Visitors Guide: Where To Eat In New Orleans
When you’re coming into New Orleans for the first time, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by everything that there is to see and do here. Every street corner seems to bring a new adventure full of culture, music and of course delicious cuisine.
When it comes to food, the restaurant options seem limitless. Within the city limits, you can find everything from classic Creole cuisine to hip and trendy fusion dishes that are fresh from the farm. You could live here for a year and still not visit all of the restaurants and eateries.
So where do you eat if you’re coming into town for a week? It’s a question that I hear a lot and I try to do my best to answer on a case by case basis. However, this time I want to give you some general ideas of where you should eat if this is your first time in NOLA.
These are just a few suggestions, definitely don’t limit yourself. There are many, many more restaurants to check out.
Fine Dining
This was a tough category. There were so many choices that it’s hard to limit it to just a few that will fit into a blog post. However, I felt like I had to include it because it’s one of the most common questions that I see.
For more than 100 years, Arnaud’s has served up Creole fine dining in their French Quarter location. They match their world class food with top notch service to make it a meal that you’ll never forget. Jazz Brunch or their dinner are both worth checking out.
Broussard’s
In the heart of the French Quarter, you’ll find Broussard’s. Their dishes include an exotic blend of influences including French, Spanish, Indian, Caribbean, Cajun and Creole. Whatever you choose from their menu is sure to not leave you disappointed.
Brennan’s
If you go to Brennan’s, make sure to save room for the Bannana’s Foster. The rest of the menu is from the Jazz Brunch to dinner a la carte is mouth watering, but the Bananan’s Foster is a Brennan’s original so you have to try it while you’re here.
Historic
All three of the restaurants above are filled with history, but if you’re looking for something a little bit more casual (you can leave the dinner jacket and tie at home), Tujaque’s is the place. It's the second oldest restaurant in the city and offers classic New Orleans Creole cuisine
Crawfish
Deanie’s
If you come during crawfish season, from spring to early summer, you have to experience a New Orleans style crawfish boil. Deanie’s is my best bet for crawfish. Sometimes on Friday and Saturday nights the lines can get long, but it’s well worth the wait!
Oysters
You’ll love their oysters. They’re flavorful and you can’t go wrong whether they’re raw, chargrilled, fried or put in a po-boy sandwich.
Learn How To Cook Like A Local
Before you head back home, you can learn how to cook like a local at New Orleans School Of Cooking. They'll teach you how to make gumbo, jambalaya and other New Orleans favorites. The best part about this school is that when they’re done cooking, you get to eat. There's no pop quizzes or final exams. Just delicious food.
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