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 brunch and quarter martinis.
Signature dishes: Turtle soup, Pecan-crusted Gulf fish
Must order: The turtle soup with sherry tableside. It has been on the menu since the dining room opened in 1893.
Tip: Book the upstairs Garden Room for the live courtyard view; the dress code requires collared shirts at dinner.
Address: 1403 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130
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 by name.
Signature: Shrimp remoulade, Trout amandine
Order: The shrimp remoulade to start, then trout amandine. Order souffle potatoes alongside.
Tip: The 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 Rockefeller.
Signature: Oysters Rockefeller, Pommes de terre souffles
Order: Oysters Rockefeller, invented here in 1899. Then the souffleed potatoes.
Tip: Skip 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 and a Mardi Gras costume museum upstairs.
Signature: Shrimp Arnaud, Souffle potatoes
Order: Shrimp Arnaud, the house remoulade. Then redfish with Hollandaise.
Tip: The 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 Warehouse District building.
Signature: Louisiana cochon with cracklins, Wood-fired oysters
Order: The cochon with turnips and cracklins. Then the rabbit and dumplings.
Tip: Cochon 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 leg confit on the menu since opening.
Signature: Muscovy duck leg confit, Herbsaint shrimp and grits
Order: The Muscovy duck leg confit with dirty rice. Pair with a Sazerac.
Tip: Sit 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 and conch on a Bocuse trained plate.
Signature: Curried goat with sweet potato gnocchi, Conch croquettes
Order: The curried goat with sweet potato gnocchi, on the menu since 2015.
Tip: The bar runs walk-in; the kitchen sends the same menu and the cocktails are sharper than most of the city.
