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The Society of Saint Anne parade during Mardi Gras on 25th February 2020 in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.
Saint Anne marches into the French Quarter on Mardi Gras in 2020.
Barry Lewis/In Pictures via Getty Images

Where to Eat and Drink in and Around the French Quarter on Mardi Gras

These spots are all open and fueling revelry on Fat Tuesday

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Saint Anne marches into the French Quarter on Mardi Gras in 2020.
| Barry Lewis/In Pictures via Getty Images

It’s essential to be fueled up on Mardi Gras day, or the joyful revelry is bound to be short-lived. And while house parties may offer some sustenance in the form of mini muffulettas and fried chicken drumsticks, sometimes further nosh is needed to make it through the day — and it’s not all that easy to find open restaurants on Fat Tuesday.

Below is Eater’s guide to the restaurants and bars open and serving food on Mardi Gras this year — February 21, 2023 — in and around the French Quarter, beginning in Bywater and stretching to the CBD. Hours are noted where available; most spots open in the morning to accommodate the early start to Tuesday’s festivities, and many, unless otherwise noted, are closing early. As always, be patient and tip your servers and bartenders — it’s Mardi Gras after all.

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Breakaway's Restaurant & Bar

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This Marigny newcomer is right on the path of the Ninth Ward procession to the French Quarter on Fat Tuesday, so luckily the corner bar (formerly Lost Love Lounge, a Mardi Gras day standby) will be open and serving drinks and food, from 8 a.m. til sundown.

Anna’s is a guaranteed good time, and since opening in the former Mimi’s has become a Mardi Gras day gathering spot (much like its predecessor, known by the neighborhood as one of the great bars of Mardi Gras). The tradition continues in 2023, open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with food from pop-up Wood Duck and drinks —including batched flasks — served out the front windows and bars.

Bywater Brew Pub

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This fun addition to New Orleans’s Bywater neighborhood is a reliable source of to-go drinks, and Mardi Gras day is no exception. Bywater Brew Pub will be open beginning at 8 a.m. at the corner of Royal and Clouet to intercept revelers on their way to the Quarter with to-go beers, bloody marys, and snacks, closing up in the early afternoon.

Dat Dog

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All three locations of this budget-friendly, artisan hot dog chain are open on Mardi Gras, but the Frenchmen Street location is arguably the most important for the holiday. It’s open and serving its seriously satisfying grub from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Fat Tuesday.

Effervescence

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The chic sparkling wine bar on the edge of the French Quarter is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for small bites on Mardi Gras, a delicious range of snacks from fries to caviar and chips, as well as its entire drink and bottle menu.

Verti Marte

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24/7 means even on Mardi Gras day, and there’s likely no better time for when of its overstuffed po-boys — especially the French fry version or its signature sandwich, the “All that Jazz,” containing turkey, ham, shrimp, cheese, and grilled mushrooms.

Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

Zhang Bistro

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The French Quarter’s new Chinese-Thai hybrid restaurant is open for its first Mardi Gras day, opening at 11 a.m. for cocktails — including king cake shots — and and its full (vast) menu, staying open all the way through 10 p.m.

Clover Grill

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If you're on Bourbon Street for Mardi Gras, going to the Clover Grill for a burger fried under a hub cap is a must. Open 24 hours, 365.

Clover Grill
Clover Grill
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The Will and the Way

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From the folks who brought you the beloved French Quarter bistro Sylvain, the Will and the Way is a French Quarter hotspot with high-quality food, cocktails, and very cool setting. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mardi Gras day, the Will and the Way is open and offering drinks and a few food items from the window.

Sylvain

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Sylvain draws a great mix of revelers on Mardi Gras day and is always a party. The beloved bistro is open from 10 a.m., offering a full bar and a special limited menu, through 4 p.m.

Sylvain
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Curio, a corner bistro from Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts, is open Fat Tuesday from 8 a.m., serving brunch — shakshuka, biscuits and gravy — until 3 p.m, and staying open all the way through midnight. Good gumbo, better location.

Curio in the French Quarter.
Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

Justine

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The sprawling, maximalist brasserie from Justin Devillier is a fitting Mardi Gras day spot: extravagant decor, festive drinks, and indulgent food — not to mention the location smack dab in the middle of the French Quarter. Open from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and taking reservations.

Criollo Restaurant

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Criollo is in the famed Hotel Monteleone, a positively perfect Mardi Gras setting. The restaurant is open for regular hours on Fat Tuesday, with breakfast served from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m. and lunch served from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., a menu with the likes of shrimp and grits and a booze-friendly Criollo smash burger.

Criollo shrimp and grits.
Criollo/Official

Copper Vine

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The classy, tasty CBD wine pub with a stellar menu and wine flights will open its doors at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, with lunch service until 4 p.m. and dinner after.

Couvant

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This French-Louisiana brasserie is an ever-reliable destination for top-notch cocktails, wine, and cuisine — even on Mardi Gras. An elegant option, Couvant is open for breakfast beginning at 7 a.m.; lunch until 2 p.m.; and dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. on 2/21.

Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

Miss River

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Alon Shaya’s Miss River stuns in the fancy Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans downtown, a decidedly special occasion destination. And what’s a bigger special occasion than Mardi Gras? On 2/21, the dazzling first floor restaurant is open all day, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The bar at Miss River.
Miss River

Breakaway's Restaurant & Bar

This Marigny newcomer is right on the path of the Ninth Ward procession to the French Quarter on Fat Tuesday, so luckily the corner bar (formerly Lost Love Lounge, a Mardi Gras day standby) will be open and serving drinks and food, from 8 a.m. til sundown.

Anna's

Anna’s is a guaranteed good time, and since opening in the former Mimi’s has become a Mardi Gras day gathering spot (much like its predecessor, known by the neighborhood as one of the great bars of Mardi Gras). The tradition continues in 2023, open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with food from pop-up Wood Duck and drinks —including batched flasks — served out the front windows and bars.

Bywater Brew Pub

This fun addition to New Orleans’s Bywater neighborhood is a reliable source of to-go drinks, and Mardi Gras day is no exception. Bywater Brew Pub will be open beginning at 8 a.m. at the corner of Royal and Clouet to intercept revelers on their way to the Quarter with to-go beers, bloody marys, and snacks, closing up in the early afternoon.

Dat Dog

All three locations of this budget-friendly, artisan hot dog chain are open on Mardi Gras, but the Frenchmen Street location is arguably the most important for the holiday. It’s open and serving its seriously satisfying grub from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Fat Tuesday.

Effervescence

The chic sparkling wine bar on the edge of the French Quarter is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for small bites on Mardi Gras, a delicious range of snacks from fries to caviar and chips, as well as its entire drink and bottle menu.

Verti Marte

24/7 means even on Mardi Gras day, and there’s likely no better time for when of its overstuffed po-boys — especially the French fry version or its signature sandwich, the “All that Jazz,” containing turkey, ham, shrimp, cheese, and grilled mushrooms.

Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

Zhang Bistro

The French Quarter’s new Chinese-Thai hybrid restaurant is open for its first Mardi Gras day, opening at 11 a.m. for cocktails — including king cake shots — and and its full (vast) menu, staying open all the way through 10 p.m.

Clover Grill

If you're on Bourbon Street for Mardi Gras, going to the Clover Grill for a burger fried under a hub cap is a must. Open 24 hours, 365.

Clover Grill
Clover Grill
Brasted

The Will and the Way

From the folks who brought you the beloved French Quarter bistro Sylvain, the Will and the Way is a French Quarter hotspot with high-quality food, cocktails, and very cool setting. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mardi Gras day, the Will and the Way is open and offering drinks and a few food items from the window.

Sylvain

Sylvain draws a great mix of revelers on Mardi Gras day and is always a party. The beloved bistro is open from 10 a.m., offering a full bar and a special limited menu, through 4 p.m.

Sylvain
Brasted

Curio

Curio, a corner bistro from Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts, is open Fat Tuesday from 8 a.m., serving brunch — shakshuka, biscuits and gravy — until 3 p.m, and staying open all the way through midnight. Good gumbo, better location.

Curio in the French Quarter.
Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

Justine

The sprawling, maximalist brasserie from Justin Devillier is a fitting Mardi Gras day spot: extravagant decor, festive drinks, and indulgent food — not to mention the location smack dab in the middle of the French Quarter. Open from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and taking reservations.

Criollo Restaurant

Criollo is in the famed Hotel Monteleone, a positively perfect Mardi Gras setting. The restaurant is open for regular hours on Fat Tuesday, with breakfast served from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m. and lunch served from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., a menu with the likes of shrimp and grits and a booze-friendly Criollo smash burger.

Criollo shrimp and grits.
Criollo/Official

Copper Vine

The classy, tasty CBD wine pub with a stellar menu and wine flights will open its doors at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, with lunch service until 4 p.m. and dinner after.

Couvant

This French-Louisiana brasserie is an ever-reliable destination for top-notch cocktails, wine, and cuisine — even on Mardi Gras. An elegant option, Couvant is open for breakfast beginning at 7 a.m.; lunch until 2 p.m.; and dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. on 2/21.

Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

Related Maps

Miss River

Alon Shaya’s Miss River stuns in the fancy Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans downtown, a decidedly special occasion destination. And what’s a bigger special occasion than Mardi Gras? On 2/21, the dazzling first floor restaurant is open all day, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The bar at Miss River.
Miss River

Related Maps