New Orleans is a city full of cuisine that is influenced by Cajun, Creole, French, Italian, and Southern Soul origins, resulting in a wide range of delicious gastronomical hits. For example, popular American icons like beignets, po boys, bananas foster, and muffuletta sandwiches were invented in New Orleans.

We loved the variety of food everywhere in New Orleans and are excited to showcase all the best places to eat in New Orleans:

One of the coolest restaurants in New Orleans - dine underneath a jubilant painting of Lil Wayne who’s holding a decadent Mile High dessert that you absolutely must order. In fact, everything on the menu here is on point and quite delicious. It’s so good they won USA Today’s #1 ranking for the best hotel restaurant in the nation!

Recommendations:

Calamari Cucumber Radish Salad

Fried Chicken Parmesan

Fettuccine Nero

Mile High Pie

Almost Elvis

Pretty much a New Orleans institution when it comes to brunch, this is a must if you’re in the French Quarter on the weekend. The interior is stunning with beautiful pastel colors, artwork, and fancy furniture. The excellent service matches the delicious food as well!

Recommendations:

Brandy Milk Punch

Beet Cured Salmon

Eggs Sardou

Eggs St. Charles

Strawberry Crepes Fitzgerald

Located inside the stunning Ace Hotel, which is an original 1928 Art Deco building, the extra roomy and beautifully decorated Josephine Estelle is a visual and literal feast. The James Beard-nominated chefs focus on Italian food with a southern twist. It was one of the best meals we had on the whole trip here!

Recommendations:

Fried Brussel Sprout Salad

JE Fried Chicken

Arancini Cacio E Pepe

Pork Porterhouse

You can’t come to New Orleans without trying an authentic Po Boy. Domilise’s is a local favorite for Po Boys and has been around for over 100 years! It’s easy to miss - just look for the hand-painted sign and locals milling about eating their sandwiches.

Recommendations:

Surf & Turf (Roast Beef and Shrimp)

Catfish

Roast Beef

Beignets, a long-standing symbol of New Orleans, were brought to the area by French colonists who migrated from Canada. Over time, it became one of the official desserts of the city, and why not - it’s addictive and fun to eat!

Cafe Beignet in the French Quarter has an adorable storefront and I actually prefer the texture of their beignets over the more famous Cafe du Monde cafe.

Recommendations:

Beignets

Cafe au lait (coffee with milk)

Located in an old church, the Elysian Bar is one of the most enchanting spaces in all of New Orleans. On certain nights they have live music such as harp, piano, and singers. The acoustics of the space add to the magical ambiance of it all.

Recommendations:

Grilled Beef Shoulder Tender

Sweet Potato Sticky Pudding

With one of the best outdoor balcony dining views in the city, Tableau serves up delicious French-Creole cuisine in the heart of the French Quarter. They specialize in seafood so make sure to pick something with shrimp or fish for one of your dishes.

Recommendations:

Brown Butter Gnocchi

BBQ Shrimp and Grits

Grilled Pork Chop

Creme Brûlée

One of the best places in Louisiana and perhaps USA for Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches - they won a James Beard award for their Vietnamese food! The highlight here is for sure their excellent Banh Mi sandwiches that have perfectly made bread with generous fillings of pate, cold cuts, and pickled vegetables.

Recommendation:

The Banh Mi sandwiches (James Beard award winning!)

Another great choice while perusing Magazine Street, this extremely photogenic restaurant is taking Creole cuisine to modern heights. Make sure to get the blue crab beignets, gulf shrimp & grits, and turtle bolognese.

Recommendations:

Blue Crab Beignets

Gulf Shrimp & Grits

Turtle Bolognese

It’s not every day that I find myself recommending a hot dog/sausage establishment, but Dat Dog had delicious things like Crawfish Etouffee Hot Dogs and Alligator sausage! The fries here are also quite amazing! They also serve cod sandwiches and vegan options.

Recommendations:

Crawfish Etouffee Hot Dog

Seasoned Fries

One of the best pralines in New Orleans, they are a magical blend of milk, butter, sugar, and pecans that taste just right. But one of the real sleepers here is the praline beignets, which are flaky and croissant-like. I thought they were better than all the beignets in New Orleans actually!

Recommendations:

Praline Beignets

Praline

Sweet Potato Cookie

In a city full of great Vietnamese and Banh Mi sandwiches, this laid back cafe was a pleasant surprise. The owner clearly knows what he’s doing when it comes to Vietnamese food and cares very much about the quality of the food. We loved our Banh Mi sandwiches and beef pho bowl so much! The bread of the Banh Mi was perfectly airy and crunchy with just the right amount of fillings. The brisket in the beef pho was so tender that it melted in our mouths!

Recommendation:

Grilled Lemongrass Pork Banh Mi

Rare Steak & Brisket Pho

One of the most famous Po Boy establishments in New Orleans - if you have the time to swing by Mid City you have to stop by Parkway Tavern. Even Obama had a Poboy here! You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu here but I’d recommend getting the fried shrimp or the roast beef with gravy! If you can’t decide you can always get the surf n turf which is both shrimp and roast beef!

Recommendation:

Fried Shrimp

Roast Beef with Gravy

Surf n Turf

Easily one of the most recognizable cafes in the Big Easy, the French Quarter location is usually packed with tourists and locals alike. The line moves swiftly, usually to live music played by super talented jazz buskers. The beignets run about $3 for a 3 pack covered with powdered sugar.

Recommendations:

Beignets

Cafe Au Lait

This legendary fried chicken spot is one of the most revered in all of New Orleans and has lines forming outside before the restaurant opens for lunch. The chicken is incredibly juicy, flavorful, and not that greasy! Make sure to grab a side of red beans and rice along with some cornbread muffins!

Recommendations:

Fried Chicken

Willie Mae Sandwich

Red Beans and Rice

Cornbread Muffin

Located in a beautiful mansion turned into a hotel, the restaurant at The Chloe serves up Creole food with a light fusion twist. There is a beautiful outdoor seating area along with a roomy porch. The servers are incredibly informed about everything on the menu and can give great recommendations. We were pleasantly surprised by how great the Twin Stack Burger was - it’s such a classic American dish but they pulled it off perfectly. The Ice Cream Sandwich is another can’t miss.

Recommendations:

Shrimp Étouffée Dumplings

Twin Stack Burger

Ice Cream Sandwich

In one of the most beautiful settings in all of New Orleans, Cavan serves up Southern food with a Creole flair to it. Make sure to arrive early so you can check out all the beautiful rooms on both floors. Ask the bartender for recommendations for the latest infusion or cocktail.

Recommendations:

Sazerac Striped Bass Amandine

Chili Crab Lettuce Wraps

With a great outdoor balcony facing Magazine Street, Gris-Gris is a welcoming restaurant with an open kitchen serving up comfort food dishes like Oyster BLT, Mom’s Chicken & Dumplings, and Shrimp & Grits. Make sure to get one of their refreshing cocktails like the Watermelon Juju.

Recommendations:

Oyster BLT

Chicken and Andouille Gumbo

Watermelon Juju

Be whisked away to France in this airy two story cafe that is housed in a stately former bank building. It’s full of a mix of students and locals enjoying the ambiance of the cafe usually.

Recommendation:

Latte

Treme Bagel Sandwich

If you get the hunger pangs while shopping on Magazine Street, make sure to stop by Insta-famous The Vintage for some delicious beignets, truffle fries, and some coffee. There are many photo-worthy spots inside as well!

Recommendations:

Fancy Beignet Flight

Truffle Fries

Beignet & Sawmill Gravy

If you’re in the French Quarter and in the need of a delicious, fully loaded Po Boy - look no further than Nola Poboys! Everything is made fresh with that New Orleans love. We especially recommend the Who Dat which is a Po Boy with fried shrimp covered with crawfish bisque!

Recommendation:

Who Dat Po Boy

Situated in a beautiful, airy building - this market has a nice selection of restaurants and vendors serving everything from fresh seafood, bubbly drinks, and fancy grilled cheese sandwiches.

A stunning food hall in the Warehouse District and sister to St Roch Market, you’ll find a wide variety of food ranging from oysters, poke bowls, empanadas, and delicious cocktails. The stunning Mayhew bar is the centerpiece of the whole market.

Originally founded in New Orleans back in 1972, it’s worth visiting one of the Popeyes in the city for some delicious fried chicken, red beans and rice, or one of the new chicken or fish sandwiches. Just don’t expect a model of efficiency at any of the Popeyes in the city!

Recommendation:

Fried Chicken

Red Beans n Rice

Buttermilk Biscuit

Chicken Sandwich

Flounder Sandwich