17 New Orleans Restaurants and Bars to Get Excited About in 2017

Nearly one month into the new year and New Orlean’s dining scene is already bracing for loads of exciting additions. From new LGD micro distilleries to old-school revivals like Nick’s Big Train Bar and fizzy champagne lounges, below find 17 of the biggest and most exciting projects headed to The Big Easy in 2017.

For a more focused look at winter’s highly anticipated openings (and a handy guide to lots of other coming attractions), peruse Eater NOLA’s guide here and the national one over here. As always, if there’s a major spot that Eater isn’t aware of, shoot over a tip.

Saffron Nola

Location: 4128 Magazine

Key Players: Arvinder Vilkhu

Projected Opening Date: March 2017

Longtime Westbank caterer and Friday dinner spot Saffron Nola will bring its beloved Indian cuisine to open in the former Saveur/Baie Rouge space in March 2017.

Paul Broussard

Lula

Location: 1532 St. Charles Avenue

Key Players: Jess Bourgeois and Bear Caffery

Projected Opening Date: Early 2017

Part restaurant, part micro distillery, this two-year old LGD project is finally slated to land in 2017. Expect a Louisiana-inspired "country" menu of gamey meats and various gluten-free spirits made with local sugarcane (rum, vodka, and gin) in a 10,000-square-foot venue with patio seating, a huge bar, and a glass wall overlooking the distilling area.

Echo's

Location: 3200 Banks

Key Players: 1000 Figs Team and baker Kate Heller

Projected Opening Date: Summer

The 1000 Figs team will bring a wood-fired pizzeria and bakery, Echo’s, to a historic building in Mid City.

Mid City Pizza Uptown

Location: 6307 S. Miro

Key Players: Mid City Pizza

Projected Opening Date: 2017

A new outpost of Mid City Pizza will fill the former Naked Pizza space in Uptown. The latest MCP will open with delivery and a small space for dine-in, but sans booze.

Pythian Market

Location: 234 Loyola Avenue

Key Players: Jason King

Projected Opening Date: 2017

Part of a mixed-use redevelopment, the market will feature 19 vendors including new digs for grilled cheese food truck Frencheeze and its new venture Squeezed juice bar.

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Bayou Meat Market

Location: 3301 Bienville at N. Rendon

Key Players: Leighann Smith, Daniel Jackson, David and Virginia Demarest, Fiona Delargy, and Dean DiSalvo

Projected Opening Date: Mid-2017

Piece of Meat team ‘meat mama’ Leighann Smith (a former Eater Young Guns finalist) and Daniel Jackson are joining forces with the Bayou Wine Garden/Bayou Beer Garden to launch a new butcher shop and salumeria in Mid City. Smith and Jackson will focus on whole animal butchery, supplying meats to the Bayou Beer/Wine Garden compound, as well as offering sandwiches, charcuterie, snacks, specials and brunch in house, along with specialty items like cheese and pickles.

DTB Social House

Location: 8201 Oak Street

Key Players: Carl Schaubhut and Jean-Pierre Guidry

Projected Opening Date: March 2017

Bacobar chef/owners and Commander’s Palace alums Carl Schaubhut and Jean-Pierre Guidry will open a new Cajun and coastal gastropub DTB Social House (DTB stands for Down the Bayou) at in March 2017. Expect "fricassee, sauce piquante and classic boulettes" along with seafood galore, as well as local brews, cocktails. Schaubhut told Eater in January that "the concept from a beverage standpoint is emphasizing beer just as much as wine." Architects Brooks Graham (of Cochon and Balise fame) and interior pro Valerie Legras are designing the restaurant.

Picayune Social House

Location: 326 and 330 Camp Street

Key Players: Chris Demers

Projected Opening Date: 2017

Filling the strip formerly known as Newspaper Row, restaurateur Chris Demers’ Picayune Social House will feature a four-sided bar, and a casual atmosphere. The kitchen will have a tandoor oven and plans to do naan and incorporate Indian flavors into a menu of sandwiches, flatbreads and more.

Taceaux Loceaux

Location: 627 Celeste Street

Key Players: Alex and Maribeth del Castillo

Projected Opening Date: 2017

Taco truck favorite Taceaux Loceaux is opening a brick-and-mortar in the Lower Garden District this year, though the long-delayed project doesn’t have a clear launch date at this point. The restaurant will feature Taceaux Loceaux’s signature tacos, alongside meats roasted on wood-fired grill, vegetarian/vegan items, and a full bar.

Z'kaya

Location: TBA

Key Players: Jamielyn Arcega

Projected Opening Date: Fall 2017

Former Cellardoor chef Jamielyn Arcega will open Z’kaya, a Japanese Izakaya, later in the year. She plans to test the menu with pop-ups starting in January.

Palm & Pine

Location: Rampart Street, French Quarter

Key Players: Amarys and Jordan Herndon

Projected Opening Date: Spring 2017

The masterminds behind Old Portage, a longtime French Quarter pop-up, will open a brick and mortar called Palm & Pine. According to social media, the restaurant is expected to land on Rampart Street.

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Tavolino

Location: 141 Delaronde St

Key Players: Suzanne Accorsi and Hillary Hanning

Projected Opening Date: Mid-February

A new pizzeria and craft cocktail destination Tavolino is headed to Algiers Point in February. The restaurant will fill the recently shuttered Wine & Dine space on the Westbank. The menu will include pizzas, pastas, charc and more in a family-friendly setting (with a 21+ lounge attached).

Billy Wright's

Location: Lakefront Shelter No. 1, Lakeshore Drive

Key Players: Billy Wright

Projected Opening Date: March 2017

New Orleans will gain a new outdoor dining destination with the debut of Billy Wright’s Olde New Orleans Boil House and Coffee House. The mainly outdoor restaurant and oyster bar will feature boiled and fried seafood, New Orleans-style fare, live music and maybe even some booze.

The Station

Location: 4400 Bienville

Key Players: Megan and Jonathan Walker

Projected Opening Date: 2017

Baker/Angelo Brocato's alum Megan Walker and husband Jonathan Walker have plans to bring fresh breads, pastries, and coffee to a former gas station on Bienville and N. Alexander in Mid City. There will be outdoor seating, and the spot will likely be bike-friendly as it's only a couple blocks off the Lafitte Greenway.

Brügger's Barbecüe

Location: TBA

Key Players: Damian Brugger

Projected Opening Date: 2017

Texas pitmaster Damian Brugger debuted his Brügger's Barbecüe restaurant at St. Roche Market last fall but the move appears to have only been temporary. According a December announcement on Facebook, the barbecue outfit plans to launch a restaurant featuring barbecue, bar food, a nano brewery, live music, and private events space. Reached by Eater, Brugger says he’s currently in the market for a large property to serve "an expanded menu of American food fare and breakfast/brunch." The brewery will have an 80-120 keg/per month capacity with seasonal and dedicated craft beer taps and a bar focused on American spirits and cocktails.

Nick's Big Train Bar

Location: 2400 Tulane Avenue

Key Players: Albert Kattine

Projected Opening Date: 2017

The much-anticipated revival of the Tulane Avenue landmark is expected to land this year. Albert Kattine plans to reinvent his family’s iconic business at the original site. The new spot will feature a long bar, beer garden and stage, a kitchen serving bar food, a coffee shop with a drive-thru, a rooftop patio with a bar, and a second floor events space.

Effervescence

Location: 1036 N. Rampart

Key Players: Crystal Coco Hinds

Projected Opening Date: Early 2017

Expect plenty of fizzy drinks from Crystal Coco Hinds’ forthcoming champagne bar, Effervescence. The new drinking spot will serve a variety of sparkling wines with flights available, Nola brews and Miller High Life (i.e. champagne of beers) and a Perlage System for quality keeping. The bar will have a U-shaped bar and a back patio area.

• The Most Anticipated New Orleans Restaurant Openings, Winter 2016 [ENOLA]

• All Coming Attractions Coverage [ENOLA]