Réveillon Dinners in New Orleans: How to Enjoy the City's Old Creole Christmas Feast

Every December, menus at many New Orleans restaurants gain a word that visitors often haven't seen before: Réveillon. It comes from the French verb réveiller, to wake up, and it refers to one of the city's oldest holiday traditions, a late-night feast that Creole families once held after midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. Today it lives on as a special multi-course dinner served at restaurants across the city throughout the month, and it's one of the best ways to experience New Orleans in December.

This guide covers what Réveillon is, how restaurant Réveillon dinners usually work, how to plan an evening around one, and how to handle transportation in the busiest neighborhoods during the holiday season.

A Short History of Réveillon

In 19th-century New Orleans, Catholic Creole families often fasted before attending midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, then came home in the early hours to a large meal. The menu reflected the household and the season: egg dishes, breads, sweets, and often turtle soup, daube glacé or other rich preparations, served with wine or something stronger. A second Réveillon was traditionally held on New Year's Eve.

Over time the home tradition faded, but in recent decades it has been revived as a restaurant tradition. Restaurants now offer special Réveillon menus through much of December, and the city promotes them as part of its holiday celebrations. Many locals make an annual Réveillon dinner part of their holiday season, and visitors find it a memorable way to taste the city's food history.

How Restaurant Réveillon Dinners Work

Each participating restaurant creates its own Réveillon menu, so no two are the same. Most are prix-fixe dinners of several courses, often drawing on Creole and French traditions while adding the chef's own ideas. Some restaurants offer them only on certain nights, while others serve them throughout the season alongside their regular menu.

• Check which restaurants are participating this year. The list changes annually, and the official city holiday guides and restaurants' own websites are the best sources.
• Reserve ahead. Popular restaurants fill up on December weekends, especially those in the French Quarter.
• Ask about dates. Some Réveillon menus run only on specific nights, and many restaurants have different hours on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve.
• Plan for a long meal. A multi-course dinner can easily run two hours or more, so allow plenty of time.

Choosing a Neighborhood

Réveillon menus appear in restaurants across the city, and the neighborhood you choose shapes the whole evening.

• The French Quarter has many of the city's oldest restaurants and the most festive atmosphere, with decorated balconies and holiday events. It also has the most crowded streets and the fewest places to park.
• The CBD and Warehouse District are close to many hotels and the convention center, with easier access by car.
• The Garden District and Uptown offer a quieter evening, with restaurants in historic houses along St. Charles Avenue and Magazine Street.
• Mid-City and other neighborhoods have restaurants that also take part, and they pair well with a visit to City Park.

Dress, Dietary Needs and Etiquette

Réveillon dinners range from relaxed neighborhood restaurants to some of the city's most formal dining rooms. A few of the older French Quarter establishments have long expected men to wear jackets in the evening, so check each restaurant's dress guidance before you go. If anyone in your party has allergies or dietary restrictions, mention them when you reserve; a set menu is easier for the kitchen to adjust with notice. And because Réveillon dinners are usually prix-fixe, ask in advance whether wine pairings, tax and service are included, so the bill holds no surprises.

Pairing Réveillon With Other Holiday Traditions

A Réveillon dinner fits naturally into a holiday evening in New Orleans. Some ideas:

• Celebration in the Oaks, the holiday light display in City Park, makes a lovely start or end to the evening. Our Celebration in the Oaks guide covers how to plan a visit.
• Holiday concerts at St. Louis Cathedral have long been part of the city's December calendar. Check the cathedral and the city's holiday listings for this year's schedule.
• Caroling in Jackson Square, usually held the Sunday before Christmas, pairs well with dinner in the Quarter.
• Bonfires on the levee on Christmas Eve upriver in St. James Parish make a memorable day trip. See our Bonfires on the Levee guide.

Getting Around on a Holiday Evening

December evenings are busy across New Orleans, with holiday parties, conventions, sports events and visitors filling restaurants and hotels. Street parking in the French Quarter is extremely limited, garages can fill on weekends, and rideshare demand spikes when restaurants and bars let out. Our New Orleans parking guide explains the options if you're driving yourself.

For a special dinner, a chauffeur removes all of that. You're dropped at the restaurant door, or as close as the Quarter's street closures allow, and picked up when you're ready. With a long meal and wine pairings, nobody has to worry about driving home.

Hourly or Point-to-Point?

For a simple dinner, separate one-way transfers to and from the restaurant work well. If the evening includes several stops, such as cocktails, dinner, a holiday light display and a nightcap, an hourly booking keeps the vehicle and chauffeur with your group all evening. That's also a good choice for corporate groups hosting clients at a holiday dinner, where timing matters and guests may leave at different times.

Groups, Families and Visiting Relatives

Réveillon dinners are popular with families gathering for the holidays and with friends celebrating together. For a group, the right vehicle keeps everyone together:

• Sedans such as the Mercedes-Benz E-Class or BMW 7 Series seat up to three, ideal for a couple's night out.
• The Chevrolet Suburban and Lincoln Navigator seat five and six.
• The Mercedes Sprinter carries up to thirteen, perfect for a family or office dinner.

If relatives are flying in for the holidays, we can pick them up at MSY and bring them straight to dinner, with luggage stored safely in the vehicle. Airport pickups include 45 minutes of complimentary waiting time on domestic arrivals and 60 minutes on international arrivals, timed from touchdown.

A Note on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve

Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are the two traditional Réveillon nights and among the busiest of the year for restaurants and transportation. If you plan to dine on either night, reserve your table and your ride as early as possible. Our guide to New Year's Eve car service covers how to plan that night in particular.

Booking Your Ride

Reserve as soon as your dinner reservation is confirmed, especially for weekends in December. Sedan and SUV reservations can be cancelled free of charge up to 3 hours before pickup, and Sprinter, limousine and special-event bookings up to 12 hours before. Your quote is all-inclusive, covering tolls, taxes and gratuity.

Call (877) 609-1919 any time or book online. Tell us the restaurant, reservation time and any other stops, and we'll plan the evening from there.