NEW ORLEANS – Carnival season is in full swing and local bars and restaurants are adding to the revelry with cocktails and Mardi Gras menus.
Gris-Gris
Gris-Gris has brought back a favorite, the King Cake Daiquiri! Starting this Wednesday (closed tomorrow), enjoy a King Cake Daiquiri made with Brioche Infused Spiced Rum, Cinnamon Demerara, Gambino’s Rum Cream, Amaretto and Vanilla Soft Serve. Half gallon pre-orders will also be available starting Wednesday (call 504-272-0241) – One half gallon for $45 or get three for a discount of $120.
Additionally, Gris-Gris to Go Go (1804 Magazine, next door to Gris-Gris) debuted “Let’s Get King Cakes” made by Gris-Gris’ very own managers Alexia Doussan and Mady Price! Flavors will include a traditional cinnamon, cream cheese, cherry and Chantilly berry. Traditional cinnamon king cakes (limited supply) will be available for pick up each week starting on Wednesday mornings at 11 a.m. and all filled king cakes must be pre-ordered (48 hours advance) by calling 504-272-0241.
- Classic King Cake ($40): Traditional brown sugar cinnamon filling with buttercream icing and sugar sprinkles (limited supply available every Wednesday starting at 11 a.m.).
- Chantilly Berry ($50): Our signature! Traditional brown sugar cinnamon king cake with a Chantilly cream filling and fresh berries.
- Cream Cheese ($45): Traditional brown sugar cinnamon king cake with cream cheese filling (pre-order available).
- Cherry ($45): Traditional brown sugar cinnamon king cake with cherry filling (pre-order available).
Cure
For the second year in a row, the team at Cure has a special Mardi Gras menu featuring five cocktails that are a spirited representation of our beloved season. New to the menu this year is Cure’s collaboration king cake with Ayu Bakehouse, which is a unique take: New Orleans’ classic cocktail, the Vieux Carre, in king cake form.
The menu will run through this year’s short season and is a limited-run menu, so it won’t last forever!
GW Fins
Every year GW Fins Executive Chef Michael Nelson comes up with a unique rendition of King Cake to delight guests during Carnival Season. This year, Chef Michael has created a non-traditional “Carnival Cake” that dots individually made cinnamon funnel cakes with a Creole Cream Cheese icing. This crispy, creamy cake is then topped with house-made purple, green and gold Cotton Candy, perfect for delighting your inner child’s culinary pleasures.
GW Fins’ Carnival Cake will be offered on our dessert menu from today through Mardi Gras, Feb. 17.
The Eliza Jane
The Press Room is hosting a Mardi Gras–inspired cocktail menu celebrating the colors, flavors and spirit of the season. Featuring cocktails such as the Zulu King, Tropical Storm and more – they are playful nods to classic New Orleans cocktails offering a spirited way to experience Mardi Gras without leaving the French Quarter fringe.
Compere Lapin
Celebrate Mardi Gras with a special à la carte, Friday Lunch at Compère Lapin on Feb. 13, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. In the heart of all the action, Compere Lapin will feature a vibrant Mardi Gras menu including starters like buttermilk biscuits with whipped ricotta and seasonal jam, crispy tater tots with crème fraiche and caviar, and crispy pork belly with tomato and soft herbs. For the main course, guests can enjoy semolina dumplings with a goat bolognese and whipped ricotta, fried chicken with biscuits and hot honey, or classic shrimp and grits with Creole sauce, among other delicious options. Don’t miss out on the decadent desserts, including bread pudding with apple curd and roasted pineapple, mango crème brûlée with coconut and berries, and a selection of locally made ice cream and sorbet. \
Compere Lapin is located at 535 Tchoupitoulas St. For reservations and more info, please visit comperelapin.com/reservations
Virgin Hotels New Orleans
The Lundi Gras Bounce-Off at The Pool Club – Monday, Feb. 16, from 2-6 p.m. – will feature a high-energy poolside day party, soundtracked by bounce music and New Orleans club classics, with DJ Legatron & FTK. Pool pass fees waived. 21+. To purchase tickets, click here.
Virgin Hotels New Orleans is taking the hassle out of Carnival season with its Mardi Pardi add-on, available to hotel guests only for $299 per stay. Perfect for guests who want to celebrate without the planning, this in-room Mardi Gras experience includes a personal cooler with ice, four local beers, assorted sodas and bottled water, finger sandwiches, and a classic king cake. It’s an easy way to fuel up before the parades or keep the party going after.
The Mardi Pardi add-on is available to book now through Feb. 17 for stays from Feb. 6–17. Reservations must be made at least 48 hours in advance. Guests must be 21 or older to receive alcohol, and items are non-refundable, non-substitutable, and available while supplies last. For additional information, click here.
The Bower
Whet your whistle this Mardi Gras season with the Carnival Cocktail Menu from The Bower, 1320 Magazine St., featuring 11 specialty cocktails. Sip on libations like Dancing in the Street – vodka, tequila, apple, lemon and bubbles; Throw Me Somethin’ – bourbon, chai, bergamot, coconut and bitters; Satsuma Cosmo – satsuma, vodka, hibiscus and orange blossom; Mood Ring with vodka, vanilla bean lemonade, and butterfly pea flower; Knife in the Box – a frozen concoction with spiced rum, amaro and vegan soft serve; and the St. Charles Sour with house-infused peach bourbon, lemon, aquafaba, and red wine float.
Birdy’s
This carnival season, Birdy’s – 1320 Magazine St. – is serving up two festive offerings. The King Cake Espresso Martini with Gambino’s king cake rum cream, Coffee Science super collider espresso, white rum and a festive sugar rim, this is the perfect cocktail to bring out the spirit of Mardi Gras. Looking for the perfect festive treat, then take a bite out of the delectable King Cake Cinnamon Roll! These celebratory sips/bites are the perfect way to toast the season!
The Barnett
· Drag Brunch at Brutto Americano at The Barnett | Jan. 31 from 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.: In partnership with SAD Brunch from Washington D.C., RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 17 contestant Crystal Envy, host Crystal Edge, and local Queens Laveau Contraire and Debbie with a D are bringing their flare to NOLA for a lively, loud and glamourous show. Entry is $18/person.
o Cocktails: The Lobby Bar at The Barnett: Gold Ginger Balance (lime, ginger beer, demerara sugar), purple Midnight Parade (blackberry, orange, sparkling soda), and green Verdure Harmony, (cucumber, lime, soda).
The Elysian Bar/Hotel Peter & Paul
This season, The Elysian Bar is serving Fais Do Do, a Mardi Gras inspired cocktail built from the bar’s popular Dearly Beloved. The drink features green chili vodka, chamomile grappa, yuzu, butterfly pea, habañero tincture, and lemon, finished with a jalapeño simple syrup rim with classic Mardi Gras sugar. $19.
In addition, the bar is offering homemade King Cakes, available whole or by the slice. The team prepares approximately 4-6 whole King Cakes weekly, with any remaining cakes sold by the slice.
- Whole King Cake (Plain): $40
- Whole King Cake (Stuffed): $50
- Slice of Plain King Cake: $7
Delacroix
The new riverside eatery has a few Carnival offerings to take advantage of before the season ends.
- The Kronut King Cake is made with a croissant-donut hybrid dough and topped with a fluffy Creole cream cheese butter cream. This unique twist on the season’s staple is featured on Delacroix’s dessert menu.
- Three Mardi Gras-themed cocktails: Mardi Gras Mai Tai (rum, pineapple, apricot, orgeat), Zulu Coconut (tequila, blue curaçao, coconut, guava) and King Cake Colada (cinnamon-infused vodka, Tahitian vanilla milk, orgeat).
- In celebration of Mardi Gras, the restaurant will extend its hours and will be open on Sunday (2/15) and Monday (2/16) from 11 AM – 9 PM.
Domenica
The restaurant is rolling out four Mardi Gras-themed cocktails: Streetcar Shutdown (floral and tropical, featuring St-Germain, Del Santo and bright pineapple), Calliope’s Kiss (berry-forward vodka with lemon and blackberry for a smooth, juicy finish), Skull and Bones (bold bourbon and Averna with orange and black walnut bitters) and Mocki Gras (mocktail with pineapple, peach, lime and ginger beer and topped with a vibrant pea flower float).
Luke
Looking for a prime spot to catch parades rolling down St. Charles? Luke’s grandstand tickets are available and selling quickly. Visit www.lukeneworleans.com/mardi-gras to view the parade schedule and secure your spot.
- Let the good times roll and take a Mardi-Gras themed cup to go!
- The dessert menu features a house-made Galette des Rois, a delicious and flaky puff-pastry cake filled with frangipane, vanilla and salted caramel. Think of it as the French cousin to New Orleans’ King Cake.
Pizza Domenica
A sweet take on everyone’s favorite garlic knots – Pizza Domenica’s King Cake Knots are swirled with cinnamon and topped with purple, green and yellow sprinkles.
Shaya and Tavi
The Cinnamon Babka King Cake is available on the dine-in menus at both Shaya and Tavi, with order + pick-up available at Shaya from now through Lundi Gras.
Willa Jean
Don’t forget to pre-order your Willa Jean Cinnamon King Cake with a delicious cream cheese glaze. King Cakes are $40. Place your order 2 days in advance for daily pickup at Willa Jean between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. through Mardi Gras.
- Two Mardi Gras-themed drinks: King Cake Latte (espresso, king cake syrup, milk) and Masquerade Drop (vodka, lemon, melon, Cointreau).
