Eating at the Bar

[SaltySnack]

I'm heading to New Orleans this weekend for a bachelorette party. My sister and I are coming in a day early and I'm looking for recommendations on where to eat. We like to eat at the bar and chat with people around us. Any suggestions on where to go? (Preferably someplace that won't mind when she sends back her red wine when she doesn't like.)

Other useful info. We're staying near the French Quarter, the other nights we're in town we are going to Nola and Mr. B's. We're not too particular on price, just as long as the restaurant has a good atmosphere and drinks and is a place where it is fun to sit at the bar and eat.

Thanks

SS

[sara]

Plenty of places to do that in N.O. Personally, I'd go to Herbsaint--great drinks, wonderful food, nice bartenders. You could also try Rene Bistro if you want a larger bar.

[Mayhaw Man]

Dammit. Your first post and you have given me a new project. Make a list of great food bars in New Orleans. Welcome to eGullet.

Well, there is certainly no shortage. Bar dining is totally acceptable here (and, in fact, often encouraged in busy places and both dinner and lunch).

One of your listed places is a great place to eat at the bar. NOLA is fun, the bartenders love to serve, and the food is good. Right across the street from NOLA is the Napoleon House. Good food-great bar. In fact, a really great bar. One of the great bars in the world in a town full of good bars.

I'll work on a list tonight. Hopefully somebody else will chime in. It seems lots of people spend lots of time in bars here.

[davebr]

Bleach Boy mentioned a sweetbread po-boy from a bar on decatur. Also- The Delachaise Wine bar on St Charles has a great dish with marrow bones, toast and onion marmalade.

[Jason Perlow]

I'm going to say Tujagues (for Dinner and Drinks) and and Jacques-imos. Although I am not sure you really can call Jacques-imos a bar. Its a restaurant with a really cool bar.

I'm not sure if you can actually eat at the bar at Tujagues.

[MindyMoo]

OK, now this is my forte - if you want to stay in the Quarter, I like the Bourbon House. I am a regular there at the oyster bar, most of the shuckers are very cool, just let them know you're from out of town and they'll probably give you some good tourist tips. Brandon and Willy there are my favorite (they're both shuckers).

OK, if you're willing to take a cab Uptown: Clancy's (on Annunciation and Webster) has a very classic, VERY New Orleans type of bar. It is old school New Orleans, very crowded, a place where the who's who of N.O. society goes to see and be seen. Oh, it is a restaurant, so most of the bar is waiting for a table, but its great to people watch. Don't go to sit at the bar on a Friday or Saturday night, unless you go early, though, because it gets SO crowded.

Also Uptown is Monkey Hill, a very classy, hip bar with candles and couches and a very "beautiful people" crowd.

This is just the beginning... some other choices are the Wine Loft, loa, the Monteleone, Whiskey Blue, Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar, The Delachaise... the list goes on and on!

Edited June 10, 2004 by MindyMoo (log)

[SaltySnack]

Thanks for all the great suggestions. We didn't actually end up eating at the bar that night. The concierge at the hotel suggested Loa for drinks and it was dead. dead. Looked like it could be a really cool place.

After walking around, we ended up grabbing a drink at The Chart House where the bartender told us to go to some restaurant on Frenchman's street. It was called Alphonso's or Eduardo's or something like that. Tiny little restaurant upstairs with excellent food.

The next day we went shopping on Magazine street and ended up having lunch at the bar at Lillette. Great decor and atmosphere, and good food, but expensive champagne.

NOLAs was Friday night. Total bust. disappointing. We couldn't figure out if it was that they were trying too hard with the cajun fusion cuising. The fact that there was little atmosphere because we were on the 3rd floor and also there was no music. They kept dropping glasses and other things including our food. The drinks were bad, the tonic was flat. It was just an off night. They gave us a tray full of desserts which everyone said weren't that great. They were all chocolate and I don't eat chocolate.

On Saturday a few of us hit Magazine street again, mainly because the day before we had discovered great frozen margaritas at a little restaurant called Nacho Mama's. The food was adequae tex-mex, but mmm those margaritas were excellent.

So on Saturday night was Mr. B's Bistro. Totally redeemed the whole weekend. Food and service were excellent as was the atmosphere.

Lastly, let me just say, that I am too old for Bourbon Street. And for the person who recommended The Wine Loft, I tried to meet up with someone there but we never connected so I never made it there.

SS