Five Things In New Orleans Not to Miss This Month
- Love and Carnival: This month features, yes, Valentine’s Day, and it’s not too late to surprise the one you love with a reservation: N7, Saffron, and the Elysian Bar are all hosting special dinners (or in the case of Elysian Bar, a drag brunch). Mardi Gras events also ramp up this month, so book your spot for Galatoire’s 2025 Mardi Gras auction and get your parade watch party passes at restaurants like Saint John, The Chloe, Zasu, and more. Check out the full list of both V-Day and Mardi Gras events on our Resy Events page.
- Return of the Rights Room: The late Leah Chase defied midcentury segregation laws by gathering civil rights leaders at her restaurant, effectively changing the course of history along with the culinary legacy of New Orleans. On Jan. 6, Chase’s birthday, her family unveiled Dooky Chase‘s newly renovated upstairs dining room, where the meetings took place. It will now serve as a new private dining room, where the Chase family will host special dinners – and make it available to book private events, complete with custom menus.
- Ring that Bell: Kitschy new Bayou St. John restaurant The Bell has rolled out weekend lunch after a few months of fine-tuning dinner service. Brooks Reitz’s team is now opening at 11:30 a.m. on weekends, and open straight through dinner. Expect the same British pub food with New Orleans flair. Stay tuned for news on the opening of The Bell’s outdoor oyster bar, coming soon.
- All I Do Is Win: In case you haven’t heard, New Orleans is hosting Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9. Among the huge slew of celebrity-hosted, brand-backed parties happening all over the city for the next week or so, one in particular stands out: Family Style Fest New Orleans, a Los Angeles import taking place at artist BMIKE’s Bywater studio on February 8. The totally free event is gathering some of the city’s top restaurants and bars – Acamaya, Mister Mao, Cane & Table, Commander’s Palace, Jewel of the South, and more – to dish out food and drinks to attendees, one of which will be the lucky recipient of $1 million. RSVP here.
- Now Open: The team behind Warehouse District tapas restaurant Plates Restaurant just opened New Orleans’ newest oyster bar nearby, Maria’s Oyster Bar. Partners Farrell Harrison and Brian Weisnicht are continuing the shareable plates theme, bringing in former Link Restaurant Group chef Christian Hurst for a menu of crudo, ceviche, croquettes, dips, and of course oysters – raw, fried, and roasted. There are a few entrees as well, and Caribbean-leaning cocktails like the Down the Bayou, a crab boil-spiced hurricane. Keep an eye out for Maria’s sister restaurant, Le Moyne Bistro, to open later this season, and as always you can check out more new arrivals with New on Resy.
New to the Hit List (Feb. 2025)
Bacchanal, Brigtsen’s, Casamento’s, Commander’s Palace, Dooky Chase, Étoile, Li’l Dizzy’s Café, Miss Shirley’s, Mister Mao, N7, Paladar 511, Porgy’s, Saffron NOLA, Saint-Germain, Zasu.
