The Pelican Club

504-613-5378

312 Exchange Aly New Orleans, LA 70130

www.pelicanclub.com

view the menu
A crisp blend of traditional and contemporary

Categories:

Restaurants, Traditional American Restaurants, Cajun & Creole Restaurants

Details:

$$$, Outdoor Dining, People Watching, Prix Fixe Menu

Bookmark and Share See hours

Tue-Sat 5:30pm-10pm

Message from The Pelican Club

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The Pelican Club, offering a wide range of fabulous New Orleans dishes, consists of three dining rooms and a large bar fashioned from a handsome, 19th-century French Quarter townhouse, rising from the corner of Bienville Street and Exchange Place in the heart of the French Quarter. Owner, Richard Hughes, and his wife, Jean Stinnett-Hughes, transformed a neglected architectural gem into a welcoming restaurant decorated in a crisp blend of traditional and contemporary. Each room has its own ambiance, created with such diverse elements as burnished Louisiana cypress, contemporary paintings by New Orleans artists, antique prints, and the dramatic contrast of black-leather banquettes against cream-colored brick walls. Such an atmosphere is sure to make your meal feel like a truly New Orleans experience.

Editorial by Citysearch

The Scene
This secluded off-street bistro draws an enthusiastic mix of locals, business types and guests of nearby French Quarter hotels. Expect a study in contrasts. The beautifully renovated front bar and wood-paneled dining space set an intimate tone, while the expansive marble-floored rear rooms are active and convivial.

The Food
Louisiana seafood, served with a distinctive Asian twist, is the star. The dynamic chefs integrate Pacific influences on such dishes as a refreshingly light seafood fricassee and pot stickers plump with crawfish and shrimp. The inventive duckling entree features tender French-style confit, crisp-skinned slices of grilled breast and a savory mound of Chinese barbecue duck. Cap off your meal with a sinfully rich pecan pie--a la mode, of course.

Key Points

  • Fresh seafood
  • Black Angus steaks
  • French Quarter Locale

The Inside Scoop

  1. Parking - Validated parking is available at Hotel Monteleone.

Editorial and merchant content by Citysearch

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Insider Pages Reviews for The Pelican Club

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The Pelican Club

by Wanda B. | insider_expert Insider Expert | Rank: 6,082

I Like this place for special dinners. Off the beaten path in the French Quarter. Very good New Orleans style food with a contemporary twist. Nice atmosphere. Classy place that satisfies.

Posted 05/09/08 | Report Abuse

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Fabulous from the Amuse Bouche to the Langniappe

by Shoshana B. | insider_expert Insider Expert | Rank: 2,632

From Thanksgiving to New Years is my favorite time to be in New Orleans. Most restaurants, including the Pelican Club, have a fixed price menu that includes an amuse bouche ( a little appetite teaser like a broiled scallop or a stuffed mushroom cap), a soup or salad, an entree ( my favorite here is the filet mignon, always done to perfection), coffee, dessert, and a little langniappe ( a little something extra, here at the Pelican Club it is a rich eggnog loaded with Southern Comfort).

Service is attentive, the food is excellent, the prices are moderate, and the dining rooms are beautiful.

Treat yourself to something special and dine at the Pelican Club.

Posted 04/13/08 | Report Abuse

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Latest reviews from Citysearch.

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Traditional New Orleans

by tailgateking

Back room was very noisy. Wait staff was very professional, courteous and devoted to our needs.
Food was very good and overall worth the money. This is not the place for a quiet, romantic evening.

Pros: Traditional New Orleans, noisy, robust, everyone engaging in conversation.

Cons: Noisy, not a very romantic type of setting if you are loking for that.

Posted 10/15/07

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Quite Impressed Overall

by donkoz

We were extremely happy with our dinning experience. We had a new young waiter that had a difficult time uncorking our bottle of wine but that was the worst we can say about the entire night of service from him. He was very attentive, knowledgeable and right on top of most everything.
The food was outstanding and the wine pairing was terrific.
The one and only complaint I have is that due to the fact that there was three large parties dinning in the same room it was extremely noisy! Noisy to the extent that you thought you were some kids bar or sports bar. The restaurant was conveniently located within walking distance from our hotel and there were a number of large conferences being held there at the Marriott and that might explain the large groups dinning there. Other than the noise, we couldn't find a thing that we'd change. The food was just delicious and outstanding. I would definitely return and try it again!

Pros: Great food and more than adequate service.

Cons: Extremely noisy the night we dined there.

Posted 10/13/07

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Food and Wine Pairing

by joannbushong

My husband and I celebrated our anniversary at The Pelican Club on July 7, 2005. We chose the 5-course meal with wine parring - an excellent choice! The waiter, Lance, allowed us to keep our menu so that we could make notes about each course and the wine tasting. A WONDERFUL dining experience. Our compliments to Chef Richard Hughes and Chef Chin Ling for a truly exquisite meal. I'm continue to search for recipes for the Trio Of Creme Brulee!

Pros: food & wine pairings, excellent food

Cons: Door wouldn't open!, noisy in back room

Posted 11/23/05

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Hit or Miss

by brdave

In general, this is an excellent restaurant. The food is outstanding... it still has the New Orleans flair, but is just different enough.

The dining room can be a little loud and a little crowded at times.

I've had some of the best experiences in New Orleans at this restaurant. Unfortunately, I've also had some of the worst. When they're bad, they're horrible! Some of the wait-staff are excellent, but management needs to screen their employees a little better. Rude behavior, ignoring customers, and slow service occur all too often.

Overall, if you're visiting New Orleans for the first time, I probably wouldn't risk it. There are far better places. If you're looking for something different, and willing to risk a bad experience, try it out. When they manage to hit the nail on the head, they can be great.

Pros: Food, Service

Cons: Service

Posted 07/23/05

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Worth a look

by oscnevarez

Had a great experience at the Pelican Club. Was there for Mardi Gras and was a little tired of the big crowds. Found the entrance off of a little alley and decided to go in. Every thing we tried on the menu was great along with great service. Best bread pudding I have ever had. Wine list was pricey and corking fee was a little high as well. Overall a great place for dinner. Will make another stop next time I am in New Orleans.

Pros: great food, great service

Cons: pricey wines

Posted 03/06/03

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delicious

by Quennial27

Recommended by our concierge, this was definitely an excellent place for dinner. The food was absolutely delicious, and the atmosphere was equally as nice. While most people have heard of Mr. B's Bistro or Gallatoire's, the Pelican Club is one of the lesser known upper-crust restaurants in the French Quarter ... but it's definitely worth checking out. Get the filet mignon ... even if you don't like it, you will love theirs.

Posted 02/19/03

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Not worth the money

by mitsy

We went to this restaurant because it had the perfect user ratings on this site. It was a disappointment. I'd call the food "Californian" and living in Calif. I've had better Californian dishes in Calif. $100 can be better spent somewhere else (like Palace Cafe). The service was good, though.

Posted 11/14/02

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worth a try

by ajywong

Surprise to find such a nice restaurant in an offbeat allay in the French Quarter. Very good value for great food.

Pros: Excellent food, Good service, Good value

Cons: Noisy

Posted 11/10/02

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Bueno!

by linzkrieger

This is a great restaurant!... Even as a former employee, having eaten there just about 5 times a week for a year, I can still say that it is one of my favorite restaurants in NOLA (and that's saying a lot!)... For apps., I highly recommend the Escargot, and Oysters.... for entree, Steak Louis is fantastic!....Ambiance is truly New Awlins! Be sure to tip your hostess! :o)

Pros: lively atmosphere, great food, Loc. in heart of FQ

Cons: parking, sometimes crowded, noisy

Posted 09/15/02

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