NEW ORLEANS
Since it won Best Restaurant Bar in North America in 2022 and is partly owned by Chris Hannah, a legendary New Orleans bartender, the cocktail program at Jewel of the South has gotten ever-so-slightly more attention than the other features—stunning design and a ground-breaking menu. Jewel is the result of a loving renovation that has seen an old creole cottage on the outskirts of the Vieux Carré transformed into an impossibly charming space with room for everything from a bump of caviar and a world-class cocktail at the bar to a dining room fit for a proper southern supper. The menu, though, is unlike anything else in the Crescent City, thanks to a deeply personal creation by chef Phil Whitmarsh, whose muse is ugly, in-season vegetables and all the odd bits from nose-to-tail eating.
INCLUDED IN THE FEAST
Jewel of the South
CHRIS HANNAH AND PHIL WHITMARSH
Owner and director of the acclaimed bar program, prior to Jewel, Hannah spent 14 years perfecting classic cocktails and reviving forgotten recipes at Arnaud’s French 75 Bar—a service to humanity that, in 2022, earned him the U.S. Bartender of the Year honor at Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards. Hannah seamlessly blends classic and modern into a rich narrative in a city with plenty of source material from his station on the main floor—an ideal perch for enjoying snacks and smart cocktails in good company. Executive chef Phil Whitmarsh has dabbled in everything from professional fishing to working at farmers markets over his career. It was his experience running a hotel restaurant according to a strict Two-Mile locavore diet and his time spent cooking offal in Australia though, that are probably most responsible for the culinary revolution he’s heading up at Jewel. His menu makes the most of local, in-season ingredients by giving them the kind of treatment they’d receive in a world-class gastro pub in London and, best of all, has introduced New Orleans to the pleasures of a classic Sunday roast.
TALES OF THE COCKTAIL
2022 Best Restaurant Bar in the US
ESQUIRE
2022 Best Bars in North America
NEW ORLEANS MAGAZINE
Best New Restaurant 2019
WHY WE LOVE IT
Although Jewel of the South excels at food and drink, everyone on the team signed on for another reason, namely, that they love to host. Staff and owners alike, what unites the people at Jewel is a belief that hospitality is a superpower—one that can help bring people together to celebrate, commiserate and, of course, communicate.
