"The French Quarter's Creole grande dame since 1918 — order the soufflé potatoes and Shrimp Arnaud, and book it for a birthday."
Arnaud Cazenave, a French wine salesman the city called the Count, opened Arnaud's on Bienville Street in 1918. More than a century later it is still here, run by the Casbarian family since 1978, occupying most of a French Quarter block behind beveled-glass windows and mosaic-tile floors. The Shrimp Arnaud in its cold rémoulade and the soufflé potatoes, hand-cut and fried twice until they puff into golden pillows, have been on the menu the entire time. This is Creole grande-dame dining, white-jacketed and unhurried, and it does not pretend to be anything newer.
The Kitchen
Tommy DiGiovanni has run the Arnaud's kitchen as executive chef for more than two decades, cooking the classic Creole-French repertoire the room was built on rather than reinventing it. The soufflé potatoes are the kitchen's signature party trick: each potato is hand-carved, sliced, blanched in oil at one temperature, then plunged into hotter oil so it inflates into a hollow golden pillow. Get them wrong and they collapse, so they are made to order.
Beyond them the canon runs deep: Shrimp Arnaud under house rémoulade, Oysters Bienville and Oysters Rockefeller from the raw bar, Trout Meunière finished tableside, Pompano en Croûte, and bananas Foster flamed at the table. The wine cellar is one of the largest in the city. Founded in 1918 and owned by only two families across its history, the Cazenaves who built it and the Casbarians who took over in 1978, Arnaud's reads as a museum that happens to cook, and DiGiovanni's job is to keep the recipes where they were. Mains run roughly $35 to $60; plan on $70 to $130 a head with a starter and a glass of wine. Order the trout and the soufflé potatoes and you understand the whole restaurant.
The Room
The main dining room is the one to ask for: tile floors, beveled-glass windows onto Bienville Street, slow ceiling fans, and waiters in tuxedo jackets who have worked here for decades. Lighting is warm and low, sound is a genteel hum even when full, and tables are spaced for conversation. The complex sprawls across thirteen connected buildings and includes the French 75 Bar next door, one of the most awarded cocktail bars in the country, and a small Mardi Gras museum upstairs. Dress is enforced: jackets are preferred for men at dinner, no shorts or t-shirts. The main room seats well over a hundred, but it never feels like a banquet hall.
Best for a Birthday in New Orleans
Book Arnaud's for a birthday because the room is built for ceremony without tipping into stuffiness. First, the tableside theatre, Trout Meunière finished at your table and bananas Foster flamed to order, turns a meal into a performance the guest of honor remembers. Second, the staff are practiced at celebration: tell them at booking and a candle, a written menu, and a quiet round of attention arrive without anyone having to ask twice. Third, the French 75 Bar next door is the ideal first or last stop, so the night has a built-in second act. Reserve the main dining room rather than a private salon, ask for a window table on Bienville, and start with a French 75 before the soufflé potatoes.
Not for
Skip Arnaud's if you want modern New Orleans cooking — this 1918 Creole institution keeps the same dishes by design, and the kitchen does not chase trends.
Frequently Asked
Is Arnaud's worth it?
Yes, if you go for what it is: a living piece of New Orleans dining history rather than a cutting-edge kitchen. The soufflé potatoes, Shrimp Arnaud, and tableside Trout Meunière are done as well as anywhere, and the French Quarter room is one of the most beautiful dining spaces in the country. At $70 to $130 a head it is fair for the setting. Compare it with the classics in our New Orleans dining guide.
How hard is it to book Arnaud's?
Not very. Arnaud's takes reservations on OpenTable and by phone at (504) 523-5433, and the main dining room is usually available a few days out. The Sunday jazz brunch and Jazz Fest and Mardi Gras weekends are the exceptions and fill weeks ahead. Thirteen connected buildings mean plenty of seats, so weeknight dinner is rarely a problem. Ask for the main room, not a private salon.
What is the dress code at Arnaud's?
Business-casual at a minimum, and jackets are preferred for men at dinner. Shorts, t-shirts, and beachwear are not allowed in the main dining room. Most diners dress up for it, in keeping with a century-old grande dame. The French 75 Bar next door is a touch more relaxed but still smart. When in doubt, wear a jacket; you will not feel overdressed here.
What is the average meal price at Arnaud's?
Mains run about $35 to $60, and most diners spend $70 to $130 per person with a starter, a side, and a glass of wine. The tasting and the seafood platters push higher; lunch and the bar menu are lighter on the wallet. The wine cellar is deep if you want to spend, but you can eat the classics well without it. Tax and gratuity are extra.
Is Arnaud's good for a birthday?
Yes, it is one of the best birthday rooms in the French Quarter. Flag the occasion at booking and the staff handle the candle, the written menu, and the tableside flourishes; the bananas Foster flamed at the table is a built-in celebration. Start next door at the French 75 Bar. See more ideas in our birthday dinners guide.
What should I order at Arnaud's?
Start with Shrimp Arnaud and the soufflé potatoes, both more than a century old and still the signatures. For mains, the Trout Meunière finished tableside and the Pompano en Croûte are the classics to choose between. Oysters Bienville and Oysters Rockefeller are the raw-bar move. Finish with bananas Foster flamed at the table. A French 75 from the bar next door is the right opener.