Preservation Hall, the French Quarter jazz institution that has never served a drop of alcohol inside its own walls, now has a place for guests to grab a cocktail before the show. The new spot, called Le Spectacle, has opened right next door at 730 Saint Peter Street, giving concertgoers somewhere to eat and drink before slipping into the historic hall for a set.
A Cafe Built Into the Hall's Routine
Preservation Hall describes Le Spectacle simply as its cafe, inviting guests to stop in for a classic cocktail and a bite before heading into the venue, according to preservationhall.com. The cafe takes reservations and also welcomes walk-ins, subject to availability, the same source notes. Because the two properties sit side by side, guests are even able to carry a drink to go from Le Spectacle into the Hall itself, per the venue's own FAQ page.
As Axios reports, Le Spectacle was created by the Preservation Hall team as a bar and restaurant, and it takes reservations through Resy. The outlet's reporting describes a family-friendly menu meant to span both the cafe and its courtyard, with offerings that include classic New Orleans cocktails, kids' plates, a burger, an adult grilled cheese and a veggie muffuletta. Axios also reports the menu draws on West African and Caribbean influences, pointing to dishes like callaloo, described as braised greens, alongside black beans and rice.
Why the Name Le Spectacle
The cafe's name is a nod to history. Le Spectacle takes its name from Le Spectacle de la Rue Saint Pierre, which Axios identifies as New Orleans' first theater and which once stood where the cafe now sits. That earlier playhouse is documented separately by nola.com, which reports the site at 730-732 St. Peter Street is widely recognized as the city's first theater, opened in 1792 right next door to where Preservation Hall now stands. According to nola.com, Baron Joseph Delfau de Pontalba attended the theater's first performance on Oct. 4, 1792, and the building's run ended violently: a riot between police and theatergoers shuttered it in 1807, and a fire in 1816 finished it off for good. Separately, Wikipedia's entry on the Theatre de la Rue Saint Pierre describes it as the first French-speaking theater in New Orleans, active from 1792 to 1810.
Ben Jaffe's Long-Discussed Expansion
The opening also closes a loop for Preservation Hall's creative director. Axios notes that Ben Jaffe had previously discussed plans to expand the Hall into the building next door, and Jaffe's role as creative director is confirmed by heartoflouisiana.com, which quotes a description of him simply as, “Ben's the Hall's Creative Director.” That same account places Preservation Hall at 726 St. Peter Street in the middle of the French Quarter and notes the venue has operated as a performance space for New Orleans jazz since 1961.
Preservation Hall's own site backs up that French Quarter setting, describing itself as situated in the heart of the Quarter on St. Peter Street and noting it presents intimate, acoustic jazz concerts more than 360 nights a year, drawing on a collective of more than 50 local master musicians. The Hall traces its roots to nightly performances once held in a building next door to art dealer Larry Borenstein's gallery, according to preservationhall.com — a lineage that now extends, quite literally, next door once again with Le Spectacle's opening.
Axios Ties the Project to a New Orleans Hotel Developer
Axios reports that Le Spectacle was created alongside Sandstone Hospitality, and that Sandstone is responsible for projects including The Columns, Fives and Hotel Henrietta. A separate industry profile of Sandstone founder Jayson Seidman, published by blla.org, lists Sandstone's recent New Orleans hotel work as The Columns, The Drifter and the Hotel Saint Vincent, describing Seidman as founder and principal managing partner of Sandstone and its affiliates. The two accounts of Sandstone's portfolio differ, and this article presents both as reported rather than resolving the discrepancy.
For now, the practical news for French Quarter visitors and jazz regulars alike is straightforward: there's finally a bar attached to Preservation Hall, and it sits exactly where the city's very first theater once staged its opening night more than two centuries ago.
