Bon Appetit: Best Places To Eat In New Orleans, Louisiana

places to eat in new orleans
Tabassum
Tabassum 
Updated
| 3 min read

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States is a port city by the Mississippi River. It holds the title of being the largest city and metropolitan area in Louisiana. New Orleans is world-famous for its unique and flavorful cuisine. That is because the food in this glorious city was developed from centuries of bringing together the local Creole, haute Creole, and New Orleans French cuisines. Local ingredients, French, Spanish, Italian, African, Native American, Cajun, Chinese, and a hint of Cuban traditions combine to produce a truly unique and easily recognizable Louisiana flavor, which has been and is still used in home cooking.

There are so many great restaurants in New Orleans, so it is hard to choose only a few, but I tried my best. Here is a list of restaurants to check out in New Orleans!

1. Commander’s Palace

2009-0301-NOLA-001-CommandersPalace
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Bobak Ha'Eri used under CC BY 3.0

This stunning restaurant is where you will find the famous turtle soup, which is a stew-like dish that gets its kick from dry sherry and Tabasco sauce. Other great dishes to try include: Shrimp and Tasso Henican, Braised Pork Belly, Lacquered Quail, Pecan-Crusted Gulf Fish and Bread Pudding Soufflé. It is a place not just worth eating in, but also a great place to hold events due to its breathtaking décor inside and outside. This restaurant is a very formal, fine dining restaurant. Complimentary valet service is offered and it requires a dress code.

Commander's Palace

Address: 1403 Washington Ave, New Orleans, Louisiana

Opening Hours: Lunch: Monday - Friday 11:30 am - 1:30 pm, Dinner: Open for dinner Monday - Sunday. Service begins at 6:00 pm or 6:30 pm and the last seating varies on the season. Please call the restaurant for specific times. Jazz Brunch: Featuring a special menu and Live New Orleans Jazz by the Joe Simon’s Jazz Trio Saturday 11:00 am - 1:00 pm, Sunday 10:00 am - 1:30 pm Restaurant Closed: Christmas Day and Mardi Gras Day

Access: Commander’s Palace is nestled in the heart of the historic New Orleans Garden District, just steps from the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line

Contact: +1 5048998221

Website: Commander’s Palace

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2. Café Du Monde

CafeDuMonde-FacingEastfromDacatur
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Jeremykemp used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Whenever someone I know visits New Orleans, I always suggest that they stop at Café Du Monde and have some French-style fritters called beignets. They are basically square pieces of dough that are fried to crispy perfection and generously topped with powdered sugar. Keep a napkin handy since the portion of sugar is so generous, you are most likely to get it on your clothes or body. Also, be sure to pair the beignets with a delightful café au lait that is made with dark roasted coffee and chicory.

This was a place I just had to stop at when I was in New Orleans. I have brought many friends and family here and the place never disappoints. A truly interesting fact is that Cafe Du Monde is French for “Café of the World” or “the People’s Café”

Café Du Monde

Address: 800 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116, USA

Price: from 3.59 USD

Opening Hours: Open 24 hours

Website: Café Du Monde

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3. Drago's

When you need a little Monday motivation, look no further than a dozen delicious new friends.

Posted by Drago's Seafood Restaurant on Monday, 6 March 2017

New Orleans has some of the best Gulf Coast seafood in the world. At Drago’s, you will find the best and freshest charbroiled oysters. I say best and freshest since the restaurant’s own fishermen select the freshest oysters, which are then directly taken from the dock to the restaurant. The chefs then cook the oysters over a hot grill in sauce that contains garlic and butter. Last, the oysters are dusted with parmesan and romano cheese to provide the best and freshest food directly to you.

Drago's

Address: 2 Poydras St, New Orleans, LA

Opening Hours: 11:00 am-10:00 pm

Access: Located inside the Hilton New Orleans Riverside

Contact: +1 5045843911

Website: Drago’s

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4. Pascal’s Manale Restaurant

Posted by Pascal's Manale Restaurant on Tuesday, 25 October 2016

This is a family owned restaurant that has been in business for more than a century now. Its cuisine consists of Creole Italian dishes, but interestingly, it was the BBQ shrimp that put it on the map in the 1950s. To be honest, the shrimp is not barbecued. It is called BBQ shrimp because that is the color that results from being cooked in the mouthwatering peppery butter sauce, which gives it its flavor. Needless to say, it is this dish that tourists and locals alike come in to enjoy.

Pascal’s Manale Restaurant

Address: 1838 Napoleon Ave., New Orleans, LA

Opening Hours: Open all day Monday through Friday from 11:30 am. Open Monday-Friday for Lunch and Dinner, Saturday for Dinner only at 5:00 pm, and closed on Sundays. Reservations are recommended. Closing hours are subject to change. Please call for more information.

Contact: +1 5048954877

Website: Pascal’s Manale Restaurant

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5. Shaya

Decisions, decisions. 📸: @msalvie

Posted by Shaya on Thursday, 1 December 2016

This is an Israeli/Middle Eastern restaurant that brings a warm and welcoming approach to the dining culture, which is inspired by Chef Alon Shaya’s Israeli upbringing. It is the homemade warm wood-fired pita that people cannot stop raving about. Many of the dishes on the menu like falafels, kebabs and baba ganoush are meant to be shared. The delicious food here represents a country that is rich in its cuisine as well as its culture. Shaya is a perfect example of two cultures mixing that makes for a delicious and tasty meal.

Shaya

Address: 4213 Magazine Street, New Orleans, Louisiana

Opening Hours: Sunday - Thursday, Lunch: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm and Dinner: 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm. Friday and Saturday, Lunch: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm and Dinner: 4:00 pm - 11:00 pm.

Contact: +1 5048914213

Website: Shaya

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Enjoy your New Orleans food

There is so much good and fresh food in New Orleans that it is hard to decide where to eat. It was hard to narrow them down, but the 5 places I mentioned are excellent. As a matter of fact, I wish I were in New Orleans right now. I would have tried each one. Do try them out and enjoy every bite of whatever you eat because I know you will.

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Tabassum Rahmani, a technical writer born and raised in the United States to Indian parents, boasts over a decade of writing experience. She has a passion for sharing her life's adventures and...Read more

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