Halloween Brunch at Rosalie French Cafe

I wasn't sure what I was going to do for this Halloween. The seasons don't really change much here in Orlando, so my partner and I are very intentional about doing things that put us in the spirit of the holidays. Living in a tourist area, our holiday season is a little bit earlier than most other places. Walt Disney World and Universal Studios start their Halloween celebrations at the end of August/beginning of September with the Christmas season starting promptly on November 1st.

We had already visited Halloween Horror Nights at Universal a handful of times, eaten dinner at Jock Lindsey's during their decoration layover, and visited both Winter Park and Winter Garden for their Halloween movies in the park. We have done close to everything that we put on our Orlando Halloween Must Do list, except for one thing. We were fortunate this year to have my partners mother visiting us, so we absolutely had to take her to one of our favorite year-round brunch destinations that also changes with the seasons: Rosalie French Cafe.

Rosalie is a French cafe that serves coffee, croissants, tartes, and other delicious pastries. When better than Halloween morning to introduce her to a place we love so much? Halloween fell on a Saturday this year, which is also when Winter Garden does their weekly farmers market. This was a treat that we were not expecting! We made a quick look around the market admiring the flowers and fresh produce for sale by the locals before joining the ever-growing line to enjoy Rosalie. The line seemed to be growing every second, so we opted to join the line and wait since the time was going to pass anyway. It took us roughly 20 minutes to get inside, which gave everyone plenty of time to look at their regular menu and decide which seasonal pastry they wanted to get.

Together, we decided on a fresh strawberry salad, French toast with berries, and a chicken flatbread. We also ordered some spooks in the form of a pumpkin creme brulé latte, a pumpkin chai, a bat brownie, and a pumpkin tarte. The portions were large enough to share, and we even had to grab a box to bring some of the leftover pastries home, a wonderful decision that we would appreciate later in the evenings over tea and board games. My mouth is watering thinking about the boxed-up tarte on my counter.

The portions are nothing to scoff at. All three of us were hitting are max as we were taking our final bites. When we were finished eating, we took some time to look around. Rosalie does not play when it comes to decorations. It's almost theme-park-level good. Floor to ceiling decorations, lights, and music that keeps you in the Halloween vibe.

Despite the line being so long outside, there were plenty of open tables both inside and outside. We opted for a table inside to really appreciate the ambiance that the staff worked so hard to put together. The staff is always a massive draw to the cafe. Today was no different as they arrived to work in their Halloween costumes. We had our order taken by a pirate skeleton, our coffees made by Soulja Boy, and delivered by a cat. While the 30–40-minute drive may be a lot for some, but this is a must do. We have already begun planning to come back for Christmas and their annual Brews and Bouquets that will overtake the restaurant in spring.

The rest of the day still has yet to be decided, but even if we accomplish nothing else at all, this perfect Halloween brunch will have made it a wonderful holiday.