Tucked away on the West Bank, Saint Claire opened its doors two and a half months ago to high acclaim, including making the New York Times top restaurant list. I got the chance to visit on Oct. 3, and I could not agree with the positive reviews

more.   

Driving over to Saint Claire takes you through a property with beautiful oak trees surrounding a stunning antebellum-style house. The owners Cassi Dymond and Melissa M. Martin purchased the property in December 2024 and opened their doors this past June. They transformed the house and porch into a full-service restaurant and bar that feels like a getaway from the hustle of New Orleans.  

Entering the doors of Saint Claire feels like a portal into another world. The porch wraps halfway around the house, a perfect option as the weather cools down. Once we took our seats, we made some picks from the menu. Our server was exceptional; they never let our glass of water stand empty and provided detailed answers to our questions on the dishes. 

For drinks, we split a glass of wine: the 2024 Cyril Fhal ‘Une Vie la Nuit’ Grenache & Syrah Roussillon, FR for $15. I also got a non-alcoholic beverage, the provincial with lavender, honey, lemon and egg white for $8. Both paired well with our food, and I loved the mocktail — a great option for people not looking to drink. 

For appetizers, we got the Bright Side oysters with mignonette for $24, brin d’amour with plum confiture and cranberry pecan sourdough for $14 and fried eggplant with honey, rosemary and sea salt for $12. The oysters are gulf oysters sourced locally from Grand Isle and were perfectly briny. The mignonette was bright and punchy for a lovely pairing. The brin d’amour is a semi soft sheep milk cheese coated with a variety of dried herbs and edible flowers.  

This paired with the cranberry pecan sourdough, plum jam and syrupy raisins was a perfect bite. The amount of cheese this came with was generous, leaving us some to snack on for the rest of our meal. The fried eggplant was a perfect mix of soft and crunchy, sweet and salty. The thin cuts meant crunchy bites with the punches of rosemary and a milder eggplant flavor, perfect for those who don’t usually enjoy eggplant. 

For our main meal, we got jumbo lump crab gnocchi with lemon beurre and chives for $37 and smoked beets with crème fraiche and trout roe for $22. Both dishes were absolute showstoppers. The gnocchi were easily the best I’ve ever had: They were pillowy, with a generous helping of crab covered in butter and lemon that was balanced to cut the fat. I can’t remember a vegetable preparation I’ve liked more than this one, with the perfectly cooked beets meshing beautifully with crème fraiche and salty roe.  

To end our meal, we got the chocolate cake for $14, which had buttercream, Swiss meringue, candied orange, sea salt and olive oil. This was so moist and balanced, with the candied orange and sea salt balancing out the rich cake.  

Getting on the books at Saint Claire is hard to do, so be sure to look out for reservations weeks in advance for your meal. You can’t go wrong, and I would go back and order everything again and more. It will not only be an unforgettable meal but also an incredible experience with exceptional service.