Tujague's Restaurant
Historic Creole Haunt With Serious French Bones
French Quarter · New Orleans · Creole, French · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
Walking into Tujague's — the second-oldest restaurant in New Orleans, standing since 1856 — you're not expecting a wine list that name-drops Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. But here we are. The room smells like history and brown butter, and the wine list quietly announces that someone here takes this seriously.
Selection Deep Dive
The list clocks in at 200-350 bottles and leans hard into the French classics: Burgundy from Jadot, Drouhin, and Faiveley including Premier and Grand Cru bottlings, Bordeaux classified growths, and Rhône from Guigal and Chapoutier. California Cab from Napa fills out the New World column, and Italian heavyweights — Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino — show up with real intent. For a Creole restaurant on Decatur Street, the depth here is genuinely surprising; this is a list built for people who actually want to drink wine, not just order it.
By the Glass
With 12-20 options by the glass, there's enough to work with across a meal without committing to a bottle. The range covers the key regions represented on the full list, so you can explore Rhône or Burgundy without uncorking something that outlasts dinner. Rotation appears limited — this isn't a program that changes by the week — but the quality floor is respectable.
Guigal Côtes du Rhône — $40
Guigal's entry-level Rhône is a workhorse producer in the best sense — grippy, food-friendly, and widely underestimated. At the low end of Tujague's bottle pricing, it's the move before you climb the Burgundy ladder.
Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage
Most tables here gravitate toward Burgundy or Napa, but Chapoutier's Crozes-Hermitage is the sleeper — Northern Rhône Syrah with real minerality and smoke that cuts right through a rich Creole roux. Most people scroll past it. Don't.
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Yes, it's on the list, and yes, it's a flex. But at a restaurant without a dedicated sommelier and no clear temperature-controlled showcase, dropping $500+ on DRC is a gamble on storage and service that we're not willing to take. Save it for somewhere that can do it justice.
Faiveley Burgundy Premier Cru + Shrimp Remoulade
A Premier Cru Pinot Noir from Faiveley brings enough acidity and red fruit to cut through the creamy, tangy remoulade without steamrolling the shrimp. It's the kind of pairing that makes you feel like you figured something out.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Tujague's earned its Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence, and the list backs it up — France and Italy at serious depth, in a room that's been feeding New Orleans since before the Civil War. No sommelier and steep markups keep it from reaching Rager status, but as a Wild Card in the French Quarter, it absolutely over-delivers.
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