Last Night
at The Palm Court

In May 2024, The Palm Court Jazz Cafe closed its doors. For 35 years the restaurant was a bastion of traditional jazz in New Orleans, both for local musicians and trad jazz players worldwide. The Palm Court provided a service surprisingly rare in the French Quarter: a full evening of dinner and dancing, a full band playing jazz music. 

Located on the shadier side of Lower Decatur Street, The Palm Court was brought to life in 1989 by owner Nina Buck. Offering creole cuisine and a casual, belle epoque elegance, the restaurant was an expression of the passion she shared for jazz with her late husband, record producer/radio mogul George Buck. 

The heart of The Palm Court was the kitchen, presided over for the last twenty years by Chef Bobby Davis. Davis began working at the restaurant in 1989, when he was fifteen. Born and raised in New Orleans, Davis returned to The Palm Court after college as a waiter and bartender. Following Hurricane Katrina, he took over as chef. Davis employed friends and extended family, providing opportunities to his community, and deepening The Palm Court’s connection to the city. 

Twenty years later, in the wake of the Covid pandemic and faced with rising costs, declining health, and a difficult tourist market, owner Nina Buck decides to call it quits. A legendary New Orleans jazz club closes its doors after 35 years. Musicians, cooks, and servers find other gigs. Life goes on. 

What does it take to build and sustain a cultural institution? What makes a restaurant crew a family? After a life devoted to jazz, what’s left behind? And when the set is over, what will replace it?

Featuring interviews with musicians, front and back of house staff, and rare archival performances, Last Night at The Palm Court is a contemporary story of culture, labor, and family set in the birthplace of jazz.