37 Best Restaurants in New Orleans, Louisiana

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 crepes. Jackets are requested in the main dining room. There's also a fun Mardi Gras museum upstairs.

If the Gilded Age is long past, someone forgot to tell the folks at August, where the main dining room shimmers with masses of chandelier prisms, thick brocade fabrics, and glossy woods. Service is anything but stuffy, however, and the food showcases the chefs' modern techniques. Nothing is mundane on the seasonally changing menu, which might include imperial wagyu with sunchokes and crispy boudin or P&J oysters with paddlefish caviar and Pernod. A truly remarkable vegetarian menu can be prepared upon request. The sommelier is happy to counsel you on the surprisingly affordable wine list.

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.

Every neighborhood needs a hangout, and the dwellers of the Garden District's elegant mansions tend to spend their time at this fabulous corner bistro, enhanced by elaborate chandeliers and a gleaming white-tile floor. The relentlessly creative chef changes the menu almost nightly, making every meal here a new adventure. The long bar downstairs fuels the lively scene, and the window seats here, looking out on Magazine Street, are always in demand. Those seeking a quieter evening head to the upstairs dining room, where chef Michael Stoltzfus has created a menu of seasonal modern-American offerings. The seafood dishes, in particular, are stellar. The kitchen opens at 5:30 pm, but the bar gets started at 4:30 pm.

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.

With its elegant table settings and canvases depicting British nobility, the Grill Room on the second floor of the Windsor Court is a beacon of class and a lovely setting for special occasions. Keep your eyes peeled: celebrities in town for local film shoots often snag tables here. The creative modern American dinner menu features seasonal dishes including lamp chops with curry aioli and grilled squid with romesco sauce. Expect insightful and unusual wine selections from a deep cellar with an extensive Bordeaux collection. There's also a $35 plate special offered at lunchtime weekdays, and jazz brunch on weekends. If you're looking for a splurge meal in town, this is it.

Chef Donald Link (whose restaurant group includes Cochon, Gianna, Pêche, and La Boulangerie) turns out a menu that sparkles with robust flavors and top-grade ingredients at this casually upscale restaurant. Comforting small plates like the daily gumbo, fried oysters, and homemade pastas are mainstays. Don't overlook the rich and flavorful Louisiana shrimp and fish ceviche. Also irresistible is the Muscovy duck leg confit with dirty rice and citrus gastrique. For dessert, banana brown-butter tart will ensure return trips. The plates provide most of the color in the lighthearted, often noisy, rooms. The wine list is expertly compiled and reasonably priced.

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. If you don't make a reservation (by phone, and only for groups of five or more), you might face a lengthy wait, but the bartenders are fast to get you a drink while you wait for a table in the swamp-theme dining rooms. No matter the wait, most agree 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 cream sauce are among the only-at-Jacques-Imo's specialties.

Flower shops sometimes bloom into intimate fine-dining establishments in New Orleans, and this one, with just-bright-enough lighting and a sturdy mahogany bar, has caught on in a big way with the locals. In the kitchen, chef-owner Justin Devillier draws on contemporary American tastes, using Louisiana raw materials whenever he can. He's been quietly developing a reputation across the country, winning a coveted James Beard Award in the process. Standout items include the blue-crab beignets, the Gulf shrimp and grits with smoked bacon, and the creative (and extraordinary) alligator Bolognese, though many locals return to the red-leather banquettes for the signature burger and a round of cocktails.

Everything that comes out of the kitchen at this European brasserie is delightfully surprising and complex. Selections change seasonally, but dishes like the braised celery heart—seared and served in tomato water and aromatics, with pastrami-smoked beef tongue—are layered in flavor. The chef, who named the corner restaurant for his grandmother, focuses on the French cooking foundations of simplicity, elegance, and technique; but the light, feminine space is a refreshing contrast to the seriousness of the food: there are no tablecloths here, flowers cascade from the ceiling, and the art nouveau--style space feels perfectly imperfect, and familial.

Hidden on a quiet residential corner, this bustling bistro could have been transported directly from Provence. The menu continues the French theme, but with a Louisiana attitude, with featured proteins like braised beef ragù, mussels in an apple and white wine broth, and pecan-crusted Gulf fish. Chef Aaron Burgau developed close connections with growers and fishermen while managing a local farmers' market, so his kitchen is stocked with the best. He knows what New Orleanians like to eat, and his Uptown neighbors, a mix of affluent young and older couples, have rewarded him with a full house nightly.

As the restaurant's name might hint, on the menu here you'll find meat, meat, and more meat, from chicken liver mousse and charcuterie to a lamb neck with black-eyed-pea salad and a double-cut pork chop with a local cane syrup gastrique. Chef Isaac Toups, a Top Chef contestant and crowd favorite, is hardly the only young American chef obsessed with animal flesh, but at this intimate spot with DIY elegance, he adds a Louisiana edge with items like boudin, cracklings, and sides of dirty rice. But don't worry, not everything coming out of the kitchen is meat: they make their own pickles, too.

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.

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 boudin sausage, a DIY Bloody Mary bar, and jumping live jazz on weekends. At dinner, the food is just as delicious, but the vibe is more romantic. The shrimp and grits are a standout, as is the blue crab raviolo, but there are plenty of other excellent choices. As a bonus, the expertly cultivated wine list shows plenty of options for under $50.

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.

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 the world's best brandy 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.

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. 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 Seafood Platter, consisting of extraordinary, creative takes on New Orleans seafood classics. 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.

The only way to get closer to the Mississippi River at the outdoor patio of this fifth-floor restaurant is to dive in, and the spectacular views are what snagged chef Donald Link to partner with the Four Seasons New Orleans for this French Creole showplace. Try any of the expertly cooked steaks on offer, like the rib-eye spinalis or Kobe strip steak.

A meal at The Chloe delivers modern, exciting takes on Creole classics. Memorable appetizers like the shrimp and pork dumplings and alligator wings are followed by a strong line-up of entrées---the duck confit and the blackened butter-crusted drum are just two great choices. Eat inside in the cozy dining area, outside by the pool, or in the front overlooking St. Charles Avenue and its famed streetcar line.

The retro Commons Club at Virgin Hotel is a fabulous setting to experience an enticing menu of southern and Mediterranean-influenced plates. Ask for a seat in the Shag Room and bar area, where a riot of colors and textures mingle. There is an occasional drag brunch, though without set dates.

Nestled in the Eliza Jane Hotel, Couvant offers a modern and creative take on French cuisine while staying true to the classics like duck confit and boeuf bourguignon. The upscale but approachable interiors with low lighting, crushed velvets, and black and white tile floor set the mood for a comfortable dining experience.

"Straightforward steaks with a New Orleans touch" are the words to live by at this clubby shrine to red meat, the creation of a younger member of the Brennan family of restaurateurs, who also runs Palace Café and the Bourbon House. Start with stellar martinis in the dark cherrywood-paneled lounge, then head back to the cavernous dining room to dig into classic cuts of top-quality beef and seafood. The standard beefsteak treatment is light seasoning and a brush of Creole-seasoned butter, but other options include béarnaise, made-from-scratch Worcestershire sauce, and pepper-cream whiskey sauce.

Celebrity-chef Emeril Lagasse revamped his urban-chic flagship restaurant in 2023, installing his son E.J. at the kitchen's helm. The 12-table dining room is now served by two seven-course tasting menus, with selections like Grand Isle shrimp with caviar, crawfish pie with andouille, and barbecue lobster gumbo. The Wine Bar at Emeril's---now with its own entrance on Julia Street---is a wine lover's dream, with more than 30,000 bottles spanning the globe and delectable small plates like raw oysters, barbecue shrimp, and crab gumbo.

Long famous for its seafood, GW Fins has shifted its efforts to support sustainable, local fishing practices, and its menu now focuses on the Gulf Coast’s bounty—and whatever fresh catch is delivered daily. The steaklike, dry-aged bluefin tuna rib eye, Parmesan crusted sheepshead, and snapper ceviche with habanero sorbet are just some of the delicious ways that local seafood is utilized here. For dessert, try the pretzel-crusted ice cream pie. The spacious dining room's attractive modern decor and the enthusiastic service make this a relaxing refuge from the French Quarter's crowds.

Celebrated local chef Justin Devillier (of Le Petite Grocery fame) brings an entirely new concept to the French Quarter with Justine. With a nightly DJ, boisterous brunches, and loads of neon and Instagrammable spaces, the emphasis here is more on a festive experience than the food itself (though the Parisian bistro menu has its strong points). Justine herself, a marble statue and the restaurant's patron saint, gazes over the zinc bar top imported from Paris, and Ellen Macomber's dual mural-collages of Paris and New Orleans make the back room dazzle. Expect classic French fare like moules frites, steak tartare, and plenty of Champagne.

A coastal Mediterranean menu unfolds in a stylish, Instagram-worthy setting in this Kimpton Fontenot flagship restaurant. Expect modern, seafood-heavy takes on classics, like the sea urchin carbonara and crawfish risotto. There is a thoughtful selection of wines and beers to accompany your meal.

Need a break from the bounties of the sea prevalent in New Orleans restaurants? Book a table at chef Adolfo Garcia's classic Argentine steak house, where wine and meat are simple but satisfying priorities. While most steak houses are clubby, masculine, and hard on the wallet, this Warehouse District eatery feels more like a party. The kitchen coaxes flavor from less expensive cuts, like flank and hanger steaks. Sides include empanadas, thick rounds of provolone grilled and sprinkled with oregano, and homemade pasta, a nod to Argentina's large Italian population. After dinner at La Boca, you'll walk outside and be surprised to discover that you're not in Buenos Aires.

Proprietor-chef John Harris uses French and Italian culinary traditions as springboards for Lilette's inspired dishes. Look for Italian wedding soup, roasted Muscovy duck breast, and crab claws with passion fruit butter. The wine list has been thoughtfully chosen. Framed mirrors hang along the maroon walls of the intimate front dining-room-cum-bar, and there are also a few tables filling out a second room and on a heated patio. Lilette's sister property, Bouligny Tavern, is next door and a great place to enjoy a cocktail or a more casual bite.

This lively French Creole brasserie is a popular go-to on game days, given its proximity to both the French Quarter and the Superdome. The Gulf-centric seafood lineup includes oysters, boiled shrimp, Peruvian scallops, and Maine lobster. The dark chocolate mousse with toffee is a treat.

James Beard Award--winning chef Alon Shaya's love letter to Louisiana and the local dishes of his adopted city has culminated in Miss River, an airy restaurant nestled in the Four Seasons Hotel. Split a buttermilk-fried chicken for the table, presented whole and hand-carved, with chef Shaya's wife Emily's award-winning red beans and rice as a side. When the weather is good, dine alfresco in the spacious garden patio.