Jewel of the South
Overview: We were most excited to visit New Orleans because it is home to several Top 50 Bars, including Jewel of the South, which is #4 on North America’s list of Top 50 Bars and the highest ranked bar in the United States. We made reservations for our first night in New Orleans to make sure we wouldn’t miss it.
As two people who love going to high-end cocktail bars, we were very excited for Jewel of the South. But I have to admit I was a little disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, the food and drinks were all good. I didn’t have anything I don’t like. But nothing stood out as particularly unique or special. I would expect at least one stand out quality from the best bar in the United States. When going to a particularly special bar with a manageable signature cocktail menu, we like to try every drink on the menu between the two of us. This is usually met with some excitement from bartenders who then work hard to give us great service. But our server at Jewel seemed a little taken aback and possibly confused when we said we wanted to do the entire menu. This is when we learned a very valuable lesson for visiting Top 50 Bars …
Tip: Whenever possible, sit at the bar! Our best bar experiences have been when we sit at the bar and get to watch the bartenders work their magic. They tend get excited when a couple shows up who wants to take down the signature menu. I wish we had sat at the bar at Jewel of the South, we may have had a more memorable experience.
Second Tip: The Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes with $150 dining credit at select restaurants. We were able to use this credit at Jewel of the South. Since we each have the card, we split the check and got $300 reimbursed to our sapphire reserve accounts.
Like I said, the drinks were good, the food was good. But nothing stands out as it being a particularly memorable experience. Of the drinks we tried (yes, we did take down the entire seasonal menu between the two of us) I’d recommend the Carnival Colada (pictured) or the Feast of Avalon. Carnival Colada was a great take on a rum based tiki drink. It was smooth, but refreshing. The Feast of Avalon was bright and fresh and beautifully garnished with sage and a flower.
My Assessment: If I happened to be in New Orleans again, I’d go back. But I’d make sure to sit at the bar to hopefully have a more memorable experience.