"New Orleans' grandest Creole institution and a seven-time James Beard winner — book the Garden District room for a birthday worth remembering."
8Food
9Ambience
8Value
About Commander's Palace
The turquoise-and-white Victorian on the corner of Washington Avenue and Coliseum Street has fed New Orleans since 1893, and it remains the city's benchmark for a Creole celebration. Commander's Palace holds seven James Beard Foundation Awards and has launched the careers of Paul Prudhomme, Emeril Lagasse and Jamie Shannon, a lineage few American restaurants can match.
Executive chef Meg Bickford now runs the kitchen, the first woman to do so, cooking haute Creole that respects the canon without freezing it. Dinner runs roughly $80 to $120 per person before wine, while the famous weekday lunch — complete with 25-cent martinis — is one of the best-value meals in the New Orleans dining guide.
The Kitchen
Meg Bickford grew up in the Commander's system, working her way through the brigade before taking the executive chef role, and she treats the restaurant's archive as something to refine rather than rewrite. The turtle soup au sherry, on the menu since day one and priced around $10, is still finished tableside; the Creole bread pudding souffle, which diners must order at the start of the meal, is the dessert the city measures others against.
The dishes the kitchen is known for — pecan-crusted Gulf fish, spiced sugarcane-lacquered quail, and a deeply Creole gumbo — lean on Louisiana ingredients sourced within a short drive of the Garden District. Seven James Beard Foundation Awards and a place in nearly every serious New Orleans ranking put it squarely among the cooking tracked by our restaurant rankings.
The Room
The restaurant spreads across multiple rooms in the old Victorian, from the bright Garden Room overlooking the courtyard oaks to the more formal parlours upstairs. Lighting is warm, tables are generously spaced, and the sound level is a lively, celebratory hum rather than a hush. Dress is business casual leaning dressy, jackets preferred at dinner, and the polished, career-server staff keep a brisk but unhurried pace. The room seats a large house, yet the layout keeps each table feeling its own occasion.
Best for a Birthday
Book Commander's Palace for a birthday because the room is built for it: the staff make a genuine fuss without tipping into theatre, the bread pudding souffle arrives as a showpiece, and the Garden District setting turns dinner into the evening's main event. Order the turtle soup, let the team know it is a celebration, and reserve a window or courtyard-side table. The birthday dining guide collects more rooms built for the occasion.
Not for
Skip Commander's Palace if you want a quiet, intimate dinner — the rooms run loud and celebratory, and the formal Creole service is designed for occasions, not a low-key date.
Frequently Asked
Is Commander's Palace worth it?
Yes, for a celebration. Commander's Palace has anchored the Garden District since 1893, holds seven James Beard Foundation Awards, and trained Emeril Lagasse and Paul Prudhomme before chef Meg Bickford took the kitchen. The turtle soup au sherry and bread pudding souffle are New Orleans institutions in their own right, and the room makes any birthday or anniversary feel like an event.
How hard is it to book Commander's Palace?
Moderately hard, and easy if you plan. Commander's Palace takes reservations on OpenTable and by phone on +1 504-899-8221, and weekend dinners and the Friday jazz brunch book up one to two weeks ahead. Weekday lunches and earlier seatings are easier to land. For a guaranteed table on a special night, reserve as far out as the calendar allows and mention the occasion.
What is the dress code at Commander's Palace?
Business casual, leaning dressy at dinner. Collared shirts are expected, jackets are preferred for men at dinner though not strictly required, and shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flops are not permitted in the dining rooms. Brunch is a touch more relaxed. When in doubt, dress up; the Garden District room and the occasion both reward it.
How much is dinner at Commander's Palace?
Plan on roughly $80 to $120 per person for dinner before wine. The legendary turtle soup au sherry runs about $10, entrees land in the $30s and $40s, and the famous weekday lunch still pours 25-cent martinis alongside a two- or three-course menu that is one of the best value meals in the New Orleans dining guide.
What should I order at Commander's Palace?
Start with the turtle soup au sherry, on the menu since day one, and finish with the Creole bread pudding souffle, which must be ordered at the start of the meal. In between, the pecan-crusted Gulf fish and the spiced sugarcane-lacquered quail are the dishes the kitchen is known for. At weekday lunch, add a 25-cent martini.
Also bookable direct on +1 504-899-8221. Weekend dinner and Friday brunch fill one to two weeks ahead.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address1403 Washington Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130
NeighbourhoodGarden District
CuisineHaute Creole
Price~$80–120 pp dinner; turtle soup ~$10
RecognitionSeven James Beard Awards
ChefMeg Bickford, Executive Chef
Dress CodeBusiness casual; jacket preferred at dinner
