Modern Southern$$$garden-district
Coquette in New Orleans is the Magazine and Washington corner restaurant from Michael Stoltzfus, a 2008 modern-Southern room with rotating tasting menus.
Signature: Tasting menu, Charcuterie board
Order: Whatever the Blind Faith tasting menu is running that week. Trust the kitchen.
Tip: Sit upstairs for the corner-window view; downstairs runs faster and louder.
French Bistro$$$uptown
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.
Signature: Bouillabaisse, Hanger steak
Order: The bouillabaisse, on the menu since opening. Order a glass of Cassis blanc with it.
Tip: Lunch service is the most relaxed; the dining room is dim and pretty in the evening.
Modern Israeli$$$uptown
Shaya in New Orleans is the Magazine Street modern Israeli room that won James Beard Best New Restaurant in 2016, now under BRG Hospitality.
Signature: Wood-fired pita, Lamb shawarma
Order: The wood-fired pita with hummus. Then the lamb shawarma.
Tip: Founder Alon Shaya now runs Saba up the road at 5757 Magazine; both rooms are worth a visit.
Modern Israeli$$$uptownWed-Thu 11:00-22:00, Fri-Sat 10:00-23:00, Sun 10:00-22:00
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.
Signature: Lutenitsa with whipped feta, Whole-roasted cauliflower
Order: The whole roasted cauliflower with whipped feta. Then the lamb ragu hummus.
Tip: Brunch on Sundays runs the shakshuka and matzo ball brioche French toast; book a fortnight ahead.
N7 ★ 4.2
Japanese$$$bywaterMon-Thu 17:30-22:00, Fri-Sat 17:30-23:00
N7 in New Orleans is the Bywater French wine bar behind an unmarked fence on Montegut Street from Aaron Walker and Yuki Yamaguchi, with French bistro plates.
Signature: Tinned-fish plate, Steak frites with Bordelaise
Order: The tinned-fish board with bread, then steak frites with Bordelaise.
Tip: Reservations are tight; the garden seating opens at 17:00 and walk-ins land best on weeknights.
Cajun$$$$uptownThu-Sun 17:30-21:30
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.
Signature: Communal Cajun set menu, Crab stew
Order: The crab stew and shrimp boulettes; the menu is fixed and arrives in courses.
Tip: Reservations open the first of the month for the next month. Book the moment they appear.