New Orleans fine dining restaurant help
 

Will be attending conference and will be taking out some important clients for dinner- french quarter/downtown preferred. Everyone is from out of town- must be somewhere impressive, not a dive but it does not have to be a "jacket required" establishment (ok if it is- but does not have to). What are the best places for impressing my clients? Good food is a must (I know that is not hard in New Orleans). Must be the best they have to offer.

commander's palace - always special, or Irene's - great, small and intimate.

Peristyle might be a good option http://www.americascuisine.com/newor...peristyle.html

NOLS & Delmonico (Emeril Lagasse's restaurants) are also good.

oops! NOLA is Emeril's restaurant in the quarter. Sorry for the typo.

Commander's is always a favorite & the service is impressive. Ask to have a table in the garden room if possible.The whole experience- food, atmosphere & service is memorable. My favorite dessert is the Chocolate Fudge Sheba. Truly death by chocolate. My husband always enjoys the soup 1-1-1. It is a small sample of gumbo, turtle soup & the soup of the day. The pecan crusted gulf fish is a must for seafood lovers.

You can get info on the restaurant including sample menus at www.commanderspalace.com/new_orleans/index.php

Note the Commander's Palace is not in the French Quarter but in the Garden District.

We had one of the best meals we've ever had at NOLA - casual and friendly, perfect for a FQ splurge. Arnaud's is a more formal (and drop dead gorgeous) room, waiters in Tuxes, food more traditional but also excellent. I don't think a jacket and tie is mandated in too many places nowadays, but do check before booking.

In the French Quarter, try Le Bistro at the Maison de Ville. I believe it's on Toulouse St. Many visits have always impressed. Following many recommendations, we did go to Commander's Palace for a full dinner and were mightily disappointed. The only noteworthy course was the wonderful bread pudding souffle. If you can get to the Garden District, try the Upperline Restaurant. Beautiful ambience, careful but not hovering service and very impressive food quality. Have a great time!

Alooohaaaa,
Muriel's? Bayonna?
=P~ =P~ =P~

I'll add the Pelican Club and GW Fins to the list. Both are excellent and jackets are not required.

I am a meeting planner and have sent clients and VIP's to most of the restaurants posted and you really can't go wrong. Also try Bella Luna, Restaurant Indigo and Restaurant August.

Went to Commander's Palace last June with my daughter. The setting and service was over the top! Food was really just so so. Quite over-rated. We did really enjoy Arnauds. Going back in January and would also like some fine dining recs - as well as some casual ones. How are the following? Palace Cafe, Bacco, Brennans (for dinner), Galatoire, Peristyle??? THanks for comments, opinions.

Went to Commander's Palace last week and was seriously underwhelmed. We had an 8:30 reservation and they left us a message to be there at 8, and it was rush-rush-rush as if with a stopwatch from that moment on. We had a bad table, which we would have asked to switch except we were ordering cocktails and rush-rush-rushing to order. I'm no rube and I'm not shy, and I know how to make sure I'm happy at restaurants, but this was crazy. Seriously, they were loading trays about two feet from us and snapping at busboys. I commented to the waitress, and it stopped, but still, it was so fast that there was no time to remedy anything, really. It was a 45-minute three-course meal. Food was OK, But I expect not to be hurried so, and it was a big disappointment. Another night we went with our two young kids to Arnaud's cafe, where they had a jazz trio. This was amazing. Kids were good, staff doted on them, music loud enough to keep them from bothering others. I hope. Same menu as the main dining room, lively tableside Bananas Foster presentation. A great lovely experience. Then the last night we had a sitter and dined at Stella! in the French quarter. As my husband said, Stella! seemed to wipe the bad taste out of our mouths from Commander's Palace. Quiet, great food, nicely paced. Compliments to the chef! He trained in Hyde Park and with two of the Iron chefs in Italy and Japan, I think. I felt as if I were among the locals here. We had gone for a drink first at this ancient, seedy candlelit bar nearby where pirate Jean Laffite used to hang out; it was a fun and perfect New Orleans evening.

First choice from your description would be Pelican Club. Second would be Bayonna.

As a native New Orleanian, I feel totally qualified to answer this question.

Commanders is great, but not one of my favorites. I would recommend Louis XVI in the Quarter or any of the other Brennen family restaurants: The Palace on Canal Street; Dickie Brennans on Iberville; Mr. B's on Royal; Bacco's on Chartes; RedfishGrill on Bourbon as well as the Bourbon House on the corner of Bourbon St and Iberville. They are all very good restaurants and none require a coat and tie. Enmerils on Tchoupitoulas is very loud, Delmonicos on St Charles, another Emerils Restaurant is very overpriced and NOLA in the Quarter is good, but fairly casual & touristy.

For a fine New Orleand dining experience and to impress, Antoine's is the best, coat is required. Be sure to order the souffle potatoes as an appetizer.

Enjoy our great city!

We loved Bayona and Peristyle on a recent trip...Both are very special places.

Don't miss Lilette.

I would recommend skipping Antoine's. It's a definite "has been." In my 3 years as a concierge in NO, rarely did someone report back to me with nice things about Antoine's. I do recommend Arnaud's, Bayona and Peristyle. Chef Tom Wolfe has taken over Peristyle, though, so it does have a different menu than when Chef Anne Kearny was there.

I still like Commander's but am disturbed by some of the reviews lately. Maybe they are spread too thin between CP and the new Cafe Adelaide at the Loews.

I agree with Dan: skip Antoines, which hasn't been good in years. I, too, am sorry to see bad reviews of Commander's Palace, which has always been a delight for me. Another restaurant that hasn't been mentioned is Galatoire's...quintessential New Orleans.

You didn't say what sort of menu you are interested in? If you want traditional Creole, I'd go with Arnauds (BTW, I love Galatoires, but it may not be the best choice for a business dinner if you don't think your clients will enjoy standing in line waiting for a table; they do not take reservations for the main downstairs dining room. Jackets are required in the main dining room; the upstairs room is more casual.)
I agree re: Antoines; they have unfortunately been resting on their laurels for years.

If Creole cuisine is not important to your requirements, I'd recommend Bayona or Peristyle; both are the sort of places that will impress. Restaurant August would also be a fine choice.

It would be hard to swing a dead cat by the tail and not hit a good place to eat in NO. That said in the FQ I liked Irene's Cuisine (no jackets required, no reservations taken), Bayona, Peristyle, and The Palace Cafe