RF’s

I recently came on a girls trip and we stayed at Château LeMoyne which is connected to the bar. After a day of shopping at The French Market we made our way back to the hotel to spend the afternoon at the pool and have some drinks. Well our plans turned as a thunderstorm rolled in. We came in and sat at the bar to have some drinks and wait out the storm. We were greeted by the bartenders Josh and Bev. I ordered a margarita which was about $ 8, plus it was pretty strong so I guess I got my money’s worth haha!
We spoke to Josh and asked where he was from and a few minutes into the conversation he said he knew Tim Duncan! Being a native San Antonian we had a discussion about the Spurs and instantly had a great time. He even gave us advice to see Frendcmen Street where all the locals hang. My group totally missed happy hour as we had to go to other tours and do some sight seeing. But they do have some great specials.
Place was pretty empty for a Wednesday afternoon but that was good for us. The atmosphere gave me a nostalgic feeling like I was in a jazz bar during the prohibition era. What makes this bar different from the rest like on Bourbon Street is that it’s not trashy, given. Tell the bartender what flavors you like and they will come up with a surprise concoction. And Josh really served great expectations.
Really enjoyed my time here, really should come back for happy hour though. Bartenders and service was awesome!

Martini happy hour is amazing! Josh and Matt are awesome! Definitely check them out. Came for my girl’s bachelorette and everyone showed us a good time.

Rolled in around 6 on a Tuesday on the way to a show at the Saenger. We were seated immediately. Great happy hour– $ 3 martinis till 7. Food was overall great. My friend got the burger and baked potato. She said the burger was delish, and the potato was meh. I got the Chicken and waffles– delish. The service was good overall, but it was slow at times. That’s the only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5. I’d definitely go back.

We stopped by for a drink to go on our way back to the hotel. The owner was chatting with our family and we were so impressed we decided to go back there. The food was EXCELLENT the staff was incredibly friendly. The band Hyperphlly was there and one of the best talents we have listened to in NOLA this trip. Our 10 yr old was invited to play his trumpet with the band and they and the staff we so welcoming and encouraging. Would recommend this establishment to anyone and especially families.

I will echo Misty’s review (and since i grew up in Livermore maybe it is not a surprise). Great place. I come back whenever I am here.

I always come here for happy hour and the martini deal. This place was a favorite until today’s experience. I ordered the «alligator bites» expecting a plate of fried alligator meat but what I got was three fried chicken wings. I politely informed the bartenders that I got someone else’s order and showed him the two parallel bones that you would ordinarily see in chickened wings «i think that is alligator but let me ask the chef»
He comes back and informs me that the chef agreed but invited me to speak with him.
The chef immediately and unhesitantly snarked «you don’t know what you’re talking about bud watch this» and walks to the freezer and pulled out three HUGE alligator legs that were frozen.
With the bones in my hand I said «I’ve been a sous chef and I’ve worked as a butcher for 6 years there is absolutely no part of the alligators carcus that has two tiny parallel bones. that is only seen in two legged animals [poultry]
His response was «6 years pah, ive been a chef for 30. thanks bud» and immediately walked away.
Now.
I wouldn’t be that upset about a $ 3.00 special on an appetizer except for the fact that he wouldn’t own up to the fact that he was selling 3 chicken wings [which usually retail at $ 0.65 ea] I know restaurants usually pull those types of maneuvers usually with fish.
Now riddle me this. If this was the daily special and could be prepared in minutes why could he only show me FROZEN alligator. Surely the daily special is thawed and ready to fry, no?
I received no refund, no apology no «okay, you caught me» nothing.
I got a snarkly response and condescending remark on my job title.
I will be reporting this to the better business Bureau.
I will cross post this to Unilocal,
And I will certainly take myself and my friends elsewhere.

We had the male bartender that some of the other reviewers complain of last Friday night. We thought he was hilarious and great at his job, he took GOOD care of us!
The thing about service in the touristy areas of NOLA is that if you take good care of someone, they will take damn good care of you. All you have to do is relax a little!
We had a great time here and would definitely go back!

One of the best places in the quarter. Not the usual shots and drunk crawl. The bar staff: Macnzee and Josh rock !! They are cocktail superstars !! If you want a finely crafted cocktail that sings to your soul, this is the place for you!!!

Spent about 3 hours sitting at the bar on Saturday. Our party started out as 5 and gradually grew to about 15. It was the same evening that there was a bar tour there… I was concerned with the influx in customers our service would suffer, but it didn’t. The drinks were all 10s. The burger was one of the best… And being from the Midwest, I know a good burger. 2 people from our party were sitting in the «creation station». You want this seat at the bar. Best seat in the house. When they are mixing up one of their many martinis or drinks, this seat gets the leftovers from the shaker. They were drinks no one in our party would ever order for themselves, but it made the experience remarkable! The bartenders were also magicians, literally.
The icing on the cake was the entertainment. The main act was a man that inspired the show Tremé, Davis Rogan. I knew nothing about the show before coming here but I’ll be tuning in! The trumpet player has some talent.
Definitely check out RFs. It gave us great memories and I am sure it would do the same for you.

Great Music And Martinis to Match the Tasty Food– New Orleans Style
Wife and I visited here on a Groupon and already had reviewed what we were going to get via the net. As we entered, we could hear live music which really set the atmosphere for a New Orleans style relaxation and food. We ordered the happy hour martinis and they, for the price, was a bargain at 3.00. Here’s the food we had and shared: RF’s Burger with Fries, Louisiana P & J Brand Oyster on the Half Shell, Charbroiled Louisiana P & J Brand Oysters, New Orleans BBQ Shrimp and Grits. All of this was very tasty though the chargrilled oysters were not nearly the best we have had. Wait staff was outstanding and the manager was very cooperative on handling the Groupon which appeared expired though the reservation was made before it expired.

Man I wish I could give zero stars.
I’m sure the happy hour is great, but dinner service was horrendous.
When we first approached the host stand for our reservation time, we were ignored for a good five minutes. Staff was running around and totally oblivious to the fact that we were even there.
We finally get seated and brought menus. I ask for a cocktail menu, to which the waiter responds that they don’t have any. Ummmm I thought this was a martini bar. Da fuq? How do you run out of cocktail menus? After finally tracking one down (that he took from another table), I ordered the sazerac. It was whatever.
They brought out bread that was cold tasteless.
Our appetizers came out in a normal time. The gumbo was very watery but the broiled oysters were actually very good.
An hour later, my father had to demand where our salad course was. The waiter barely apologized, citing that they were short staffed. Um the restaurant was half empty on a Saturday. How are you short staffed? Anyway, they finally brought the Caesar salads out and they were gross. Dressing was clearly bottled and the lettuce was the white parts of the romain that good restaurants through away. The croûton was burnt.
At this point I started Unilocaling other places to eat because this place blew. I asked the waiter/​manager what the eta was on our main courses because if they were coming right out I would just stick it out and eat them rather than leaving. He said «right away.» Who knew that right away meant twenty minutes in NOLA.
When our main dishes came out, they were cold. Not lukewarm; cold. Jambalaya is not meant to be served cold. Rice should not be cold.
We demanded our check and told the guy we wouldn’t be paying. We threw him a pity $ 60 for the booze.
Don’t ever eat hear. Get the $ 3 happy hour maybe. Don’t eat here.

The only reason this place gets any stars is because of the live entertainment.
The food took over an hour to come the table. It was cold and bland. Our bartender/​waiter forgot most of our order and was very much in the weeds.
Not recommended at all.

$ 3 martinis during happy hour? Yes, please.
Drinks are legit.
I ordered a dirty martini. A few minutes later I was served a martini with a side of olive juice, making for a very oversized drink.
Also they were playing really fun music.
No complaints here!

I wanted to like this restaurant. The wife worked so hard to find a location for my 13 person birthday dinner on a Sunday night during carnival season and RF’s were very (the only) accommodating. When we got in around 8pm, there was an absence of ambiance. The few clientele here trended toward older, empty-​nester types, but hey… I could forego the sexy scene in lieu of a classy fine dining experience coupled with an elaborate Tour de Martini.
In their defense, our server indicated that they were short-​staffed and perhaps were missing a manager that night. Will the ship sail on, we wondered, without a captain? Well, if the round of Martini’s we ordered were flooding the ship then they were certainly poised to drown. 40 minutes later MOST of our drinks made it to our table.
The menu, which mainly consists of small plates of traditional fare, were definitely small plates. We were fortunate in this case, as everyone’s meal were cold and uninspired. Stale po-​boys, cold, thin gumbo, and the rawest chargrilled oysters I saw on my trip. My first meal during my trip in NOLA was the best, while this last one was unfortunately the worst. I can not recommend this restaurant outside of trying their Martini happy hour because any other time might be as dismal as mine.

Funny enough, RF’s was the first stop upon entering NoLA and one of our last stops as well. Fortunately for my group, we were able to make it on both occasions for happy hour. Each bartender we encountered (Miss Ellen & Shay) served us lemon drop & pomegranate martinis and cosmos with care and flare. Each martini was perfection. Our last day included another round of martinis and conversation with Jeff, the bar manager. All I can say is this; have a martini and enjoy the wonderful conversation. It is a wonderful open and close to this amazing town.

We came here because we were staying at the Holiday Inn that is attached to the restaurant. We sat in the bar area, and it was definitely busy. The bartender took a little bit to get to us, which is understandable, but his demeanor when reaching the table was a bit less understandable.
He arrived and seemed irritated that he had to come greet us. As soon as I tried to order a drink that wasn’t featured on the menu, he rolled his eyes and walked off without saying anything. He came back and apologized, which is appreciated, but it still seems like maybe he wasn’t cut out for the stress of the shift. Or maybe he just needs to do a better job with the customer service aspect of bar tending. Or maybe his dog died and he pooped his pants and was having a bad day.
Regardless, meh.

Had the pleasure of dranking here during my stay in NOLA! They have an awesome happy hour with $ 3 Martinis and LIVE music #winwin. Our waitress, Mac was a pleasure! She was so accommodating, making sure we had everything we needed as well as serving the entire bar area with minimal assistance. She did so with ease and had a great spirit! Totally recommend coming here!

Happy Hour delight. Great bartenders delivering a fair pour with a quirk, smile, and quick wit. A drinkers bar with $ 3.00 martinis and $ 5.00 glasses of wine during happy hour. Unassuming, but central location. They do also serve $ 8.00/dozen raw oysters and $ 10.00/dozen fried oysters during happy hour, although I did not try them. Worth a visit.

Great music the bar service was a little slow and the food service was very slow. I would go back for the drinks and music.

The service here was nothing short of perfect, from the bartenders to the hostess, waitstaff and busses we felt so special. Bonus 2 different jazz ensembles played during our visit, both were terrific even our 17 year old enjoyed the music. The food was really well prepared and a great representation of local fare. The sauce that the shrimp and grits was in was divine! We also enjoyed the calamari, oysters on the half shell, chicken and waffles, catch of the day (Drum-​prepared blacked) and the crawfish Mac/​cheese, and all were delicious and reasonably priced. But our waitress was the cherry on top, attentive knowledgable and just a delight to chat with. As first time visitors to NOLA Richard Fiske’s was a stop that set the bar high for every other eatery, visitors and locals should frequent this restaurant.

No munchies available at the bar due to Christmas eve dinner in the dining area. We had a large late lunch so we weren’t extremely hungry. We had heard about this restaurant and wanted to stop by anyway. Barman was nice enough to provide us with peanuts. It would have been nice to have been able to try some of their small plates, but I do understand their challenges. I appreciated that they still offered their happy hour drinks. Service was attentive.
Pleasant jazz music in the background.
I’m not into sweet martinis so they obliged by making it with less simple syrup. Nice!
Too bad I didn’t get an opportunity to try their food, but will keep them on my list if I’m back in town.

Absolutely best prices on martinis and oyster specials during happy hour. Enjoyed the bar tender services with their humorous stories and singing talent. Thanks to Ellen and Joshua.

Stepped in here because it wasn’t crowded and we could hear jazz coming out the door. Turned out the guy was a sort-​of one man band, flute, sax, bongo and soundtrack. That and he sang kind of like Bill Murray’s lounge lizard routine on the very old SNL skits. The bartender was enthusiastic and «very confident» that he could make a drink that we like.
Turns out the entertainment and the drinks were below par. The décor and location are nice.

Enjoyed one of the best Old Fashions I’ve ever had, so I had two. Didn’t eat much but the food was good. The owner greeted us and seated us swiftly and genuinely even though we didn’t have a reservation and it was getting busy. Our server was not able to match the owner’s enthusiasm. She let our drinks run dry and wasn’t able to deliver the dessert we ordered (I think she forgot the place the order) so after 20 minutes we asked for the check. Seems like a terrific place for happy hour, live music, and after caps.

Ellen, the bartender at RF’s, is a gem.
Actually, this review is about oysters, so let me change that to «Ellen is a pearl.»
I’m not a foodie, but there are two edible things I’m really particular about: smoothies and charbroiled oysters (separately, not together).
So when I ordered the charbroiled from RF’s Martini Bar here in Nola, I asked what made theirs different from the charbroiled oysters at a certain other locale in town which is purportedly the birthplace of this particular delicacy.
Ellen explained that her oysters were better not just because they come from PJ’s each morning, fresh out of local bays in the Gulf, but also because here at RF’s they pierce where the hinge is and twist, removing the membrane so that the oyster slips off its shell freely. At the other place, the oyster is «still stuck to the shell.» But the really big difference is that here at RF’s, the oysters are hand-​shucked, each one. The other place uses hammers to smash their oyster shells open. And Ellen explained that this hammer technique has led to some unfortunate experiences, even for her.
«The hammer method leaves shards. Which I’ve bitten down on, over there. And I’m not about to bite down on another oyster shell chunk. I paid way to much for my choppers.»
Her teeth looked like they had weathered the hammered oysters pretty well. They looked great, I told her. «Yeah, but it wasn’t always that way. There’s a story behind them.»
When she was a youngster, she and her brother would put on mini dramas in her backyard. In the garage of their New Orleans home, they’d discovered artifacts left behind by the previous resident, who seems to have been some kind of mariner. So the garage was full of log books with entries recording a long seafaring career spent on various merchant marine vessels. And heavy marine ropes and tackle were piled high in nooks and crannies. «We played with all of it. And we made little dramas and stories out of it.» The impromptu theatrics often involved them being on a ship of some kind. During one performance — a modified kids’ version of the Creature from the Black Lagoon — her brother hit her on the face with a broomstick that had a nail in it, ruining Ellen’s smile.
Various dentists went to work on it over the years. Even Navy dentists took a stab at it, after a viewing of Top Gun inspired Ellen to join up. «The Navy dentists were drama. They did some rough things to my teeth.»
The Navy can project marine dominance all over the world, but their dental solutions apparently leave something to be desired. One time, when Ellen was playing Luna Golf (golf under black lights) her daughter caught a glimpse of her mother’s teeth and said, «oh, mom, don’t ever go on a date here at Luna Golf. Every one of your teeth is a different color. One is orange, and one is purple.»
Ironically, Hurricane Katrina — which destroyed so much — also helped restore Ellen’s teeth.
Ellen is a musician. She lives in the Musician’s Village in the 9^th ward. And after Katrina, if you could prove you were really a New Orleans musician (usually by showing pay stubs from real gigs), there were grants given by places like the Grammy Foundation to help you bounce back and get back to playing.
With some of that money, Ellen went to a new, great dentist, who gave her the current dental architecture which she is so justifiably interested in protecting from oyster shell shards.
Shortly after that new dentist’s work was done, Ellen put his work to the ultimate test. She took her daughter back to Luna Golf… and this time there was no romantic dating advice.

Located a block away from Bourbon Street right on Bienville, this is my new favorite happy hour martini bar. Right inside the Château LeMoyne Hotel, the bar also hosts a live jazz singing couple after 7pm when Happy Hour ends. They have a fun martini menu that has good descriptions of the different varieties, you’d think the martini was invented in New Orleans. The servers are awesome and fun to talk to. They make the martini’s in front of you and they know their stuff. Happy Hour from 4 – 7 is especially awesome and if you’re looking for the perfect way to get drunk while feeling classy, this is the joint! $ 3 martinis (several to choose from), $ 2 beers, $ 7 Sazeracs, and $ 2 food items. You can’t beat that! Plus ask them about any drinks and they’ll probably know the history of it. The manager who was there both nights I came gave me a history lesson. Loved it! You won’t find a friendlier place either. Highly recommend! Took my friend who lives in New Orleans here and she can’t believe she never heard about this place. She’ll be coming back for sure.

I had my 2015 thanksgiving feast there, the service was excellent and so was the taste of the food. They forgot my cranberry sauce but the yams were plenty sweet. Gentle Live music and the most fantastic crème brûlée!!! Must try

We came. We saw. We drank. Martini’s. Several of them in fact on several different nights.
This ended up being our «go to» spot each night as the entertainment was good (that woman can sing) and our server remembered us from night to night.
They have a huge list of martinis or they can make you pretty much anything and call it a martini (my kind of place!)
The only down side is that the bathrooms are quite a journey to get to as they are located in the hotel that is attached to this bar. Drop bread crumbs. You’re going to need them to find your way back…especially if you’ve been sampling their martini specials!

I live in San Diego and purchased a groupon for Richard Fiske well before our trip to New Orleans. My wife and I had dinner on Sunday, September 27, 2015. I had the steak and she had the salmon. Both were fabulous. Combined with a couple drinks and a dessert that was heavenly, you can’t go wrong. They had a lovely lady singing along with her one man band. She had a beautiful voice and was a perfect add on to a lovely meal.

Brianna makes a great martini. Came for happy hour. Had a perfect cosmopolitan. Can’t beat the price for three dollars. Definitely worth a try. Will be back tomorrow night.

Excellent food and good service
Opted for the Steak Frittes… Glad I did. Very flavorful. Wife enjoyed the lamb chops but the sides (spinach and mashed potatoes) were a little bland. Used a Groupon and it was really a killer deal! Live entertainment from Erica Falls topped it off. Do this!

Had a nightmare experience here last night — the absolute worst ever! For this Unilocal should allow MINUS 5 stars. First off — I made an Open Table reservation through Unilocal and Open Table at Bombay Club which I LOVE. But I kept getting calls «confirming» my reservation and telling me that Bombay Club had moved from Conti to Dauphine. How did they get my phone number? I never gave it to them but there is a clue in that I discovered, after my dreadful experience at this place, a confirming e-​mail to Fiske on Dauphine — a restaurant that I had never heard of and never booked!!! Something clearly wrong in the IT somewhere.
Anyway — so we arrive, find it weird that we don’t see the Bombay Club name anywhere, nor do we like the new ambience compared to what we loved on Conti. Sat at our booth for 15 minutes (we timed exactly) and saw the maitre d’, waitress and (who turned out to be) the manager pass us many times and look our way — but NOT EVEN a GLASS of WATER!!! So I went and found the manager to complain and 5 minutes later here comes that same waitress with a severe attitude problem and finally telling us to stay and she would «turn our frown upside down» — really — did she think we were second graders? Needless to say we just walked out, with her attitude and the pathetic service I thought it more likely that anything we ordered might be messed with rather than getting an upside down frown. A completely destroyed evening since you can’t get tables at the last minute in the French Quarter Saturday night during one of the many festivals. DREADFUL service and management. Make sure you go to the restaurant you reserve! Don’t be fooled like we were to sit 20 minutes for nothing and have no table for your last night in the French Quarter

Great place to be on New Year’s eve, not too far and not to close to Bourbon Street, The rack of lamb was delicious, and the service was great. In total, we enjoyed:
Louisiana Crab & Roasted Creole Tomato Fondue
With Manchego cheese, scallions and grilled crostini
Carciofi Caesar Salad
Torn Romaine lettuce with roasted artichoke hearts, fresh Parmesian, Spanish anchovies and broken crustini
Coffee and Coriander Spiced Rack of Lamb
New Zealand Lamb with Pinot Noir Beurre Rouge and Goat Cheese Whipped potato
Bacon & Balsamic Braised Brussel Sprouts
Smoked Gouda Cheese Grits
Breakfast was fine, but the server was single-​handed and badly backed up. Pleasant gentleman, though.

Sir Hubs-​A-​Lot and I actually stumbled upon this place when we were walking around and I am so glad we did!
Fiske’s has a great atmosphere and the bartenders are really helpful! What I even noticed is that if you get a dirty martini, they give you the olive brine on the side so that you can make is as tame or dirty as you want! Great idea because I hate when you get your dirty martini and it’s all brine and no vodka! I ordered the sweet heat margarita and it as sooo tasty! Hubby tends to get the girly drinks (if you look at my pix, it’s easy to see which are his! LOL)
We meet some interesting people here, too, so all-​in-​all, a great time!