Excellent-the best breakfast either one of us had ever had. The Bloody Marys were picturesque enough to be a magazine cover and tasted even better! We were sorry to discover this hide away as our last meal. If it had been one of the first places we ate we may not have eaten any where else!

This is an old house converted into a fine dining establishment. Don't be fooled by the shady bathroom, or cracks in the wall; this place is expensive. I have to say that the portions were good, and the food was very tasty. I would, however, look somewhere else when planning a family dinner. Couples feel free to indulge, but a family would really hurt your wallet. It's a nice place for dinner and I understand that brunch is good too.

This is our favority New Orleans restaurant. However, we usually go there for breakfast. They have the best omletes anywhere, and the best griodes and grits. It is very small, they do not take reservations and there is often a line that forms outside the restaurant.

From its outside appearance, you probably would not give Petunia's a second thought. In fact, we would have not have gone in at all but for the two outstanding reviews it received from other IGOUGO travelers. The fact that we ate lunch here twice over the three days that we were in New Orleans shows that we thought pretty highly of its food and atmosphere.

The interior is decorated in colors of Mardi Gras - pink and green. The service is excellent, and it appears that most of its clientele is local.

The first time, we had the shrimp creole and the crawfish etouffee. Both of these dishes are tomato based, and are served over rice. The etouffee is spicier. The shrimp were some of the best I've ever had - and they were huge. We should have shared one dish though, as the portions are tremendous. On our second trip, we shared the shrimp creole. We were tempted by the Shrimp Barataria, which is shrimp in a curry and dill sauce with tomatoes. They also claim to serve the world's largest crepes; the second time we ate there, the table next to ours ordered one, and it was huge.

Petunias is open from 8am -11pm, and breakfast is available until 3:30. They also have a website.

Yum yum! These are the only words you need to describe this dining experience. Certainly, though, excellent eats are not hard to find in New Orleans, but please let me recommend this small and charming gem on a side street in the French Quarter. I ate my late lunch alone (as often happens when I travel for business), but thoroughly enjoyed my experience.

The wait staff was clearly used to serving out of towners and led me through the Cajun/Creole menu with kindness and helpful suggestions. I had the etoufee (I hope I'm spelling this correctly!), which is a mound of crawfish in this amazing spicy sauce served over rice which is also seasoned to perfection. Of course, this was the first time I'd ever eaten etoufee [sic], so for all I know it could be sub-par etoufee, but I highly doubt it. They had other traditional Lousiana foods on the menu, as well as whole list of crepes. I began my meal with gumbo, which was also so delicious I forgot the fact that the soup was just as hot as the temperature outside. Of course, for dessert I had the most perfect pecan pie, sweet and soft, gooey with a firm crust. Now, you know the food's got to be good for a person to eat such a heavy meal in the middle of a hot and humid Louisiana summer!

The restaurant itself is sweetly decorated, all in pink and white and green, with images of its namesake hung upon all the walls. The front windows let in lots of bright sun from St. Louis Street. The old building's architectural accents have been highlighted nicely on the interior, in such a way that the feel of New Orleans follows you inside from the street, and compliments the cuisine.

I left Petunia's satisfied in my belly and in my soul, feeling like I had eaten a genuine New Orleans meal, and vowing to return to the city to see more and eat again at this charming restaurant.