124 Best Restaurants in New Orleans, Louisiana

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.

Here the house specialty Pimm's Cup can be enjoyed in the lush courtyard or in the cool interior, along with bites like pulled-duck po'boys. The residence was built in 1797 and was purportedly chosen as Napoléon's would-be New World residence in an escape plan hatched for the exiled emperor.

Occupying what used to be New Orleans's oldest music store, this Dickie Brennan stalwart is a convivial spot to try some of the more imaginative contemporary Creole dishes, such as andouille-crusted fish, crabmeat cheesecake, and pepper-crusted duck breast with foie gras. Desserts, especially the white-chocolate bread pudding and the homemade ice creams, are luscious. Drugstore-tile floors and stained cherrywood booths set the mood. The wraparound mezzanine is lined with a large mural depicting the city's famous musicians, like Louis Armstrong, Fats Domino, and Aaron Neville. The Parisian-style sidewalk seating bespeaks small plates, wine, and people-watching (though you can also order the full menu outside). The Sunday jazz brunch is New Orleans all the way, while the daily happy hour, offering half-price drinks and snacks till 7 pm, is one of the best in town.

Former contractor Jay Nix resurrected more than just a dilapidated building when he reopened Parkway: he also brought back to life a dormant community spirit. You can find neighbors and regulars from other parts of the city sinking their teeth into Parkway's roast beef and grilled ham po'boys; some simply wander in for a hot dog and beer at the bar, and to take in the New Orleans nostalgia decorating the walls (President Barack Obama was just one of many famous guests). For dessert, choose from a selection of rum cake, bread pudding, and banana pudding—all made fresh daily. Since it's so close to the fairgrounds, Parkway really jumps during Jazz Fest. The famous fried oyster po'boy is available Monday and Wednesday only.

Barbecue shrimp is an addictive regional specialty that involves neither a barbecue nor barbecue sauce, and Pascal's is considered the dish's birthplace. The original recipe, introduced a half century ago, remains unchanged: jumbo shrimp, still in the shell, are cooked in a buttery pool enhanced with just the right amount of Creole spice and pepper. The rest of the menu here is taken up with generally unexciting regional seafood and Italian-style creations, although the turtle soup and the fried eggplant are good starters, and the upper-crust scene always amuses (particularly because most diners don bibs). Most important, the atmospheric old bar might be the best place in the city to slurp raw oysters.

The name implies fish, and that's what you'll find at this modern temple to seafood, the brainchild of nearby Cochon proprietors Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski. In addition to an airy, modern space enhanced by exposed beams and a wood-burning grill, the dining room has a fascinating history: the building was a former mortuary that claims to have embalmed Confederate president Jefferson Davis. If that doesn't give you something to talk about, the crowd-satisfying fare will: there's head-on, grilled whole fish; smothered catfish with pickled greens; and excellent non-fish options. The small plates offer inventive options such as curried mussels, spicy ground shrimp with noodles, and a raw bar menu featuring the best of local oysters, and an excellent seafood salad.

Sassy New York flourishes permeate the menu of chef Richard Hughes's smartly decorated, eminently comfortable restaurant in the heart of the French Quarter, but there's still evidence of Hughes's Louisiana origins. The Maine lobster with shrimp and diver scallops is decadent, while the rack of lamb with rosemary-pesto crust is almost a spiritual experience. There is even a children's menu for budding gourmets.

Every night, no matter the weather, people wait for more than an hour outside Port of Call for fist-thick burgers made from freshly ground beef, served with always-fluffy baked potatoes (there are no fries here). For the classic Port of Call experience, drink a Neptune's Monsoon (their mind-bending house grog) while you wait, and order your potato "loaded" (with mushrooms, cheddar cheese, sour cream, butter, chives, and bacon bits). A juicy filet mignon is also available. In the afternoon and early evening, it's a fun stop for kids. Port of Call is open until midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 1 am on Friday and Saturday.

Superstars rarely start over when they're on top—but celebrity chef Rick Tramonto, best known for his avant-garde creations at Chicago's Tru, headed south when he needed a new challenge. Tramonto hooked up with Louisiana culinary renaissance man John Folse and the two set about remaking the state's creations, combining Folse's deep knowledge of Cajun and Creole food with Tramonto's modern techniques and impeccably high standards. The result is a lavish, multimillion-dollar venue where the encyclopedic menu ranges from oven-roasted bone marrow and hog's head cheese to crawfish-stuffed flounder and a "triptych" of quail. Diners can explore the restaurant's deep wine cellar via iPad.

Seasoned restaurateur Ralph Brennan has matched this beautifully renovated historic building with a menu that features innovative twists on contemporary Creole standbys. The culinary staff excel with full-flavored seafood dishes like the Parmesan-fried oysters and a variety of fresh fish. Prix-fixe, multi-course menus available at lunch and dinner are a great way to indulge. For Sunday brunch, which even has a kids' menu, the cane-glazed shrimp with pickled peppers and the chicken and waffles with boudin balls will remind you that you're way down in Louisiana. The solid wine list is constantly changing. The bar, where you can order the full menu, looks out on the oaks of City Park and has become a virtual public clubhouse for nearby residents.

This modern café serves fresh salads and sandwiches. At brunch, try the hand-whisked grits.

Operated by the owners of the posh Arnaud's, Remoulade is more laid-back and less pricey but serves the same Caesar salad and pecan pie, as well as a few of the signature starters: shrimp Arnaud in rémoulade sauce, baked oysters, turtle soup, and shrimp bisque. "Tasters," or sampler plates of three dishes like gumbo, crawfish pie, and jambalaya, are a steal at $17.50. The marble-counter oyster bar and mahogany cocktail bar date to the 1870s; a dozen oysters shucked here, paired with a cold beer, can easily turn into two dozen, maybe three. Tile floors, mirrors, a pressed-tin ceiling, and brass lights create an old-time New Orleans environment with a family-friendly ambience. It's open daily until 11 pm.

The joke used to be that New Orleans had a thousand restaurants with only one menu. But today you'll find a dizzying array of culinary creativity, and nowhere pushes the boundaries further than Root. They serve, for lack of a better word, "molecular gastronomy" cuisine, the kind of food created by chefs who grew up admiring Mr. Science as much as Julia Child in a fittingly on-trend dining room accented with bright pops of color. The menu changes frequently but expect to find dishes like hot and sour lemonfish with horseradish "snow," sweet tea fried chicken wings, and scallops perfumed with actual Cohiba cigar smoke. A menu with plates of various sizes helps keep the cost in check. Does it always work? No. Is Root always an adventure? Yes.

This sleek venture (whose name is short for "South of Bourbon Street") from the Commander's Palace team puts cocktails, beer, and wine front and center. The menu includes Louisiana-style snacks, such as grilled alligator sausage or cracklings with pimento-cheese fondue, and the cocktails are a mix of pre-Prohibition classics and crowd-pleasing originals. A row of self-service machines dispense wines by the taste or the glass, and a few coveted tables even have personal beer taps. The chef grew up in Puerto Rico, so Latin flavors creep into many dishes, like the oyster tacos or shrimp and tasso pinchos.

Chefs across America are ditching the white tablecloths and applying fine-dining flair to burgers, bar food, and comfort fare, and here chef Scott Boswell attempts this with the food of Louisiana. Though some grumble about paying a premium for what is, at heart, New Orleans neighborhood fare, this crisply decorated café sits on a coveted corner of Jackson Square—and that view is priceless. At breakfast, pancakes are covered in earthy Louisiana cane syrup and eggs Benedict are topped with homemade Cajun boudin. At lunch and dinner, oyster po'boys get an extra zing from rémoulade dressing with a touch of heat, and the Club Stanley is topped with spicy pesto Caesar dressing.

This Jewish and Italian deli serves the "Muphuletta," a Philly take on a New Orleans muffuletta with sopressata, ham, provolone, and olive salad on ciabatta.

Certainly the most extensive Thai restaurant in the area, Sukho Thai fits into its artsy neighborhood with servers wearing all black and a hip, art-gallery approach to decorating. You can't go wrong with any of the curries, but the fried whole fish with three spicy chili sauces is a showstopper. Creative homemade desserts take the form of "dragon puffs" (think Thai-style beignets) and black-rice pudding. A full bar includes cocktails with Thai-influenced ingredients like lemongrass simple syrup and a bloody Mary with Thai chili-garlic infused vodka.

The menu at this Uptown seafood specialist reads like a greatest hits collection from the New Orleans culinary canon: from po'boys and fried green tomatoes on the casual end to stuffed catfish and shrimp andouille brochettes on the fancier side. The cavernous space mimics a Parisian bistro, with a tad too much polish to feel authentic. But who cares about the inside, when the many windows offer views of streetcars rolling by on St. Charles Avenue. The owners also run the nearby but not terribly exciting Superior Grill (3636 St. Charles Ave.).

Here Verona-born chef Samantha Castagnetti turns out sumptuous, authentic northern Italian pasta dishes, like fusilli with peas, shallots, and Italian prosciutto in an elegant white cream sauce, alongside meaty mains, such as veal osso buco over decadent polenta. This is the kind of place that turns first dates into lifelong affairs; you'll feel like you're dining at nonna's house. The all-Italian wine list is surprisingly affordable, with many glasses at $10 or less.

You can't miss this bright, yellow-striped building, but it's the smell of the meat—pork shoulder, pork ribs, beef brisket, and chicken—cooking in the custom-made smoker that will draw you in. In a town not really known for great barbecue, the Joint is an exception, which is why it draws hungry patrons from far and wide. The meat is the thing, but don't skip the side dishes, which go above and beyond in concept and execution, particularly the sweet-and-spicy baked beans and the crispy-on-the-outside mac 'n' cheese. Pecan, key lime, and peanut butter pies are fitting country desserts, particularly if you want to linger in the lush outdoor courtyard a bit longer.

The most eclectic mix of music, food, and people can be found on Frenchmen Street, and Three Muses captures everything that makes this vibrant stretch of the Faubourg Marigny worth seeking out. The small-plates menu spans the globe, with charcuterie, cheese plates, and standout delicacies like the Korean-style steak bulgogi. The kitchen devotes special attention to vegetarian offerings too, and there's excellent live music most nights. Call ahead to reserve a spot in this the dining room.

The upscale dining rooms here are clubby and festive, the crowd is always interesting, and the menu seamlessly blends Creole and Italian. There are several types of oyster appetizers to choose from, including the signature Oysters Tommy with Romano cheese, pancetta, and roasted red pepper. Entrées focus on sophisticated preparations of fish and meat, but make sure to find out the chef's imaginative daily specials before you make your decision. Service is gentlemanly, and the wines span all of Italy.