Lilette
A Magazine Street dining room that proves elegance can be casual if the kitchen has nerve.
Garden District
Lilette is one of the reasons Magazine Street became a serious dinner corridor. It is not Creole in the old-line sense; it is a small, confident restaurant with French and Italian instincts, a grown-up bar, and a room that feels better the later it gets.
The move is to order across the menu instead of looking for a single New Orleans souvenir dish. Pâté, grilled fish, gnocchi, vegetables, a bottle that suits the table. The restaurant rewards people who are comfortable with understatement.
Use it for a Garden District night when Commander's feels too formal and Coquette too tasting-menu serious. Lilette knows exactly how much polish is enough.
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