For some reason, this informal spinoff of Arnaud's has never caught on big with the tourists. It's often pleasantly uncrowded when the line for the Acme Oyster House stretches around the corner. The food comes from Arnaud's kitchen and is frequently the same stuff. One of my favorite lunch spots, but under no circumstances order a hamburger here. Louisiana Pizza Kitchen at French Market Place and Barracks is also blessedly devoid of unwashed hordes.
Royal offers good pasta and fish, everything cooked to order.
The perfect place if every other restaurant in town is japacked. Honest, he's a good cook, though. Once when we lived on Dumaine, a different restaurant had this space. My husband and I walked around the corner for a bit of Sunday night supper, only to find a poetry reading in progress. Drop by the Verti Marte on the way and get some wine.