Nautical bar Holywater opens in the French Quarter
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The Yacht Tots, at right, plus a caesar salad and croquettes at Holywater in the French Quarter. Video: Chelsea Brasted/Axios
Holywater is now open in the French Quarter, the latest project from Crew, a New York-based hospitality group run by New Orleans natives Alex and Miles Pincus.
Why it matters: The stunning space is a nautical escape with an oyster bar and an excellent cocktail menu.
Driving the news: The Pincus brothers made their name with waterfront, nautical-themed restaurants in New York, and now they're expanding their New Orleans business with a restaurant within Audubon's Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park.
- They entered the New Orleans market in 2016 with Seaworthy, but didn't add a second restaurant here until this year with Holywater.
The vibe: Holywater sits in the center of the French Quarter inside the Conti Street space left behind by Sucre, but gone are the sweet pastels.
- In their place are brass accents, portholes, striped ticking fabric-covered banquettes and eclectic art that transform the large space into something cozy and quirky.
Dig in: While this project is a homecoming for the Pincus brothers, it's that, too, for chef Alex Harrell, who returns to the French Quarter to run the Holywater kitchen.
- Beyond tightly executed oyster bar classics, the menu blends fun seaside bar snacks and South Louisiana flavors, like andouille croquettes and "Yacht Tots," which were not the messy fried potato pile I expected but rather more carefully constructed and considered.
- The only bad bite we had on our visit came ironically from a section of the menu called "when in doubt;" the beef debris po-boy was regrettably dry.
If you go: Holywater is open daily, with brunch on weekends.