Jewel Of The South

Most "Best Bars in New Orleans" lists include Jewel of The South and the hype is real. It's worth visiting, not just for drinks, but for food too.

On a Saturday night in April, my mother-in-law and I walked in around 9 p.m. without a reservation. After waiting for around 20 minutes, we got seats at the bar.

Her liking more stuff drinks, led her to order the Night Tripper. Mixed with bourbon, she's a fan.

Enjoying more sweet and sour drinks, I ordered the Harlequin per the bartender's recommendation. It was refreshing! For my second drink, the bartender steered me toward Feast of Avalon. A complex drink, it drank smooth- and excellent cocktail!

Cocktails are between $14-$17 per drink. The space is beautiful with a small bar, dining areas, and an outdoor courtyard. The restrooms are beautiful as well.

Service is top notch balancing friendliness with letting you have your space.

The cocktail options are wide and the cocktail quality/tastes are great. We were disappointed in a food menu that was nearly 100% "adventurous" and without any mainstay options.

A party of 6 was seated next to us and left after reviewing the menu. The people across from us on the other side asked us if we liked the food, as they did not and they did not feel that enough options were offered.

We'd not rush back and, if we did return, we'd call next time to know what's on the food menu before booking.

"Interesting" is an "interesting" descriptor when someone is describing food, and the word got tossed around ALOT during my recent visit to Jewel of the South. The name itself elicits its use, because the title brings to mind quintessential southern cuisine which you while not be getting from this lovely, quaint restaurant. To be clear, I thoroughly enjoyed my dining experience. But the food was unexpected.

I was with a handful of Brits and was told that the menu was quite British. I've never been a huge fan of British cuisine, but I'm a huge fan of food so I'll try anything once ( don't tell everybody).

Anyhoo, I ordered the very simple Blue crab salad dish. It was made with fresh corn, there were definitely diced apples in the salad portion, noticeably inconspicuous shishito peppers, and topped with a Parmesan crust. I ate the entire plate, so it wasn't unappetizing. It was "interesting." As a blue crab enthusiast I was disappointed that the Parmesan crust, with its crunchy texture and tart flavor, overtook the entire flavor profile. The corn came through and saved the day, but the blue crab flavor was overpowered.

As a #sobersista I'm happy to report that they have a handful of mocktails. I tried the pomegranate one and it was refreshing. However, my party tried a gin beverage (apparently they were there just to try this beverage that takes over 20 minutes to make) and that word "interesting" showed up again (they said it tasted like orange soap, but not in a bad way).

For dessert, I tried my first ever Eccles Cake with the Brit's. I myself am not a fan of dried currants, but I went along for the Eccles cake ride, and I enjoyed it, especially paired with the blue cheese, which was an interesting choice. I got the Affogato, which was my favorite thing, and the rich mousse underneath the billowy whipped cream topped with some type of flavored sugar, was rich and delicious.

All and all the food was "interestingly" good, but the service and ambience were the stars of this particular restaurant.

This restaurant has a great energy and service.

Ordered:
French 75 (~$15): D'usse Cognac, lemon, simple syrup, sparkling wine
Baller French 75 (~$45): D'usse XO Cognoc, lemon, simple syrup, Tribaut-Schloesser "Origine" Brut

Aya's take:
Jewel of the South made it to #6 on North America's 50 Best Bars 2024 list and we decided to give it a try while we were in town. Their cocktail list is pretty simply overall - nothing really stood out to me so we decided to get both the French 75 and Baller French 75 to see what the difference is. The French 75 is a NOLA classic, of course. It's a well-balanced cocktail; light, not too sweet, and slightly citrusy. I actually preferred the French 75 over the Baller French 75 and couldn't really justify the additional ~$30 from a taste perspective. They also have a super cute outdoor seating area and ambiance. Good try!

We were home in June for a celebration of life and made reservations to check out this wonderful jewel in the edge of the French Quarter. The restaurant is located in a charming creole cottage with a lovely rear courtyard. We had dinner and drinks in the dining room and everything we tried was excellent. The brandy crusta and night tripper were our fav cocktails. We tried a few dishes and excellent cooking will have us returning. It's not inexpensive but worth the splurge for a special occasion or if visiting from out of town. Definitely one of the best bars in the world with great food and service to match.

Such a glorious place. Late posting, but we celebrated my January birthday here. The staff was attentive, kind, friendly (gave excellent recommendations for places to continue celebrations). We were a large-ish party and sat upstairs. It was homey and comfortable and they played good music. I reviewed their current menu and everything we got isn't on it. It's nice to know that this establishment does offer seasonal food and drink. The pot pie (we had to get despite previous having dinner) and cheese plate were both fantastic. The drinks had a ton of flavor and were bright and interesting. Everyone in our group had an awesome time and was impressed with the place!

Quite a nice intimate indoor dining.
Came for the cocktails since it's really known for that. Drinks are unique and herbs & liqueurs blended perfectly.
Staff knowledgeable and very helpful in guiding us with our service.
Since we already dined prior to coming, we just ordered one item which really caught our attention. It was the tripe. We've never had it served crunchy and
Simply intriguing ... left us wondering how other dishes were prepared.
Gives us another reason to return to NOLO!

I had to check this place out when I was in New Orleans because I saw this bar on the 50 best bars in North America! Not only do they have stellar cocktails, but their food is delicious as well
So I thought it needed to be mentioned!

We sat at their bar and the bartenders were super knowledge and passionate about what they do! They made great drinks for us based on our flavor profiles.

The place is decorated very tastefully and it fit the theme of the place!

We enjoyed the drinks, food, and candor from the bartenders and if you are in New Orleans, do not pass this "jewel" up!

There is something elegant about the Jewel of the south which lives up to its name. There is a great patio with a cozy restaurant feeling inside. The drinks are top noche and reflect an effort to create them. I had a crab dish that was a palate bonanza. Service was efficient, if not hurried. Jewel certainly worth adding to the dining list.

Since Bourbon Street was a little high energy for us as a group of women in our mid 30s, we decided to check out this chill bar a few streets away from the hustle for an after dinner drink.

I picked the cleo colada, which had pineapple as the primary flavor, and was a tasty, fun drink.