Cafe Normandie

I came for the food and got so much more. The owner and her son took the time to chat and made me feel at home. The rack of lamb, my favorite dish, was superb! I finished the excellent meal with a plate of cheeses.

I just had to update my review. The first review I wrote was about our experience having dinner here now I am writing another review in regards to our lunch we just had this weekend. All I can say is WOW! the crepes were delicious and our friend had the quiche Lorraine and it was superb! I cannot say enough about this restaurant if you read the other reviews please don’t take them to heart if I did I would not have tried this restaurant and what a loss that would have been. The food either at lunch or dinner is outstanding and the service matches the food. I can say for sure I will make this one of my favorite places in Naples to eat and that says a lot since I have so many restaurants to choose from. To the staff at Café Normandie do not change a thing you have a wonderful restaurant.

I looked at my last review so many years ago and realized that I had ordered the same luncheon item: Chicken salad, now listed as salade au poulet. My friend said she had read that the owner died a while ago, and the place was under new management. I can say by comparing the old recipe with lots of ingredients for a luncheon salad with the new $ 17 version: about 8 thumb size pieces of chicken displayed at the edge of a mound of lettuce with four tomato slivers on top — that things have definitely changed. Despite it being the busiest time of tourist season, the place was less than half full. I fear I may be witnessing the demise of this Café.

We used to love this place for their Country Pâté. We were in Naples after a long absence and excited to repeat previous experiences. As we were seated, two women at the next table leaned over and said «don’t order the crème brûlée». We asked why, and they told us it was presented cold and the sugar on top was not crisp. It was also curdled. They told us the place used to be a favorite of theirs as well, but had disappointed them several times since the new owner took over.
We decided to go ahead and have lunch, ordering the country pâté. When it arrived, we saw that it was NOT what we ordered. It was the duck liver mousse that was also on the menu… not our favorite thing… AND the portion was skimpier than before. Presuming they no longer offered the country pâté, we ate our lunch.
I also noticed there were only 2 cornichon on on my sandwich, not nearly enough to match the amount of mousse. I kept trying to get the attention of our server with no success so I got up and went to the counter to find all three employees chatting at the counter.
After we finished, we asked to look at the menu, thinking we misread it. County Pâté WAS on there and it was also on the bill. We went back to the counter to ask if they still had it and were told they did. Did they have some available or were they out? No, they had it.
We showed them our bill and explained we didn’t get it, she said «I guess the kitchen made a mistake». That’s it. No apology, no offer to make it right. NOTHING.
In hindsight we should have said something when the meal arrived. Because of the comments of the two other diners, we assumed it was due to the change in ownership, but the problem was with the kitchen.
We were disappointed enough that we will not return and we will not recommended this restaurant to others.

Came here in mid-​February. It’s beer and wine only. Had onion soup, lobster bisque and escargots appetizers. All good, none amazing. Cote du Rhone wine was good. Main courses were coquilles and crevittes st jacques, duck and chillean sea bass. Again all good, none great. I liked it, would go again, but won’t rush back either.

Crepes and coffee was delicious. Went on a weekday and no wait for lunch. Cute cozy place inside with comfortable seating. Friend had a flaky pastry and sandwich & loved it. Would definitely go here again.

Terribly disappointing, arrived at the. Reserved time, hostess could not find our reservation, only the phone number was used instead of the usual method of the name. Waited fifteen minutes for a server to approach us, grudgingly took our drink order, ten minutes after catching her eye we asked her if she was the only server we were told no the other server was in the back but that she would find out what she was doing the new server came back and took our dinner choices. Ten more minutes later she came back and served two of the four meals. The server never noticed she was two dinners short. We tried to catch her eye but she, the other waitress and the busser have perfected the no eye contact routine. The two of our group were almost finished before we caught our servers attention. The final two meals were brought to our table and served with a mumbled apology. I really wish I could say they were worth waiting favor but alas that was far from the case. Their version of Osso busso was unlike any I had ever had or observed, the sauce was a commercial red sauce, the vegetables were mushy and unsalted and bland. Coffee was served cold and had to be reheated. This restaurant has fallen very far in service and quality. My review can be summed up in six words.
Terrible service, terrible food and terrible value.

Consistently good and old-​fashioned French in the nicest possible way. Very unusual for a Naples restaurant — they tend to be new, brash, big and ‘American’ food with blander spicing (to suit usual mostly mid-​American clientele).
No reservations at lunch — come at a more civilized, Euro time (say 1.30pm) and you’ll probably get a seat. One of few Naples places where you feel welcome from start to finish.
Trad Favorites: French (naturellement!) Onion Soup, Croque Monsieur (two sandwiches/​take-​home-​box-​size portion). Three kinds of homemade Quiche. (Great crust! Order one 24 hours in advance to take home.) Great omlettes, decent salads. Dinner (make a reservation) makes the most of the small (ok — slightly dingy, but charming) space — sort of like the type of restaurant you saved up to go to in college when you were on a date. Vive La France!

Delicious food and great service! This place looks very unassuming from the outside, but was one of the best restaurants I visited while I was in Florida. I rarely get to have French food, but this really hit the spot. I got the scallops au gratin and it was delicious! Everyone loved their meal, and the wine that we paired with our dinner was great too. If you want a calm atmosphere, great service, and great food, this is your place.

As a European I love to come to this place. The pastries are fantastic and the service is great. Its not overpriced like other places and the ambience is relaxing

Excellent service and the food was yummy. The restaurant is family owned and they are very charming and interested in their customers. Get the risotto!

We had dinner here last night. I was not at all impressed. The other couple dining with us thought this is great food. Huh? They need to get out more.
The trout my wife had was really bad. I ordered a shrimp and scallops au gratin. I swear it came from Sysco. Actually it was better than the trout my wife had. That’s not saying much.
You can do a lot better in Naples.

Come to café Normandie to experience good renditions of French daily cuisine — with some special event dishes to boot.
Comfort foods of «the old country» are all there. Omelette & lettuce? — yes. Pain bagnat? — yes (from Corsica, not Normandy, but who cares?). Pain et pâte de campagne? — sûre.
What’s great about le café Normandie is a non-​stuffy, casual approach to common French food. There is no pretense here. I.e., it’s very similar to how it would be in France. Imagine having lunch at a mom & pop’s place here in the states. It’s kinda like that — ‘cept how it would be in the hexagon.
The late owner, I’m sad to learn, passed away last fall. He came from the same area in Normandy as my maternal family (Eu/​Treport/​Mers). He was a good guy and I know his patrons miss him.
Nonetheless, things appear to be humming along so I think he’d be satisfied with how good our meals were this week.

We were here for the first time this week, was recommended. It was sooo good. The hardest part about this particular lunch was that we were going to have a heavy dinner, so we ate only half the portion… which, by the way, is very generous for the price. We got through it and heated it up the next day in the oven for a few minutes. We’re here for the month and will be back here again. You won’t be disappointed as many others attest. What a great local find.

A Real Gem! Please Support This Restaurant.
Hands down the best meal I’ve had in a long time. This is an authentic French meal without having to travel all the way to France to get it! In typical French style, there was only one server in the entire place, so be prepared to wait a long time for your food. Trust me though, it is worth the wait. I had a delightful pâté as my appetizer and the roasted chicken for my entrée. I literally gasped when i tasted the first bite of my chicken. It almost melted in my mouth. The inside was moist and tender and the skin was the perfect level of crispiness. Crepes Suzette for dessert were also fantastic.
There is an interesting story behind this restaurant. The long-​time owner apparently passed away a few months ago. I believe his daughter now owns the restaurant and she and our waiter are trying to keep the place open. It is very small inside (maybe 40 seats), but it was full the evening we were there thanks to the excellent food and to a buy one entrée, get another entrée free special before 6 pm. It would be a real shame if this restaurant were to close and I hope residents of Naples and people here on vacation will continue to support this restaurant. There are not many authentic French places in the United States and would be sad if this one were to close.
Remember, don’t be in a hurry when you come here. I lived in France for a while and a typical French dinner is at least 2 hours. Bring a good book or a companion. Indulge in the French pastimes of a good conversation and slowly savoring your food. You will be happy you gave this place a chance.

Simple flavors, fresh food, & high quality ingredients, the epitome of French cuisine!
As true with most Naples gems, its small restaurant with a neon sign in a strip mall. It has very cute décor, but with about 40 seats in a 300 sq foot space, I imagine it would be super clostrophobic during a busy dinner. Also, it was hot by the kitchen, so this may be tough during the summer. I don’t imagine a will return for dinner, but a definite 5 stars for lunch!
So far I have tried the French onion soup, spinach quiche, Niciose salad, and Pain Bagnet. All delightful! They French onion soup is vegetarian made with onions and white wine, I think it would be better with a bit more fat in it, but the soup probably only gets better as the day wears on. After the filling bowl of soup, I thought for sure I wouldn’t have room for another bite, but maybe just a taste … Omg, nope, found some room! :) The quiche was seriously the best I have ever had, only nitpicking thing is that I’m pretty sure the crust is frozen/​store bought … But at least they bought a good one because it was so delicious!
Satisfying meal! Will definitely recommend and return again for lunch!

You could almost miss this little gem, but let me tell you… you don’t want to! I had the quiche l’orraine and it was outstanding! Light, fluffy, and everything dreams are made of. For dessert, the Napoleon evened everything out with fresh strawberries in delicious custard under a flaky crust. If I had to describe this restaurant in a word it would be magnificent.

Went there a couple of weeks ago and I was surprised with what I found.
The ambience inside feels like a cozy french café with very simplistic decoration. The crowd, as usual in Naples, older folks.
The food was delicious, and most of everything in the all the times I’ve been there, the service has been extremely attentive. Sometimes I feel like going back just for the home-​y feeling the place has.
Highly recommended for your quiet weekend dinner.

Great breakfast fresh baguettes dough delivered from Spain :) tastes just like I had it Paris :)
Really good lunch we had :)

This is one place I always make it to for lunch when I am in Naples. Small, unassuming exterior in a strip mall, it is warm and cozy on the interior. The kind of place you want to keep a secret, because you don’t want it swamped, but it might be too late for that. A few spots to park at in the front, with a parking lot behind. In season (winter), you will need reservations for dinner.
The first few visits, I had their Salade Niçoise, and loved the combination of tuna, egg slices, tomato, onions, and olives over the salad. This last visit I switched to the (essentially) Salade Niçoise on a baguette, and it was awesome. One of the best sandwiches I have ever had. Just the combo of the fresh baguette, with the tuna and egg, and then they added baby gherkins to it — so delicious. My new favorite! Served with a side salad consisting of spinach and a tomato, which was a perfect accompaniment.
Tip — make sure you check out their small pastry cold case for treats you might have to have.
So good — I can’t wait to go back!

Sometimes you wander into a place and have a meal that ‘will change your life’ or certainly your current outlook on it. Such was the case of lunch at Café Normandie on a recent trip to Naples.
My server was petite fille charmante de Lyon, no?
I started with soupe a l’oignon and had the friand (filled with salmon, brie and spinach) followed by coffee and chocolate au pain. My travel companion had the bleu cheese salad and the quiche lorraine.
My friand was an excellent pastry crust, moist and flaky filled with delicious smoked salmon, with brie and spinach and an unusual white sauce that was suggested by our server.
The coffee was strong and very rich and a great companion to the desert chocolate au pain, dark chocolate surrounded by another flaky pastry.
Both our meals were excellent in every way, to make sure I sampled my friends meal-​for quality purposes only, of course!