Antoine’s Restaurant

Antoine's has been run by one family since 1840. Antoine Alciatore founded it in 1840, when he was just 18, and it moved to its present home on St Louis Street in 1868. It is still owned and run by his descendants, now in the fifth generation, with Rick Blount, Roy Alciatore's grandson, as proprietor since 2005. The building is large, with private rooms seating from two to 300 people and more than 700 seats in all.

The restaurant's place in culinary history is secure. Antoine's son Jules, who trained in France before taking charge in 1887, created Oysters Rockefeller, and the restaurant also credits itself with Eggs Sardou and pommes de terre soufflées. These are the dishes to order if you want the classic experience, alongside other French Creole standards on the menu.

Several of the dining rooms are historic in their own right. The 1840 Room recreates a fashionable private dining room of the period and displays a silver duck press and a collection of curiosities, including a Paris cookbook from 1659. The Hermes Bar, at 725 St Louis Street, has its own opening hours and a weekday happy hour from 4pm to 6pm.

The restaurant serves dinner every evening and lunch on several days, with brunch at the weekend and a live jazz band on Sunday. Hours shown on the website vary between sections, so confirm opening times when you book. Reservations through OpenTable are recommended, though availability can be limited, and walk-ins are accepted when tables are free. Groups of 13 or more should call. The dress code is business casual: jackets and collared shirts are strongly suggested for men, and athletic or beach clothing, baseball caps and flip-flops are not allowed. Only one bill is issued per table, though it can be split across up to five payment methods.

Antoine's serves dinner daily, and the restaurant notes its hours on several pages of its website, so check the day you want when booking.

Antoine's suits families, older travellers and anyone interested in the history of Creole dining. It is in the French Quarter on St Louis Street, so it is easy to reach on foot from hotels in the Quarter, and it pairs well with an evening walk through the old streets.