Just steps away from the rowdiness of Bourbon Street is the more sedate Royal Street. Known as Rue Royale in French and Calle Real in Spanish, this historical street – lined with some of the city’s most photographed wrought-iron clad balconies – is where you’ll find a slew of upscale antique shops and art galleries, as well as several reputable restaurants and cafés.
If you stroll along Royal from Canal Street toward the French Quarter, you’ll happen upon the following establishments:
French Antiques – established in the 1930s by antique dealers and French natives, Marie and Marcel Granet, this family business (in this location since 1947) offers an extensive collection of authentic 18th and 19th century European antiques,
with an impressive array of fireplace mantels, chandeliers and other lighting fixtures. 225 Royal Street.
Royal Antiques – this shop, part of a family-run business founded in the late-19th century,
offers a selection of European and Asian antique items. 309 Royal Street.
Caliche & Pao Gallery – the original artwork spotlighted here consists mainly of vibrant paintings that can best be described as New Orleans Impressionism. 312 Royal Street.
Lozano & Barbuti Fine Art – presents the artwork of several artists, among which are Ricardo Lozano (whose colorful work centers around the silhouettes of jazz musicians), Ivan Villa, Esperanza Martinez, and René Ortiz Ruiz. 313 Royal Street.
Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights – a family-owned coppersmithing studio and showroom featuring hand-crafted gas lights and fixtures. (Their work adorns many buildings throughout the French Quarter.)
Walk through the Vintage Lamp Showroom, Interior Collection Showroom,
and the Gas Light Museum & Workshop (where you can see the artisans at work). 316 Royal Street.
Café Beignet – this café, located in a former 19th-century carriage house, is a decent place to grab a quick coffee, chilled beverage, or light snack. 334 Royal Street.
Brennan’s Restaurant – this landmark establishment, in a building constructed for the great-grandfather of Edgar Degas, serves one of the best breakfast menus in the city and is known for the signature dish, Bananas Foster. 417 Royal Street.
James H. Cohen & Sons – established in the late-19th century, this fifth-generation antique and collectables shop offers a vast collection of historical firearms, swords, coins and bank notes.
Take a quick look inside for a glimpse of the many historical items on display. 437 Royal Street.
Royal House Oyster Bar – is a casual dining restaurant offering a variety of seafood dishes and refreshing cocktails. A good choice for lunch. 441 Royal Street.
Sutton Galleries – a family-owned fine art gallery representing national, international and New Orleans artists. 519 Royal Street.
Fleur de Paris – this unique boutique is known for custom hats and fascinators. 523 Royal street.
The Court of Two Sisters – this historic restaurant is known for its daily live Jazz Brunch buffet. 613 Royal Street.
M.S. Rau Antiques – a third-generation family-owned antique store specializing in antiques and fine art.
Their vast and interesting collection of items includes walking sticks, clocks, paintings, and furnishings. Viewing their collection is more like visiting a museum. If you visit just one establishment along Royal Street, it should be this one (even if you’re not a fan of antiques). 630 Royal Street.
Rouses Market – a popular family-owned regional grocer selling a wide variety of foods, beverages, and other goods. They also provide a small selection of decently-priced craft cocktail ingredients, such as bitters, mixers, and garnishes. 701 Royal Street.
Rear of Saint Louis Cathedral – The back fence of the Cathedral serves as an impromptu open-air gallery for numerous artists. The artwork displayed here is often available for more affordable prices than that offered in the neighboring galleries.
Peter O’Neill Gallery – showcases the humanist – and often sensual – original artwork of artist Peter O’Neill. 721 Royal Street.
Rodrigue Studio – dedicated to the work of Louisiana artist George Rodrigue whose paintings feature the distinct images of his trademark ‘Blue Dog’, as well as the people and live oak trees of Acadiana. 730 Royal Street.
Hemmerling Gallery of Southern Art – this gallery presents the Southern-inspired artwork of several artists, including Chicago-born folk artist, Bill Hemmerling, whose original paintings were made on recycled materials. 733 Royal Street.
The Giving Tree Gallery – this unique gallery features an eclectic collection of jewelry
and home decor such as Spirit Tiles by Houston Llew, 3-D laser-cut nautical wood maps, and Gurtan Metal Tree Art. 738 Royal Street.
Great Artists Collective – this gallery exhibits a broad range of artwork and handcrafted items – from jewelry, metal, glass and photographic works to paintings, furniture and pottery – crafted by Louisiana artisans. 815 Royal Street.
Gallery Orange – this boutique gallery features works of Contemporary Art. 819 Royal Street.
Craig Tracy Bodypainting Gallery and Studio – featuring the stunning artwork of artist Craig Tracy, whose paintings incorporate the painted human bodies of his models. 827 Royal Street.
Gallery 2 – sharing the same building as Craig Tracy Bodypainting, this gallery showcases the eye-catching artwork of its owners Anne Marie Cianciolo and Betsy Youngquist. Here you’ll see exquisitely hand-sculpted jewelry and vibrantly surreal 3D mixed media objets d’art. 831 Royal Street.
Tanner Gallery/Studio – features the artist’s mysterious and hauntingly beautiful paintings (and giclée reproductions) of trees. 830 Royal Streets.
Lucky Rose Gallery – featured here are the unusual mixed media sculptural works created by artist Cathy Rose. 840 Royal Street.
Papier Plume – this specialty shop offers all manner of writing paraphernalia from calligraphy and fountain pens to journals, stationary, and wax seals. They also offer leather bags, cases, and other accessories. 842 Royal Street.
Cornstalk Fence Hotel – built for François Xavier-Martin (Louisiana’s first Attorney General) in 1816, this historic home-turned-hotel takes its name from the decorative iron cornstalks adoring the fence out front. 915 Royal Street.
Antieau Gallery – this gallery features the work of local artist Chris Roberts-Antieau whose colorful and unique creations are created with fabric. 927 Royal Street.
Summary
Reviewer
Mike Young
Review Date
Reviewed Item
Royal Street
Author Rating