Louisiana · best-of list
The 7 Best Restaurants in Louisiana
All 7 restaurants our route editors picked in Louisiana, across 3 destinations, gathered in one list. Expect tables and food stops, spread across 3 destinations.
Our curated picks
7 restaurants in Louisiana, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
French Quarter & Riverfront 3 picks
Antoine's
French Quarter & Riverfront · On our New Orleans New Year's Eve route
Creole dining rooms open since 1840, where oysters Rockefeller were first served.
Tip: Ask to see the back dining rooms full of old Mardi Gras photos.
Photo: Cory Doctorow · CC BY-SA 2.0
Arnaud's
French Quarter & Riverfront · On our New Orleans New Year's Eve route
Creole restaurant from 1918 with shrimp Arnaud, a jazz bistro, and the French 75 bar off the lobby.
Tip: Have a French 75 at the bar before dinner.
Photo: Carlos Pacheco · CC BY 2.0
Galatoire's
French Quarter & Riverfront · On our New Orleans New Year's Eve route
Bourbon Street dining room open since 1905, known for long holiday lunches, shrimp remoulade and souffle potatoes.
Tip: Jackets are required for men at dinner.
Photo: Carnaval.com Studios · CC BY 2.0
New Orleans 3 picks
Café du Monde
New Orleans · On our New Orleans & Gulf Coast route
Open-air coffee stand serving beignets and chicory café au lait since 1862.
Tip: Cash-friendly; the takeout window beats the table line.
Photo: ajay_suresh · CC BY 4.0
Dooky Chase's Restaurant
New Orleans · On our New Orleans & Gulf Coast route
Leah Chase's Tremé restaurant for gumbo and Creole fried chicken.
Tip: Lunch service; get the gumbo and fried chicken.
Photo: Infrogmation · CC BY-SA 4.0
Willie Mae's Scotch House
New Orleans · On our New Orleans & Gulf Coast route
James Beard–honored corner spot famous for crisp fried chicken.
Tip: Expect a line at the Tremé original; go early.
Photo: Krista · CC BY 2.0
Garden District & Uptown 1 pick
Commander's Palace
Garden District & Uptown · On our New Orleans New Year's Eve route
Blue-and-white Victorian restaurant from 1893 in the Garden District, known for its weekend jazz brunch.
Tip: Check holiday hours and book as soon as reservations open.
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the restaurants in Louisiana?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 7 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Louisiana has the most restaurants on this list?
French Quarter & Riverfront and New Orleans lead with 3 each; the other picks are spread across 1 more destination.
More lists for Louisiana
Best restaurants nearby
Destinations on this list
- French Quarter & Riverfront 3 on this list
- New Orleans 3 on this list
- Garden District & Uptown 1 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.