Commander's Palace

Commander's Palace is the grande dame of New Orleans dining, a turquoise-and-white Victorian mansion on Washington Avenue in the Garden District that has been serving Creole cuisine since 1880. It is formal in the way that matters — excellent service, serious food, a wine list that rewards attention — without being stuffy. The dress code is in effect, but the atmosphere at the famous Saturday and Sunday jazz brunch is cheerful rather than ceremonious.

The food is haute Creole: turtle soup with sherry, bread pudding soufflé, a rotating menu that changes with the seasons but always honours the canon. The lunch menu is significantly cheaper than dinner and is served in the same room with the same service. Weekend brunch requires booking well in advance. Commander's Palace is not cheap, but for a significant meal in New Orleans it is the reference point against which everything else is measured.

eating out restaurant garden district
A story
Commander's Palace is where Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse trained before going on to become the most famous chefs in Louisiana. The restaurant's jazz brunch — invented here in the 1970s — spawned a tradition that spread across New Orleans and beyond. The kitchen continues to train the next generation of influential chefs at a rate that is unusual in the American restaurant world.