Cafe Noir

I was first made aware of this place through one of those Groupon-​like deals. So I bought one and tried it out. On our first visit to this place, I observed it to be more of a coffee shop than anything. But it turns out that it’s a coffee shop /​wine bar /​café. Ha, who would’ve thought?! Anyway, i ordered a shredded chicken panini that was out of this world delicious. I had two glasses of wine as well. They have a nice loft area on the second floor that is pretty awesome to lounge in. There is a sofa, a few tables with chairs a mounted flat screen tv, with lots of reading materials (newspapers, magazines, etc). We took our food and drinks upstairs and kind of just hung out. It kind of felt like we were at a friends house just chillin. I really liked the ambiance in this place. Very cool vibe going on up in there. The people that work there are extremely nice. The cook popped his head out and I was able to say Hi to him as well. We ended up going back the next weekend for lunch and enjoyed it thoroughly. The ONLY reason I didn’t give this place a 5 star rating is due to the fact that they have a very limited menu. All of the stuff that I have tried is very good though. It’s right across from the Severn entrance of Lakeside Mall. Go check it out. You’ll like it.

Quick update: they are officially closed. The lot is up for lease. Sad day.

Had breakfast here because I was stuck out in Metairie and it was the only thing that appeared on Unilocal that was actually breakfast. (We either need more reviews, or I need to figure out how to make the Android app work properly with regard to its ability to tell me where I actually am on the map and what’s around me.)
It was exciting, at first, to have found an option that sounded pretty decent according to the Unilocal reviews I scanned, especially given that my other options were to starve (unacceptable) or go to a place that my friend said was «not really good food, but it’s food.» Which is to say, it’s not like it would’ve taken much to make a place sound appealing at that particular moment.
So, when I read Chad C’s (quite excellent) review and discovered they had «breakfast panninis» I was all for it. The place sounded cool, I was starving, and I can add pannini to my «random shit that is apparently breakfast food also list» — this list now includes breakfast sandwich, breakfast taco, breakfast burrito, breakfast po-​boy and breakfast pannini. In case you were wondering.
The End.

Located in the same spot most recently occupied by a decent poboy shop (Muffuletta’s) Café Noir is tucked away behind Lakeside mall in a little strip that includes a hair salon, an eyeglasses store, and a luggage shop. Not the most conspicuous of locales but it makes me feel like I’m eating at a delicious secret every time I’m there.
It’s right down the street from my office which makes it a favorite amongst my coworkers and me. The lunch menu is simple, they have an assortment of paninis available (with daily specials) as well as pita flats (think open-​faced panini) and sliders. If going with the sliders I’d recommend the pulled pork, black & bleu, and the cali avocado burgers. The hummus appetizer is delicious, as is the spinach and artichoke dip. Their breakfast menu is also simple and decent. Eggs however you want them, fresh-​baked biscuits, and breakfast pita flat and panini options as well. I’d recommend the biscuit slider with scrambled eggs and bacon. If I had to recommend one item on the menu, however, it would be their potato salad. It’s super delicious and incredibly flavorful without being too heavy. Their portions for everything are perfectly sized to where you can eat everything on your plate and not feel like a hog for having done so.
They also have a pretty wide selection of beer and wine, not to mention specialty coffee beverages. Every day there’s a new special latte (my favorite is the dreamsicle latte) and they’re also one of the few restaurants I’ve seen around that stocks Jones soda.
Aside from the fact that everything seems to include green onions (a personal dislike) or is garnished with parsley, this place is a definite win!

So this place is tucked away in a strip of shops on the side of Lakeside mall. It was truly an awesome find. It’s a cozy place with high ceilings and some rather unexpected décor. I had the breakfast; eggs, grits and a biscuit to be exact. It was soooo delicious! It’s hard, in my opinion, to get eggs made exactly the way you want them. They nailed it. Besides the food, the customer service was awesome as well! The guy that worked there was so friendly and welcoming. I would definitely suggest that if you are ever looking for some place to have a solid breakfast for cheap then stop in and support this business!

An independent breakfast-​lunch-​coffee-​wine spot amidst the sea of Metairie mega-​corporate chains.
The inside of Café Noir is quite unexpected from the drive-​up appearance. A dark wood counter and bar sits on one side with bistro tables on the opposite wall. The tall ceiling leaves room for the second story loft area that fills the back space. The whole café feels light and airy — not what I expected from a strip mall café at all.
I stopped in for breakfast on a rainy weekday morning. The restaurant was mostly empty except for two other parties munching on breakfast and making small talk. My iced coffee was as good as any New Orleans coffee shop makes them. I ordered a breakfast panini which was served on flatbread with scrambled egg and a slice of ham (?) inside. The flavor was on point, but the flat bread seemed like an odd choice. I would have preferred a different choice and will ask for next time.
Free wireless internet was helpful for finishing up my computer work in the time before my food arrived.
Since it is close to where I’m staying, I’ll be back for lunch. Their selection of sliders seemed tempting!

Last month, I got an email from someone who I have known for… well, if I told you how long I’ve known her, she would have to kill me. Anyway, it was suggested by this friend that I spend one of my «coffeeshop mornings» at a place in Metairie called Café Noir
This is (at least) the fourth incarnation of this location. It was a new age bookstore, then a coffee shop, then a po-​boy place, and now it’s once again a coffee shop. The address is listed as on Severn, because of the strip mall, but it’s really on 17^th Street, on the other side of Severn from Lakeside Mall and Morning Call.
The décor is bright and a good light-​dark contrast, with dark tables covered with squares of white butcher paper.
For breakfast, I had an egg, bacon, and cheese «breakfast pannini» and it was very good, an interesting change from classic breafast biscuits/​croissants. The pressed bread was cripsy and fresh, and the bacon salty enough that the egg didn’t need more. Usually I’ll ask a place to do the eggs over-​easy, but I suspect that would just gunk up the pannini press in this case. Along with the sandwich, of course I had grits! Whenever I get back from a week or two out of town, I get a craving for grits. Outside of Atlanta hotels, they’re impossible to get in the cities where I teach.
I had Café Noir’s dark roast, and it was strong and hot.
Café Noir is definitely a cut above the previous coffee house incarnation of this location. Looking forward to going back to try their sandwiches at lunchtime.
(photos accompanying this review at
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The perfect little café for a quick cup of coffee of casual lunch. The menu is great — Who else has both a cheese plate AND potato skins???
The Illy coffee can’t be beat, and the staff is super nice. Hoping to get by for happy hour soon!

What a great little find! I am was in the area and saw this place, kind of unassuming from the road, kinda looks like a wine bar but what an awesome lunch!!. The «sliders» were wonderful, not many places I have seen with those around new orleans. The service could have been faster but apparently they just opened, and the place was pretty crowded. They had a breakfast/​coffee menu that I cant wait to try out next time I am in the area and they open early. Looks like one of my new «spots» around the mall!