In a food city like New Orleans, restaurants often employ vigorous marketing campaigns to try to lure tourists and locals. One of the most successful claims is the longevity of an establishment. The five oldest restaurants in New Orleans claim origin dates from 1840–1914. Several of the restaurants actually do go back to the 19th century. But what did I verify in the documentation? Here are the five oldest restaurants in New Orleans, their claimed founding date, and what I could document.
If you’re wondering if I recommend any of them, I recommend ALL of them. I’ve included their reservation line also.
Antoine’s Restaurant 1840 vs. 1861
Reservations: https://antoines.com/reservations
The founding date is 1840 in the legends, but the earliest I could pinpoint it was 1865 at 50 St. Louis, present day 501 Royal. However, that article is about moving from St. Peter Street to St. Louis Street, so it definitely existed before 1865.
They moved to the current location in 1874, but Antoine Alciatore purchased the property in 1868, according to the Vieux Carre Digital Collection. The earliest reference I could find to the 1840 opening was an ad from 1904. In 1898, they advertised the established date as 1848.
This one deserves a much deeper dive than I’ve done here, but, for now, the earliest documented date I found is in the 1860s.
Tujague’s Restaurant 1856 vs. 1874
Reservations: Open Table
While Tujague’s is celebrating its 170th anniversary in 2026, 1856 is before Tujague became a restauranteur. The 1858 directory shows that Guillaume was still a butcher in the French Market.
Tujague is a barkeeper at 215 Decatur, a couple of doors down from the historic corner spot, by the 1880 census. Tracing the directories, censuses, and other records shows that 1874 is a safe founding date for Tujague’s. I created a video with more of the documentation and more about Dutrey’s and Begue’s, the predecessors to Tujague’s.
Commander’s Palace 1880 vs. 1893
Reservations: Resy
There is a gorgeous tile mural in the entryway of Commander’s Palace proclaiming the establishment in 1880. However, a historian discovered that the actual founding date was 1893. Commander’s actually admitted their mistake in 2015. They celebrated with the a themed cocktail called the Oops.
Galatoire’s Restaurant 1905 vs. 1905
Reservations: Resy
The documentation supports the 1905 opening date of the Galatoire’s Restaurant on Bourbon Street. However, Galatoire was in New Orleans at least 20 years earlier than typically claimed. I made a video about Galatoire’s forgotten years in New Orleans below.
Napoleon House 1914 vs. 1914
Reservations: Not accepted
Napoleon House is in one of the oldest buildings in the French Quarter, dating to 1794 with a major update in 1814. But the date of the founding of the restaurant seems to be off by a little bit. Or does it?
They claim that the Impasto family purchased the building in 1914. However, the Vieux Carre Digital Survey shows that it was 1920 when Giuseppe and Salvatore acquired the property. A 1905 photo clearly shows Joseph Labourdette Family Grocery painted on the overhang. He was here until about 1908 and then moved to another location. According to New Orleans Magazine, the Impasto brothers did start operating out of this location in 1914, even if they didn’t purchase it until 1920, based on directory evidence they found.
Arthur P. Lamazou was a saloonkeeper at 500 Chartres in 1914. Anthony Sidney was a shoemaker at 506 Chartres. By 1915, Joseph Impasto has a saloon at 500 Chartres.
While I could not find the Impastos in the directory at all in 1914, it’s reasonable to assume that he started operating in 1914 if he managed to get in the directory by 1915. It’s even possible to think that maybe Lamazou became Impasto as their business and home addresses match in both directories. So we’ll call this one verified too.
The Oldest Restaurants?
If this is the actual oldest documentation, like I’m fairly sure it is for Tujague’s, the changes in these dates do not change the five oldest restaurants in New Orleans. Antoine’s is still the oldest, even if it was founded in a couple of decades later. Tujague’s is still the second oldest. And all still float in a haze of Old New Orleans with their own unique vibes to indulge. Go visit and let me know if you agree.
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