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New Orleans Grill
The Top List of Romantic Restaurants - New Orleans, LA
Explore romantic dining in New Orleans!
by Paul A. Greenberg
After they have seen Rome, luxuriated on the Greek Isles and pampered themselves in Paris, world travelers routinely call New Orleans the most romantic city in the world. From the soft evening breezes emanating from the Mississippi River to the lush centuries-old oak trees along the boulevards, New Orleans is all about sensuality. The local foods are simply a prelude to endless possibilities – and after all, isn’t it really the anticipation that makes romance as sweet as it is?
Bacco
310 Chartres Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 522-2426
Hours: Lunch 11:30am – 2:30pm daily; Dinner 6-10pm daily.
With the opening of Bacco, New Orleans stepped up as a player in the “urban chic” restaurant scene. Regional Italian seasonings and preparations blend easily on the menu with Creole sensibilities and distinctive New Orleans home cooking. The dining rooms are upscale, contemporary and imaginatively conceived. Bacco is a comfortable spot to stop for a pre-theatre supper of Maine lobster and Gulf shrimp ravioli, or a late evening Champagne and dessert date. Nothing says romance quite like a glass of icy Veuve Clicquot accompanied by chocolate custard flavored with Framboise and raspberry compote, topped with shaved chocolate and whipped cream.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $45 - $55
Open for all major holidays.
Restaurant August
301 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA 70125
(504) 299-9777
Hours: Lunch M-F 11am-2PM; Dinner M-Sat. 5:30-10pm
Break out the little black dress or the silk sport jacket and dine fine. August is that sleek, downtown spot common to every urban area, but the only one where Chef John Besh exercises his artistry. The atmosphere is old New Orleans – crystal chandeliers, hardwood floors, oversize windows – but the food is strictly right now. The signature “B.L.T.” of buster crab lettuce and tomatoes is a must. But save room for a choice Moroccan-spiced duck with polenta, foie gras and dates. Ladies who lunch, power brokers and starry-eyed lovers unite – there is room at the table for all of you.
Holiday Schedule: New Year’s Eve-Open, Valentine’s Day, Open, Easter, Open.
Christmas Eve, Closed. Christmas Day, Closed. New Year’s Day, Closed.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $$65- $75 per person
Rib Room
621 St. Louis St., New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 529-5333
Hours: Breakfast M-F 6:30-10:30am; Lunch Daily 11:30am-2pm; Dinner Su-Th 6-10pm, F, Sat. 6-11pm.
Since the Camelot Era, dinner at the Rib Room has been a French Quarter tradition. The clubby, leathery dining room with the mile-high ceilings and huge windows overlooking historic Royal Street provides the ideal setting for a carnivorous feast. The perfect meal? Spit-roasted scallops to begin, followed by turtle soup with dry sherry before your all-day, slow-roasted prime rib. The wine list holds its own with the top lists in the city, and after all that, why resist the dessert cart? Countless couples have agreed to a lifetime of these dinners while seated at one of the in-demand window tables.
Open all major holidays.
Brigtsen’s
723 Dante St., New Orleans, LA 70125
(504) 861-7610
Hours: Dinner Tu-Sa 5:30-10pm
For two decades, dinner at Brigtsen’s has been about comfort food in the cushy surroundings of an old uptown house. Frank Brigtsen learned his craft under the master – Paul Prudhomme, and it shows. Even in summer months you can often count on roasted quail appetizers, hearty butternut shrimp bisque or a perfectly roasted duck with cornbread dressing. Brigtsen has an even hand with seasonings and fully understands the discerning local palate. Fight the good fight for a table on the enclosed sun porch, and do your level best to remember these words: “Banana bread pudding with banana custard sauce, please.”
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $45 - $55
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Closed, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Closed, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
Broussard’s
819 Conti St., New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 581-3866
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 5:30-9PM
If your intention is to court and spark, there may be no better spot in New Orleans than the lush courtyard at Broussard’s. Nothing enhances an evening quite like the right table, and a steamy tureen of oyster artichoke soup. Broussard’s has been serving the masses since 1920, and any local will tell you – nobody puts out a better bouillabaisse, not to mention the perfectly textured lamb with Marsala. The table d’haute menu is among the best in the city. Dinner under the stars, a glass of fine Bourdeaux and a little romance. Does it get any better than that?
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $65-75
Holiday Schedule: New Year’s Eve, Open; New Year’s Day-Closed, Valentine’s Day-Open, Easter-Open, Christmas Eve, Open, Christmas Day, Closed.
Martinique Bistro
5908 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA 70125
(504) 891-8495
Hours: Th-Fri 11 am – 2 pm; Sat.-Sun. 11am -2:30pm
Dinner Tues-Th 5:30-9:30pm; Fr-Sat 5:30-10pm; Sun. 5:30-9pm
Close your eyes and it could be a Parisian bistro, even though just outside is charming Magazine Street. The crisp white tablecloths, aromatic budding flowers and old world ambiance are just preludes to what is to come. From the caramelized onion and bacon soup to the Guinness-braised lamb shank, all roads lead to a perfect lavender-honey crème brûlée. European grace teams nicely with New Orleans casual elegance at Martinique. Ask for a table in the tiny courtyard and share a chopped salad of Belgian endive, tart green apple, sharp blue cheese and crunchy walnuts. Is that jasmine you smell? Indeed.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $50-$65
Thanksgiving, Closed, Christmas Eve, Open, Christmas Day, Closed, Valentine’s Day, Open, Easter, Open, New Year’s Eve, Open, New Year’s Day, Closed.
Stella!
1032 Chartres St., New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 587-0091
Hours: Thurs.-Mon. 5:30-10:30PM
Chef/owner Scott Boswell’s ambitious menu changes every day, but most days diners can depend on Louisiana blue crab and shark’s fin soup with crab custard and authentic 24-karat gold leaves. The impossible-to-categorize menu is clearly influenced by Asian preparations (foie gros wantons complement a gentle Szechuan seared duck breast). But just as evident are regional favorites and indigenous ingredients, such as a stellar local heirloom tomato and Louisiana jumbo lump crab salad. Boswell’s flavor combinations are gentle, not extreme, another tip of the chef’s hat to his Asian counterparts. Stella! raises the bar on fine dining in New Orleans – deliciously.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $75-$85
Thanksgiving, Closed, Christmas Eve, Open, Christmas Day, Closed. New Year’s Eve, Open, New Year’s Day, Closed, Valentine’s Day, Open, Easter, Open.
New Orleans Grill
Windsor Court Hotel, 300 Gravier St., New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 523-6000
Hours: Breakfast: Daily, 7-10:30am; Lunch: Mon.-Fr. Noon-2:30pm; Dinner: Daily 6-10pm; Brunch: Sat. 7-10:30am; Sun. 7-11am.
Every city has to have at least one dining room that pays homage to a more gracious era of elegant dining. The New Orleans Grill, lavishly appointed and centrally located to everything that counts in downtown New Orleans, takes culinary art seriously. Chef Michael Collins offers complex pairings, such as coconut curry and lobster bisque, or kobe beef ribs with cinnamon and star anise essence. Take someone you love, take your time, and linger over a singularly-irresistible cheese plate and fine cognac. Collins is a student of local ingredients and regionally grown vegetables, and his passion becomes your most memorable meal.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $100-$125
Open all major holidays
Eleven 79
1179 Annunciation St., New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 569-0001
Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 5-10PM; Fri., Sat 5-11PM
It’s tiny, oddly located and while some might call it intimate, others just say small. Still, Eleven 79’s contemporary Creole cuisine has made it a destination restaurant for hordes of locals, and tourists who go out of their way to find it. Why? Maybe because of the soft lighting, casually elegant bar, and of course, the singularly delectable house specialty, veal with asparagus, buffalo mozzarella, roasted red peppers and lemon sauce. With Dean Martin crooning “That’s Amore” softly behind you and a plate of breaded oysters with white remoulade sauce on the table, a little romance can’t be far away.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $50-$65
Christmas Eve, Open, Christmas Day, Closed, New Year’s Eve, Open, New Year’s Day, Closed, Thanksgiving, Closed, Valentine’s Day, Open, Easter, Closed.
Bayona
430 Dauphine St., New Orleans, LA 70112
(504) 525-4455
Hours: Lunch: Wed.-Fr. 11:30am-2pm; Dinner: Tues.-Sat.6-10PM
Gracefully situated in a 200-year-old Creole cottage in the heart of the French Quarter, Bayona is to big box restaurants what your favorite elegant B & B is to high rise convention hotels. This is a spot for a quiet, leisurely meal, surrounded by fresh cut flowers, greenery and exquisite local artwork. The food is the product of Chef Susan Spicer, nationally-renowned and fully devoted to her careful treatment of global cuisine. How does that play out? Peppered lamb loin is coupled with goat cheese and Zinfandel sauce, while Marsala-soaked fig tiramisu is the perfect conclusion. Sensory overload? Delightfully so.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $60-$75
Thanksgiving, Open, Christmas Eve, Open, Christmas Day, Closed, New Year’s Eve, Open, New Year’s Day, Closed, Valentine’s Day, Open, Easter, Closed.
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