Location: 600 Poland Ave
New Orleans, LA 70117
Cuisine: Spirits, Charcuterie, Light Fare
Pricing: $$
This place was MADE for me! Jazz, wine and charcuterie boards? And you can do it al Fresca if you please? Count me in!
I was looking for something fun to do on my last night in New Orleans and the first night out of the year and I’m so glad that Bacchanal was the top choice! Sitting on a corner lot in a dimly lit neighborhood, after 7 pm when the sun has gone down, I doubt anyone could find this place if they weren’t looking for it. The entrance to the building is reminiscent of a bomb shelter of sorts, as you feel as if you’re stuck in some cave filled with wine.
…that actually doesn’t sound so bad.
Once you get over the sheer eyeful of vino goodness awaiting you, you can begin to make a plan for your evening. Will it be a DIY Charcuterie plate or a meal from the evening menu? A specialty bottle or a glass of some distant country? Luckily at Bacchanal, the choice is yours!
My friends and I decided to split our plate up by each choosing a cheese and adding in some Prosciutto. The cheese fridge is amazing!! As someone who is *primarily* dairy-free (by choice, great health, and skin choice!) when I do eat anything with dairy, I want it to be the best! And I loved that there were so many different options and they were all extremely affordable at under $10 for a good chunk. We opted for the traditional French Brie Fermier Jouvance, a triple cream cow’s milk option from France called Delice de Bourgogne Lincet and Karst Cave Aged Jasper Hill, a hard cheese from Vermont. Of course, the Brie was the best (always my fave, never a disappointment) with the Delice de Bourgogne coming in 2nd and the Vermont cheese falling deadddd last. I loved that we only needed to buy the cheese and charcuterie for the plate, as the task of decorating the plate with the traditional fruits, jams and nuts fell to the staff and the plating was phenomenal.
Best thing about Bacchanal? The amazing live music and the numerous seating options available!
We all opted for different drinks from the upstairs bar after not being able to decide on which wine to share and I loved that there was plenty of space to sit inside or that you could enjoy your libations on the balcony right outside of the bar doors. We decided to be right in the middle of the action and chose to stand at the wooden hightops nestled in the front corner near the stage where the jazz band played tunes under the stars.
Tables were filled with couples enjoying a bottle of wine for 2, girlfriends toasting to the vacation that may be coming to an end with this serene night out, and all eyes were glued on the 3 gentlemen, (later 4 as a local crooner joined in), onstage cooking up the soundtrack to our evening in good ol’ New Orleans.