Antoines Restaurant Antoine Michael Regua Antoine's Restaurant

Antoine's Restaurant

713 St. Louis St. (Royal St.)
New Orleans, LA 70130
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Cuisine: Creole
Antoine's created French Creole fine dining in New Orleans.
Openings: Lunch & Dinner Mon.-Sat., Brunch Sun.

Features

Antoine's Restaurant, New Orleans, LA


Antoine's Restaurant Restaurant Review:



About the restaurant: One of the oldest continually operating restaurants in the U.S., Antoine’s was founded in 1840, and once was on the cutting edge, having invented such dishes as oysters Rockefeller, eggs Sardou and café brûlot. Today, it seems like a living museum of French Creole dining from its golden era. That may be part of the problem --- nothing much ever changes at Antoine’s. The owners take pride in those inventions, and the food is generally good, but not great. The same can be said for the service. The big attraction is the history of the 14 dining rooms. The two-story structure is a labyrinth decked with local lore and antique memorabilia from the Carnival krewes that have held official functions here for generations, giving a clue to the restaurant's traditional role in New Orleans high society.

Likes: Oysters Rockefeller.
Dislikes: Sluggish service (unless you're a regular customer).

Food & Drinks: Crab au gratin and escargot bordelaise appetizers harken to a saucier era, but are tempting just the same. Traditional entrées include a classic almond-crusted trout, soft-shell crabs amandine, a dependable center-cut Prime tenderloin and Châteaubriand. The chef is a bit heavy handed with sauces, including the béarnaise, hollandaise, marchand de vin and bordelaise. For dessert, try the traditional cherries jubilee, or opt for a cinnamon-and-raisin bread pudding with rum sauce. The wine list is extensive and the block-long cellar is among the most well stocked in the city (when time allows, servers will give guests a tour).