RFK Rankings · New Orleans
Best Restaurants for Private-Dining in New Orleans (2026)
Private dining · New Orleans · 6 rooms ranked · Updated August 2026
Compiled by the Restaurants for Kings editorial team · Published February 1, 2024 · Updated August 2026 · Reviewed by Fredrik Filipsson, Editor-in-Chief · How we rank · Corrections
New Orleans hosts its grandest dinners behind closed doors, the Carnival krewe banquet, the rehearsal dinner, the board dinner, and the old-line restaurants built whole upstairs floors for them. The question is rarely whether a room exists, but which fits the party. These six, ranked by what they hold and how well they run it, are where to host the table that matters most.
1.Antoine's
The 1840 French Quarter institution with fourteen themed salons including the gilded Rex Room; book it for a grand private dinner.
Antoine's at 713 St. Louis Street has run since 1840, the oldest family-owned restaurant in the country, with chef Rich Lee in the kitchen since 2019. It holds fourteen private dining rooms of varying size and theme, from the gold-trimmed Rex Room that seats up to forty to the smaller Mystery Room and the 1840 Room.
A la carte runs roughly $40 to $70 a plate, the Oysters Rockefeller were invented here, and the rooms carry more Carnival history than anywhere in the city. Book the Rex Room for a large, formal private dinner with a sense of occasion.
2.Commander's Palace
The Garden District landmark with private rooms and turtle soup; book a room for the city's most polished group dinner.
Commander's Palace at 1403 Washington Avenue has anchored the Garden District since 1893 and holds seven James Beard awards, with Meg Bickford the first woman to lead its kitchen. Its private rooms, including the Garden Room and the upstairs spaces, host a seated dinner with the city's most exacting service.
Dinner runs roughly $50 to $110 a head, the turtle soup and the bread pudding souffle are the orders, and the service sets the standard for the South. Book a private room for a board dinner or celebration that wants the best room in town.
3.Brennan's
The Royal Street original of Bananas Foster with eight dining rooms and a wine cellar; book one for a group dinner.
Brennan's at 417 Royal Street, marking eighty years in 2026, is the pink French Quarter landmark where Bananas Foster was invented, with chef Kris Padalino now in the kitchen. It runs eight private dining rooms around a lush courtyard, plus a private wine cellar for a smaller party.
Dinner runs roughly $45 to $95 a head, the Bananas Foster is flamed tableside, and the courtyard rooms read festive rather than formal. Book a room or the wine cellar for a celebratory family or group dinner.
4.Arnaud's
The 1918 French Quarter grande dame with seventeen private rooms; book one for any party size from twelve to a wedding.
Arnaud's at 813 Bienville Street has run since 1918 and offers seventeen private dining rooms across the grand French Quarter building, the widest range of party sizes in the city. The rooms span an intimate twelve-seat salon up to a full-floor banquet space.
Dinner runs roughly $40 to $80 a plate, the souffle potatoes and Shrimp Arnaud are the century-old signatures, and the sheer number of rooms means almost any group fits. Book the room that matches the party, from a small dinner to a wedding reception.
5.Galatoire's
The 1905 Bourbon Street classic with second and third-floor private rooms; book one for a dressed-up group lunch.
Galatoire's at 209 Bourbon Street has run since 1905, with chef Michael Sichel leading a kitchen that barely changes its Creole-French menu. Its second and third-floor private rooms, added in 1999, overlook Bourbon Street and host a seated group above the famous ground-floor dining room.
Dinner runs roughly $40 to $75 a plate, the souffle potatoes and the trout meuniere are the orders, and the upstairs rooms keep the ritual without the no-reservations scrum below. Book one for a dressed-up group lunch or dinner in the city's most theatrical room.
6.Restaurant R'evolution
The Royal Sonesta room from Folse and Tramonto with a private wine room; book it for a smaller, high-end seated dinner.
Restaurant R'evolution at 777 Bienville Street, inside the Royal Sonesta, is the joint project of chefs John Folse and Rick Tramonto, reworking Cajun and Creole cooking at the city's most ambitious level. Its Wine Room, with a private entrance off Bienville Street, seats up to twelve for an intimate seated dinner.
Tasting menus run roughly $90 to $150 a head, the death-by-gumbo and the hand-rolled pastas are signatures, and the Wine Room suits a small, serious table. Book it for a high-end board dinner or celebration rather than a large buyout.
Not for everyone
Famous, but wrong for a private dinner
Cochon. Donald Link's celebrated Cajun room is essential New Orleans eating, but its tight, bustling layout is built for the public table rather than a sizeable private buyout. Book it for a great dinner, not a board dinner.
Cafe du Monde. The beignet and chicory-coffee institution is a must-visit, but the open-air, counter-style stalls host no private seated event at all. Stop for breakfast, not for a hosted dinner.
Willie Mae's Scotch House. The James Beard-honored fried chicken is some of the city's best casual eating, but the small, counter-driven room cannot host a private seated dinner. Visit casually rather than booking it as an event room.
How to host a private dinner in New Orleans
New Orleans private rooms split by capacity. For a large reception or krewe banquet, Antoine's Rex Room seats up to forty and Arnaud's runs seventeen rooms up to a full floor. For an intimate seated party, Restaurant R'evolution's twelve-seat Wine Room and Brennan's wine cellar are the right scale, with Commander's Palace the pick when service matters most.
Peak season runs hard around Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, and the spring and fall wedding months, so book the room well ahead, several weeks for a weekend date and longer for those windows. Confirm the per-head menu and any buyout minimum when you reserve; the marquee rooms run set or prix-fixe menus for a group rather than full a la carte.
Frequently asked
What is the best private dining room in New Orleans?
Antoine's gilded Rex Room, which seats up to forty, is the grandest private room in the city for a large, formal dinner. Commander's Palace offers the most polished service for a board dinner, and Arnaud's seventeen rooms cover almost any party size.
Which New Orleans restaurant has the most private dining rooms?
Arnaud's holds the most, with seventeen private dining rooms across its French Quarter building, followed by Antoine's with fourteen themed rooms. Both can match a party from a dozen guests up to a wedding-scale reception.
Where can I host a rehearsal dinner in New Orleans?
Commander's Palace in the Garden District and Brennan's courtyard rooms in the French Quarter are the dressed-up picks for a rehearsal dinner, while Arnaud's and Antoine's offer a range of rooms by party size. Book several weeks ahead in peak season.
What is a good small private dining room in New Orleans?
Restaurant R'evolution's Wine Room seats up to twelve with a private entrance, and Arnaud's smaller salons and Brennan's wine cellar suit an intimate seated dinner. These are the right scale for a family or board dinner rather than a large event.
How far ahead should I book private dining in New Orleans?
Several weeks for a weekend date, and longer around Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest and the spring and fall wedding months when the marquee rooms fill. Confirm the per-head menu and any buyout minimum when you reserve, since most rooms run set menus for a group.
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Browse the full New Orleans dining guide, compare the global rooms in the worldwide private-dining ranking and the city's group tables in the New Orleans team-dinner ranking, read about hosting clients, or open the full RFK rankings index.
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