Chartres House Café

Chartres House Café

Chartres House Cafe - History...

Enjoy a Unique New Orleans Dining Experience! Few stop to look, or seem to know, that this great building, erected by Joseph Reynes around 1795, is one of the real landmarks of the Vieux Carré.

This building is not the first to be put on this property. There is a record of this plot of land belonging to Arnaud Roche in 1722. He lived here with his wife and three children. After the good Friday fire of 1788, Pedro Jourain rebuilt extensively in this area. He later sold this property to Joseph Reynes when the second great fire occurred. Reynes had to rebuild and erected this building in 1795. It was then known as the Reynes House.

Major changes have taken place through the years. In the 1880’s, Victor Valentinien opened a grocery store and it remained a grocery store with a café until 1962. It is said that Tennessee Williams used to sit in the café to have cocktails. This property stood vacant until it was made into a popular bar called Stage Door.

In 2004 it has changed yet again. This time it has been renovated and called The Chartres House Café, named after the street it's on. The restaurant is small and quaint with an old New Orleans vibe. It is the perfect spot to relax and watch people go by.