The French Quarter is about to get a bit more witchy with a one-of-a-kind New Orleans restaurant and bar making its return.
In 2024, a local chef known for her way with Filipino cooking created Tatlo with a speakeasy-esque location off Bourbon Street, an absinthe bar, late-night hours and a deep connection to her own spirituality as a witch.
Now, a year after closing, chef and founder Cristina Quackenbush is bringing Tatlo back, reopening in its original location, in a space attached to the landmark Old Absinthe House bar. The reopening is scheduled for Oct. 16.
Vintage absinthe fountains frame the bar at Tatlo, a French Quarter restaurant based on witchcraft. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
“It’s the same team with renewed spirit, renewed energy,” she said.
Last year, the chef said operating costs were too high at the location, and she began looking for new spaces to reopen. In the intervening months, however, she and the landlord were able to come to new terms that she’s confident will make Tatlo work again.
Despite a Bourbon Street address, the restaurant had a largely local clientele during its earlier run, she said. In 2025, shortly before it closed, Tatlo made a list from Bon Appetit of nine top new bars across the country.
A menu of spells
Tatlo’s tagline is “for the bewitched and hex curious.” The décor is thoroughly witchy, with books of spells, emblems and witch imagery all around a room with a glowing bar, absinthe-colored walls, Spanish moss on the rafters and, sometimes, a tarot card reader on hand in the dining room.
But Tatlo never felt like a theme restaurant. Instead, it was a genuine manifestation of the chef’s identity and spirituality through food, drink and hospitality.
Cristina Quackenbush is closing Tatlo.
photo by Ian McNulty / The Times-Picayune
Recipes were composed as spells and chosen for a purpose, always a positive one, Quackenbush points out.
“At its heart, Tatlo is a place where different practices, beliefs, cultures, and paths can be shared and appreciated without judgment,” the chef said. “It is, quite simply, a witch’s bar, a place to gather, connect, celebrate, and enjoy good food and drink in an environment built around community and acceptance.”
Tatlo has a menu of modern Filipino inspired dishes and a cocktail list strongly influenced by absinthe. Both the dishes and drinks start with the spiritual or wellness properties of their ingredients, and these are listed in the menu descriptions as well. Staff can guide diners to choices based on these properties.
Protection noodles at the restaurant Tatlo are swirling with garlic, including a soy garlic butter candle that melts into the dish at the table. (Staff photo by Ian McNulty, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
For instance, the Protection Noodles are egg noodles sluiced with garlic oil and roasted garlic and topped with an edible candle made of butter that’s lit at the table to melt into the dish. Garlic is known for its antimicrobial properties. At Tatlo, it’s recommended for repelling evil spirits, too.
Quackenbush first gained a following for her Filipino food pop-up Milkfish, which she developed into a restaurant in Mid-City. It subsequently closed, while the pop-up version continued. At Tatlo, some of the traditional dishes from the Milkfish menu will return as specials and bars snacks.
The restaurant will be larger than before, adding a second dining room upstairs that can accommodate groups.
Tatlo will begin taking reservations in October.
Tatlo
240 Bourbon St.
Reopening Oct. 16, 2026
Dining and Cooking