Commander's Palace (CP) is an institution. Located in the Garden District of New Orleans, CP is a restaurant you must go to (if your budget permits) when in NOLA.

When you make your reservation, be sure to request a table in the "garden room" for incredible, tree-top ambiance!

I went for lunch and had the strawberry champagne salad, which was lovely, and for the main event, upon my request, the chef cooked up an outstanding vegetarian entree with farro and fresh vegetables. The chef went out of her/his way to ensure I had a great experience, and I appreciate the thoughtful (and delicious) gesture.

The three desserts my parents and I ordered were all delightful and screamed New Orleans decadence: strawberry shortcake, an ice cream sundae with candied pecans and a praline sauce, and a creole bread pudding souffle with a warm whiskey cream (hello!).

Of course, the experience did not end there, as CP has a 25 cent martini lunch special. I tried the cosmo and blue curuco martinis and both were delicious and definitely packed a punch!

If you have some time after visiting CP, checkout the nearby Lafayette cemetery (right across the street from CP), the gorgeous southern mansions throughout the Garden District, and the shops along Magazine Street.

Enjoy!

(see explanation of ratings below)

The downstairs is sleek, new and ultra-modern. The upstairs is quaint, old-fashioned and is in need of some minor repairs.

Can't beat the food. Love the jazz brunch.

I've seen some complain this is pricey: I disagree. You want pricey? Try
Restaurant R'evolution or August!

About $40 per person before gratuity (jazz brunch ordering a la carte).

About my ratings:

Only fine dining establishments can garner five stars. Until TripAdvisor realizes that a fast food joint cannot possibly be ranked equally with a $100 per person place, I need to draw the line somewhere. If we were only talking about the quality and presentation of the food, it would be a different story. But, as we know, TripAdvisor's rankings take into account the entire dining experience.

Therefore, I divide restaurants into three categories (and I wish TripAdvisor would do the same):

1) fast food (no table service)

2) casual dining (table service)

3) fine dining (linen napkins, no plastic cups, no TV's in dining room, typically more expensive than casual dining)

Fine dining can earn a max of five stars. Casual dining can earn a max of four stars. Fast food can earn a max of three stars.

Commander's Palace is one of those places you need to go to in New Orleans. Yes it is a little pricey, so expect to drop a few dollars when you are there, but it is worth it. I would also recommend taking a cab as there is very little parking near the restaurant. If you don't want to spend as much money as you might for dinner, look into going for lunch.

The service is done by a team of waiters, water pourers, all very attentive and pleasant. I recommend doing a prix fixe as it is a bit cheaper an a la carte. Also, consider the bread pudding souffle. You need to order it when you arrive, so don't hesitate when you are looking at the menu.

Overall, it is a great experience and one you need to do when in New Orleans.

We decided to splurge one evening, as it was obvious from the reviews that this restaurant had wonderful food, but was very expensive. When we arrived at about 8:30 PM, we were asked if we had a reservation, which we did not. We were a bit underdressed, I had on blue jeans, blue jean jacket. My daughter was in dress, leggings and hoodie. We were then told that the wait was about 45 minutes. We decided to stay, asked to wait in the bar, and were led through the kitchen (where there is a table for guests) to the bar, which has no seating. After about 5 minutes, during which we looked at the cocktail menu, we were told there had been a couple of cancellations, and a table was available.

SURPRISE! We wondered whether they were just trying to discourage us (possible) or wanted to make the point that no one just "walks in" to this place. We were seated in a very reasonable corner, and after that the service was ridiculously good. DItto the food.

Again, I think there was no question that tables had been available when we got there, because there were several that stayed empty the whole time we were there, and that time of night is when the crowd is starting to leave. It was only a quarter full when we left at 9:45 or so.

We ordered 3 course dinners (about $38 each- middle of the menu) including soup or salad, entree and dessert. The garlic crusted shrimp with mushroom and onion sauce on grits with goat cheese was wonderful, and my daughter enjoyed stuffed quail which she said put her other experience with quail (appetizer with cheese and jalepenos) to shame. The bread pudding souflee (a signature dish) with whiskey cream sauce was equally outstanding.

We had 3 people waiting on our table and the water glasses were never less than half full. Quite a treat for people who do this VERY rarely, and never mind the bill!