The 10 best restaurants in New Orleans’ French Quarter, according to the experts
Get ready for more eating than sleeping with our experts’ top 10 picks.
You’re in New Orleans for the food and drink with a large side dish of local music. Discover the French Quarter’s best restaurants, with flavors to keep you jazzed all night long.
With more restaurants per square block than any other New Orleans neighborhood, here are our experts’ top French Quarter finds.
Get swept away by Chef Susan Spicer’s inventive, locally-sourced delights inside what Forbes Travel Guide calls a “jewel of a restaurant tucked into a 200-year-old Creole cottage,” a restaurant that’s been a local staple for a quarter of a century.
“The best drinks in New Orleans,” according to Bon Appetit, are served in this classic Creole institution. Eating somewhere else? Stop by the beautiful James Beard Award-winning bar for a French 75 or another crafty creation.
“Friday lunch is the best time to visit,” says Lonely Planet, and we agree. Men will wear jackets, and ladies will wear their fanciest Friday frock for long lunches filled with champagne and fine Creole fare.
Open 24 hours a day for your fried, sugar-topped needs since 1962, Cafe Du Monde’s menu is simple: chicory coffee and square-shaped beignets. It’s perfect any time of day, but Fodor’s says “the most magical time to go is just before dawn, before the bustle begins.”
The birthplace of bananas foster, invented here in 1951, still fires it up tableside, so save room at this elegant establishment, where Frommer’s says “the terrific chef twists Creole classics into updated plates of newfound awesome.”
The ultimate local brunch spot means pancakes with ice cream and Eggs Stella, cornmeal-crusted soft shell crabs atop poached eggs with Creole hollandaise, says Travel + Leisure. We’re fans of the soft shell crab poor boy sandwich, too, and we someday hope to save enough room for a milkshake.
The Times-Picayune says Chef Alex Harrell’s gastropub “pairs skilled but (usually) unpretentious cooking with the loose-collar sensibilities of a saloon,” located in an 18th century landmarked building along historic Jackson Square.
Come for the fried chicken and gumbo, and stay for the company at what DK Eyewitness calls “the hidden gem of the Quarter.” It’s always a raucous good time at Coop’s, with affordable, hearty eats that bring lines out the door.
You’re on Bourbon Street, and you need your fuel. There’s always room for a huge burger, right? Follow the wisdom of Frommer’s and stop by for “a dripping half-pound monster of a burger, served with a loaded baked potato.”
Tie your bib in place with pride at this classic New Orleans bistro known for its BBQ peel-and-eat shrimp, a rich, decadent delight. Come for the busy lunch hour, when the place is packed with tourists and businessmen alike for a seriously fun, delicious scene.
