4 Best Restaurants in New Orleans, Louisiana

This women-owned bakery has killer sourdough bread, an assortment of sweets, and unique savory treats like the boudin boy, which has a Cajun sausage and boiled egg filling in a flakey croissant dough. The muffuletta bread sticks studded with olives and salami are not to be missed.

Traditional Sicilian gelato, spumoni, cannoli, pastries, and candies are the attractions at this quaint little sweetshop, now over a century old. The crisp biscotti, traditional Sicilian desserts, and the lemon and strawberry ices haven't lost their status as local favorites. The shop closes at 9 pm on Sunday and 10 pm every other day (except Monday when they are closed). If you go in the evening, plan to stand in line and chat with locals, along with many smiling kids. On your way out, look for the brass plaque on the door that marks how high the water reached after the levees broke during Katrina in 2005.

This employee-owned bakery freshly mills all of their flour on-site, producing bread and baked goods for some of the top restaurants in New Orleans. A commitment to local and single-origin ingredients embodies the ethos of the whole operation. In 2019, they opened their first storefront where customers can purchase these baked delicacies for themselves, as well as get a glimpse into milling and baking process as they drink a cup of fresh-brewed coffee. Sandwiches, pastas, pastries, and more are available, but they sell out quickly. Classes are regularly offered so guests can improve their baking skills, as well.

Martha Gilreath's story of overcoming homelessness and drug addiction has gained lots of local and national media attention, but it's the incredible quality of her baked goods that have kept neighborhood regulars coming back to her shop. Her king cakes are renowned during Mardi Gras, but all year long she has a mouthwatering line-up of savory and sweet pastries ranging from crawfish bread, Friday pizza, and boudin danishes to banana bread, cookie specials, and made-to-order cakes. A pet-friendly outdoor courtyard and a fully stocked reading nook for kids makes Nolita a great hang for the whole family.