devine. read more

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Was thrilled to finally make it back to Café Normandie after years away. It had always been among my favorites in downtown Annapolis and I'm happy to report it still has that same warm, unmistakably French charm. The service was fine; it just seemed like everyone showed up for breakfast all at once, and the staff was juggling a sudden rush. This was my first time trying the breakfast menu, and while it was enjoyable, it didn't leave quite the same impression as their dinners (but maybe that's only because breakfast doesn't come with wine--lol). We ordered the breakfast crêpe with ham, Swiss, and béchamel, and absolutely nothing was left on THAT plate. The garlic fries were also tasty, crisp on the outside, soft inside, and just garlicky enough. I went with the steak and eggs. The steak was cooked "just right" but the seasoning was a little on the mild side for my taste (the seasonings are everything for me). I do, however, definitely plan to go back for the dinner menu which definitely has my mouth watering just looking at it. Mussels, escargot anyone? read more

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The sauces are first class. The food has flavor, texture and presentation that impresses. Plenty of food to take some home but it was too good. It to overeat and finish everything served. The French onion soup here hits every important detail. Great stringy cheese, lots of onion with just the right amount of bread. The croque monster had 4 slices of ham and was covered in a cream sauce forcing one to eat with a knife and fork. And the flan was the right temperature with caramel sauce. Service was also thorough without being intrusive. Everyone was nice, attentive and helpful. They were not afraid to make recommendations. read more

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We went back to Cafe Normandie to eat brunch before the Saint Patrick's Day parade. We had the perfect table right in front so we can see everyone and everything outside. I ordered the Salad Nicoise and it was delicious, but not as good as the one in Cafe Chelsea in NYC. I ordered the tuna rare but noticed it was cooked on one side and overdone. I can't complain about the price point. $15 for tuna is unheard of these days. I enjoyed the anchovies and hard boiled eggs. This salad is high protein! I also ordered a buttered croissant on the side and it was tasty. Our server, Amanda, was great and kept our coffee cups flowing. If you like French food, this place is definitely worth checking out. We don't have a lot of French restaurants in Maryland. read more

Café Normandie Restaurant - Nicoise Salad - French Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

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We went for lunch during our lunch break from a trial in the nearby courthouse. We had an hour and a half for lunch. We told our server ALEX when we ordered we had to be back in court so we needed to order asap. ALEX took our order brought our diet cokes and never returned to our table. Ever. We kept trying to get someone to help us but no one would stop. After 60 minutes I walked to the front of the restaurant and asked the hostess if our food was ever coming and if it could be placed in to go containers. And to please bring our check. SOME of the food appeared in to go boxes 80 minutes after we ordered. The Greek salad turned out to be lettuce with one slice of cucumber and one slice of tomato. Nothing else. My guest had to talk to three different staff for help and then finally refused to pay for the lettuce that she did not eat. One guest never received their food at all. Ever. Thise that ordered dishes with fries received roughly 7 fries each. This whole time the only helpful person was the hostess who removed the missing meal and the lettuce (Greek salad) from the bill. The whole thing took 2 hours. We were late to court and several people never even ate. It was a horrible experience and ALEX was the worst server in history. Extremely frustrating and disappointing read more

Food was excellent, service was slightly slow because I was seated upstairs. However, it was nice, quiet and relaxing like a French cafe. read more

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

Café Normandie Restaurant - French Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

My wife and I decided on Café Normandie, Annapolis for Saturday, 21 Feb 2026. We have been there many times and had a wonderful time. I did notice a slight understaffing of the servers last time, but not distracting. We arrived 5 minutes early for our 7:30 table and was told to wait. At 7:40 a couple walked in and stated they had a 7:30 table. The hostess looked at me and my wife, said "sorry" and immediately walked the couple to their table. I responded to the hostess, "seriously" and she just again said, "sorry". Hostess came back, looked slightly annoyed and walked us to our table and left. After 10 minutes, our server showed up and said "sorry". We had this server the last time and had a great time. We asked that she let the manager know what just happened. At this point, things started going downhill. Our server came back and plopped down two water glasses and left. Yeah, no water bottle. I got up and asked one of the kitchen wait staff for water. Later, the guy came by, plopped down the water bottle and left. At this point, I was wondering what I did to offend anyone. My wife asked if we should just leave. We decided it was a just a fluke and things would get better. It did not. The salads and soup arrived with no spoon for the soup. After almost 8 minutes, I was getting up to go find a spoon when our server strolled by and stated, "Oh, you need a spoon". After another 8 minutes, I got up, walked to the bar and grabbed a salt and pepper. The main course arrived. The food was excellent as always. I began to wonder why the service and hospitality was going off the rails. The lack of server staffing was obvious. Our server was running all over the place and at times, looked frustrated. The front hostess table seemed disorganized and overwhelmed. Our hostess was young and not capable of keeping track of guests/tables and handling the pressure. As the night went on, the manager never showed up. If the manger had just come by to say, "We are so sorry for the inconvenience, the first round is on us". If that had happened, all would be forgiven and our server would have gotten my standard $100 tip. Unfortunately, it didn't. Then I realized our server and hostess never went to the manager, because they were either afraid to deliver bad news or didn't want to get in trouble. Bottom line is the service and atmosphere are not keeping up with the exquisite food menu. The manager has lost control of their restaurant. I expect to be treated better when I'm paying $200 for a dinner and a $100 tip. And just when you think it can't get any worse, listen to this. The men's bathroom downstairs is not the cleanest I've seen. The men's toilet has a booger wall on both sides of the stall. Yeah, that's right. Dudes are picking their nose and wiping the results on the wall as they sit on the toilet. Utterly disgusting. Not the night we were looking forward to. Needless to say, we are never going back to Café Normandie. read more

I used to love this restaurant. The food was great, the service was great, the atmosphere was good. But the last few times I've been have been horrible. The last visit, Valentine's Day, was an absolute nightmare. First, the greet at the front desk was cold - no smile, no hello. "Name?" Second, the table we were sat at was literally a wait station with a table in front of it. If I wanted ketchup or a fork, all I had to do was reach up for it. Third, the menu was preset for $130 a person (not including gratuity or wine) and was a four course meal. The salad was purely greens with a couple of beets. Not horrible, but certainly not great. The app I had, brie, was bland and presentation was horrible. The main, veal chop, tasted and looked like boiled meat. The desert was ok, but nothing special. For the price, I expected much more. On top of it all, the server, while not horrible or rude, was clearly over sat and couldn't give much attention to individual tables. We had to ask for basic things like a steak knife for my boiled meat. Since my table was essentially a wait station, I got my own utensils a couple of times. In fact, things were so bad that the table next us walked out without finishing the second course. Cafe Normandie needs to return to quality; otherwise, it will just be another dying restaurant on Main Street. You'll be much better off going to Aqua, Harry Brown's, or Osteria. read more

We really wanted to like this place, but unfortunately, Café Normandie missed the mark in a big way. The crepes were passable, but the main courses? Not so much. I ordered the veal francaise, my wife had the rainbow trout amandine, and both dishes tasted like they came from the same overused, butter-drenched pan. Each plate arrived swimming in a pool of what seemed like burnt oil or melted butter, greasy, heavy, and completely lacking in flavor. Honestly, we were hungry, so we ate it. But whatever this was, it wasn't French cuisine. We didn't complain at the table, but it's safe to say we won't be back. There are far better dining options in Annapolis. 1 star. read more

Café Normandie Restaurant - French Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

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This is no French Bistro, no table cloths, paper napkins, no spoons. The food lacked taste, the Roasted Bone Marrow was over cooked, and had little marrow. Service was good, even though understaffed. The wine list is diverse and European. Normandie has the ability to be great, with mainly semi private booths and a great Chef and owner Jean-Louis Evennou. read more

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We had 6:30 PM reservations on Saturday, June 20. We arrived about 6:25 and were shown to a table upstairs. We were the only patrons in this area. The waitress took our orders and brought the tea and lemonade we ordered. Another couple came, the waitress took their order and within 10 minutes, they had drinks and baked Brie. We continued to wait. Another couple came and the waitress took their orders and asked if they wanted bread. We looked at each other because we weren't offered bread. She brought their drinks. A few minutes later, they had salads. Manager stopped by and spoke to the patrons at the 2 other occupied tables, he turned his back to us and never acknowledged us. At that point, I suggested we leave. As we left, someone at one of the tables apologized, noting she had an interracial couple in her family. I won't ever go back and will vehemently discourage anyone of color to eat there. read more

Cute place, well air-conditioned and nice French country decor. Service was nice and liked the big cups of water provided. The food was mediocre and on the pricy side for lunch. -Burger - "mid" per a friend -Soft shell crab sandwich - $24, nice brioche bun but no sauce, better with mayonnaise. Soft shell crab wasn't well seasoned. The side salad was alright. -Steak and brie focaccia - this was very messy but this was the best dish of the lunch! read more

Café Normandie Restaurant - Soft shell crab BLT - French Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

Amazing food, servers are like family! The food is phenomenal!! You can't beat the price and the ambience is lovely!!

Came in on a snowy evening for a birthday dinner. For some reason I wasn't expecting much (likely because I'm not the biggest fan of French food) but I was honestly blown away! The bread service was simple with French bread and butter but warm and delicious. We got escargots and baked mussels for apps, and I loved both! They were not chewy at all and the butter they were both covered in had great flavor. I opted for the roast chicken with rosemary au jus and French fries, and the chicken was crispy, au just was full of flavor and the French fries dipped in the sauce (or their homemade mayo) were to die for. Everyone else at my table thoroughly enjoyed their meals as well. I'd like to come back again when they have the ribeye in stock. read more

Café Normandie Restaurant - Baked Mussels & Escargots - French Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

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

Café Normandie Restaurant - Dessert menu Normandie crepe Perfifofles Chocolate bar Crème brûlée Fruit tarte - French Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

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Food is well executed. Menu is quite comprehensive. Prices are fair. Quality is high. Service is excellent. Lovely fireplace. Did not see upstairs dining area. No surprise they've remained successful in DTA for decades! read more

We made a reservation for 10 people. When we arrived at 4:30-5 the restaurant was dead! We were sat upstairs in a balcony type seating area by ourselves. We ordered drinks then waited a good 30 minutes for our orders to be taken. We started to see couples order, eat and leave (who arrived after us) all before our food was served. The food came out quite a bit later and we had no drink refills. We were never asked if we wanted more. After we were done, we declined dessert as we didn't have another 2 hours to sit. By the time we were done it was a 3 1/2 hour ordeal. We felt like we were forgotten about often and had to go downstairs to ask for more water. It took another 20 minutes to pay and leave While the food was good, the treatment was not. 3 stars for food only. 0 for Service read more

Place is a dump. Don't know where to begin. Service slow, everything was over cooked. Got the steak and eggs ordered medium, came out shoe leather. I had 2 Stella's menu says $6.50 when the check came they were $14.00 yes you read that right. Place should call it a day and close. Very poorly run, too many other great brunch places in Annapolis to step foot in here. They got one over on me but I'll be sure not a soul I know spends another dime at this dump. read more

Café Normandie Restaurant - Their menu is not correct - French Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

My wife and I have been dining at Café Normandie since it opened almost 40 years ago. We have been out of the area for a dozen or so years and this was our first time back. We were thrilled to see that this wonderful restaurant was everything we remembered it to be - great food, wonderful ambiance, and outstanding staff. The staff was friendly, congenial, professional; but not intrusive, and seemed to really care that we had a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Tatiana was our primary server and she was assisted by a womderful young woman from Marseilles. I'll take this opportunity to thank her and to apologize to her for not being able to recall her name. The food was quite exceptional and I'll make a strong suggestion that any readers of this review try the escargots as an appetizer. They are served in the shell with the appropriate utensils and are far superior to the puff pastry version (generally soggy) so often found in the states. The wine selection was quite nice - something to satisy all palates and respectable price points. I can still remember our first visit all those years ago in the original location - a cold, slightly snowy evening; no reservation; my wife and I in the small entranceway with another couple. Imagine our pleaseure when Jean-Louis opened the inner door and greeted us with complimentary glasses of wine to sip on as we waited for a table to free up! Kudos to the owners and staff for maintaining excellence throughout the operation over all these years. read more

Great European feel, love this place. Service was relaxed and efficient. Will come back soon. read more

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! read more

This restaurant, at one time, was my favorite restaurant of all time. I would eat at Cafe Normandie weekly and it was fantastic. Fast forward two years and a lot has changed. Life and traveling kept me away from the restaurant for about two years. I was very excited to return and order my old favorite dishes. When I walked into the restaurant I was greeted by a host and two servers all sitting down and starring at their phones. The restaurant was empty except for one occupied table. After about thirty seconds who I believe was the hostess grabbed a couple of menus and said follow me. We were seated at our table and about five minutes later a server arrived to take our drink orders. She barely spoke any English and she did not speak French either. We ordered our drinks and I ordered gazpacho. In short our drinks never came and we ended up drinking water. The gazpacho was under seasoned and basically remineded me of a can of diced tomatoes with salt and pepper on it. The gazpacho of the past was my favorite dish here. For my main course I ordered a lobster raviolli which I believe was a special that day. The ravioli were swimming in a greasy,thick, gloopy cheese heavy sauce. I could not taste the ravoli at all as they were over powered by the cheese sauce. Overall my dining experience at Cafe Normandie was very under whelming. I do not know if the restaurant was sold, however, this definitely was not the Cafe Normandie that I used to love. Wondering what happened to the great service and even better food. read more

It's possible that lunch and dinner are the stars here, but breakfast/brunch was not. The only enjoyable parts of our meal were the coffee and breakfast potatoes. The omelette was very overcooked and swimming in oil and the scrambled eggs were oily as well, and rubbery and inedible. To top it off, my husband was charges $6 for A SINGLE PIECE OF BRIOCHE TOAST. Our server was sweet but visibly overwhelmed. We will not be returning. read more

I have eaten at cafe normandie twice before and had a wonderful experience both times. Upon eating there yesterday 11/12/2025 my review is it was a horrible experience. First of all service was terrible. Orders came out separately and cold and often incorrect. We ordered a bottle of wine and only received it when food was delivered and after asking for it several times. As to the physical interior it is very dated and restroom was filthy! We had problems withthe bill to the point I went over to the desk to find out what the issue was after abouta 10 minutes. We will not be returning. For the future please tell or train the wait staff. Being told NO PROBLEM after ordering or questioning is ridiculous! read more

French country style decor. Stucco walls, wooden panels, decorative iron works, and hanging plants. Service was warm and pleasant. The prices were normal, and the food was pretty good. Bread and butter was served. Bread was warm and fresh like a French baguette. We ordered: 4*Salade Nicoise: big portion of a variety of vegetables with tuna. Tuna was tender, veggies were crisp and fresh, and sauce was good. 5*Escargots: jumbo snails were cooked perfectly, soft and tasty. 3*Soft shell Crab: there were three choices of sauce. I ordered almond sauce which was pretty good. There was only one small crab with some string beans. The portion was light. read more

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I'm giving it 1 star because I have to in order to tell you about this train wreck of a meal. NOT FRENCH FOOD!!!!! This is a tourist trap. The chef has no accountability and will not admit that he is slinging subpar hash that I wouldn't even feed my dog. It's a rip off and I didn't eat my cruddy dinner and was way overcharged for it. The decor is as sorry as the food. It's like they ripped off a Senior Home of all its fake flowers from the 80's. The staff was nice, I feel bad because all the they do is apologize. Clean your restaurant cook and buy a cookbook!! read more

Food is good. Ambiance could be better. The carpet is so disgusting and gross. I just wonder what the kitchen is like. Needs upgrade.

Hadn't eaten here recently and has been better in the past but this visit was not great. Wasn't overly busy but service was very slow. After being greeted by our waitress and being poured half glasses of water, she didn't return for more than 20 min to take drink orders. At this point we went ahead and ordered our meals. 3 of us ordered hot starters which for some reason came out 10 min before the one salad that was ordered. Our entrees were just ok. My sauce with the steak au poivre was under seasoned and I had to ask for salt. On top of our slow service there was another table seated near us with a "service" dog. This was not obviously not a real service animal but a small dog in a shirt and the diner went as far as to ask for a bowl of water which they brought it and placed under the table, and was allowing other diners to come over and greet and pet the dog while she was busy taking selfies for instagram. I know it puts the restaurant in a bad position when a diner claims they have a service animal but this was over the top and ruined the atmosphere in a "fancy" French restaurant on a Saturday night. read more

Terrible service, distasteful food. Expected so much more than what we received and for what it cost. No professionalism at all, from the moment we entered until the time we left. Eggs were not cooked well and the potatoes tasted burnt. Wanted to order crepes after the main course but were afraid they'd be made poorly as well. Don't know who is in the kitchen but they sure are bad cooks. Not coming back. Servers looks like they don't want to be there. read more

feel a little ripped off. no indication of prefix when reservation made for six. $149 a person for ok dinner. light was bright aff ambience. gosh. having lunch in Baltimore at Marie Louis. prefix for valentines 75$. with better selection. duck filet lamb sea bass scallops. ..sad. we were expecting the normal menu which we like at cafe Normandy read more

This place never disappoints. It is the best French food we have ever had. The appetizer platter was sooo worth the price. Beautiful and well stocked on two trays. The apples in the tarte were unbelievable. They almost tasted like they had been dehydrated then rehydrated. Sooo good. read more

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Wonderful restaurant. Samantha was an outstanding server. Food was very good, relaxing atmosphere and fun experience. Highly recommend this place. read more