Hot Restaurants in New Orleans
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
credit: Jef Poskanzer
There are a whole lot of reasons that you might be drawn to travel to New Orleans. The most well-known of these is, of course, the New Orleans nightlife scene – especially during Mardi Gras! But you may also go to New Orleans for reasons as diverse as business conferences, a desire to explore the rich history of the area or an urge to assist in rebuilding the city’s tourist economy after the disaster of Hurricane Katrina. You probably won’t go there specifically to sample the local dining opportunities. However, you have to eat when you’re on the go and you’ll quickly discover that New Orleans has a whole lot of hot restaurants to satiate that appetite of yours.
New Orleans Regional Foods
There are all different types of foods available at New Orleans restaurants. However, there are specific foods that are particularly popular in the area. There are a few different ways to define these foods but they basically fall under a category known as Louisiana Creole. The specific dishes popular in the area include gumbo, jambalaya, red beans and rice, Po’Boy sandwiches, beignets and anything Cajun. Following are some of the best New Orleans restaurants for these types of dishes:
• Antoine’s – This restaurant is practically a New Orleans landmark. Located in the famous French Quarter, it is cited s being the oldest family-run restaurant in the country. The ambiance is unique; fourteen different dining rooms are each decorated in different ways. But when it boils down to it what you’ll find here is good old-fashioned Louisiana fare.
• Brennan’s – There are a few different reasons that people in New Orleans know about Brennan’s. It’s a French Quarter restaurant serving good Louisiana food so that’s gained it some attention. But it’s also a restaurant that’s been featured on the television show Ghost Hunters because it’s reportedly haunted. If you want to experience some mystery with your meal, this could be your spot.
• Coop’s Place – This restaurant is famous for its local food. However, you’re going to have a tough time deciding between the gumbo and the jambalaya because it’s said that both are the best in the city.
• Galatoire’s – This Louisiana French restaurant is over one hundred years old so it’s a place where you can dine amidst a wealth of New Orleans history.
• Napolean House – People who are in New Orleans and on the prowl for that famous jambalaya will want to grab a lunchtime dish at this bar and restaurant.
credit: OctopusHat
New Orleans Fine Dining
Although there are some terrific restaurants serving up the local Louisiana dishes, that’s not all that you’re going to find when dining out in New Orleans. If you’re interested in other fine dining options that perhaps provide more traditional tastes, the following restaurants offer some of your best bets:
• Andrea’s – This modern restaurant is good for the individual who wants to sample some of the local flavors without going full-on into a Louisiana Creole meal. The basic menu is straight out of Northern Italy but some of the dishes have a Creole twist that just hints at the local flavor without overwhelming the plate’s Italian roots.
• Bayona – You can go here for the meal or you can go here for the ambience. In either case, the other will surprise you. The food here is an interesting flavor that melds together Mediterranean and Asian influences to create a fusion style that is fairly unique. And the setting of this meal is in a two-hundred-year-old Louisiana cottage where history is right at your fingertips.
• Bourbon House – Don’t let the name fool you; this is more of a fine dining seafood restaurant than a local watering hole. The oyster bar is a favorite of this place but there are many different types of items on the menu. It’s affiliated with a steakhouse in the area owned by the same chef so if you like it then you might want to check out the other spots he operates.
• Emeril’s – It’s hard to make your reservations at a well-known celebrity chef restaurant when you know that there are so many great family-owned restaurants in New Orleans but this one is worth making an exception for. The famous chef here takes the local tastes and does creative things with them to create dishes that you are simply not going to find anywhere else. And since it’s the first one of his famous restaurants, it has a little bit of fun history to its name.
• Feelings Café – There is something unique about New Orleans that you can’t quite put your finger on and it has to do with the historical romance that fills the city. Despite modern building and rebuilding, New Orleans retains a kind of charm that can only be equated with an ancient way of life when times were simpler and relationships more profound. That’s the exact feeling that will be captured at this appropriately named restaurant. Try to go during nice weather so that you can enjoy the elaborate outdoor patio seating that makes this place even more perfect.
• Irene’s Cuisine – There is an interesting taste to be discovered at this fine dining establishment. It’s mostly Italian but it’s got hints of southern French flavor that infuse the food with a richer taste. Although many restaurants in New Orleans could be called romantic, this one takes the cake as a French Quarter spot that appeals to people in New Orleans on honeymoons or wild affairs.
• La Crepe Nanou – There is something to be said for a traditional French Louisiana bistro that doesn’t put an exorbitant price on the delectable dishes that it serves. You can say that something all you like about this restaurant where low prices are not equated with a cheap setting or a lack of quality in the food. For the foodie on a budget, this is the kind of restaurant that provides New Orleans style without the tourist cost.
• Restaurant August – Like Emeril’s, this is a restaurant operated by a well-known chef who has multiple establishments. That doesn’t limit the quality of this on spot though. In addition to having great food, it’s located in a unique section of New Orleans – The Warehouse District – where you can get away from the tourism and see some more of the city.
• Upperline – This is an interesting restaurant because it makes the “top restaurants” lists on a consistent basis and yet tends to remain under the radar of the average New Orleans tourist. It’s not as flashy as some of its competition but its food is always tasty. If you’re looking for an upscale restaurant that could best be described as “classy” then you’ll want to set your sights on this one.
Supporting New Orleans Restaurants
Dining out in New Orleans these days is about more than just getting a good meal. Sure, you’re going to enjoy some great food – be it Louisiana Creole or something more traditional – but you’re also going to support a good cause. New Orleans is built upon its tourist economy and it has suffered greatly since the hurricane. By supporting the restaurants that are feeding both locals and residents, you help to rebuild that community and bring the life back into its meals.
Print This Post
Email This Post
RSS Feed
Post a comment