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Alma Café - Bywater, New Orleans, LA

Alma Café - Bywater

4.6
4.6
96 Reviews
$30 and under
Spanish

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2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 15 times today
  • Great for brunch
  • Charming
  • Neighbourhood gem
Owner and Executive Chef Melissa Araujo is a 2024 James Beard Foundation Best Chef Southeast Semifinalist. Alma is an award winning Honduran restaurant located in the historic New Orleans Bywater, just outside the French Quarter.

Alma means soul in Spanish. The menu showcases Chef Melissa Araujo's Honduran heritage and takes each guest on a journey through food and culture. The Soul has many stories to tell; Alma's tale is shared through it's dining experience. From Pollo Chuco, to Bloody Mary's and avocado toast, Alma offers an extensive array of dishes focusing on Honduran Food.

Chef Araujo’s Father was Born in La Ceiba, Honduras and her memories of her childhood are centered around this particular view of the city. The mountains in the back, the ocean, the cool air in my face, my best memories were made in this city. Alma has given me the opportunity to recreate these memories and share them with our guests.

Reservations available Monday- Thursday, Waitlist only on Weekends.

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Spanish, Latin / Spanish, Latin American
  • Hours of Operation
    Breakfast Daily 8:00 am–3:00 pm Lunch Daily 8:00 am–3:00 pm Brunch Daily 8:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Fri 5:00 pm–9:45 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Melissa Araujo
  • Delivery & takeout

What 96 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • New Orleans / Louisiana

    Great for brunch

  • New Orleans

    Great for brunch

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Alma Café in Bywater offers a vibrant culinary journey with "superb" dishes like ceviche and bistec encebollado. Diners rave about the "amazing" food, "great" service, and "charming" atmosphere. Chef Melissa Araujo's authentic Honduran creations captivate guests, making it a must-visit spot for unique flavors and memorable dining experiences.

96 Reviews
  1. Dana VIP

    New Orleans60 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    An amazing meal! Brought our son home from college and he loved it as well.

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  2. Esther VIP

    San Antonio15 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    So glad to have stumbled upon this place while walking through Bywater. This cozy spot has some of the best food and drinks I have tasted in New Orleans. The Adult's French Toast was phenomenal! And I will be thinking about it for days! And the Medicina Por Favor was superb! I will definitely be making a trip back on my next visit!

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  3. Melissa

    New Orleans1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 3 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Went for an early breakfast before the krewe of red beans. Service was 10/10, food came out quick, the plantains and chilaquiles and my aperol spritz were fabulous! Thanks for the hospitality, yall!

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  4. sarilyn VIP

    San Francisco8 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 2 March 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Had a great brunch at Alma. The good was delicious. So many unique choices that I can't wait to come back for lunch

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  5. javonda

    New Orleans1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 16 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food is perfect every time. Perfect cocktails. Flavorful food. All around, my favorite place to eat.

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  6. Baldwin

    New Orleans2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 14 February 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    very delicious food. the seafood omelette, french toast, potatoes and the plantains were all fire. service could’ve been more timely and my tiny table in particular next to a 7 top with kids was a bit noisy for my liking but other than that, great first-time experience. the watermelon acqua fresca goes hard as f*** btw

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  7. Noelle

    New Orleans80 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 9 February 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    Good food but the service was terrible. Over 30 minutes for our drinks is unacceptable. I had to ask for a water refill and she refilled the other glass but not mine. I had to re-request mine to be filled. Nice waitress but not good. Had the crab omelette and French toast. And a mocktail margarita - wouldn’t get that again. I’ve had far better elsewhere.

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  8. Jeff

    Portland43 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 8 February 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    We sat for 15 minutes after receiving menus without anyone coming to offer us coffee or water or anything,. The restaurant was well staffed and it wasn't busy. We were finally able to attract someone's attention and they went in search of our server. Aside from the inattentiveness of the staff, the food was excellent.

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  9. Vanessa VIP

    New Orleans6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 2 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Tortillas are the best in the city. Large portions.

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  10. Marcela

    New York City1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 1 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always delicious. Moved out of town, first spot I go to when I’m in town.

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FAQs

Alma Café - Bywater offers delivery in partnership with Chow Now. Alma Café - Bywater also offers takeaway which you can order by calling the restaurant at (504) 381-5877.

Alma Café - Bywater is rated 4.6 stars by 96 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 15 times today
Google Map for Alma Café - Bywater

800 Louisa St, New Orleans, LA 70117-6737

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Spanish, Latin / Spanish, Latin American
  • Hours of Operation
    Breakfast Daily 8:00 am–3:00 pm Lunch Daily 8:00 am–3:00 pm Brunch Daily 8:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Fri 5:00 pm–9:45 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Melissa Araujo
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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