Hidden under New Orleans’ historic Orpheum Theater which opened in 1921, The Double Dealer is an Art Nouveau-inspired speakeasy that layers raw and refined materials – from exposed concrete to plush velvet – creating striking juxtapositions and vignettes. A variety of reclaimed theater artifacts including vintage theater curtains and a hand-painted 1930s set backdrop are features throughout a variety of intimate and interconnected rooms.
Art Nouveau graphics from the cover of The Double Dealer magazine, which was an influential literary journal in New Orleans during prohibition, were reinterpreted to create a molding that is a unique focal point behind the bar. One-way glass windows pivot open to offer guests unobstructed access to the bar team from private 2-person booths inspired by British "snugs", where 19th century middle and upper-class women could drink out of the public eye. From the snug, a guest can turn on a small red light to call the bartender.
A rendering of the digital 3D model of the back bar molding and the cover of The Double Dealer magazine from March 1922
Vintage red velvet theater curtains are used to create intimate 4 and 6-person booths with a movable curtain for privacy and a call light for cocktail service.
A pair of enigmatic, center-pivoting, infinity mirror doors are a striking focal point of the main bar room and disguise the lounge room beyond, creating an exciting sense of discovery when they open.
The view from the main bar room through one of the pivoting infinity mirror doors to the lounge room where one can watch live entertainment
A stunning collection of vintage stage costumes adorns the piano room’s walls and inspires a sense of nostalgia and revelry.
The smaller private bar has a patinated copper bar top and a hand-painted 1930s theater backdrop used as a floor-to-ceiling wallcovering throughout the room.