Irene's Cuisine

In its new location close to Canal Street in the French Quarter since 2018, this locally owned Creole Italian is a real gem. Follow your nose - you can smell the garlic a half-block away - and take a seat at the spacious bar for well-shaken cocktails while you wait for a table. The charming warren of dining rooms invites, as does the gorgeous outside courtyard, an addition in 2020. Settle in for a treat, from house made pasta topped with soft shell crab in a divine cream sauce to an assertive osso buco and the wonderful duck St. Phillip lacquered with a raspberry-pancetta demi-glace. Service is exceptional, as is the bread pudding du jour and the ricotta cheesecake.