The French Quarter Now Has Its First Rooftop Bar and Restaurant

A new Cajun-Creole restaurant from the owners of Oceana Grill opened on Bourbon Street last month, taking over the former Centerfolds strip club that shut down a few years ago. Mambo’s, at 411 Bourbon Street, also marks the French Quarter’s first rooftop bar not belonging to a hotel.

Seemingly and wisely oriented towards tourists, as Oceana is, the new spot offers an array of straightforward items that might come to mind when thinking stereotypical Cajun - gator tail bites, po-boys, and lots of proteins that are blackened.

The rooftop bar is the new restaurant’s marquee feature, however. Mambo’s boasts a “laidback Louisiana front-porch feel,” seating for 50 people, and panoramic views of the French Quarter. Inside, there’s something called the Voodoo Room, which features artwork by local artists.

The addition of a third story to the Bourbon Street address following the closure of Centerfolds was controversial. Historic preservationists said in 2017 that a New Orleans City Council vote that went in favor of the addition sets a “dangerous precedent” because it did not include input from the Vieux Carre Commission.

Mambo’s is open daily from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the rooftop bar is open from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.

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