French Creole$$$french-quarter
Antoine's in New Orleans is the 1840 St Louis Street dining room, the oldest family-run restaurant in the United States and the birthplace of Oysters.
Signature: Oysters Rockefeller, Pommes de terre souffles
Order: Oysters Rockefeller, invented here in 1899. Then the souffleed potatoes.
Tip: Skip the main dining room for the Hermes Bar on Bienville, the kitchen runs the same menu and the room is unstuffy.
French Creole$$$french-quarter
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.
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.
Cajun$$$warehouse-district
Cochon in New Orleans is Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski's James Beard winning Cajun room on Tchoupitoulas, an ode to whole-hog cookery in a converted.
Signature: Louisiana cochon with cracklins, Wood-fired oysters
Order: The cochon with turnips and cracklins. Then the rabbit and dumplings.
Tip: Cochon Butcher around the corner sells the same charcuterie at a counter; cheaper and equally good for lunch.
Cajun & Creole$$$central-business-district
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.
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.
Cajun & Creole$$$warehouse-district
Compere Lapin in New Orleans is Nina Compton's James Beard winning Caribbean Creole room inside the Old No 77 Hotel on Tchoupitoulas, with goat curry.
Signature: Curried goat with sweet potato gnocchi, Conch croquettes
Order: The curried goat with sweet potato gnocchi, on the menu since 2015.
Tip: The bar runs walk-in; the kitchen sends the same menu and the cocktails are sharper than most of the city.
Cajun & Creole$$$$bywaterMon 17:30-22:00, Thu 17:30-22:00, Fri-Sat 17:00-22:30, Sun 17:30-22:00
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.
Signature: Ten-course tasting, Open-flame squab
Order: There is no choice; the ten-course is what they serve. Add the wine pairing.
Tip: Reservations open monthly. If you can't get a seat, the wine garden out back takes walk-ups and serves bottles with snacks.