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  3. Editor’s choice: 12 go-to New Orleans restaurants from our local expert

Editor’s choice: 12 go-to New Orleans restaurants from our local expert

A photo of Red logo
by Beth D'Addono
Updated 09 May 2024

Falling in love with New Orleans happens at every meal. As a food writer who has covered the hospitality, creativity, and quirkiness that is the city’s dining scene for USA Today, AAA Traveler, and more, my love affair continues to grow.

Whether it’s the earthy schmear of pâté in a banh mi sandwich, the briny burst of a raw oyster, or a comforting bowl of pork-studded creamy red beans, the romance is real, and deepens with every mouthful. As New Orleans’s pool of restaurants continue to diversify, flavors from a diaspora of cultures take a seat at the table.

In a city rich with inspired flavors and creative chefs, I can confidently say that these 12 restaurants deliver the goods. These are the New Orleans restaurants I find myself falling for over and over again.

A photo of Cafe Degas restaurant
4.7
4.7 (2966)
$31 to $50
French
Mid-City / City Park
About the restaurant

When I can’t decide between indoor or outdoor dining, I head to this atmospheric, best-of-both-worlds French bistro—there’s a tree reaching through the roof in the middle of the dining room. I’m also here to enjoy onion soup, escargot, and steak frites. But pay attention to specials, too: A recent lamb steak au poivre earned raves, and for those enamored by calves’ liver—you know who you are—the chef’s version sauteed with bacon over grits drizzled with Bordelaise is the gold standard.


Top review
BernardVIP
Dined 4 days ago
This french restaurant never disappoints. It is always a great meal, from theffood, the service, the wine, the atmosphere. All great.
A photo of Pascal's Manale restaurant
4.2
4.2 (3291)
$30 and under
Italian
Uptown
About the restaurant

The first thing you see at Pascal’s Manale is the stand-up oyster bar, a throwback to when the restaurant opened in 1913. Seasoned shucker Thomas “Uptown T” Stewart has been here for more than three decades, and it’s where you go for icy cold bivalves—just one of the many reasons this old-school spot has an army of regulars, set on a certain table, where only a specific server will do. Don’t skip the iconic barbecue shrimp, and keep a loaf of hot French bread close for mopping up every morsel.


Top review
RonVIP
Dined 4 days ago
Wonderful meal, great taste and generous portions
A photo of Atchafalaya Restaurant restaurant
4.9
4.9 (6469)
$31 to $50
Creole / Cajun / Southern
Garden District
About the restaurant

Dining at Atchafalaya feels like going to a dinner party at a close friend’s house. The warm welcome starts at the door, where the owners’ heightened sense of hospitality shines through. Chef Chris Lynch brings fine-dining chops to a menu of modern Creole cuisine. Brunch here is epic, as is the bloody mary bar. Ordering a familiar dish like bread pudding and being surprised by the depth in Atchafalaya’s tres leches version with salted caramel and whipped cream brings me pure joy.


Top review
Geralyn
Dined 3 days ago
Exceptional service, food, and beverages and a great place to celebrate Christmas Eve!
A photo of Good Catch | Thai Urban Bistro restaurant
4.7
4.7 (65)
$31 to $50
Thai
Central Business District
About the restaurant

Chef Aom Srisuk always dreamt of having a seafood-centric Thai restaurant, and that wish came true with the January opening of Good Catch. It’s spacious and airy, with a full bar and a large kitchen equipped for deep-frying whole sea bass, which she serves with a spicy bird chile sauce, citrus, and garlic. Clay-pot glass noodles and Gulf shrimp with bacon, ginger, and mushrooms are another specialty you don’t want to miss at this progressive Thai star.


Top review
BeckiVIP
Dined 3 days ago
What a wonderful Christmas Day dinner experience today! The food & drinks were outstanding, as was the service! Prices are reasonable for the quality of the food! Highly recommend!! Do check out the Lavendar Martini, if that’s your thing!
A photo of Toups Meatery restaurant
4.7
4.7 (2443)
$31 to $50
Cajun
Mid-City / City Park
About the restaurant

Chef Isaac Toups is the best kind of extra—loud and proud and committed to bold flavors and primal cuts of meat. The chef grew up in Cajun country, and those rustic roots inform dishes like lamb neck with braised white beans, crispy turkey necks, and mustard-crusted venison loin. His goal, to recreate the experience of sitting around his family’s table, makes this carnivore feel right at home.


Top review
Gregory
Dined 7 days ago
Food was delicious and service was outstanding! We will definitely go back
A photo of Crescent City Steak House restaurant
4.7
4.7 (1621)
$31 to $50
Steakhouse
Mid-City / City Park
About the restaurant

New Orleanians love their beef. After all, this is the city where powerhouse Ruth Fertel started Ruth’s Chris Steak House in 1965. For many locals, though, it doesn’t get better than bacon-wrapped filet sizzled in butter at Crescent City Steak House. Founded by Croatian immigrant John Vojkovich in 1934, the still-family-owned restaurant was the first to serve slabs of prime aged beef in New Orleans. Servers treat regulars like family, confirming Crescent City’s welcome mat is for all.


Top review
Joana
Dined 3 days ago
The fried onion rings and stuffed mushrooms were so yummy with your martinis. Make room for the grasshopper after dinner cocktail.
A photo of Sun Chong restaurant
4.3
4.3 (509)
$30 and under
Asian
French Quarter
About the restaurant

Sun Chong is a family affair: It’s named for owner Larry Morrow’s Korean grandmother, who still cooks alongside her daughter, Lenora Chong, and chef Christian Green. Plus, the Korean-inspired menu draws from Morrow’s childhood—the bulgogi is his grandma’s recipe. But there are inventive riffs on other Asian flavors I can’t get enough of, too, like the Baco, which stuffs teriyaki beef or fried shrimp into a Chinese bao bun. This vibey spot is another excellent addition to the growing Morrow Group collection.


Top review
Shawn
Dined 1 day ago
Our favorite spot in New Orleans!! We have so many bad dining experiences the week of Christmas and decided to go non-traditional from the creole restaurants. The food was great, service great, seated quickly, ambience great. Nothing to complain about!! LOVES IT!! Will recommend to friends!!
A photo of Lola's restaurant
4.4
4.4 (744)
$30 and under
Spanish
Mid-City / City Park
About the restaurant

The first time I tasted paella in Spain, the similarities to New Orleans jambalaya were indisputable. But there was something—threads of saffron, different seafood in the mix, bomba rice instead of long grain—that made paella special. Lola’s is the best place to conjure that memory. Paellas are made to order, so there’s time for a sizzling skillet of garlic shrimp or a chilled Andalusian almond soup while you wait. Get the combo, packed with meat and seafood; there’s a vegetarian option, too.


Top review
Jack
Dined on 13 Dec 2024
The food was delicious. We ordered the chicken that came in a skillet. Probably the best chicken we have had. The soup was great too. No room for dessert.
A photo of The Grill Room restaurant
4.8
4.8 (1576)
$50 and over
Unspecified
Central Business District
About the restaurant

Classy and sophisticated, The Grill Room promises a splashy dining experience worthy of a marriage proposal. Expect contemporary Louisiana dishes and extraordinary presentations. Executive chef Vlad Kogan and chef de cuisine Alex Kuzin preside over a modern American menu with dishes like seared duck breast with a pomegranate reduction and short-rib pappardelle with a spiced port demi-glace. The $35 lunch special, a main and three sides, is perfection.


Top review
Dawn
Dined 1 day ago
Excellent service! From the hostess to the waitstaff and managers, as well as the valet! There was always someone stopping by to check on our table and making sure we had everything we needed. We always looking forward to having lunch at The Grill Room!
A photo of Peacock Room at The Hotel Fontenot restaurant
4.8
4.8 (773)
$30 and under
Cocktail Bar
Warehouse District
About the restaurant

There is no finer place to woo your beau in New Orleans than the Peacock Room, a drop-dead sexy destination at the Kimpton Hotel Fontenot. Oozing crushed velvet, leather, and feathers, the sultry lounge is an ideal spot to snack on shareables and sip classic cocktails. Chef Sam Peery casts his spell over plates of shrimp and pimento cheese grits and smoky tomato linguine with meatballs. Go on a Thursday for a soundtrack of gorgeous live jazz from husband and wife duo, Da Lovebirds.


Top review
Alice and VicVIP
Dined 3 days ago
Fun vibe. Great cocktails. Servers were personable and attentive. Goat cheese fondue and Braised short ribs were highlights of dinner. A nice Christmas Eve!
A photo of MoPho restaurant
4.3
4.3 (450)
$30 and under
Southeast Asian
Mid-City / City Park
About the restaurant

When former Restaurant August chef Michael Gulotta opened the cheekily named MoPho in 2014, the Southeast Asian-Creole mashup made big waves. He’s a pro at fusing flavors and using local ingredients creatively. Gulotta now has three places, including Maypop and Tana. But MoPho will always be special to me, from the jumbo wings drizzled with lemongrass and Vietnamese ginger fish sauce caramel to the hot honey vindaloo chicken sandwich.


Top review
Lynn
Dined 4 days ago
One of our favorite meals in New Orleans! Delicious and creative food, not heavy, everything fresh, excellent vegetarian options. Loved everything we had: tofu bun, cucumbers, green beans, veg curry, veg pho. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. Our server, Brandi, was very friendly and helpful. Would eat here at least weekly if we lived in town.
A photo of Carmo restaurant
4.7
4.7 (176)
$30 and under
Seafood
Warehouse District
About the restaurant

How much fried food and rich sauces can a body eat? Carmo is the antidote to typically decadent New Orleans food, an oasis of global flavors and sustainably sourced, high-quality ingredients. Chefs Dana Honn and Christina do Carmo Honn are inspired by the latter’s Brazilian roots along with other tropical cuisines, resulting in dishes like broken noodle salad, tiradito, and a vegan take on ceviche. Fresh fruit juices, enjoyed with or without booze, sweeten the deal.


Top review
Patrick
Dined 7 days ago
We were here on the last night before they closed. Sorry to see this restaurant go. We always enjoyed coming here for some great food.
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