While there's never a bad time to be a diner in the city of New Orleans, some days β in fact some seasons β are better than others. Yet, every few years, there are one-off events that really up the ante, like when the Crescent City hosts the Super Bowl. In those cases, it's always helpful for new and old visitors alike to know where to find the best restaurants. A city's dining scene is always changing, NOLA's especially. As exciting as it is to see fresh restaurants pop up on familiar street corners, it's harrowing to watch beloved establishments seemingly sink into the Mississippi mud and disappear.
Also, for that reason, it can be hard to define the "best" of what the city has to offer. With so many different culinary influences, and so many shops spanning its history, the adjective is purely subjective. Still, let's try to define it anyway. As someone who lived in and around New Orleans for nearly a decade, I've sat at a fair share of tables in just about every neighborhood and on both sides of the river.
I also worked as a server, and so consider myself to be an industry insider regarding both the new and old of what's cooking down south. As such, I've created a list that spans both flavor and time. James Beard-nominated chef Ana Castro put New Orleans and the national food landscape on notice when she opened her first restaurant Lengua Madre in After this celebrated, modern Mexican spot closed in , she proceeded to get busy with opening the Bywater-based Acamaya.
As a more casual, mariscos-Mexicanos-style shop, Acamaya serves a staple of any NOLA visit β seafood β in deliciously inventive and approachable ways. For larger portions, try the arroz negro, blackened with squid ink, studded with mussels, and made all the more unctuous by huitlacoche. It explains how chef Nina Compton 's first independent venture has remained a staple in the Crescent City since opening a decade ago in the Old No. While constantly changing, keep an eye out for dishes like the curried goat, served with lush sweet potato gnocchi, or fried chicken with coconut grits and a jerk honey butter.
An array of small bites and first plates also adorn the menu, such as crispy crab fingers and blackened pig ears with smoked aioli. Brennan's is a classic New Orleans restaurant that has managed to stay at the forefront of both local and national foodscapes for decades now. Its upscale environment offers a great opportunity for diners looking for a traditional white-tablecloth experience. One of Brennan's most specific draws can be found on the appetizer menu: turtle soup.
