The restaurants worth a reservation in New Orleans, from neighbourhood bistros to the new classics.
The restaurants worth the trip in New Orleans. bistros, neo-classics, neighbourhood favourites, and the rooms locals book first.
Commander's Palace in New Orleans is the 1893 Garden District grande dame on Washington Avenue, the Brennan family flag with turtle soup, jacket-required.
OrderThe turtle soup with sherry tableside. It has been on the menu since the dining room opened in 1893.
TipBook the upstairs Garden Room for the live courtyard view; the dress code requires collared shirts at dinner.
Galatoire's in New Orleans is the 1905 white-tile French Creole room on Bourbon Street, where regulars hold the same Friday lunch tables and tip the captain.
OrderThe shrimp remoulade to start, then trout amandine. Order souffle potatoes alongside.
TipThe downstairs room is walk-in only and no reservations; Friday lunch starts at 11:30 and runs into the evening.
Antoine's in New Orleans is the 1840 St Louis Street dining room, the oldest family-run restaurant in the United States and the birthplace of Oysters.
OrderOysters Rockefeller, invented here in 1899. Then the souffleed potatoes.
TipSkip the main dining room for the Hermes Bar on Bienville, the kitchen runs the same menu and the room is unstuffy.
Arnaud's in New Orleans is the 1918 French Creole room on Bienville Street from Arnaud Cazenave, with mosaic-tile floors, the French 75 Bar next door.
OrderShrimp Arnaud, the house remoulade. Then redfish with Hollandaise.
TipThe French 75 Bar serves the canonical version of its namesake drink and seats walk-ups; no jacket required there.
Cochon in New Orleans is Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski's James Beard winning Cajun room on Tchoupitoulas, an ode to whole-hog cookery in a converted.
OrderThe cochon with turnips and cracklins. Then the rabbit and dumplings.
TipCochon Butcher around the corner sells the same charcuterie at a counter; cheaper and equally good for lunch.
Herbsaint in New Orleans is Donald Link's 2000 St Charles Avenue flagship, a Louisiana French bistro with the streetcar passing the front window and a duck.
OrderThe Muscovy duck leg confit with dirty rice. Pair with a Sazerac.
TipSit at the bar for the streetcar view and faster service; the kitchen sends the same plates.
Compere Lapin in New Orleans is Nina Compton's James Beard winning Caribbean Creole room inside the Old No 77 Hotel on Tchoupitoulas, with goat curry.
OrderThe curried goat with sweet potato gnocchi, on the menu since 2015.
TipThe bar runs walk-in; the kitchen sends the same menu and the cocktails are sharper than most of the city.
Saint-Germain in New Orleans is the Michelin-starred ten-course tasting menu inside a Bywater double-shotgun from chefs Blake Aguillard and Trey Smith.
OrderThere is no choice; the ten-course is what they serve. Add the wine pairing.
TipReservations open monthly. If you can't get a seat, the wine garden out back takes walk-ups and serves bottles with snacks.
Dakar NOLA in New Orleans is Serigne Mbaye's James Beard Best New Restaurant winning Senegalese Creole tasting room, relocated in 2025 to a Carrollton.
OrderThere is no choice; the tasting menu rotates with the season. The jollof course is the anchor.
TipTickets sell out within days of release. Sign up for the newsletter for booking-window alerts.
Bayona in New Orleans is Susan Spicer's 1990 Creole cottage on Dauphine Street, a courtyard fine-dining room with the smoked duck PB&J that has anchored.
OrderThe smoked duck breast PB&J, the menu's longest-running dish.
TipLunch is the better-value seating; book the back courtyard if the weather is kind that afternoon.
Coquette in New Orleans is the Magazine and Washington corner restaurant from Michael Stoltzfus, a 2008 modern-Southern room with rotating tasting menus.
OrderWhatever the Blind Faith tasting menu is running that week. Trust the kitchen.
TipSit upstairs for the corner-window view; downstairs runs faster and louder.
Lilette in New Orleans is John Harris's 2001 Uptown bistro on Magazine Street, named for the Mauri family matriarch he lived with in France and serving.
OrderThe bouillabaisse, on the menu since opening. Order a glass of Cassis blanc with it.
TipLunch service is the most relaxed; the dining room is dim and pretty in the evening.
Shaya in New Orleans is the Magazine Street modern Israeli room that won James Beard Best New Restaurant in 2016, now under BRG Hospitality.
OrderThe wood-fired pita with hummus. Then the lamb shawarma.
TipFounder Alon Shaya now runs Saba up the road at 5757 Magazine; both rooms are worth a visit.
Saba in New Orleans is Alon Shaya's 2018 Magazine Street follow-up to Shaya, a modern Israeli room at Nashville Avenue with the whipped feta and whole.
OrderThe whole roasted cauliflower with whipped feta. Then the lamb ragu hummus.
TipBrunch on Sundays runs the shakshuka and matzo ball brioche French toast; book a fortnight ahead.
N7 in New Orleans is the Bywater French wine bar behind an unmarked fence on Montegut Street from Aaron Walker and Yuki Yamaguchi, with French bistro plates.
OrderThe tinned-fish board with bread, then steak frites with Bordelaise.
TipReservations are tight; the garden seating opens at 17:00 and walk-ins land best on weeknights.
Mosquito Supper Club in New Orleans is Melissa Martin's Uptown communal-table Cajun room in an 1898 cottage on Dryades Street, with a single fixed Cajun menu.
OrderThe crab stew and shrimp boulettes; the menu is fixed and arrives in courses.
TipReservations open the first of the month for the next month. Book the moment they appear.
Peche in New Orleans is Ryan Prewitt, Stephen Stryjewski and Donald Link's James Beard winning Gulf seafood room on Magazine and Julia, with a wood-fired.
OrderThe smoked tuna dip to start, then a whole grilled fish to share for the table.
TipThe bar walks in best at 17:30; the kitchen sends the same menu and the oyster service is tighter.
Brigtsen's in New Orleans is Frank and Marna Brigtsen's 1986 Victorian-cottage Creole Acadian room near the streetcar terminus, a Paul Prudhomme alumnus.
OrderThe shell-bean and crawfish stew, on the menu since 1986. Then the file gumbo.
TipDinner only, Tuesday to Saturday from 17:00. The whole restaurant is one cottage; book ahead.
Boucherie in New Orleans is Nathanial Zimet's Carrollton tasting-menu room, a former food truck turned Southern-modern five-course degustation.
OrderThere is no choice; the five-course tasting changes with the produce. End with the Krispy Kreme bread pudding.
TipBourree next door is the daiquiri and wings spinoff; sit there first for a cocktail before dinner.
Atchafalaya in New Orleans is the Louisiana Avenue Creole room on the edge of the Garden District, known for a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar and the duck.
OrderThe duck hash with sunny eggs, then build a Bloody Mary at the bar.
TipBrunch runs Saturday and Sunday with live music; arrive at 09:30 or hold for the 13:00 turn.
Saffron NOLA in New Orleans is the Vilkhu family's Indian Creole room on Magazine Street, a James Beard nominee with Louisiana seafood and Indian spice.
OrderThe crawfish vindaloo; then the lamb rogan josh with Creole spice.
TipDinner only, Tuesday to Saturday from 17:00. The wine list runs short but pairs aggressively with the chilies.
GW Fins in New Orleans is Tenney Flynn's Bienville Street fine-dining seafood room, with a daily-changing menu sourced from the Gulf and the docks.
OrderWhatever runs as the daily catch. Then the warm biscuits, which arrive without prompting.
TipReservations are easier on weeknights; bar dining serves the same menu with shorter waits.
Restaurant August in New Orleans is the 2001 modern Creole flagship in an 1830s Tchoupitoulas warehouse, originally John Besh's room and now.
OrderThe truffled potato gnocchi, on the menu in different forms for two decades.
TipTasting menu is the most-rewarded path; book a window-side table for the brick-arch view.
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