The French Quarter Festival a couple of weeks ago was huge, and has a tail: for weeks afterwards, local diners make it into the Vieux Carre in larger numbers than usual. The nice weather is another attraction. Here's a restaurant you might not think to dine in, but it really is worth a try.
New Orleans is a tourist town, and tourist towns have tourist restaurants. But such places are much better than their predecessors of even as recently as ten years ago. The Royal House is a good example. The barker frequently employed to attract passers-by is a dead giveaway of the place's intentions. But the presence of an oyster bar--a very troublesome operation for a restaurateur--makes it clear that they're not just taking advantage of the easy pickings.
For a century, this was Tortorici's, a well-known but not very good Italian restaurant in a highly visible location. Hurricane Katrina put an end to it, and it sat empty until 2008. A restaurant group specializing in casual French Quarter cafes performed a renovation, added an oyster bar, and opened as the Royal House.
The restaurant consists of a long room along St. Louis Street. The best place to eat is in the oyster bar, just inside the door at the corner. The tables offer a good look at the passing Royal Street parade. Tables further in the back are less atmospheric.
Oysters are by far the best eats here, but the platters are fried to order and more than decent.
| Attitude | 1 |
|---|---|
| Environment | 1 |
| Hipness | 0 |
| Local Color | 1 |
| Service | 0 |
| Value | 1 |
| Wine | 0 |
