40 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.

No visit to New Orleans is complete without a chicory-laced café au lait paired with the addictive, sugar-dusted beignets at this venerable institution. The tables under the green-and-white-stripe awning are jammed with locals and tourists at almost every hour, for very good reason. If there's a wait, head around back to the takeout window, get your coffee and beignets to go, and enjoy them overlooking the river right next door or in Jackson Square. The most magical time to go is just before dawn, before the bustle begins and can hear the birds in the crepe myrtles across the way. The metro-area satellite stores (there's even one at the airport now) typically lack the character of the original, although the newest addition in City Park is quite charming.

Around the corner from its big brother Cochon, Butcher packs its own Cajun punch with an upscale sandwich menu that dials up the flavor on local classics. With house-cured meats and olive salad, the muffuletta reveals exactly how delicious Italian-Creole can be, though the pork-belly sandwich, with refreshing mint and cucumber, also brings customers back. In addition to sandwiches, there are meaty small plates and a rotating selection of wines, beers, and well-made cocktails. There are a few tall tables for dining in, or you can get your sandwich to go. Before leaving, stock up on boudin, bacon pralines, and other to-go Cajun delicacies—all much better souvenirs than anything for sale on Bourbon Street.

At Dat Dog, the sprawling stand is painted in primary hues, as if the work had been outsourced to a talented kindergarten class, and the Hawaiian shirt–clad staff bustle about with the enthusiasm of amateur actors staging a musical. The menu is all about hot dogs, and frankfurter options range from standard German wieners to Louisiana alligator sausages. Even fish eaters and vegetarians have options (the apple sage "sausage" is deceivingly meaty). The long list of toppings includes guacamole, wasabi, and andouille sauce. And what goes better with a brat than an ice-cold brew? Luckily, the menu offers an exhaustive list of domestic and international beers. There are additional Dat Dog locations at  3336 Magazine Street and  601 Frenchmen Street.

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.

A rough-edge classic in every way, this no-frills eatery is a prime source for briny, chilled Gulf oysters; legendary shrimp, oyster, and roast-beef po'boys; and tender, expertly seasoned red beans and rice. Even locals can't resist, although most opt for the less crowded, if less charming, suburban branches (there's one in Metairie). Expect lengthy lines here in the French Quarter, often a half-block long. Crowds lighten in the late afternoon, making Acme a choice respite for a mid-afternoon snack of a dozen on the half shell washed down with an Abita beer.

Renovated and under new ownership by famed restauranteur Dickie Brennan, visitors in Audubon Park can eat in an airy dining room overlooking the park's golf course, or relax with a drink on the veranda.

What owner Elizabeth Hess started as a coffee shop and bakery has evolved into a full-on café that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Besides a robust coffee program and baked goods, you'll be able to find well-made salads, cheese plates, sandwiches, and pastas. There is a happy hour every Tuesday to Saturday, from 4 to 6 pm.

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.

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.

Café du Monde has been serving up café au lait and beignets under its signature green awning for more than a century. If the open-air café is crowded, go around back to the take-out window and enjoy your treats on the Mississippi riverfront.

In a quiet corner of the French Quarter, you'll have to look for the quaint Croissant d'Or Patisserie. Once you've found it, you'll understand why locals and visitors return to this colorful pastry shop for French croissants, pies, tarts, and custards, as well as an imaginative selection of soups, salads, and sandwiches. You can get your goodies to go, but try to get a table during the busy breakfast hours for great people-watching. During Carnival season they bake a traditional French-style king cake filled with almond paste. The café is open from 7 am to 3 pm.

Just off Esplanade Avenue, Fair Grinds Coffeehouse is the neighborhood spot for fair-trade coffee, tea, and snacks—including vegan treats. There's an upstairs balcony for alfresco dining, and live music at least twice a week.

This lively neighborhood gathering space is more than just your average corner bar. For example, it streams European soccer games (opening as early as 6 am to do so) and hosts a popular trivia night on Monday. The kitchen serves quality American pub food with the occasionally Irish option thrown in for good measure.

A true neighborhood institution, this friendly breakfast and lunch spot is the perfect place to stop for a cold drink and a delicious carry-out po'boy.

You'll find some of the best locally roasted coffee and espresso drinks in this bright, pint-size space.

Inside this classic gas station–turned–taco shop, meats are spit-roasted and masa is crafted by hand. The casual, open-air space serves counter-service tacos and snacks inspired by Oaxaca and Mexico City, but much of the focus is on the large bar, where seasoned local talents craft rum, mezcal, and tequila-based concoctions. The outdoor seating is expansive, with lush plants.

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 6 pm.

The chefs at this no-frills sandwich stand showcase their creative, globally inspired talents within the traditional French loaf of a po'boy, where you're more likely to see pork belly and smoked salmon on the menu than the typical roast beef and fried seafood standards. What started as a small kitchen in the back of popular Erin Rose bar (where you can still order the sandwiches) is now one of the most reliable places to get a cheap, interesting meal in the Quarter. Vegetarian po'boys, featuring roasted vegetables like sweet potatoes and cauliflower, are a hearty, pleasant surprise. Wash it down with one of the many bottles of local microbrew available at the counter.

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 comforts with local twists: po'boys with chipotle remoulade, Louisiana Blue Crab-stuffed grilled cheese, and duck breast glazed with sweet satsuma.

This bar, courtyard, and dining room is a dog- and family-friendly spot for a margarita, fried seafood, or a southwestern-style snack. The menu pays homage to surfing pioneers with bios and specialty dishes. On weekends, tables are cleared near the bar for impromptu dance parties.

At this neighborhood dive, owner, founder, and cook Chad Barlow puts out The Original Slap Burger---stacked, juicy, griddled burgers dressed with sauce on a toasted brioche bun. After a night of partying, the slap burger is just what the doctor ordered.

This carry-out-only spot closes early (5 pm, except Sunday when it closes at 2 pm), but it's a great place to pick up a large order of fried chicken and sides for a party or group. The chicken is some of the best in the area, and the mac and cheese is also excellent. On a nice day, pick up an order and walk to Bayou St. John for a picnic.

Along with po'boys, you can find just about every type of grilled, fried, and gravied specialty famous in New Orleans here, served with plenty of sides, 24 hours a day. Not everything is the best in town, but the food is cheap and fresh at any hour. Late night, you’ll be in good company among locals coming in for a hot plate.

Tourists and locals line up for solid, if unspectacular, down-home eats at this island of blue-collar sincerity amid downtown's sea of glittery hotels. Mother's dispenses baked ham and roast beef po'boys (ask for "debris" on the beef sandwich and the bread will be slathered with meat juices and shreds of meat), home-style biscuits and jambalaya, and chicken and sausage gumbo in a couple of bare-bones yet charming dining rooms. Breakfast service is a bit slow, but that doesn't seem to repel the hordes fighting for seats at peak mealtimes. Service is cafeteria-style, with a counter or two augmenting the tables.

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.

This is a charming little stop on the way down St. Claude Avenue. The friendly owner can fix you a cappuccino (or a hot-pressed panini), while you decide which flavor of freshly made gelato to choose.

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.