Alberto's Cheese and Wine Bistro

Alright, y’all, let’s talk about Chef Juan Hernandez, a man who’s basically been to culinary boot camp on two continents and came out slinging Mediterranean magic. This guy’s story is a whole journey—born and raised in Spain, started cooking before most of us were allowed near a stove, and by the mid-’80s, he made his way to New Orleans. That’s where he really started leveling up, working in some of the city’s swankiest spots—think the Intercontinental Hotel, Petroleum Club, Hilton Hotel. You name it, he probably cooked there. But here’s where it gets even better. Chef Juan eventually headed back to Spain, rolling up his sleeves at places like The Palace in Madrid, serving VIPs, celebrities, and even royalty. Imagine making a dish so good that kings are asking for seconds. That’s the kind of chef we’re talking about. By 2001, he made his triumphant return to New Orleans, opening Madrid, a restaurant so good it became a go-to for senators and local food critics. The man knows how to feed a crowd, and he feeds them right. These days, you can find Chef Juan at Alberto’s Cheese and Wine Bistro in the French Market, where he’s still doing what he does best: turning out Mediterranean-European dishes that’ll make you rethink your whole life. Fresh ingredients? Check. Beautiful presentations? Check. Prices that won’t have you questioning your decisions? Double-check. And all of this in a laid-back, casual spot with a classic New Orleans vibe. Locals, tourists, foodies from all over—they all end up at Alberto’s for Chef Juan’s cooking. Whether you’re hunting him down online or stumbling upon him while wandering the French Market, one bite of his food, and you’ll get it. It’s not just a meal; it’s a little taste of Spain and New Orleans all wrapped up in one delicious package. So, if you’re in the Big Easy, do yourself a favor: go find Chef Juan. Your taste buds will thank you.

This place is AWESOME!! Their smoked salmon sandwich was better than Rib Room or the Napoleon House!! I also had an Irish coffee with fresh cream. This place is at the French market. They deserve a cafe of their own!! We ate here twice in 3 days. It was recommended by an N.O. local. ❤️

Since the general store has been closed, this has become m favorite muffuletta sandwich location. It is conveniently located at the French market, staff is fast, professional and friendly. There are many tasty options, but I always order the muffuletta. The size seems to have decreased with time and the prices have gone up but that is sign of the times. It is still good delicious treat good for sharing.

ATTN- Smoked SALMON Po’ Boy is to die for!! The lovely lady up front is the sweetest! For 7 years Ive been coming back and it’s always the bees knees! I dream about this sandwich! I’m sure they have other amazing food! —Visit Alberto’s at BOOTH 11–in the market. Photo doesn’t do it justice!!

It was once upon a time my go-to muffaletta spot. Sorry to say the muffaletta I purchased yesterday was a sad excuse for a muffaletta. Even the fresh made olive salad has lost its zip.

Great lunch option in the French Market area of New Orleans. As this was my first tine here, and as a vegetarian, I opted for the 1/2 portion with f the veggie muffuletta and it was delicious. There was a fairly longer-than-expected wait after placing my order (no customers were awaiting orders at the time), but that’s a minor criticism. The service was sufficient and the food was satisfying. Would recommend this experience as one of the many great culinary options in the city.

Cannot recommend Alberto's enough. If you find yourself in the area on the banks of the Mississippi and are waiting to get into Cafe Du Monde, immediately exit that line, head to the French Market - and thank me later. Alberto's is a family-run stand within the French Market. They have a full bar and outstanding food. If you're wondering what to get, do not think twice and get the muffaletta. Satisfaction is 1000% guaranteed. They will ask you if you want a half or a whole. If you have two people, I would get a whole. Now, if you haven't tasted the culinary miracle that is a muffuletta - #1 I'm sorry. #2, go get one - but it has to be in NOLA and ideally from Alberto's. The bread is fresh, the olive salad is divine, and the meats and cheese are just so delicious you will find yourself not talking to the person you're sharing it with and just saying MMMMMMMMM for the next 10-20 minutes. Warning: a muffuletta contains about 200% of your daily sodium, so do not even think about adding salt, drink plenty of water - and consider taking a Diurex. Otherwise, enjoy! It is so worth it and I go out of way to get one from Alberto's every time I visit NOLA (a few times a year) and it's a perfect treat every time!

I normally wouldn't write a review about a sandwich but this was such an amazing sandwich it was worth noting. The beet and warm goat cheese sandwich with spinach and balsamic on toasted multigrain bread was fantastic. I chose the stand because I saw veggie options and I was in the french market. If I come to NOLA again there will be a deliberate return visit.

I crave and continue to crave this muffaletta from Alberto's. Yes, I've tried all of the others in NOLA and this one far surpasses all others. Adding on the sangria of the day and you have the best lunch in the French Quarter.

Here's the thing... It's called a wine bistro but when I asked for a wine list I was pointed at 5 bottles that were on top of a cooler too far away to see. There was no help from the employees in any way. Then I finally just decided to order a glass of moscato simply because it's what I could read...and somehow I bought the whole bottle...yes I needed to use my voice more but then I thought this is fine I can drink this bottle. So I did. It was for sure not my fav wine and I won't drink it again but no one is mad about the open carry in the French quarter and the live music to drink to.

We've been coming here for years for their Irish Coffee, and they never disappoint! The lady taking the order removers us, no matter how long it is between visits. Tom Fitzmorris always taught me if we like a place, become a regular. When you do, it's amazing how the whole structure tilts towards you. The corollary, I suppose, is the classic Dr. Bob edict, "Be nice or leave." These folks work so hard to keep their clientele satisfied!

ordered an Irish Coffee at Alberto's on a cold day in Early November. I noticed the sign while waiting for our beignet at Loretta's next door. It wasn't a true Irish Coffee, just Coffee and whiskey (or Bailey's?? was offered). $9 it was just ok. I never ate anything here, but I remember my niece really liked the muffaletta here.

OK, I'm a little biased here, but full marks for offering a vegetarian muffaletta! I don't eat much meat, and I've wanted to try one for years for the real NOLA experience, so I was so excited to see a veggie version on their menu! The veggie is only offered in a half size, and the thing is huge, but it was so good. It's on this toasty, buttery, sesame bun thing the size of your head, and full of ripe avocado, 2 kinds of cheese, olive salad, tomatoes, and greens. The regular version doesn't have greens, which makes the veggie a superior sandwich IMHO. I just loved my sandwich. I also had a fresh hard lemonade, which was very refreshing on a hot day, and the lady at the counter gave me extra bags and napkins because I spilled water in my shopping bag, which was super sweet of her. Grab your sandwich to enjoy at the market or take it home to share in all it's veggie glory. Or, I guess you could get the regular version... But it was great.

Popped over to the French Market for a quick lunch and found Alberto's. Hot tip: all sandwiches can be made gluten free! Only place l've found a gluten free muffuletta.

Was so disappointed. We ordered our food, and it took forever to get it. If the kitchen is running behind or if you ran out of food, the cashier should mention it when the customer wants to place an order. I think it is very disrespectful to take the order and let us stand around a half hour waiting. I ordered the Turkey croissant, and it was a smashed pastry with 2 processed Turkey slices and a piece of cheese. Would not recommend and will never go back.

An absolute hidden gem in a city full of greasy southern food. Next time I'm in town i would eat 1 of my 3 meals a day here it was that darn good. First off it's in the French open market in the French quarter. It's a stall basically. Go up to the counter and order, grab a seat and they'll call you. Look at the pics! Have you seen more beautiful salads than this place? They were so fresh and HUGE! Also believe it or not the tuna melt was insanely good. Especially because this is a cheese shop and the Gruyère melted on it was real deal. Serious 5 star hidden gem.

Sweet mother of Jesus I am so thrilled we were finally able to make it to Alberto's. This place was closed during our first visit to the city in January and we were SUPER bummed. I was excited to come here to check out their vegetarian muffuletta but instead had to settle on some garbage in a nearby restaurant. I was under the impression that this placed was closed on the Tuesday we visited the market because of google's info however, I was STOKED when I saw that it was open! We were actually running low on a time for a whiskey tasting we had booked but there was no way in hell I was going to miss out on trying this sandwich I have been chomping at the bit to stuff down my pie hole. Despite the many different sizes of their regular muffuletta and other sandwiches, the vegetarian and vegan muffulettas only come in one size. GF and I decided to share. The sandwich was one of the best sandwiches that has ever caressed my tongue buds. The bread is delicious and holds up well to the absurd number of contents in the sandwich: creamy avocado, mozzarella AND provolone, tomato, lettuce, I'm not finished, AND the quintessential muffuletta olive salad. The oil running down your arms as you wrestle with this bad boy is part of the fun. Without a doubt this sandwich is ground breaking and earth shattering and they also have many other items on the menu which are probably good as well.

Excellent lunch option in the French market. Sandwiches are available gluten free. Ordered a few sandwiches and later returned for sangria and a cheese plate to go. The cheese plate included 3 different cheeses, apple slices, walnuts and olives plus sliced baguette.

The spot to go to for an authentic, delicious muffuletta. Amazing mom and pop shop located in the heart of the French Market. Everything is made to order and really fresh, and the portions are generous. We ordered a half to share between two of us, and it was more than enough food. We also ordered the caprese salad- I could eat this all day. One of my favorite foods and they made it perfectly. The bread served with the caprese is so fresh and delicious- I wish I could have taken the whole baguette. If you make your way to the French Market- put in an order of beignets at Loretta's and the skip next door and order from Alberto's. Perfect well balanced experience.

I've been going on and off for years. The only downside to this place is its location and subsequent popularity. There can be a rather long wait for food. It is a small operation. During tourist season, there is scant seating. Best taken to go. But the food here is outstanding. Easily, the best vegetarian muffaleta in town. They use real olive oil, unlike more famous versions down the street that use vegetable/canola oil. The veggie is stuffed with avocado, spinach leaves, cheese, and delicious olive salad. The hummus is also outstanding. It's been a while, but I recall having a spinach and egg breakfast croissant here once that was among the best breakfast sandwiches I've ever had. Always the same woman, who I presume is the owner, taking orders. Despite how touristy the Market is, I like to support this local business.

Randomly stopped here while in the French Market doing the tourist thing, and my stomach was rumbling from all of the nearby smells of neighboring food court-style stalls. This place wasn't that busy, and the Manchego & Serrano caught my eye. So, I ordered that and a Nola Blonde while I waited and almost got through my entire can before the sandwich was ready -- but no doubt, the wait was worth every second. Every ingredient while so simple on its own, compliments each other so perfectly. Definitely would come back/recommend.

TRAVELER BEWARE! Sangria was watered down, the grilled cheese had 10% cheese, 20% bacon, 70% bread and 1000% terrible attitude! This place was one of the worst places I have ever been to. The old lady at the register could care less that you were there and the service was incredibly bad. We sat at a table and 3 other couples that said the same thing. This food wasn't even worth the photo and we bailed to a better spot.

Outstanding vegetarian muffaletta and my husband's roast beef po boy wasn't traditional but very good as well. took awhile to get our food but team was apologetic and gave us a free water for our to go order. Will definitely go back.

Absolutely AMAZING GF sandwiches. The prices are spot on and the portion sizes are out of this world! The owners are super friendly and quick to make recommendations on their favorites. We got the GF muffaletta and the toasted cheese sandwiches. We also got a cheese assortment that was so flavorful I wished i had purchased more. Overall our favorite place in the market to date

OMG OMG OMG!!!! The best sandwich I have ever had In my life!!! Do yourself a favor stop by and order the veggie muffuletta, it will change your life!! The lady at the front was so sweet and helpful as well which was a plus.. we leave tomorrow and I'm so sad :( but I swear I will sneak here before and order one more to go!

The veggie muffuletta here is so so delicious. It's been two and a half years and I still think of it often, wishing I could apparate over to New Orleans and eat this. Go try it!

Wow, if you want a real-deal Muffuletta come to Albertos, you won't be disappointed! Central grocery was closed due to hurricane damage and Albertos was recommended to us and it's amazing!

I am so happy they made it through the pandemic. This is my go to when I'm craving a muffuletta. They have one of the best in town (if not the best imo!) After reading another review stating they made a keto salad version I will definitely be ordering one this week and will add a photo. And thanks to other yelpers that tuna sandwich will be on my plate real soon. Update~oh my goodness made my way over for lunch to try out the tuna sandwich and it was fantastic~thanks yelpers!. It's very flavorful tuna with pickles and red onions topped with slices of avocado on toasted white or wheat (I ordered white.) The portion size was huge and I had to get a fork so I wouldn't waste any of the deliciousness. They also accept Apple Pay which is so convenient. The organic spinach strawberry salad was another delicious lunch. I substituted feta instead of the bleu cheese and it was salad perfection. A generous portion of spinach and a large amount of pecans, fresh strawberries, with just enough red onions for a nice flavor but not too much of a bite topped with their homemade balsamic dressing ~it is perfect for a summer day.

Vegan Muffalatta was incredible!!! Took a while to order and for the food to be made but it was made to order so fresh and perfect it was worth the wait while having a beer and people watching. And a good price for the excellent quality.

We stumbled on Alberto's during our first visit to the French Market and I am so glad we did. I ordered a quarter Muffuletta and it was just perfect!! Delicious, flavorful, and filling, leaving me enough room for an order of beignets from Cafe du Monde afterwards. Service is extremely efficient. If you're hungrier than I was, I would recommend a half, but the quarter size is perfect if you want to continue to try different things at the market. Added bonus was that it started pouring just as we sat down to eat, so it was a nice and warm meal to wait out the rain.

This is definitely a hidden gem. It has sat here while countless times I passed it. Due to one of my local favorite shops, Mothers being closed I tried this place. They did not disappoint. This place is amazing. Tuna sandwich is the best I have ever tried. The caprice is good, cheese plate is killer.

Hands down best Muffaletta. Nothing else came close - and we tried many during our week long stay in NOLA.

Okay, so I'm giving them three stars because of the long wait for our food. And I got a muffuletta. I discovered that it was made with cauliflower which I did not care for. The flavor of the sandwich was not exceptional. Actually, very little flavor. If you're hungry then it's a good place. If you want good food then... The food is not bad. Just not great.

I was expecting more meat on my muffuletta, it was skimpy. They are cheap with the amount of meats, and I was basically eating bread with a two slices of meat, and Muffuletta Sandwich. In addition, they lady taking the order has a nasty attitude. Never coming back.

Best muffuletta! Awesome salads and gourmet sandwiches. I've tried it all!! I recommend the croissant with chorizo and mozzarella, the smoked salmon sandwich and cheese plate.

I had little knowledge of what a muffuletta was since I only knew that I had to try this italian style sandwich in New Orleans. I am glad we stumbled upon this sandwich shop at the French Market. Super casual and quick and good way to sample the must eats in NOLA. The muffuletta either came in a quarter or half portion. Alberto's had a sign with the explanation of what this muffuletta sandwich consisted of which was great. We shared the quarter portion since we had dinner plans and I have to say I wish I had my own quarter to finish. The seasme bun was perfectly toasted and the olive salad was tasty with the salami, ham and cheese layers. Absolutely delicious!! Service was quick so no complaints there. From the signage, they serve breakfast and quite a few number of other sandwich options. Of course there is the cheese boards as well and a number of beverages to choose from. There are also a few tables just in front of this stand for you to relax and enjoy!

If you are in New Orleans then you have to come here and get the MUFFULETTA. I came back here for another one before I headed to the airport. Amazing! I will definitely be coming back.

11/24/17 Just a stand at the open market. They have basic breakfasts and sandwiches, and some Greek salads. Nothing particularly interesting here except that they spell Muffuletta 2 different ways here (menu is Muffuletta, but a sign in front says "Muffaletta 3 Meats 2 Cheeses, House Made Olive Salad"). Oh, yeah, I've had the Central Grocery (supposedly the inventor of this famous New Orleans sandwich). Unfortunately I can't remember much about it, given I tasted it like 5 years ago, except that it was hella dry and it's a death sentence if you try to slam it down your throat without some drinks nearby. But I guess that's the traditional way to make this sandwich. 1. Muffuletta 1/4 $5.44, 1/2 $9.06: So, not much different here either. Quite basic. You got that dry bread, Italian meats, cheese, and "olive salad." If you made it at home, this would be how it would taste. Somewhat expensive for what they give you. 5/10 Have a nice day! #muffuletta #frenchquarter #neworleans

I had a grilled cheese with ham. Ham was cold and the piece of cheese was barely melted. More bread than content; mediocre at best

Order the Muffaletta. It's amazing. And dessert right next door is Loretta's. This was one of the best meals of our trip. I want one again right now. Wish this place was open late I would have ate there all week.

OMG. We had central grocery's famous muffuletta and honestly it pales in comparison to Alberto's. Alberto's tapenade, oil and herbs completely out perform Central's. Yes central's has more meat but the freshness of Alberto's cheese and seasonings take the prize!

It was a busy Friday in the French Market and in the French Quarter in general. I had my sights set on eating at Alberto's Cheese and Wine. It's not the most popular booth in market but don't let that fool you. On a busy day in the French Market, you'll pass up food stands with long lines and bustling crowds. Alberto's is a solid food experience without the wait in a long line. Everything is made fresh to order and they have a good selection beers and fresh made sangria. I ordered the tuna salad and it was hella on point. Hel La. I also ordered a sangria and that was very delightful. If you're looking for a quick and lovely meal in the French Quarter then head on down to Alberto's.

I don't care how good my sandwich is, waiting a half hour for it is inexcusable at a counter stand. Stay far away.

My search for the Northwest Passage of sandwiches, the perfect Muffuletta, continues, but wasn't met here. Warm, griddled flat, oily muffulettas? Eww. Many locals recommended this place, but I have to say that, aside from the griddling, I'm not in love with the meat/cheese combos, or staling grilled bread. I'm more of your fresh bread man. The Abita root beer, the best root beer in the world, IMHO, was a nice pairing to balance out the stale and salty. It's at the French Market, so you have a choice of the dirty counter or dirtier market tables. The magic of a muffuletta is the chopped veggie and olive garnish at the top. That was pretty good, but the tired gal in the back seriously needs to drain it. There was enough oil that it could have been saved for a pourover on hummus. Perhaps I should have asked for it without the griddled treatment. Service is pretty perfunctory from the gal at the front. She's doing you a big favor being there. Well, at least she thinks that. I could pass on this. Still searching for the perfect muffuletta...

This unassuming sandwich stand in the market ended up being my favorite meal of our NOLA trip! A turkey sub sounds simple enough, but between the fresh wheat bread, delicious turkey, and perfectly dressed mixed greens, this sandwich far surpasses the usual. We did have to wait 25 minutes for the sandwich, which we were told about when ordering (busyness is always a good sign to me). There's so much to do and see in that market though so it goes quick. Worth the wait and recommend to everyone!

Muffuletta to die for in my opinion. This is a quarter. One of the first eateries inside the French Market.

Delicious and fresh muffulettas and salads! And reasonable prices to boot! Yes, it's busy, but you can explore the French Market or sit at one of the tables while you wait

We came here as part of our Day 2 adventure in New Orleans when we were exploring the market. Kate and I split a grilled cheese sandwich from here as well as a broccoli and cheese crepe from Holy Crepes. It was decent, and they used two types of cheeses. You should come here in good weather since you will be eating outside. We went on a non-rainy November day so the weather was perfect!

We came to this area because we wanted to check out the market not a lot of places were serving late breakfast this was one of the few I grabbed a croissant toasted w ham ... it was delicious simple totally hit the spot I topped it off with a hot chocolate w Baileys yummm it was a cool morning so this definitely made a difference. Next time we came around had to give the Muffaletta a try wow .. oh wow this is amazing delicious tasting sandwich, very flavorful so good the mixture of the cheeses w the ham & olives. Nice little stand here, the lady was really nice & attentive decent prices.

Delicious muffulettas! (Locals pronounce them "moofa-lahta") Pretty good red and white sangrias, too! Don't let the low-key exterior fool you. We ate here twice during our stay in the city.

This was the best mufaletta sandwich I've ever had. It takes forever to get your food. We waited close to half an hour for a sandwich, but it's worth it. They toast theirs and add some non traditional ingredients like chorizo and an additional cheese but it is so right. The bread is exactly the perfect light texture - it holds up all the ingredients but isn't too thick or doughy. The olive salad could not be improved upon. Excellent.

Never heard about a muffaletta before? It's a sandwhich you first hear about when coming to New Orleans. Muffaletta is an Italian sandwhich composed of Italian meats, cheese, and an olive salad spread. I've had muffalettas both hot and cold. I must say that getting them hot tastes that much better. I read somewhere this is one of the top 2 places to try a muffaletta and it did not disappoint. Bread was toasted and held the sandwhich together well. Sandwhich was plenty stuffed with olive salad. Enjoying a good sandwhich to be complimented with some local Louisiana beer. This food stall located in French Market is a great place to try. And if you just want to sample the sandwhich. They cut the sandwhich into 1/4s so if you want to share with a friend just to taste. The sandwhich came out in a decent time and our cashier was very nice.

While wandering around the French market, I saw this little gem offering gluten free muffulettas! I could not pass up the opportunity to give this Nola specialty a try. Im not a fan of olives but hot damn this sandwich was delicious. They make their own olive salad in house and it is amazing. Only $6.44 for 1/4 gluten free muffuletta. That is a steal for sure.

I'm writing about the vegan muffalata. It's excellent. Nice fresh bread layered with hummus, avocado and olive mix with just the right amount of olive oil. It's heaven. We went for lunch there twice this week.

The people are nice and have a good selection of wine and beer. The prices are decent, essentially $5 for beer and $7 for most wines. Many of the restaurants don't have alcohol in the French Market and you can come here and take it to go. They also have a decent menu, but I just got out to go;

Muffaletta is fantastic, and they're smart to give small portion options so tourists can try a little and still keep hitting places up. I know as an out of towner I'm not allowed to give opinions on this sandwich (or any) but we loved it. Friendly service too despite us getting there super early and kinda unintentionally screwing up his opening. Very friendly guy.

I can't really comment on much, but the 1/4 muffuletta was good and reasonably priced and the service friendly. I would go back and try other things too if I were in the open air market.