Arnaud's
A Creole grand dame with a better bar than most restaurants have dining rooms.
French Quarter
Arnaud's is the old-line Quarter restaurant for people who like ceremony but do not want lunch to become a museum visit. The dining rooms are Belle Époque New Orleans at full volume: tile, mirrors, waiters who know the traffic patterns, and enough history in the walls to make a second cocktail seem prudent.
Order from the Creole canon and do not overcomplicate it: shrimp Arnaud, soufflé potatoes, oysters if the table wants them, something rich after. The French 75 Bar next door is the move before or after, and sometimes the better reason to be in the building.
This is a dress-up dinner that still feels like a city restaurant, not a theme park. Treat the room with respect and it returns the favor.
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