Where to eat in New Orleans

1,185 independent restaurants, bakeries and food spots in New Orleans. Chains are left out.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first. Showing the top 40 of 1,185.

Photo: Infrogmation, CC BY-SA 2.5 (licence)

EatLocal restaurantFrench Quarter
Antoine's
Antoine's lays claim to being the oldest same family owned restaurant in the country. Opening in 1840, this French Creole restaurant is where Oysters Rockefeller was invented in the 1890s -- and the only restaurant where the original authentic Oysters Rockefeller can be eaten, as the recipe is a closely guarded secret. Your waiter is your guide here; treat them well and ask their recommendations. Before dining, ask your server for a tour of the historic restaurant. There are more than 15 dining rooms, all of which reek of tradition and are steeped in history. Make sure to take a peek down the vast and cavernous wine cellar, which can take the breath away from a true wine lover. Antoine's has opened a beautiful new bar. Step off of St. Louis and step into history.
Mon-Sat 11:30AM-2PM and 5:30-9PM, Sun 11AM-2PM
EatRestaurantFrench Quarter
Galatoire's
Classic Creole on Bourbon Street. Despite being in the tourist strip of Bourbon Street, locals do eat here. For the true experience, wait in line for the downstairs dining room (reservations can be made for the upstairs room, but locals don't eat there), and refuse the menu when you're seated. Let your waiter know your tastes and let him feed you.
Tue-Sat 11:30AM-10PM, Sun noon-10PM · Wheelchair accessible
EatCrepe restaurantFrench Quarter
Mr. B's Bistro
Storied, elegant restaurant whose signature dish is the (non-grilled) BBQ shrimp.
Mon-Sat 11:30AM-9PM, Sun 10:30AM-9PM
EatRegional restaurantFrench Quarter
Brennan's
One of the famous local traditions; fine Creole cuisine, known for their gourmet breakfasts. Ask to sit in the courtyard, on the balcony, or in one of the upstairs rooms. Be sure to try the Bananas Foster, which was invented here. Great for upscale New Orleans breakfast.
Mon-Fri 9AM-1PM and 6-9PM, Sat Sun 9AM-2PM and 6-9PM
EatAmerican restaurantFrench Quarter
Sylvain
Opened in 2010; quality food and drink in a beautiful Spanish Colonial era building.
Fr,Sa 10:30-24:00, Su 10:30-22:00, Mo-Th 16:00-23:00 · Limited wheelchair access · Outdoor seating · Vegetarian options
EatRegional restaurantFrench Quarter
Tujague's
Pronounced "two jacks"; despite the weird spelling, it's been here since 1856 so they must be doing something right. The locals swear by it.
daily 5-10PM · Built 1856 · Wheelchair accessible
EatRestaurantFrench Quarter
French Market Restaurant and Bar
Serves boiled crawfish and other down-home delicacies. Happy hour M-F 3-5PM with raw oysters $.50 each. Has downstairs restaurant and balcony seating upstairs.
10:00-22:00 · Limited wheelchair access · Built 1803
EatRestaurantUptown
Commander's Palace
One of the most highly regarded traditional upscale restaurants.
Limited wheelchair access
EatCentral City
Cafe Reconcile
Reconcile is one part tasty Creole restaurant and one part social work—the mission is to train 16-22 year-olds from the neighborhood for a career in the restaurant industry, by giving them experience and instruction for serving and line cooking. So you'll be eating well and feeling good about where your money is going. The interior is a really nice bright place to hang out too. For dessert, you must try their award-winning Bananas Foster Bread Pudding.
Mon-Fri 11AM-2:30PM · $8-16 · Wheelchair accessible
EatBywater
Markey's Bar
Great pub food in what can only be described as a standard, classic neighborhood bar (with a few microbrews on tap). Big juicy burgers, fresh salads, and the best wings in the neighborhood. Daily specials and crawfish on Fridays (in season).
Mon-Thu 2-10PM, Fri Sat noon-10PM · $7-18 · Outdoor seating
EatRestaurantCentral Business District
Palace Cafe
French Creole, noted for the seafood and duck dishes, and the luscious white chocolate bread pudding.
11:30AM-10PM daily. Limited menu from 2:30-5:30PM · Limited wheelchair access
EatRestaurantFrench Quarter
Remoulade
A casual spin-off of Arnaud's where you can try their famous Caesar salad dressing and the eponymous remoulade without wearing a jacket and tie. Same shrimp remoulade and gumbo as the main restaurant for a lower price.
daily 11:30AM-midnight · Limited wheelchair access
EatBarbecue restaurantBywater
The Joint
Excellent down home barbecue with a casual, wooden picnic table-style dining room. If you are trying to decide between Bywater BBQ and the Joint, they are both great; it's a matter of preference between the Joint's dryer style and Bywater BBQ's more wet slabs. Aim first for the ribs and the pulled pork, but really everything is great here.
Mon-Sat 11:30AM-9PM · $7-21 · Outdoor seating
EatRegional restaurantTremé
Willie Mae's
The sign above the front door says "Willie Mae's Restaurant", but everyone calls it "Willie Mae's Scotch House" — no, not Scotch food; the name is from when the place started out as a bar generations ago, specializing in a drink made with milk and scotch. No booze served now; just a limited delicious menu of soul food, including fried chicken and smothered pork chops with sides such as red beans, butter beans, or french fries. They are so well loved that chefs and food fans from near and far chipped in to help them rebuild and reopen after this family-owned restaurant flooded in the Katrina disaster of 2005. Lunch M-Sa, no reservations, cash only. Drive or take a cab to and from here.
Mon-Sat 11AM-3PM · $12-25 · Takeaway
EatRestaurantFrench Quarter
Court of Two Sisters
A place for daily brunch (with a live jazz combo) and post-night out hangover cures; beautiful courtyard.
9AM-3PM and 5:30-10PM daily · Wheelchair accessible
EatRestaurantBywater
Elizabeth's
This is a real local favorite, particularly for breakfast/brunch. Creole and southern food dominates the menu, which combines with friendly service and a cute setting to make for a nice meal any time of day, though. If you have a sweet tooth, don't skip the praline bacon!
Tue-Fri 11AM-2:30PM, 6-10PM; Sat 8AM-2:30PM, 6-10PM; Sun 8AM-2:30PM · $12-28 · Outdoor seating
EatDiner restaurantFrench Quarter
Johnny's Po-Boys
Lunch counter with some eat-in tables; one of the largest po-boy menus around. Excellent breakfast biscuit sandwich!
Mon-Thu 8AM-3PM, Fri-Sun 8AM-4:30PM · Takeaway
EatCajun & creole restaurantFrench Quarter
Coop's Place
You can get good Cajun food at a really good price here. Locals favorite. Best fried chicken in the city! Patrons must be 21 or older to enter due to the presence of video poker machines.
Sun-Thu 11AM-3AM, Fri Sat 11AM-4AM · $10-15 · Wheelchair accessible
EatIndian restaurantFrench Quarter
Green Goddess
Small restaurant tucked away on a side street serving creative dishes. Opened in 2009 and quickly became a favorite with local foodies. A few years later it's certainly been "discovered"; try to go there sometime other than the busiest days and not during the busiest dinner hours to avoid long waits for a table.
Wed-Sun 11AM-9PM · Vegan options
EatRestaurantFrench Quarter
Bayona
Incredible French/Euro/NOLA food by esteemed chef, Susan Spicer. Fabulous wine selections. Many locals' favorite. Must RSVP.
Mon Tue 6-11PM, Wed-Sat 11:30AM-2PM and 6-11PM
EatAfrican restaurantFrench Quarter
Bennachin
African food. Good lunch specials. Many vegetarian and vegan options.
Sun-Thu 11AM-9PM, Fri Sat 11AM-10PM
EatRegional restaurantTremé
Dooky Chase
Dooky Chase is right up there with Willy Mae's below, vying for the status of most famous soul food restaurant in the city. The chicken, unsurprisingly, is a star on the menu, but for something more interesting, try the shrimp Clemenceau. Dooky Chase has fallen on tough times following Katrina, when the owners were forced to live in a FEMA trailer, and the opening times reflect the difficulty of getting the business going again in a now depopulated neighborhood. Call ahead, since their hours are as unpredictable as the rain--they might be open when you don't expect, or closed during regular hours.
Tue-Fri 11AM-3PM, Fri-Sat 5:30PM-9PM · $12-25
EatItalian restaurantMid-City and Esplanade Ridge
Liuzzas
New Orleans-style down-home Italian with a Creole touch. No credit cards.
Tue-Sun 11AM-10PM
EatRegional restaurantFrench Quarter
NOLA
Very good, run by chef Emeril Lagasse, not quite as pricey as his namesake restaurant in the Central Business District, and not as severe a dress code.
Mon-Wed 6-10PM, Thu-Sun 11:30AM-2PM and 6-10PM
EatRestaurantFrench Quarter
Port of Call
Awesome, huge burgers and loaded baked potatoes. Potent drinks, parrot-head juke box. Lil slice of paradise.
Sun-Thu 11AM-midnight, Fri Sat 11AM-1AM
EatFrench Quarter
Rampart Treehouse
Pizza Slice Bar that serves a rich pizza menu, art, cocktails, and beer. Our space is covered from floor to ceiling in artwork that is from artists from around the globe.
1PM-1AM · $3-30
EatRestaurant7th, 8th, and Upper 9th Wards
Sammy's Food Service & Deli
A rough neighborhood, but some of the best cheap food in the city. Garlic roast beef po' boys, greasy diner breakfasts done right, crawfish, burgers, fried seafood, etc. It's as far from upscale as you can get, but it's dearly beloved—expect long lines around lunchtime.
Mon-Thu 7AM-5PM, Fri 7AM-7PM, Sat 7AM-4PM · $5-13
EatItalian restaurantFaubourg Marigny
Adolfo's
Cozy, slightly quirky yet charming Italian. Let the waiters guide you to the nightly specials.
5:30PM-10:30PM daily
EatRestaurantBywater
Country Club
Upscale and stylish American cuisine at great prices, with dining in a beautiful old dining room or on the veranda overlooking the pool. It's a great brunch place. Gay and straight friendly private club and pool in rear, where you can sip cocktails in the jacuzzi into the night (note that it becomes clothing optional).
Restaurant: Sun-Thu 11AM-9PM, Fri Sat 11AM-10PM, Sun 11AM-3PM · $10-25
EatRestaurantUptown
Sucré
Artisan gelato, cakes, chocolates and pastries prepared daily by an award winning team of pastry chefs.
Mo-Su 08:00-22:00
EatSandwich shopCentral City
Philly's Cafe
Solid Philly cheesesteaks in a town where a good cheesesteak is hard to come by.
$4-8
EatRestaurantMid-City and Esplanade Ridge
Ralph's On The Park
Highly regarded Contemporary Louisiana cuisine in a renovated 1860s tavern building.
EatRestaurantFrench Quarter
Arnaud's
Another of the great old French Quarter classics.
Mon-Thu 6PM-10PM, Fri Sat 6-10:30PM, Sun 10AM-2:30PM and 6-10PM
EatFrench Quarter
Cafe du Monde
Serves coffee and beignets. The cafe has been a local landmark since the 19th century and is across the street from St Ann St, which faces Jackson Square. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the cafe was open 24 hours daily. It often attracted long lines and crowds of locals and tourists during both the day and night. After a temporary shutdown at the beginning of the pandemic, the cafe has since reopened.
8am-8pm daily
EatItalian restaurantFrench Quarter
Italian Barrel
Good Northern Italian cuisine in a city where Southern Italian is dominant. Small place; either make reservations or try to catch them off peak hours.
11AM-10PM daily
EatSushi restaurantFaubourg Marigny
Wasabi
Excellent sushi and Japanese cuisine. Good selection of sakes.
Sun-Thu 11:30AM-10PM, Fri-Sat 11:30AM-11:30PM
EatDelicatessenFrench Quarter
Central Grocery
Old Italian-American grocery sandwich shop, famous for their enormous muffuletta sandwiches originated by this family in 1910. One is enough to feed four hungry people! Order 1/2 to start for 2 people!
Tue-Sat 9AM-5PM
EatCajun & creole restaurantCentral Business District
Restaurant August
Renowned chef John Besh's signature restaurant featuring Contemporary French with a focus on local ingredients. Menu balances seafood, fowl and meat. Try either the 5 course tasting or the John Besh "Degustation" menu which changes nightly.
Mon-Fri 11AM-2PM and 5-10PM, Sat Sun 5-10PM
EatFaubourg Marigny
Flora Gallery and Coffee Shop
Ultra-funky coffeehouse with light fare, as well as poetry readings, board games, and the like.
7:30AM-midnight daily
EatFrench Quarter
CC's Coffee House
Lower Quarter
The lower French Quarter branch of a small local chain. Great iced coffee drinks for hot days.
daily 7AM-9PM

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to New Orleans (CC BY-SA 4.0). Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Place data from Overture Maps.