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$$$$ | French Quarter |
In the main dining room of this grande dame of classic Creole restaurants, ornate etched glass reflects light from charming old chandeliers while the late founder, Arnaud Cazenave, gazes from an oil portrait. The ambitious menu includes classic dishes as well as more contemporary ones, including vegetarian options. The adjoining jazz bistro offers the same food in a more casual and live music–filled dining experience. Always reliable options are shrimp Arnaud (cold shrimp in a superb rémoulade), oysters Bienville, petit filet Lafitte, and praline crêpes. Jackets are requested in the main dining room. There's also a fun Mardi Gras museum upstairs.
813 Bienville St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70112, USA
Known For
- On-site Mardi Gras museum
- Char-grilled oyster specialties and classic cocktails
- Jackets requested in the main dining room
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Mon.–Sat., Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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$$$$ | |
No restaurant captures New Orleans's gastronomic heritage and celebratory spirit as well as this grande dame of New Orleans fine dining. The menu's classics include a spicy and meaty turtle soup; shrimp and tasso Henican (shrimp stuffed with ham, with pickled okra); and a wonderful pecan-crusted Gulf fish. The bread-pudding soufflé might ruin you for other bread puddings. Upstairs, the Garden Room's glass walls have marvelous views of the giant oak trees on the patio below. The weekend brunch is a not-to-be-missed New Orleans tradition, complete with live jazz—the band takes requests, so come armed with tip money. Jackets are preferred at dinner; shorts and T-shirts are forbidden, ripped jeans are not allowed, and men must wear closed-toe shoes.
1403 Washington Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70130, USA
Known For
- Historic gem
- One of the best jazz brunches in the city
- Strict dress code (no shorts, T-shirts, or ripped jeans allowed)
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Garden District |
Chef Emeril Lagasse bought the century-old Delmonico restaurant in 1998 and converted it into a large, extravagant restaurant serving some of the most ambitious reinterpretations of classic Creole dishes in town. Prime dry-aged steaks with traditional sauces have emerged as a specialty in recent years, but the menu gets more ambitious by the month. The atmosphere is lush, with high-ceiling dining spaces swathed in upholstered walls and super-thick window fabrics, and the food is decadent. House-cured charcuterie is a reliable option, as is the crisp duck leg confit, smothered pork chop, and stuffed boudin balls. "Plush" and "polish" are the bywords here, and the service is exemplary.
1300 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70130, USA
Known For
- House-cured charcuterie
- Inventive Creole plates
- Lavish dining room
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Mon.–Thurs., Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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$$$$ | |
With many of its recipes dating to 1905, Galatoire's epitomizes the old-style French Creole bistro. Fried oysters and bacon en brochette are worth every calorie, and the brick-red rémoulade sauce sets a high standard. Other winners include veal chops with optional béarnaise sauce, and seafood-stuffed eggplant. Downstairs in the narrow white-tablecloth dining room, lighted with gleaming brass chandeliers, is where boisterous regulars congregate, making for a lively and entertaining scene; you can only reserve a table in the renovated upstairs rooms. Friday lunch starts early and continues well into the evening. Shorts and T-shirts are never allowed; a jacket is required for dinner and all day Sunday. If the lines get too long, head to Galatoire's 33 Bar & Steak next door; it offers classic cuts and cocktails in a similarly adorned space.
209 Bourbon St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70130, USA
Known For
- Amazing rémoulade sauce
- Formal dress required (business at lunch, jackets for men after 5)
- Old-school vibes
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues., Reservations essential, Jacket required
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$$ | Carrollton-Riverbend |
Oak Street might look like any other sleepy urban thoroughfare by day, but once the sun sets, the half-block stretch containing Jacques-Imo's Cafe feels like the center of the universe. Prepare for lengthy waits (two hours at times) in the festive bar for a table in the boisterous, swamp-theme dining rooms (fortunately, the bartenders are fast), but most agree the wait for the modest-looking but innovative food is worth it: deep-fried roast-beef po'boys, shrimp-and-alligator-sausage cheesecake, Cajun bouillabaisse, and fried rabbit tenderloin with Creole mustard sauce are among the only-at-Jacques-Imo's specialties. Reservations are required for parties of five or more and not accepted for smaller groups.
8324 Oak St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70118, USA
Known For
- Long lines and required reservations for groups over five people
- Entertaining crowds
- Shrimp-and-alligator-sausage cheesecake
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch, Credit cards accepted
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$$ | Uptown |
For more than 25 years, this gaily colored cottage filled with a museum's worth of regional art has defined New Orleans Creole bistro fare, combining traditional items like dark gumbo or étouffée with enough elegance to be worthy of white tablecloths. Boisterous regulars know their orders before the cocktails even arrive: perhaps fried green tomatoes with shrimp rémoulade, spicy local shrimp with jalapeño corn bread, or duck with ginger-peach sauce. Order the $48 "Taste of New Orleans" menu to sample seven classic dishes. Owner and local character JoAnn Clevenger presides over Upperline like the hostess of a party, and her work has not gone unnoticed: the resturant has been a finalist for a James Beard award multiple times.
1413 Upperline St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70115, USA
Known For
- Fried green tomatoes with shrimp
- Historic gem
- "Taste of New Orleans" sampler menu
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No lunch, Reservations essential
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$$$$ | French Quarter |
Though some people believe Antoine's heyday passed before the turn of the 20th century, others wouldn't leave New Orleans without at least one order of the original oysters Rockefeller—baked oysters topped with a parsley-based sauce and bread crumbs. Other notables on the bilingual menu include pommes de terre soufflées (fried potato puffs), poissonamadine or meuniere (fish prepared in toasted almond or brown butter-and-lemon sauce), and baked Alaska. Tourists are generally shown to the front room, but walking through the grand labyrinth is a must. Be prepared for lackluster service. A jacket is preferred, but casually dressed diners can order most of the classic menu at the adjoining Hermes Bar.
713 St. Louis St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70130, USA
Known For
- Old-school charm
- Historic oysters Rockefeller
- Slightly stuffy atmosphere (dress up or sit at the adjoining Hermes Bar)
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun., Reservations essential, Credit cards accepted
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$$ | Uptown |
Even with reservations, expect to wait for weekend brunch at this Uptown institution, but your taste buds will thank you later. Locals tend to linger over sultry Creole creations like étouffée omelets and house-made sausage, a DIY Bloody Mary bar, and jumping live jazz on Saturday and Sunday. At dinner, the food is just as delicious, but the vibe is more romantic. The shrimp and grits are a standout, but there are plenty of other excellent choices. As a bonus, the expertly cultivated wine list shows plenty of options for under $50.
901 Louisiana Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70115, USA
Known For
- Bloody Mary bar
- Jazz brunch
- Excellent shrimp and grits
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Tues. and Wed., Reservations essential
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$$$ | French Quarter |
On one of the French Quarter's busiest corners is Dickie Brennan's biggest and flashiest restaurant yet (he also owns Palace Café and Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse), and it's a solid hit with seafood aficionados and—you guessed it—bourbon lovers (there are five flights to choose from and a vast selection of 90 American whiskeys to boot). The raw bar is prime real estate, with its sterling oysters on the half shell, chilled seafood platters, and antique, decorative oyster plates, but the elegant main dining room is more appropriate for digging into the Creole catalog—charbroiled oysters, boiled shrimp, and Gulf fish "on the half shell" with lump crab meat. Take your frozen bourbon-milk punch in a go cup.
144 Bourbon St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70130, USA
Known For
- Bourbon-milk punch
- Classy raw bar
- Diverse bourbon flights
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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$$$$ | French Quarter |
This luxuriously appointed restaurant, located in a gorgeous, salmon-pink, circa-1795 building, serves lavish breakfasts, served by pink-bow-tied waiters, that include "eye openers" like Caribbean milk punch to start the day, alongside hearty but elegantly prepared dishes such as eggs sardou with crispy artichokes and accoutrements such as coffee-cured bacon and house-made English muffins. Don't miss sumptuous desserts, like the flaming bananas Foster, which was reportedly created here.
417 Royal St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70130, USA
Known For
- Tourist-heavy atmosphere
- Creole brunch
- Legendary bananas Foster
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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$$$ | Carrollton-Riverbend |
Chef Frank Brigtsen's fusion of Creole refinement and Acadian earthiness reflects his years as a Paul Prudhomme protégé, and his dishes here represent some of the best south Louisiana cooking you'll find anywhere. Everything is fresh and filled with deep, complex flavors, and the menu changes daily. The butternut shrimp bisque defines comfort food. Rabbit and duck dishes, usually presented in rich sauces and gravies, are full of robust flavor. But Brigtsen really gets to unleash his creativity on the "Shell Beach Diet," a nightly changing seafood platter that might include grilled drum with shrimp and jalapeño-lime sauce and shrimp cornbread. Trompe-l'oeil murals add whimsy to the intimate spaces of this turn-of-the-20th-century frame cottage. Ask for a table on the enclosed front sun porch.
723 Dante St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70118, USA
Known For
- Creative seafood platters
- Whimsical dining room
- Excellent butternut shrimp bisque
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch, Reservations essential, Credit cards accepted
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$$$ | French Quarter |
If local restaurants were judged solely by the beauty of their courtyards, Broussard's would certainly be a standout, but the food here is also outstanding. Expect dishes like crispy shrimp toast with pickled okra slaw; Creole crab croquettes; and broiled redfish with a rosemary-and-mustard crust. Fight the good fight for an outdoor table close to the fountain, and don't skip dessert. A three-course Sunday brunch features live jazz.
819 Conti St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70112, USA
Known For
- Charming courtyard
- Sunday jazz brunch
- Excellent broiled redfish
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Tues.–Thurs., Credit cards accepted
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$$$ | Uptown |
Understatement characterizes the mood at locally beloved Clancy's, and the classy but neutral decor reflects this, though the scene can get lively. Most of the dishes are imaginative treatments of New Orleans favorites. Some specialties, like the several renditions of veal on the menu, are exceptional. Other signs of an inventive chef are the smoked soft shell crabs almondine, and a deviled eggs rémoulade. The small bar is usually filled with regulars who know one another—and tourists who wish they were regulars. On more festive nights you may yearn for earplugs. The expansive wine list has many New World and French options, with many bottles available for under $100.
6100 Annunciation St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70115, USA
Known For
- Local favorite
- Extensive wine list
- Exceptional veal dishes
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch Mon.–Wed. and Sat., Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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$ | French Quarter |
Even given a few modern touches—like the vegetarian gumbo offered daily—this place evokes a sense of old New Orleans. The menu is chock-full of regional culinary anchors: jambalaya, shrimp Creole, rémoulade sauce, red beans and rice, bread pudding, and seafood and chicken-and-sausage gumbos, all heavily flavored with tradition but easy on the wallet. The patina on the ancient painting covering one wall seems to deepen by the week, and the old tables and bentwood chairs have started to seem like museum pieces. Reservations are accepted only for groups of 10 or more.
630 St. Peter St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70116, USA
Known For
- Classic Creole food
- Cheap prices
- Shabby-chic decor
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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$ | French Quarter |
The allure of Hermes Bar is that you'll have your pick of the classic dishes that made Antoine's (founded in 1840) famous, without committing to a full-price meal in its austere dining room. Elegant bar snacks such as oysters Rockefeller, shrimp rémoulade, and fried eggplant sticks make just as grand a meal, with the added benefit of a front-row view of the Bourbon Street crowd. Expertly mixed old-school cocktails, such as the Sazerac and Ramos gin fizz, are a tradition here. Hermes is connected to Antoine's, but there is a separate entrance next door. It's open until midnight on weekends. Daily happy hour specials are available from 4 to 7 pm.
713 St. Louis St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70130, USA
Known For
- Great cocktails
- Classic small bites
- Elegant setting at reasonable prices
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted, Credit cards accepted, No dinner Sun.
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$$ | French Quarter |
Named after former Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long, who went by the nickname "Kingfish," this stylish French Quarter restaurant pays homage to the Jazz Age, with its pressed-tin ceilings and suspendered bartenders (the excellent craft cocktail list was written by local legend Chris McMillian). Drinks do not disappoint, and as for food, expect Southern-inspired small plates with a local twist, like mirlitons (a type of squash) stuffed with cornbread dressing and smothered in an arugula and mushroom Alfredo sauce.
337 Chartres St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70130, USA
Known For
- Snazzy cocktails
- Small plates of modern Southern cuisine
- Jazz-friendly atmosphere
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$ | Mid-City |
Fried-oyster po'boys drenched in garlic butter, bowls of sweet-corn-and-crawfish bisque, and grilled Reuben sandwiches with succulent corned beef are some of the reasons you might decide to tolerate the poor ventilation in this barroom near the racetrack and Jazz Fest grounds. The pièce de résistance here is a barbecue-shrimp po'boy, for which the shrimp are cooked in a bracing lemon-pepper butter with enough garlic to cure a cold. The Creole chicken and sausage gumbo with shrimp is always good too—thin on body, but heavy on spice (the shrimp is cooked to order and can be left out if you have dietary restrictions). The kitchen closes at 7 pm.
1518 N. Lopez St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70119, USA
Known For
- One of the city's best barbecue-shrimp po'boys
- Great people-watching
- Early kitchen closing at 7 pm
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Reservations not accepted, Credit cards accepted
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$$ | Mid-City |
Also known as "the pink house," Mandina's has been a neighborhood favorite for locals since 1932. Although this Canal Street fixture has expanded over the years, nothing has diminished the full flavors of the shrimp rémoulade, the crawfish cakes, the turtle soup, or (on Monday) tender red beans with Italian sausage. Excellent étouffée, po'boys, fried seafood, and pastas are also on the menu. And if you're looking for the ideal bar and restaurant to spend a football Sunday in, complete with flat-screen TVs and the iciest beers in town, this is also your place.
3800 Canal St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70119, USA
Known For
- Delicious turtle soup
- Large plates of classic Southern-Creole cuisine
- Sunday football viewings
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$$$ | French Quarter |
Those who wonder if there really is a New Orleans restaurant that can properly cater to both tourists and locals need look no farther than Mr. B's. Using as many Louisiana ingredients as possible, the chef offers a hearty braised Louisiana rabbit, an irresistible honey-ginger-glazed pork chop, and one of the best barbecue shrimp dishes in the city. First-timers must try the "Gumbo Ya-Ya," a rich chicken and sausage gumbo, and no meal here can end without the hot buttered pecan pie. Upscale yet accessible, Mr. B's is still on the map because of its just-right seasonings, its windows on the French Quarter world, and its dedication to service. Don't miss Sunday brunch, featuring a live jazz trio and "eye openers" (also known as brunch cocktails).
201 Royal St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70130, USA
Known For
- Upscale yet accessible Louisiana classics
- Sunday jazz brunch
- Hot buttered pecan pie for dessert
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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$$$ | French Quarter |
Among Jackson Square's many dining spots, Muriel's is easily the most ambitious, in both atmosphere and menu. In the large downstairs rooms, architectural knickknacks and artwork evoke the city's colorful past, while diners indulge in hearty updates of old Creole favorites. The upstairs balcony has views of the square, with the occasional sounds of street music wafting in. The menu is diverse, ranging from a Gorgonzola-prosciutto terrine appetizer to barbecue shrimp or pecan-crusted drum (a popular local fish also known as "red drum") with Louisiana crawfish relish for main courses; a gluten-free dinner menu offers plenty of options. Sunday brunch is accompanied by live jazz.
801 Chartres St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70116, USA
Known For
- Entertaining setting in the middle of French Quarter action
- Inventive Creole flavors
- Sunday brunch with live jazz
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
