Tucked away hidden within New Orleans’ Bywater District, N7 has plans to expand its kitchen according to a building permit filed recently with the City.
Once a tire shop and even a horse stable, the tiny restaurant was bound for an upgrade to keep up with demand. The small French wine bar and restaurant with Japanese influences opened in 2015 at 1121 Montegut St. N7 draws in guests with its immersive dining experience, transporting them to France, minus the distance and travel.
Owned by filmmaker Aaron Walker and chef Yuki Yamaguchi their restaurant lies behind a high wooden fence on a block off St. Claude Avenue with a discreetly marked sign in red paint with an “N7” stencil. Named after the famous Parisian Highway Nationale 7 (N7) that stretches from Paris to the border of Italy, the restaurant models itself after the roadside oases. The ambiance of the restaurant gives a heavy dose of elegant French setting and cuisine with a light Japanese infusion.
The menu is filled with traditional French dishes like steamed mussels, escargot, and house-made charcuterie boards. Some of the dishes under the “Can to Table” come in small tin containers. These tinned (and jarred) dishes are stuffed with seafood delicacies —lobster rillettes from France, and calamari in spicy ragout from Portugal. Traditional French options on the menu offer meals like steamed mussels, escargot, and yellowtail rillettes.
Co-owner Yuki Yamaguchi, a self-taught chef inspired both by her family’s traditional Japanese cuisine and learned French styles of cooking influenced creations such as sake-cured salmon tartine and scallop ceviche prepared with yuzu. As for their wine selections, the options are as elegant as the food. From natural wine to Japanese shochu, the list of drinks will suit any palate.
N7 serves brunch on Fri and Sat. from 11:30-2:30. Dinner is served Mon-Thurs. 5-9 pm; Fri. and Sat. 5-10 pm.
