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A grand, lowly lit dining room has three rows of tables, art-covered walls, and a large skylight with ferns hanging from it.
The dining room at Jack Rose in the Pontchartrain Hotel.
Neil Alexander/Jack Rose

The Coolest New Orleans Restaurants for Your Intimate Wedding

18 unexpected restaurants dishing New Orleans romance and style for your big day

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The dining room at Jack Rose in the Pontchartrain Hotel.
| Neil Alexander/Jack Rose

For some starry-eyed brides and grooms, a big wedding is the only way to go, particuarly when there are hundreds of family and friends on the guest list. For other couples, an intimate celebration deserves an intimate space. These restaurants all have sweet spots to get hitched, with the advantage of a chef-driven menu for the party guaranteed. They also all offer unique, unexpected settings that are sure to stand out in a sea of banquet hall weddings. Whether you’re looking for a special New Orleans space for a party of 12 or 50, these restaurants are sure to make for a memorable evening.

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Seafood Sally's

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Want to feel like you’re seaside in the heart of Uptown New Orleans? Your best bet is Seafood Sally’s, the second restaurant from acclaimed chef Marcus Jacobs and partner Caitlin Carney. The pair has created a relaxed but chic atmosphere perfect for lively, intimate gatherings with plenty to explore, outside on the front porch and front courtyard or inside the mellow, pretty dining room. Raw and chargrilled oysters and boiled and fried seafood also make for party-friendly food.

Inside Seafood Sally’s.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

Church is always in session at Vessel, a gorgeous restaurant set in a century-old house of worship. Although the restaurant doesn’t have a private room inside, the whole space is available (at the right price) and the pretty covered outside patio is perfect for an outdoor soiree. The fare leans toward the sun-kissed Mediterranean.

Inside Vessel.
Vessel NOLA

Mosquito Supper Club

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Uptown’s acclaimed Mosquito Supper Club might just be the top tiny wedding destination in New Orleans — with good reason. Food aside, the vibe is romantic but with a decidedly antique, vintage edge — it’s like your friend with impeccable taste hand-picked everything inside, on the front porch, and in the courtyard, from furniture to paint colors to art and plateware. Now back to the food: Rustic Louisiana fare focuses on expert seafood preparations, with conversation-friendly bites like raw oysters and fried shrimp boulettes.

Coquette

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The elegant private upstairs area at this Garden District stunner features seating for 50 or standing room for 90, making for a great reception space on Magazine with food prepared by acclaimed chef Michael Stoltzfus. Best of all, there are three menu options: three or four courses, cocktail style with food stations and passed hors d’oeuvres, and family style.

Upstairs at Coquette.
Coquette

Jack Rose

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For the couple seeking a funky vibe, Jack Rose in the Pontchartrain Hotel makes a perfect match. Between chef David Whitmore’s irresistible Italian, French, and Spanish menu, the famous mile-high pie (with sparklers), and a sumptuous interior, this space shines. And where else could you toast under a portrait of Lil’ Wayne, hanging in the Living Room adjacent to the restaurant?

One of the dining rooms at Jack Rose.
Neil Alexander/Jack Rose

Addis Nola

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Addis NOLA’s new Bayou Road digs are a stunning setting for a celebration that features dreamy Ethiopian cuisine, an inviting space decorated with warm wicker basket lighting, rattan curtains, earth-toned tiled floors, and richly-colored walls. The main dining area seats over 60 and abuts the focal point of the restaurant: three semi-circular pods with thatched roofs, custom-made to resemble traditional Ethopian Gojo bets. They make for perfectly beautiful seating for the happy couple and their families.

Commons Club New Orleans

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The Commons Club is the sassy social epicenter of Virgin Hotels New Orleans, dishing modern Southern seasonal cuisine from award-winning executive chef Alex Harrell, reason enough to book a party. A smaller affair might opt for the Shag Room inside the club, a playful plush space with eye-popping art. No cookie-cutter hotel ballroom here.

A private dining enclave at Commons Club.
Randy Schmidt/ENOLA

Jewel of the South

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Jewel of the South’s 19th-century Creole cottage offers a classy French Quarter wedding setting, and a unique one at that. The elegant dining room can hold 24 seated or 35 standing; the enchanting courtyard out back works for 40 seated or 50 standing; and the beautiful bar room — home to the famous brandy crusta — is just right for a tiny wedding for 17 seated or 30 standing.

Sidecar Patio & Oyster Bar

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This newish Warehouse District gem delivers lush, spacious patio seating, hip, tropical decor, and some of the best oysters in town — a winning wedding combination. Reserve a dining area or the whole restaurant and work with the restaurant to create a custom menu, likely to feature lots of wedding-friendly food from the raw bar, as well as ceviche and tartare, shrimp cocktails, and lobster rolls.

GW Fins

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Couples that care about sustainability will be impressed by GW Fins, where executive chef Michael Nelson is a leader in innovative seafood butchering techniques and working with local fishermen. The restaurant’s private dining room for 30 is a charming spot to celebrate.

Bayona has long charmed New Orleans diners in the French Quarter via Regina Keever’s artfully curated atmosphere and Susan Spicer’s elegant French-global cuisine since. The entire 1769 Creole Cottage is available to buy out for your wedding, with its serene, romantic patio as an ideal setting to exchange vows. The main dining room, dripping with casual romance, can hold anywhere from 30-90 guests.

The patio at Bayona.
Bayona

The Commissary - Market + Eatery

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For something fun, casual, and different, consider the Commissary, the market, restaurant, and kitchen that supplies Dickie Brennan’s restaurants with everything from turtle soup to bread pudding. Foodie couples will love the comfortable marketplace vibe inside, and the outside covered patio is made for a party, particularly given the stage set up for live music Thursdays.

Vyoone’s

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Vyoone’s is a Warehouse District magnet for private events, a locals' favorite for graduations, birthdays, and work gatherings. Weddings are no exception, with the upstairs space and romantic, string light-draped courtyard among the draws. The food is a selling point as well, seamlessly blending influences from French, Creole, and Southern cuisines for a menu of escargot, crab cakes, and chicken fricassee.

The courtyard at Vyoone’s.
Vyoone’s

Napoleon House

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Reminiscent of Amsterdam’s brown cafes, Napoleon House is atmospherically romantic. Upstairs, in what would have been Napoleon’s digs if he’d shown up, party rooms offer a range of sizes and architectural styles, and the balcony is a favorite spot for ceremonies. Chef Chris Montero presides over the kitchen, with its New Orleans classics including pressed muffulettas and Pimm’s Cups.

Sylvain

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RSVP to a wedding reception on the intimate back patio at Sylvain and prepare to be shown a good time. Book the entire restaurant or tent the courtyard to mingle with elevated gastropub cuisine like grilled Gulf shrimp, cast-iron cornbread, and crispy octopus. Add in the perfect cocktails and a space dancing with candlelight, and your guests won’t want to leave.

Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

Saint John

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Saint John’s newly renovated third floor is a hidden gem in the upper French Quarter close to Esplanade. Accommodating up to 50 guests, the room features large windows and overlooks Decatur Street, with plenty of configurable space for dining and comfy seating. Chef-owner Eric Cook and chef de cuisine Daren Porretto impress with a refined Creole menu that has wowed from opening day.

Saint John’s event space.
Saint John/Official

The Elysian Bar

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The Elysian Bar offers the kind of church wedding that even a pagan will love. Located within Hotel Peter and Paul, a former Catholic church and school, the original church space is now used for special events, with catering by Bacchanal Catering, the same folks who throw that fun backyard party downriver in Bywater. The original stained glass windows are just one of the design features that make this holy ground for all kinds of weddings.

The courtyard at the Elysian Bar.
Hotel Peter and Paul/Official

This mysterious tucked-away gem on Montegut Street makes for a nonchalantly chic backyard wedding; effortlessly cool and elegant is the vibe. N7’s backyard is a Paris-meets-New Orleans dream, jungly and lush with French bistro-style tables and chairs, found object decor, and a gorgeous vintage car parked on the side. The backdrop is simply picture-perfect, with a menu of delicate French-Japanese bistro fare to match.

Seafood Sally's

Want to feel like you’re seaside in the heart of Uptown New Orleans? Your best bet is Seafood Sally’s, the second restaurant from acclaimed chef Marcus Jacobs and partner Caitlin Carney. The pair has created a relaxed but chic atmosphere perfect for lively, intimate gatherings with plenty to explore, outside on the front porch and front courtyard or inside the mellow, pretty dining room. Raw and chargrilled oysters and boiled and fried seafood also make for party-friendly food.

Inside Seafood Sally’s.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

Vessel

Church is always in session at Vessel, a gorgeous restaurant set in a century-old house of worship. Although the restaurant doesn’t have a private room inside, the whole space is available (at the right price) and the pretty covered outside patio is perfect for an outdoor soiree. The fare leans toward the sun-kissed Mediterranean.

Inside Vessel.
Vessel NOLA

Mosquito Supper Club

Uptown’s acclaimed Mosquito Supper Club might just be the top tiny wedding destination in New Orleans — with good reason. Food aside, the vibe is romantic but with a decidedly antique, vintage edge — it’s like your friend with impeccable taste hand-picked everything inside, on the front porch, and in the courtyard, from furniture to paint colors to art and plateware. Now back to the food: Rustic Louisiana fare focuses on expert seafood preparations, with conversation-friendly bites like raw oysters and fried shrimp boulettes.

Coquette

The elegant private upstairs area at this Garden District stunner features seating for 50 or standing room for 90, making for a great reception space on Magazine with food prepared by acclaimed chef Michael Stoltzfus. Best of all, there are three menu options: three or four courses, cocktail style with food stations and passed hors d’oeuvres, and family style.

Upstairs at Coquette.
Coquette

Jack Rose

For the couple seeking a funky vibe, Jack Rose in the Pontchartrain Hotel makes a perfect match. Between chef David Whitmore’s irresistible Italian, French, and Spanish menu, the famous mile-high pie (with sparklers), and a sumptuous interior, this space shines. And where else could you toast under a portrait of Lil’ Wayne, hanging in the Living Room adjacent to the restaurant?

One of the dining rooms at Jack Rose.
Neil Alexander/Jack Rose

Addis Nola

Addis NOLA’s new Bayou Road digs are a stunning setting for a celebration that features dreamy Ethiopian cuisine, an inviting space decorated with warm wicker basket lighting, rattan curtains, earth-toned tiled floors, and richly-colored walls. The main dining area seats over 60 and abuts the focal point of the restaurant: three semi-circular pods with thatched roofs, custom-made to resemble traditional Ethopian Gojo bets. They make for perfectly beautiful seating for the happy couple and their families.

Commons Club New Orleans

The Commons Club is the sassy social epicenter of Virgin Hotels New Orleans, dishing modern Southern seasonal cuisine from award-winning executive chef Alex Harrell, reason enough to book a party. A smaller affair might opt for the Shag Room inside the club, a playful plush space with eye-popping art. No cookie-cutter hotel ballroom here.

A private dining enclave at Commons Club.
Randy Schmidt/ENOLA

Jewel of the South

Jewel of the South’s 19th-century Creole cottage offers a classy French Quarter wedding setting, and a unique one at that. The elegant dining room can hold 24 seated or 35 standing; the enchanting courtyard out back works for 40 seated or 50 standing; and the beautiful bar room — home to the famous brandy crusta — is just right for a tiny wedding for 17 seated or 30 standing.

Sidecar Patio & Oyster Bar

This newish Warehouse District gem delivers lush, spacious patio seating, hip, tropical decor, and some of the best oysters in town — a winning wedding combination. Reserve a dining area or the whole restaurant and work with the restaurant to create a custom menu, likely to feature lots of wedding-friendly food from the raw bar, as well as ceviche and tartare, shrimp cocktails, and lobster rolls.

GW Fins

Couples that care about sustainability will be impressed by GW Fins, where executive chef Michael Nelson is a leader in innovative seafood butchering techniques and working with local fishermen. The restaurant’s private dining room for 30 is a charming spot to celebrate.

Bayona

Bayona has long charmed New Orleans diners in the French Quarter via Regina Keever’s artfully curated atmosphere and Susan Spicer’s elegant French-global cuisine since. The entire 1769 Creole Cottage is available to buy out for your wedding, with its serene, romantic patio as an ideal setting to exchange vows. The main dining room, dripping with casual romance, can hold anywhere from 30-90 guests.

The patio at Bayona.
Bayona

The Commissary - Market + Eatery

For something fun, casual, and different, consider the Commissary, the market, restaurant, and kitchen that supplies Dickie Brennan’s restaurants with everything from turtle soup to bread pudding. Foodie couples will love the comfortable marketplace vibe inside, and the outside covered patio is made for a party, particularly given the stage set up for live music Thursdays.

Vyoone’s

Vyoone’s is a Warehouse District magnet for private events, a locals' favorite for graduations, birthdays, and work gatherings. Weddings are no exception, with the upstairs space and romantic, string light-draped courtyard among the draws. The food is a selling point as well, seamlessly blending influences from French, Creole, and Southern cuisines for a menu of escargot, crab cakes, and chicken fricassee.

The courtyard at Vyoone’s.
Vyoone’s

Napoleon House

Reminiscent of Amsterdam’s brown cafes, Napoleon House is atmospherically romantic. Upstairs, in what would have been Napoleon’s digs if he’d shown up, party rooms offer a range of sizes and architectural styles, and the balcony is a favorite spot for ceremonies. Chef Chris Montero presides over the kitchen, with its New Orleans classics including pressed muffulettas and Pimm’s Cups.

Sylvain

RSVP to a wedding reception on the intimate back patio at Sylvain and prepare to be shown a good time. Book the entire restaurant or tent the courtyard to mingle with elevated gastropub cuisine like grilled Gulf shrimp, cast-iron cornbread, and crispy octopus. Add in the perfect cocktails and a space dancing with candlelight, and your guests won’t want to leave.

Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

Related Maps

Saint John

Saint John’s newly renovated third floor is a hidden gem in the upper French Quarter close to Esplanade. Accommodating up to 50 guests, the room features large windows and overlooks Decatur Street, with plenty of configurable space for dining and comfy seating. Chef-owner Eric Cook and chef de cuisine Daren Porretto impress with a refined Creole menu that has wowed from opening day.

Saint John’s event space.
Saint John/Official

The Elysian Bar

The Elysian Bar offers the kind of church wedding that even a pagan will love. Located within Hotel Peter and Paul, a former Catholic church and school, the original church space is now used for special events, with catering by Bacchanal Catering, the same folks who throw that fun backyard party downriver in Bywater. The original stained glass windows are just one of the design features that make this holy ground for all kinds of weddings.

The courtyard at the Elysian Bar.
Hotel Peter and Paul/Official

N7

This mysterious tucked-away gem on Montegut Street makes for a nonchalantly chic backyard wedding; effortlessly cool and elegant is the vibe. N7’s backyard is a Paris-meets-New Orleans dream, jungly and lush with French bistro-style tables and chairs, found object decor, and a gorgeous vintage car parked on the side. The backdrop is simply picture-perfect, with a menu of delicate French-Japanese bistro fare to match.

Related Maps