Willa Jean

Willa Jean is a contemporary bakery, bar and restaurant on O'Keefe Avenue in the Central Business District, and it is one of the most useful breakfast and brunch stops in the downtown area. It is part of BRG Hospitality, a New Orleans restaurant group, and its menu is built on Southern comfort food made with local ingredients.

The day starts with pastries and muffins from the bakery, alongside a full breakfast and brunch menu, and later in the morning the kitchen adds sandwiches, salads and main dishes. The bar is open from the start of service, so it works equally well for a quick coffee and pastry on the way to a meeting or for a long, relaxed brunch with friends. Look at the current menus on the website before you go, as dishes change.

Willa Jean is open every day from 7am to 3pm. From Monday to Thursday it runs a Golden Hour from 7am to 9am, with half-price select cocktails, muffins and snacks, which is a good reason to come early on a weekday. The restaurant does not take conventional reservations; instead you can join a waitlist online through Toast, which saves standing around at busy times. Weekend mornings can be busy, so arrive at opening or add your name to the waitlist before you set out.

The café suits couples, friends meeting for brunch, solo travellers and business visitors staying in the CBD hotels. Families will find plenty of choice, and the bakery counter is handy if you only want something sweet. Because it closes at 3pm, think of it as a breakfast and lunch place rather than somewhere for dinner.

For drivers, parking is available on O'Keefe Avenue and South Rampart Street, and there are garages and car parks nearby. Most visitors staying downtown will simply walk. Willa Jean combines well with a morning at The National WWII Museum or the other Warehouse District sights, or with the start of a ride on the St Charles streetcar from Canal Street. If you are visiting with a group, use the waitlist early, as larger tables take longer to free up at peak times.