Another New Orleans institution, Galatoire’s, has been open in the heart of the French Quarter since 1905 when Jean Galatoire came to New Orleans from a small town in France. He brought classic French cooking and married those techniques to fresh ingredients from Louisiana. Now the fifth generation of Galatoires and their descendants continue to serve New Orleans.

The high ceiling room with white wainscoting below hunter green wallpaper and hanging gold ceiling fans helps contribute to the high noise level, but the mood is festive as tuxedoed waiters glide through the room. This is where New Orleans high society dines, particularly Friday at lunch when the place is packed with locals in their seersucker suits, bow ties and suspenders.

But the restaurant would not have served all these years were it not for its exquisite food and service. It is said that wait staff jobs get passed from generation to generation. In 2014, the restaurant honored 17 employees who had each served for 20 years or more. Their combined service was 557 years!

You could eat here for a week and still not sample all the great dishes, but we’ll give you a start. Appetizers and Soup: Soufflé Potatoes – crispy potato puffs, béarnaise sauce; Shrimp Remoulade – boiled Louisiana shrimp, classic spicy remoulade sauce, iceberg lettuce; Crabmeat Maison Louisiana jumbo lump crabmeat, green onions, capers, lemon, and creole mustard aioli; Turtle Soup au Sherry turtle, trinity, tomatoes, veal stock, medium brown roux, sherry; Duck and Andouille Gumbo andouille sausage, shredded duck, trinity, rich duck stock, dark brown roux.

Entrees we loved include; Chicken Bonne-Femme half roasted chicken, cottage fries, bacon, caramelized onions; Shrimp Etouffée – Louisiana Gulf shrimp, shellfish stock, trinity, green onions, light brown roux, steamed rice and any fish (we liked the Redfish)
with one of the many sauces (we loved the lemon caper beurre blanc.

For dessert try the Black Bottom Pecan Pie or the Sweet Potatoe Cheesecake.

ROMANTIC QUOTIENT: Romance is not why you come here

WHAT OTHERS SAY…
Wine Spectator Award of Excellence

This century-old “bucket-list” French Quarter “institution” offers “a true New Orleans dining experience” thanks to “decadent”, “utterly superb” (albeit “not cheap”) French-Creole standards and “truth-serum libations” served by “waiters in dinner jackets” who “have been there for years” (“take their recommendations seriously” insiders advise); “a place to see old New Orleans society”, the main dining room is “complete with black-and-white tiled floors”, “white tablecloths” and “loud, raucous” “laughter in the air”; P.S. jackets required after 5 PM and all day Sunday; reservations only accepted . ZAGAT