Here’s a closer look at New Orleans' newest eateries, drinking spots, hotels, conference areas, private rooms, and other spaces available for events this fall. The new and renovated New Orleans venues are available for corporate parties, weddings, fundraisers, outdoor functions, business dinners, team-building activities, conferences, meetings, and more.
Emporium Arcade Bar
The game is the prize at Emporium Arcade Bar, an adults-only arcade that opened in St. Roch in October 2022. The 5,000-square-foot warehouse-style space has pinball machines, skeeball, foosball, video games, pool tables, and more, plus a full bar with local craft beer and handcrafted cocktails. Although Emporium can accommodate up to 300 guests, it can also be divided into smaller sections for partial buyouts. The AV system in the space offers audio options beyond the arcade bells and whistles, and TVs throughout can be repurposed for event branding. This is the fifth location for the growing franchise, which also has outposts in Chicago, San Francisco, Oakland, and Las Vegas.
Photo: Andre Courville
The Hall on Mag
The highly Instagrammable The Hall on Mag is a masterclass in what a food hall can be, with six upscale dining experiences—Itzayana, El Greco, South & Common, American Culture, Ja-Nai, and Amato Italia—feeding into stunning dining and lounging areas. (Think: channel-tufted leather sofas, a living greenery wall, designer lighting, and a grand marble bar.) This 8,800-square-foot Warehouse District spot is the brainchild of entrepreneur Jamal Wilson, who’s opened similar Hall concepts in Tampa and Orlando. Located in a former events space, it has private dining capacity for up to 250 guests, total buyout capacity for up to 750, and speaker and screen AV capabilities.
Photo: Katherine Kimball
Dovetail Bar
Located in a furniture factory-turned-hotel, this bar at the edge of the French Quarter takes its name from a type of joinery commonly used in woodworking. Dovetail Bar opened in spring 2022, and is a passion project for New Orleans architects and owners Ariana Rinderknecht and Walter Antin. The pair used reclaimed lumber from the original factory in the furniture and fixtures throughout the 1,200-square-foot space, which can accommodate 50 between the bar and lounge areas. By day, light floods through the windows, creating an inviting atmosphere for work and collaboration. At night, neon lighting sets the mood for after-hours drinks.
Photo: Courtesy of Dovetail Bar
Velveteen Lounge & Restaurant
Velveteen Lounge, a worker-owned lounge and bar in Treme, radiates the casual warmth the city is known for. In a world increasingly dominated by ultra-slick interiors, this funky neighborhood watering hole has a cheerful pink ceiling, a rotating gallery filled with local artwork for sale, and a “cold beer” flag waving above the entrance. The focal point of the 750-square-foot space is the handmade bar, which sits opposite the 75-square-foot “microstage” for entertainment. Capacity for indoor events is capped at 45 people, ideal for social events, and the space is equipped with a sound system and a 4K projector.
Photo: Courtesy of Velveteen Lounge & Restaurant
Sukeban
Sukeban, chef Jacqueline Blanchard’s interpretation of the Japanese pub, offers a laid-back, intimate setting for gatherings of 25 or less. Blanchard fell in love with the izakaya concept during frequent trips to Japan for her knife store, Coutelier, and opened this Leonidas spot in July 2022. Named for the Japanese girl gangs of the 1970s—”sukeban” translates to “delinquent girl” or “boss girl”—the 1,100-square-foot space features minimalist interiors, combining Scandinavian- and Japanese-style design in a pared-down setting. Guests seated at the 16-seat blonde wood bar have a front-row seat to the staff’s skilled knife work and temaki-rolling handiwork.
Photo: Denny Culbert
