The St. Charles streetcar rattles past six restaurant patios where afternoon drinking and eating feels like the only productive use of time. These spots along the streetcar line understand that New Orleans dining happens outdoors with oysters, champagne, and the sound of the green trolley passing every 15 minutes.
All six restaurants sit within a 2-mile stretch of the St. Charles streetcar line or one block off on Magazine Street. Ride the streetcar from the French Quarter, get off at your chosen restaurant, eat, drink, catch the next streetcar.
Patois, 6078 Laurel Street, Uptown.
Two blocks off the St. Charles line near Maple Street. The patio has 10 tables under oak trees. Chef Aaron Burgau cooks French technique with Louisiana ingredients: duck confit, braised rabbit, roasted oysters, and beef short ribs. Entrées $24-36. The burger is $16 and excellent.
Dinner Tuesday-Saturday 5:30pm-9:30pm, Sunday 5:30pm-9pm. The patio books fast. Reserve through the website. Phone: (504) 895-9441.
Superior Seafood, 4338 St. Charles Avenue, Uptown.
Directly on the streetcar line with a patio facing St. Charles. The oyster bar runs 30 feet, serving Gulf oysters raw, charbroiled, or Rockefeller. $15 per dozen raw. The patio holds 40 people with heaters for winter. Fried seafood, po’boys, gumbo. Entrées $18-32.
Open daily 11am-10pm. No reservations. Walk-ins only. The patio fills during happy hour 3pm-6pm with half-price oysters and discounted drinks. Phone: (504) 293-3474.
Cavan, 3607 Magazine Street, Uptown.
Not on St. Charles, but one block away on Magazine. The restaurant sits in a 1850s mansion with a wraparound porch. The porch has rocking chairs, ceiling fans, and views of Magazine Street. The menu is modern American: duck fat fries, bone marrow, steak frites, roasted chicken. Entrées $22-38.
Dinner Tuesday-Saturday 5:30pm-10pm, Sunday 5:30pm-9pm. Brunch Saturday-Sunday 10:30am-2:30pm. The porch is first-come during brunch, and reservations for dinner. Phone: (504) 509-7655.
The Columns, 3811 St. Charles Avenue, Uptown.
The most famous porch in New Orleans. This 1883 mansion operates as a hotel with a ground-floor bar. The porch has wicker furniture facing St. Charles Avenue. People watch streetcars, joggers, and parade routes from here. The bar serves drinks only, no food beyond bar snacks. Frozen Irish coffee is the signature drink. $10. Beer $5-8.
Open daily 11am-midnight. No reservations. Grab a seat when available. Weekend afternoons and evenings are packed. Phone: (504) 899-9308.
Clancy’s, 6100 Annunciation Street, Uptown.
Three blocks off St. Charles near Napoleon Avenue. This white-tablecloth restaurant has operated since 1946, serving Uptown families. No outdoor seating, but the dining room has large windows opening to the street, creating a semi-outdoor feel. The menu is traditional Creole: veal with crabmeat, soft shell crab, oysters Rockefeller, and smothered rabbit. Entrées $28-42.
Lunch Thursday-Friday 11:30am-2pm. Dinner Monday-Saturday 5:30pm-10pm. Closed Sunday. Reservations required weeks in advance. Phone: (504) 895-1111.
Lilette, 3637 Magazine Street, Garden District.
The patio is small, maybe 8 tables in a brick courtyard. Chef John Harris cooks French-Italian influenced dishes: roasted beets with goat cheese, seared scallops, duck breast, and house-made pasta. Entrées $26-34.
Lunch Tuesday-Saturday 11:30am-2pm. Dinner Tuesday-Saturday 5:30pm-9:30pm. The patio books immediately when reservations open. Call exactly when they start taking reservations for your date. Phone: (504) 895-1636.
