27 Best Restaurants in New Orleans, Louisiana

Nathanial Zimet's gutsy, down-home cooking, a unique blend of Louisiana and contemporary Southern styles, fits right in at its cozy location in a converted Uptown home. The menu here is updated monthly, but it always kicks off with small plates, including every imaginable iteration of grits: as fries, cakes, and even crackers. Large plates pack big flavors—smoked scallops, Wagyu brisket, and whole hog pulled-pork cake all deliver. Try the Krispy Kreme bread pudding, even if you haven't saved room for it. Next door is Bourrée, the restaurant's casual takeout window, specializing in chicken wings, meat-based snacks, and gourmet daiquiris, like the top-shelf Hurricane and frozen gin and tonic.

This eatery wows diners with rustic Italian cooking, a rarity in New Orleans's culinary landscape. In the renovated Roosevelt Hotel—a 19th-century landmark—friendly and knowledgeable waiters happily help patrons with lesser-known ingredients, but it doesn't take a lengthy explanation to know that the fresh pastas and wood-fired pizzas are a must. The restaurant departs from the hotel lobby's historic, gilded decor and opts instead for sleek black walls and chain-link curtains, warmed by jewel-box displays of house-cured meats. From 2 to 5 pm daily, all pizzas and wines are half off, so come hungry. A smaller, more casual PIZZA Domenica has opened Uptown (4933 Magazine Street).

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. Prepare for lengthy waits (two hours at times) in the festive bar for a table in the boisterous, swamp-theme dining rooms (fortunately, the bartenders are fast), but most agree the wait for 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 sauce are among the only-at-Jacques-Imo's specialties. Reservations are required for parties of five or more and not accepted for smaller groups.

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.

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

Dining at Café Degas is like being at a sidewalk café in Paris, even though the restaurant is completely covered: there's a tree growing through the center of the dining room, and the front windows overlook picturesque Esplanade Avenue. The fare here is a mixture of French-bistro cooking and what you might find at a countryside inn—homemade pâtés, onion soup, steamed mussels, steaks, and crème brûlée. Daily specials are always creative and ingenious, and an evening here is inevitably romantic. Every Wednesday and Thursday, diners can enjoy a happy hour, with pâté, cheese, and appetizer and drink specials from 3 to 6 pm.

The rustic interior, reminiscent of 1920s and '30s Louisiana fish camps, is the perfect backdrop for shrimp gumbo, spicy boiled shrimp, fresh Gulf fish, hearty fisherman's stew, and a lemon icebox pie that will make you fall in love with New Orleans all over again. Except for freshwater catfish and Canadian mussels, all the seafood comes from the Gulf of Mexico and often straight from the fishermen. Produce and pork are also local, and salad dressings are homemade. Near Harrah's Casino, Grand Isle is generally packed, but it's worth the wait (which also gives you an excuse to spend some time at the elegant mahogany bar).

The walls here are festooned with enough snapshots, garlic braids, and crockery for at least two more restaurants, but it all just adds to the charm of this cozy Italian-Creole eatery. From Irene DiPietro's kitchen come succulent roast chicken brushed with olive oil, rosemary, and garlic; delicious, velvety soups; and fresh shrimp, aggressively seasoned and grilled before they join linguine glistening with herbed olive oil. Waits here can stretch to the 60-minute mark during peak dinner hours, which is just enough time for a bottle of wine in the convivial little piano bar.

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 small plates with a local twist, like mirlitons (a type of squash) stuffed with cornbread dressing and smothered in an arugula and mushroom Alfredo sauce.

French chic for the budget-minded is the style at this welcoming neighborhood bistro, where during peak hours there might be a half-hour wait for a table. Woven café chairs on the sidewalk and awnings that resemble metro-station architecture evoke the Left Bank of Paris, and the Gallic focus is also evident in dishes like the filet mignon, served with a choice of several classic French sauces. Other good options are the pâté maison, moules-frites, and the lavish dessert crêpes.

The cheese plate is filled with fromage from beloved local cheese shop St. James Cheese Company.

Space is a little tight in the oddly configured dining areas, but the whimsical paintings and profuse greenery combine to create an inviting feel.

Also known as "the pink house," Mandina's has been a neighborhood favorite for locals since 1932. Although this Canal Street fixture has expanded over the years, nothing has diminished the full flavors of the shrimp rémoulade, the crawfish cakes, the turtle soup, or (on Monday) tender red beans with Italian sausage. Excellent étouffée, po'boys, fried seafood, and pastas are also on the menu. And if you're looking for the ideal bar and restaurant to spend a football Sunday in, complete with flat-screen TVs and the iciest beers in town, this is also your place.

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.

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.).

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.

As the restaurant's name might hint, on the menu here you'll find meat, meat, and more meat, from foie gras and charcuterie to a lamb neck with black-eyed-pea salad and tri-tip steak with Bordelaise sauce (even the grilled veggies come with a bacon vinaigrette). 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, or sides of dirty rice. And not everything coming out of the kitchen is meat: they make their own pickles. A second location (Toup's South), with a more modern ambience but the same quality Louisiana cooking, has opened in the Southern Food and Beverage Museum (1504 Oretha Castle Blvd., Central City).

A stalwart neighborhood joint, the age-old College Inn now occupies a newer building after decades in an older, now-razed structure next door. The flat, greasy burgers are still popular, particularly when ordered with french fries and a cold Abita, but the diner fare has been joined by more sophisticated plates. Many of the vegetables come from the restaurant's two neighboring urban gardens. Despite all the updates, you can still get the veal cutlet that's been on the menu since 1933.