From the raw bar to the cocktails, the menu is mostly Greek with an overlay of Japanese influence and dashes of a high-dollar steakhouse. The decor is somewhere between taverna and neon-trimmed nightclub, complete with DJ station.
And somehow this managed to open in downtown New Orleans with nary a peep before opening last week.
This is Kira (601 Tchoupitioulas St., 504-335-1740), a new restaurant that has completely reimagined the space previously Mister Osso, a taco concept that found acclaim in Denver but had a short run in New Orleans, closing early this year. The space was once Barcadia, a grown-up arcade/burger bar.
The Smoking Gun (left), a take on the Sazerac, and the Get Him to the Greek martini are on the cocktail list at Kira restaurant in New Orleans. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
It strains the imagination to picture those old incarnations in the lush space created there now. Walking in from Tchoupitoulas Street feels like drawing the curtain to reveal a party in a caravansary. The bar glows, the room curves around coves of tables, a DJ sets the beat on the weekends.
Kira was created by Billy Blatty, who has the Italian restaurant Sofia and was a partner in Mister Oso, with a group that includes Andrew Duncan, who is part of Jolie, the high-style lounge/brasserie nearby.
Josh Adamo, a chef who earlier worked at the new-era Emeril’s and other high-end restaurants, was tapped to consult on the culinary end.
The entrance to Kira restaurant in New Orleans reveals a dining room with neon and intricate design pieces. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
Looking over a menu that ranges from raw hamachi on fried sticky rice cakes to mezze boards, to bang bang shrimp and a tomahawk steak with labneh, it can seem like dishes were drawn from different restaurants.
But as a visit plays out, Kira sets a common ground of dishes that could be easily shared and range from lighter and potentially healthy snacks to a more decadent dinner.
The bar glows in the dark setting of Kira restaurant in New Orleans. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
An early first run at the menu brought hummus that crunches with fried chickpeas and sings with garlic; Wagyu koftas that slide from the skewers and melt in the mouth; tuna tartare with nori to make your own two-bite handrolls; and chocolate torte as dense as fudge with a nutty streak of black sesame.
The lounge curves into coves at Kira restaurant in New Orleans. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
At the bar, a dirty martini is interpreted as “Get Him to the Greek” with a yogurt-washed gin, which is cloudy but not exactly creamy, lending the drink an appeal bordering on savory. The “Smoking Gun” is a Japanese-style Sazerac with spicy notes of cinnamon and ginger between the rye and plum brandy.
There’s more Japanese coming into the equation here soon. Kira will add a high-end omakase experience in its own private dining room, slated to begin in winter 2026.
Kira is open daily, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Cafe Conmigo coming to Freret
Ryan Iriarte (left) and Fredo Noguiera will open Cafe Conmigo.
There’s always been a good Cuban sandwich on the menu of the High Hat Cafe, next to the gumbo ya-ya, fried catfish and pimento cheese burgers. But the Cuban connection at this Freret Street mainstay runs deeper than the menu.
Co-owners Fredo Noguiera and Ryan Iriarte are both New Orleans natives and first-generation Cuban Americans. They have long talked of the possibility of opening a cafe together, drawing on these roots.
The two are now developing Café Conmigo, within sight of High Hat Cafe. It’s at 2511 Jena St., a few steps off Freret Street, in a tiny building that was previously home to the Ice Cream 504 scoop shop. The new restaurant is slated to open in early 2026.
The sun sets over High Hat Cafe, part of the restaurant row on Freret Street in New Orleans. (Staff photo by David Grunfeld, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Café Conmigo translates cheerfully as “coffee with me,” and coffee will be a big part of the program. A specialty espresso machine is coming in to field a menu of Cuban coffee drinks.
The food menu is starting off with a short list of sandwiches, led by the Cuban, of course, and also the Cuban-style frita burger (with beef with chorizo spices, onions and shoestring fries).
The cafe will have a selection of Cuban pastries, desserts and snacks, like pastelitos, croquetas and flan.
It’s modeled closely on the Cuban cafes common to Miami, guided by the hand of next-generation veterans in the local hospitality business.
“It’s just pared down, simple but perfectly executed, that’s the goal,” Noguiera said.
Café Conmigo will also have a cocktail program, starting with classic daiquiris and mojitos.
The partners are working with other local names on pieces of the Café Conmigo menu. That includes French Truck Coffee for a special house-blend roast, and Ralph Brennan Bakery, the relatively new wholesale baking program from the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, for a custom sandwich loaf.
