New Orleans is often lauded as the birthplace of Jazz and the home of Mardi Gras. While many people flock to the Crescent City to experience these cultural wonders, we curated a list of restaurants that prove you should head to New Orleans simply for the food. Here are our top 10 picks.
Regarded as one of New Orleans’ finest dining establishments, Arnaud’s has been serving phenomenal creole cuisine for nearly a century. In fact, one of the side dishes, the soufflé potatoes, is legendary. According to the story, French King Louis Phillipe’s chef unintentionally created the dish when he attempted to reheat some fried potatoes by placing them back into a pan of hot oil when the King arrived late to dinner one evening. Instead of reheating, the potatoes puffed up and have been enjoyed by frequenters of the restaurant ever since. The tableside Bananas Foster is also a specialty not to be missed.
This historic French Quarter restaurant features contemporary Louisiana fare from James Beard Award-winning chef, Susan Spicer. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the chef’s signature Garlic Soup and the Grilled Duck Breast with roasted sweet potatoes, spinach, shallot, apple, pinot noir-bing cherry vinaigrette. With this Travelzoo deal, you can get both and leave room for dessert and cocktails while saving 35%.
This hole-in-the-wall has dubbed itself “N’awlins’ Funkiest Lil’ Café.” With the stained glass windows and portrait-painted skateboards adorning the walls, it just might be. The range of foods is pretty funky too. You can get anything from the Eggs Lafitte to Biscuits & Gravy to Blueberry Brandy Glazed French Toast stuffed with Brie.
Mr. B’s provides a quintessential taste of New Orleans. While everything on the menu is good, the restaurant’s signature dish is its Barbequed Shrimp. The dish is made up of several jumbo shrimp that have been drenched in a peppery butter sauce. You will be given plenty of French bread to eat with the dish, so you won’t have to leave any sauce behind.
While a little more French than Creole, this modern bistro is known for its creative, seasonal menu. The menu consists of soups, salads, small plates and main courses. The recommended plan of attack is to share several small plates among your dining companions and then order your own main course. Whatever you decide, the Housemade Spaghetti with Guanciale and Fried-Poached Farm Egg is an absolute must.
This restaurant originally served as the residence to the historical Tortorici family of New Orleans. Since the family converted the first floor of the original residence into a café, Royal House has become the fourth longest running restaurant in the French Quarter. Though the joint is named for its oysters, the Chicken and Andouille Gumbo is one of the best in the city.
Outfitted with a Bloody Mary bar, this Garden District gem serves up some of the best brunch food in the city. The historical establishment has taken on various culinary identities since 1924—from Petrossi’s to Charlie’s Steakhouse to Café Atchafalaya’s and ultimately Atchafalaya. The current menu pays homage to the restaurant’s past by combining traditional New Orleans fare with contemporary cuisine. You can order anything from the Shrimp & Grits (shrimp, andouille, smoked tomatoes, cream cheese grits) to the Duck Hash (poached eggs, duck confit, blackberries, mangos, hollandaise, and bacon vinaigrette). Are you salivating yet?
Forget about Café du Monde. Sure, those beignets are world renowned, but the golden brown, powdered sugar dusted delicacies are just as good at this less well-known establishment. Better yet, there are three locations in the Quarter alone, which means you won’t have to face the crowds (or pigeons) that usually frequent Café du Monde. Head to the Bourbon Street location to enjoy the treats with a live Jazz performance.
According to Zagat, Apolline “dishes up light and delicious contemporary Louisiana eats with a Creole twist.” With this Travelzoo deal, you can save over 40% on dinner for two. Big hits include the Charbroiled Oysters, the Heirloom Tomato Salad for appetizers, the Stuffed Quail and Pan Roasted Black Drum for entrees, and the Brioche Bread Pudding for dessert.
Haydel’s is home to one of the best King cakes in the city. More importantly, the famous bakery makes King cakes year round, so you won’t have to wait for Mardi Gras to indulge in the Crescent City specialty. If you still don’t believe this bakery is the real deal, you may be interested to know that it holds the Guinness World Record for the largest King cake ever made.
Catherine Sullivan is a deal expert at Travelzoo and based in New York. Travelzoo has 250 deal experts from around the world who rigorously research, evaluate, and test thousands of deals to find those with true value.