Top Rated Restaurants in New Orleans To Try

I’m coming back New Orleans, but this time it’s for your iconic cuisine!  New Orleans is known to have one of the best cuisines in the U.S; coming from Cajun, Creole and French roots.  As you know, I always like to put a checklist together before I travel and after much research, I’ve gathered a list of restaurants in New Orleans with the highest local reviews and their favorite dishes.

Most Reviewed Restaurants in New Orleans

1. Acme Oyster House –Price Range: $$ Established in 1910, before Satchmo had ever formed his first band, the Acme Café was opened on Royal Street in the French Quarter. In 1924, a disastrous fire caused the collapse of the three-story Acme Saloon building. The Café was re-established as Acme Oyster House® around the corner at 724 Iberville Street, where it still operates today.  The restaurant is known for its oysters, and seafood étouffée with rice.
2. Mother’s Restaurant –Price Range: $$ Established in 1938, Mother’s Restaurant opened its doors on Poydras Street’s “Restaurant Row”, situated between a thriving waterfront and the courthouse. Owners Simon and Mary (Mother) Landry and his large family cooked up po’ boys for lines of longshoremen and laborers, newspapermen and attorneys. The restaurant is known for its crawfish étouffée, Ferdi po’boy, roast beef po’boy, red beans and rice, and bread pudding.
3. Lüke –Price Range: $$ Established in 2007, Lüke prepares grand old Franco-German brasseries that once reigned in New Orleans. Adjacent to the Hilton St. Charles  in the heart of the Central Business District, Lüke’s space is as warm and nostalgic as its menu, featuring blackboard specials, newspaper racks, and a vintage pulley-and-belt driven ceiling fan system. Since opening in 2007, Lüke has been hailed by Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, and The Times-Picayune Lagniappe. The restaurant is known for for their happy hour (50 cent oysters and half off drinks), brunch, bread pudding, fried oysers, pate jar and jalapeno cheese grits. 
4. Cochon –Price Range: $$ Established in 2006, at Cochon, Chef Link has reconnected with his culinary roots, serving traditional Cajun Southern dishes he grew up with.  The Chefs work with local sourced pork, fresh produce and seafood, focusing on traditional methods, creating authentic flavors of cajun country. The restaurant is known for for their Oyster Po Boy, vegetarian dishes, fried rabbit livers with pepper jelly toast, onion braised pork cheeks, ham hock, fried alligator and Louisiana Cochon. 
5. Commander’s Palace – Price Range: $$$ Established in 1880, the Commander’s Palace is a New Orleans landmark known for its award-winning food and unbeatable service. In the early 1880’s, when Louisiana officially joined the nation, eager young Anglo-Saxons flocked to this promising territory to make their fortunes. Since the Vieux Carré was the stronghold of the proud Creoles, these “Americans” (as defined by the Creoles) sought a residential section of their own. Thus was born the Garden District, with its stately Greek Revival homes and quiet, tree lined streets.  The restaurant is known for for their brunch, .25 cent martinis, bread pudding soufflé, Tasso Henican, and turtle soup with sherry.
6. Royal House – Price Range: $$ Established in 2008,Royal House Restaurant was originally the residence of the historical Tortorici family of New Orleans.  The family had the main floor of this original residence converted into a café. As years went by the café developed into a flourishing restaurant, Tortorici’s and became the fourth longest running restaurant in the French Quarter amongst names like Galatoire’s, Brennan’s and Antoine’s.  The restaurant is known for for their oysters, fried alligator, Crawfish étouffée and its sightseeing balcony.  
7. Cochon Butcher – Price Range: $$ Known as the little sister of the original Cochon, this location is a butcher shop, a sandwich counter and a wine bar. Inspired by old-world meat markets, Butcher specializes in house made meats, terrines and sausages, the fresh cuts are handpicked and ready-to-cook items available daily.  The restaurant is known for for their duck pastrami sliders, Buckboard bacon melt, muffaletta, Pancetta Mac + Cheese, and brussels sprouts.
8. Oceana Grill – Price Range: $$ Established in 1973, Oceana Grill has been famous to both locals and visitors alike.  Referred by many hotel concierge’s because they eat here too, Oceana Grill has grown to include the breakfast menu from the world-renowned Petunia’s Restaurant  (including their former chef to make sure everything is cooked as if you were at Petunia’s), as well as combining the Olde New Orleans Cookery next door into the Oceana Grill family.  The restaurant is known for for their Cajun Vegetarian Stew, alligator bites, étouffée, red beans and rice and redfish. 
9. Coop’s Place – Price Range: $$ Established in 1983, this little hole in the wall is staples on Decatur Street.  Coop’s Place is the place to go for a true taste of New Orleans at down home prices. The restaurant is known for for their crawfish, fried chicken, rabbit jamabalya, chicken tchoupitoulas, and Tasso.
10. Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar – Price Range: $$ Established in 1943, Felix features Louisiana seafood creole and cajun cuisine, and fresh oysters on half shell. You can even make your own cocktail sauce!  The restaurant is known for for their Oyster Bienville, Oysters Rockefeller, Red Beans & Rice, Bayou Platter Sampler, étouffée, and Blackened Alligator.

My goal is to obviously try all of them, but I will be happy to at least try half of what’s on this list.  In the meantime, follow my @sparklinglala Instagram account for Instastories and #foodporn coverage.

Also, if you know of any other great places to stop by, please comment below. Ill make sure to give you a shout-out!