Commander's Palace
Garden District
Legendary jazz brunch with 25-cent martinis at lunch.
Map ↗For the welcome or rehearsal dinner
Mid-range and special restaurants, with the most group-friendly first.
Galatoire's
Bourbon Street
Old-line institution. Friday lunch is a party.
Map ↗Brennan's
Royal Street
Pink mansion and birthplace of bananas Foster.
Map ↗Cochon
Warehouse District
Cajun cooking and pork done many ways.
Map ↗Dooky Chase's
Tremé
Historic Creole restaurant famous for fried chicken and gumbo.
Map ↗Herbsaint
St. Charles Avenue
Refined Southern cooking, relaxed room.
Map ↗Pêche
Warehouse District
Whole grilled fish over open fire.
Map ↗For the day-after brunch or a casual night
Willie Mae's Scotch House
Tremé
Some of the best fried chicken in America.
Map ↗Mother's Restaurant
Poydras Street
Debris po-boys since 1938.
Map ↗Coop's Place
French Quarter
Dive bar with excellent jambalaya.
Map ↗Domilise's Po-Boy & Bar
Uptown
Corner shop classic for shrimp po-boys.
Map ↗Café Du Monde
Jackson Square
Beignets and café au lait, open around the clock.
Map ↗Booking a group dinner in New Orleans
- Ask for a private dining room or a prix fixe menu for groups over 10.
- Dinner usually from 6 to 9 pm. Popular restaurants book up weeks ahead.
- Tipping: Expected: 18 to 22% in restaurants. Large groups often get an automatic gratuity.
- Book two to three months ahead for groups over 20, especially in high season (February to May, October to November).
- Ask about deposits, minimum spend and the cancellation policy in writing.
- Plan transport back to the hotels. You can walk with a drink in a plastic cup in the Quarter. No glass.
For a splurge night
- Commander's Palace Garden District
Legendary jazz brunch with 25-cent martinis at lunch. - Galatoire's Bourbon Street
Old-line institution. Friday lunch is a party. - Brennan's Royal Street
Pink mansion and birthplace of bananas Foster.
Or make the welcome night an activity
- Ghost and voodoo walking tour. Haunted houses, voodoo history and vampire legends after dark.
- Cocktail history tour. Where the Sazerac and Hurricane were born, with tastings.
- Frenchmen Street live jazz tour. A guided crawl through the best live music clubs.
Questions
Where should we hold a welcome dinner in New Orleans?
Good options from our list include Commander's Palace (Garden District), Galatoire's (Bourbon Street), Brennan's (Royal Street). Book early for groups.
What time is dinner in New Orleans?
Dinner usually from 6 to 9 pm. Popular restaurants book up weeks ahead.
Do we need to tip at a group dinner in New Orleans?
Expected: 18 to 22% in restaurants. Large groups often get an automatic gratuity.
More: things for guests to do in New Orleans · New Orleans wedding weekend itinerary · wedding weekend events guide
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