AYU BAKEHOUSE, NEW ORLEANS: RESTAURANT REVIEW
BREADY FOR ANYTHING:
AYU BAKEHOUSE, new orleans
Review by Paul Oswell
Frenchmen Street, so alive with nighttime music and markets, is contrastingly quiet as bakeries open for the day, and a few blocks past the old jazz clubs is one of the best in the city. It’s a rare morning that there aren’t lines already forming as the doors open, aromas of butter and bread and coffee already filtering out into the world. Inside, parts of the busy working kitchen butt up against the clean, relatively calm dining area. A single indoor counter and a few outdoor tables overlooking Washington Square are in immediate demand for folks that have the luxury of lingering.
You may see the odd Frenchmen Street nightshift worker grabbing sustenance as they head home after a long night playing jazz or serving cocktails, but it’s mostly a morning crowd, and a foodie-skewed one at that. Among many plaudits, Chef Kelly Jacques was named one of Food & Wine's 2025 Best New Chefs, and the word is out.
The coffee is advertized as “killer” and they’re not wrong. That’s not to say there’s any posturing or snobbery about things, Ayu’s baristas just deliver espresso drinks executed with precision, and drip coffee solid enough to turn your morning around. There’s also cortados, chai lattes and iced tea if those are more your speed.
How many pastries can you feasibly eat before noon? Ayu is a good place to put that metric to the test. I’m more of a savory fan, and so the Boudin Boy (boudin pork sausage with a boiled egg wrapped in croissant dough) and the rotating frittata are always going to turn my head. I’ve ventured into a sweeter arena with the delicious Chocolate Babka Knot and a Fig and Goat Cheese cheesecake that is frankly too dangerously good to consider living anywhere close to. Whatever baked goods you’re hankering for, from simple butter croissants to seasonal King Cake specials, co-founders Kelly Jacques and Samantha Weiss can help with that.
Those lines can look serious, but if you actually join one, you’ll see that orders are seen to with impressive efficiency. The staff handles the constant flow with grace and smiles which, given their success-driven volume, qualifies as minor miracle work - perhaps St Louis Cathedral should take note. When a chef, kitchen and establishment insist on high standards and see that they’re maintained in a still-supportive atmosphere, it usually translates into an unswervingly positive experience. I’ve grabbed morning coffee on the go and sat down for multiple hour-long lunches here. Each time, what you witness is a team spirit and general feeling of positivity that comes from sheer confidence in the quality on offer, and trust in a vision that Ayu is really nailing.
Ayu Bakehouse website
Welcome In: Chef Kelly Jacques, Ayu Bakehouse
Frenchmen Street, so alive with nighttime music and markets, is contrastingly quiet as bakeries open for the day, and a few blocks past the old jazz clubs is one of the best in the city. It’s a rare morning that there aren’t lines already forming as the doors open, aromas of butter and bread and coffee already filtering out into the world. Inside, parts of the busy working kitchen butt up against the clean, relatively calm dining area. A single indoor counter and a few outdoor tables overlooking Washington Square are in immediate demand for folks that have the luxury of lingering.
You may see the odd Frenchmen Street nightshift worker grabbing sustenance as they head home after a long night playing jazz or serving cocktails, but it’s mostly a morning crowd, and a foodie-skewed one at that. Among many plaudits, Chef Kelly Jacques was named one of Food & Wine's 2025 Best New Chefs, and the word is out.
The coffee is advertized as “killer” and they’re not wrong. That’s not to say there’s any posturing or snobbery about things, Ayu’s baristas just deliver espresso drinks executed with precision, and drip coffee solid enough to turn your morning around. There’s also cortados, chai lattes and iced tea if those are more your speed.
How many pastries can you feasibly eat before noon? Ayu is a good place to put that metric to the test. I’m more of a savory fan, and so the Boudin Boy (boudin pork sausage with a boiled egg wrapped in croissant dough) and the rotating frittata are always going to turn my head. I’ve ventured into a sweeter arena with the delicious Chocolate Babka Knot and a Fig and Goat Cheese cheesecake that is frankly too dangerously good to consider living anywhere close to. Whatever baked goods you’re hankering for, from simple butter croissants to seasonal King Cake specials, co-founders Kelly Jacques and Samantha Weiss can help with that.
Those lines can look serious, but if you actually join one, you’ll see that orders are seen to with impressive efficiency. The staff handles the constant flow with grace and smiles which, given their success-driven volume, qualifies as minor miracle work - perhaps St Louis Cathedral should take note. When a chef, kitchen and establishment insist on high standards and see that they’re maintained in a still-supportive atmosphere, it usually translates into an unswervingly positive experience. I’ve grabbed morning coffee on the go and sat down for multiple hour-long lunches here. Each time, what you witness is a team spirit and general feeling of positivity that comes from sheer confidence in the quality on offer, and trust in a vision that Ayu is really nailing.
Ayu Bakehouse website
Welcome In: Chef Kelly Jacques, Ayu Bakehouse