Pelican Club
French Quarter, New Orleans
Restaurant in New Orleans, United States
Book with PearlThe Read
Exchange Place Creole
Dress
Formal
Why go
Pelican Club is a practical French Quarter dinner pick when the night needs a sit-down anchor rather than a quick cafe stop. Go for dinner, keep the first visit broad, cross-shop Green Goddess, Irene's, Sun Chong, 3rd Block Depot, Cafe Beignet, Royal Street depending on mood and group size.
About Pelican Club
Pelican Club is a New Orleans venue to plan around dinner hours and a formal dress code. It is open in the evening Wednesday through Sunday, with Monday and Tuesday closed, so it is not a lunch or daytime pick.
Use these details as the planning frame: choose it when the group wants a New Orleans dinner plan that fits formal attire and posted evening hours. For anything more specific, including the current menu, dishes, pricing, or service details, confirm directly with the venue before you go.
Use it as a New Orleans dinner anchor, not a daytime stop
The value here is logistical: Pelican Club is open in the evening Wednesday through Sunday, with Monday and Tuesday closed. If the group is comparing New Orleans options, Cafe Beignet, Royal Street is another venue to consider for a different plan. If the group wants to plan around formal dinner hours, Pelican Club is the clearer fit.
For cross-shopping, compare it with Green Goddess and Irene's: choose Pelican Club when a formal dinner plan matters. Sun Chong and 3rd Block Depot are other alternates when the night needs a different kind of New Orleans dining plan.
A two-visit strategy works better than over-ordering once
Without a signature dish, chef credit, or formal tasting format attached here, avoid treating the menu like a checklist. The safer first visit is to confirm the current menu and timing directly with the venue, then plan the evening around the posted dinner hours. On a return visit, adjust based on what worked for the group and the occasion.
Use New Orleans restaurant guide for broader planning around the meal, then pair the night with options from the New Orleans bars guide or stay-focused picks in the New Orleans hotels guide. For non-restaurant add-ons, use the New Orleans wineries guide and New Orleans experiences guide.
Planning details
- Location
- 312 Exchange Pl, New Orleans, LA 70130
- Reservations
- Book on OpenTable
- Website
- pelicanclub.com
- Phone
- (504) 523-1504
The take
The Take
The Vibe
Pelican Club is quietly tucked down Exchange Place, the sort of French Quarter address that reads as a local secret rather than a neon‑lit attraction. The dining rooms favor older woodwork and a lived‑in finish, which softens formality into an intimate, conversational space. The lane’s stillness and the building’s long occupancy lend a historic, cozy charm: it feels like a place that has watched the neighborhood change while holding to a steady, comfortable rhythm. Expect an atmosphere that encourages extended meals, low voices and attentive conversation rather than high‑volume revelry.
Best For
This Pelican Club suits evenings when you want to step off the Quarter’s busiest corridors and linger over a proper meal. Its location on a quieter side street makes it a natural choice for date nights, business dinners and small celebrations where conversation matters. The restaurant reads like a Creole reference point in the heart of the French Quarter: familiar to returning guests and friendly to locals who prefer a measured, table‑oriented pace. Service and pacing are calibrated for repeat visitors rather than high turnover, so dinners here feel deliberate and unrushed.
Ordering Tips
The menu highlights identify the kitchen’s strengths in Gulf‑coast flavors and Creole technique: Panéed Gulf Fish with Crabmeat, Baked Oysters, BBQ Shrimp and Cioppino showcase seafood at the center of the menu, while Roast Duck offers a heartier, classic option. Finish with the Grand Marnier Crème Brûlée to close the meal. These signature dishes are useful touchstones for understanding the restaurant’s Creole lineage and make reliable choices for a first visit; they speak directly to the house’s culinary identity described in the copy.
Venue details
Ambiance
Sophisticated dining rooms with gold-painted walls, soft lighting, and local artwork; features a welcoming bar area with piano music; some rooms have high ceilings and tiled floors that can amplify noise.
Tags
Vibe
Best For
Experience
Sourcing
Accessibility
At the Table
- Dress Code
- Formal
- Noise Level
- Lively
- Service Style
- Formal
- Meal Pacing
- Leisurely
- Capacity
- Medium
Signature Dishes
- Panéed Gulf Fish with Crabmeat
- Baked Oysters
- BBQ Shrimp
- Roast Duck
- Cioppino
- Grand Marnier Crème Brûlée
Planning details
Location
Recognition and awards
Also consider
Where to go if this does not fit
If the group wants something faster and more casual, choose Cafe Beignet, Royal Street. If the night still needs a sit-down dinner but with a more familiar special-occasion feel, check Irene's next.
Restaurant context
How Pelican Club compares in the French Quarter
Pelican Club is the better target when the priority is a full dinner in the French Quarter rather than a quick stop. Cafe Beignet, Royal Street is easier for a casual daytime-style pause, but it is not the right substitute for a composed evening meal.
Against Green Goddess and Irene's, choose Pelican Club when the group wants a central dinner plan with less need to chase a specific cuisine identity. Choose Sun Chong when the night calls for a different energy, 3rd Block Depot when the group wants another Quarter-adjacent dinner option.
Booking difficulty is marked easy, so this is a useful fallback when the better-known nearby rooms are tighter. For value, the safest read is situational: Pelican Club works when location and dinner structure matter; Cafe Beignet, Royal Street works when speed matters; Green Goddess or Irene's may make more sense when the restaurant choice itself is the main point of the night.
Explore New Orleans
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full Pelican Club guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare Pelican Club
| Venue | Location | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| Pelican Club | New Orleans | 2026 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence |
| Green Goddess | New Orleans | No published awards |
| 3rd Block Depot | New Orleans | No published awards |
| Cafe Beignet, Royal Street | New Orleans | No published awards |
| Irene's | New Orleans | No published awards |
| Sun Chong | New Orleans | No published awards |
How Pelican Club New Orleans compares with similar nearby venues.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I wear to Pelican Club?
Dress formally. Pelican Club is open Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday from 5–9 PM, Friday and Saturday from 5–9:30 PM, closed Monday and Tuesday.
What should a first-timer know about Pelican Club?
Plan it as a dinner outing, not a daytime drop-in stop, because the hours are evening-only from Wednesday to Sunday. Pelican Club is in New Orleans. Compared with Green Goddess, it is best considered when you want to plan around formal dress and evening hours.
Is Pelican Club good for a special occasion?
It can make sense if you want a New Orleans dinner with a formal dress code and a clear evening schedule. The Wednesday-to-Sunday hours make it practical to plan as an evening meal in New Orleans. Compared with Irene's, it is a useful pick when the goal is a planned dinner.
Is lunch or dinner better at Pelican Club?
Dinner, by default, because Pelican Club's hours are in the evening. It is open Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday from 5–9 PM, Friday and Saturday from 5–9:30 PM; Monday and Tuesday are closed. If you want a daytime plan, Cafe Beignet, Royal Street is a different New Orleans option to consider.
