The line between bar and restaurant continues to become less distinct. Recent announcements of new eatery-drinkeries (notably the Commander's Palace Brennans' announcement of SoBou, a "cocktail-centric" new place in the old Bacco spot) point to further blurriness. One of the first proponents of the bar-heavy restaurant in the recent swell was Sylvain, whose early promotion was all about a) how historic was their property and 2) how the food would not only be distinguished but very cool.
Sylvain's owners calculated the package well. The first time I went there--well over a year after it opened, when the novelty was gone--the place was filled with reserved tables and their late-arriving occupants. I sat at the bar and watched a very meticulous mixological program in progress. (And sampled its works.) I ate better food than I expected, if not as comfortably as I would have liked. Not only is it tough to lean into an antique bar to eat, but because here is a place that unambiguously targets youthful tastes.
If Sylvain had been in the French Quarter when I and most of my writer and artist friends lived there, we would have been in the place every night. The food doesn't equal that of a dozen other places to eat within a few blocks. But it's hip and interesting, the drinks are superb, and everybody in the place seems to know everyone else. It's the kind of place where you'd order a bottle of Champagne and an order of fries--an item which is, in fact, on the menu.
The building is old even by French Quarter standards, dating back to 1795 and involving many unique figures of local lore. For several decades beginning in the 1970s, it was the home of the much-loved La Marquise French Bakery. Sean McCusker, a New York-based writer, got the idea for it on a visit to New Orleans. He partnered with Robert LeBlanc of Lifestyle Revolution Group, whose other bar-resto properties include Ste. Marie and Capdeville.
The place has the feel of a speakeasy. What looks like the door is really used as a window; you can see people enjoying themselves, but not immediately how to join them. (A dark, low-ceilinged alleyway gives access.) A big antique bar dominates the front room which has enough tables to create a pleasant atmospheric tension. The most desirable tables are in the small courtyard.
The appetizer selection is much stronger than the main course. Consider it a tapas bar, and you will eat best. Make a reservation--you need one.
| Attitude | 1 |
|---|---|
| Environment | 0 |
| Hipness | 3 |
| Local Color | 3 |
| Service | 1 |
| Value | 0 |
| Wine | 1 |
