Tucked into a small French Quarter space in Jackson Square at 529 St Ann St. is Fives. A new spot from executive chef Paul Terrebonne and Jayson Seidman that serves craft cocktails and a selection of fresh, mostly raw, seafood in a cozy setting. The horseshoe-shaped bar with a green marble top invites passersby in for a cocktail or a snack in place with a very old New Orleans feel.
Fives is a part of the Sandstone family, the same group responsible for several of the city’s beloved boutique hotels, including Columns, Drifter, and Hotel Saint Vincent. When designing the space, owner Jayson Seidman was inspired by Simon Hernsheim, a nineteenth-century tobacco merchant and philanthropist who called the Columns home. The nod to Hernsheim extends into the name “Fives,” slang for a five-pack of cigars.
The menu boasts an extensive selection of raw oysters from the Gulf, the East, and the West. Little Moons, Barataria Beauties, and Pretty Baby are locally harvested in Grand Isle and Alabama. Other offerings, such as Acadian Pearl and Laguna Bay, come from Canada and Mexico. Regarding the oysters, Fives’ operations manager Kevin Londoño explains that great care is taken regarding which oysters will make the menu.
He said, “We source oysters from all over North America! Anywhere from Canada on both coasts, Florida Gulf and Atlantic, Washington State and Baja California. We are most proud to serve farm raised Gulf Oysters from Grand Isle called Little Moons, and raised and harvested by Oyster Daddy. They represent new wave off bottom oyster farming and do an excellent job at showing the public why Gulf oysters rock! The environment in which the oysters grow are a huge factor to flavor profile, texture, and salinity level; they are essentially nature’s filtration system of the sea. More related to plants than animals, they are a product of their environment, the richer the water’s nutrients the plumper, the higher the PPM the saltier, everything is a factor when it comes to oysters.”
Aside from the oysters, Fives boasts a caviar selection and “Food & Snacks.” Chef Terrebonne said he pulled inspiration for the menu from his cross-country travels.
“I wanted to bring a mix of all the different restaurants I’ve worked for across the country, inspiration I’ve derived from each of them,” he said. “I’ve always enjoyed a good tartare and a lobster roll, both simple dishes with ingredients that shine on their own when properly executed.”
Selections are diverse and include Royal Red Shrimp Cocktail; Kigo Meshi with Gulf fish, sushi rice, Ono crab fat butter, and pickles; Roasted Bone Marrow with brioche, cilantro persillade, and capers; and Local Crudo with blackberry nuoc cham, citrus, Tupelo honey, and peach hot sauce.
Londoño says that two of the menu’s standouts are the Little Gem Salad with buttermilk dressing, breadcrumbs, sheep’s milk cheese, and herbs, and Beef Tartare with duck egg, pecan butter, preserved lemon, Thai basil, and brioche.
The cocktail menu is a mix of new and old favorites and curated by bar manager James O’Donnell. Londoño explained, “The cocktail menu is meant to give a story of history and modern times of flavor combinations, a symphony of flavors to accompany the excellent food.”
Bar selections include New Orleans classic cocktails such as the Absinthe Frappé, Hurricane, Sazerac, and Vieux Carré. Some of Fives original cocktails include Meloncholia with vodka, watermelon, Thai basil, and lime; La Belle Creole with bourbon, Aperol, nonino, lemon, red wine, and egg white; Fives Swizzle with Mezcal, yellow chartreuse, 5 spice, pineapple, and lime; and Spice Trader with hibiscus, chile tequila, lime, and agave.
Fives also offers a selection of martinis and wine by the glass and hosts happy hour Monday through Thursday from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Fives is open seven days a week from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
