The Best of the Rest: Dining Outside of the French Quarter

November 1 2022 | What's New

Believe it or not, the French Quarter isn’t the only place to eat in New Orleans. There are many other charming neighborhoods throughout New Orleans where you can enjoy a great meal. Here are some of our favorite restaurants, scattered through the rest of the city.

CBD/Warehouse District

In between the trendy condos and stylish art galleries built into 19th-century warehouses, you can find many gems for a great place to eat. The CBD, as we locals like to call it, is south of Canal Street and includes many hotels, the convention center, the Superdome and the busiest skyscrapers.

Grand Isle Restaurant

Grand Isle

Grand Isle offers fresh seafood in an upscale Louisiana fishing camp atmosphere along with an extensive wine and beer menu. Highlights include their Redfish on the Half Shell, Crawfish Beignets, Fisherman’s Stew and their Sticky Baby Back Ribs. Learn more

Mulate's Cajun Restaurant

Mulates

Two-step over to Mulate’s by the Convention Center for some truly great Cajun food and music. Find out for yourself why Mulate’s is known as the “King of Cajun Dine and Dance Halls.”. Learn more

Clarinet Bistreaux

Streetcar Restaurant

This eatery in the Holiday Inn Superdome will be music to your taste buds. Along with a great place for a Fried Shrimp Po-boy with Remoulade Sauce, Chicken and Andouille Gumbo and other New Orleans favorites, their weekend brunch is out of this world. Three words: Fried Catfish Benedict. Before you leave, swing by the Clarinet Coffee Shop for a gourmet brew. We recommend the King Cake Latté. Learn more

Faubourg Marigny

Marigny shares the northern border with the French Quarter. In this part of the city, you can find up and coming neighborhoods with classic New Orleans architecture. It’s a lot like the restaurants that you can find here. There’s a mix of long-time favorites, as well as new restaurants that are worth checking out.

Suis Generis

Experience a food evolution at Suis Generis. They have an ever-changing menu that updates based on ingredients that are available locally and in-season. Check suisgeneris.com every Friday around 4 p.m. to see what they have planned for the upcoming week. Learn more

Garden District

Head Uptown on a streetcar and explore the Garden District, a part of the city that is known for its beauty in both the scenery and architecture. Here you can find a mix of restaurants that are perfect to mix with a day of sightseeing or shopping.

Commander's Palace

It doesn’t get any more New Orleans than Commander’s Palace, the place that gave Paul Prudhomme, Emeril Lagasse, and so many others their starts. The Turtle Soup is a must as is the Bread Pudding Soufflé. Learn more

Reginelli's Pizza

Reginelli’s on Magazine Street has some of the best pizza in the city, as well as a number of other casual Italian options including calzones, pitas, salads and sandwiches. You’ll be thinking about this pizza long after you get back home. Learn more

Lakefront Airport/Lakeview

Lake Pontchartrain is the second largest fresh water lake in the U.S. and a beautiful sight to behold both at night, when the sun sets, or during the day, when you can watch the pelicans drip and dive for fish while getting your own fill of fresh seafood.

Messina's Runway Café

If you love art deco and good food, treat yourself to a trip to Messina’s Runway Café. They offer daily Blue Plate Specials and a fabulous brunch. If you’ve never had Debris Fries, dig in here. Learn more

Rizzuto's Restaurant & Chop House

This is the kind of place the Rat Pack would come to for real Italian cuisine and ambiance. Savor “La Dolce Vita”–the sweet life–by enjoying these sumptuous old-world recipes. Learn more

Metairie

Metairie is the near suburb of New Orleans, about ten to fifteen minutes away from the French Quarter, if the traffic is behaving on the Expressway. Even if it’s not, there’s a couple of reasons to explore Metairie.

Acme Oyster House

Acme Oyster

Go where the locals go for fresh oysters– Acme on Veterans. It has the authenticity and charm of the French Quarter restaurant without the parking woes. Start with a dozen Chargrilled Oysters and seriously consider the 10 Napkin Roast Beef Po-Boy. Learn more