Skip to content

Cocktails, supper, and a piano after eleven

Nocturne

A low-lit cocktail bar and supper club at the bottom of a Royal Street stair. Brass rail, velvet booths, Gulf oysters until late, and a pianist who arrives about the hour most rooms are closing.

Reservations after 6pm

Nocturne

Low light forgives everything. So does a good Sazerac.

House creed

The menu

The List

Stirred low and slow at the brass rail, plated from a kitchen that keeps late hours. Prices in USD.

Stirred and shaken at the brass rail.

  • The Nocturne

    $19

    Our house pour — aged rye, black walnut, a whisper of amaro, and a single brandied cherry. Built for the second hour of the night.

    0 min
  • Brass Rail Sazerac

    $17

    Rye, Peychaud’s, a sugar cube, and an absinthe-rinsed glass. The city’s drink, done plainly and well.

    0 min
  • Velvet Martini

    $18

    Gin or vodka, stirred until it’s cold enough to ache, with a twist or a brine-cured olive.

    0 min
  • Midnight Negroni

    $18

    Equal parts, stirred over a single clear rock, with a flamed orange coin. Bitter, slow, and made to last.

    0 min
  • Champagne by the coupe

    $22+

    Grower brut from a small house, poured cold into a chilled coupe. Bottles by the rail on request.

    0 min

Our story

Nocturne began as a rumor — a brass door at the foot of a Royal Street stair, and a piano you could hear before you could find it. We built the room we always wanted to end a night in: low lamps, deep booths, a bartender who remembers your drink and your discretion. The kitchen runs late and the music runs later. Come for one. Stay for the part you won’t quite remember.

Kind words

Word from the booths

I came for one drink at half past ten and left when the piano did. The Negroni was perfect and nobody once asked me to settle up faster.
Marguerite D.  · Friday, late
The kind of place you’re a little protective of. Brass, candlelight, a dozen cold oysters, and a bartender who clocked my order on the second visit.
Theo V.  · Regular at the rail
We booked the back room for an anniversary and they built the whole evening around it — right down to the song he played when we walked in.
Lena & Ruth  · The Velvet Room

Find us

Visit the studio

Address

612 Royal Street, Lower Level
New Orleans, LA 70130
Get directions

Hours

Mon
Closed
Tue
5 pm – 1 am
Wed
5 pm – 1 am
Thu
5 pm – 1 am
Fri
5 pm – 2 am
Sat
5 pm – 2 am
Sun
5 pm – 1 am

Before you visit

Before you come down

Is there a dress code?

Nothing posted on the door — but the room rewards a little effort. Most guests dress as though the night matters. We’d gently steer you away from gym clothes and flip-flops; beyond that, wear what makes you feel like staying out late.

Do you take walk-ins?

The brass rail is first-come after five, and there’s usually a stool if you’re willing to wait with a drink in hand. The booths and the full supper menu we hold for reservations, especially Thursday through Saturday.

Can I book the room for a private night?

The Velvet Room at the back seats up to eighteen and books for dinners, after-parties, and the occasional proposal. Email the maître d’ and we’ll shape the menu, the music, and the hour around you.

How late is the last seating?

The kitchen takes its final supper order at midnight, and the bar pours until one most nights — two on Fridays and Saturdays. The pianist starts around eleven and finishes when the room tells them to.

Hold a booth for after dark

The bar is first-come; the booths and the supper menu we save for those who reserve. Tell us when you’re coming and we’ll have the candle lit.