I was promised good eats in New Orleans. Everyone said: it’s all about the food in Louisiana. You will love all those creole and cajun food experiences not to mention all the seafood. There is no doubt about it, we talked about food from the moment we got to New Orleans until the day we left. This Girl’s Getaway was all about taking everything in and finding the fun is three days of power walking, intense people-watching and figuring out where to find the best beignets.
UPDATE: I returned to New Orleans in 2022 and wanted to add to this list of great restaurants and signature cocktails in New Orleans. All of the new reviews will be in blue blocks.
My first recommendation for Good Eats in New Orleans is to take a guided food tour with a knowledgeable guide. We had a tour with Destination Kitchen in the French Quarter and enjoyed a great tour with the added bonus of history and lore to add to the experience. We made quite a few stops in well-known and some touristy restaurants but honestly, we were all pretty impressed with the portions. They were not large but there were many. We stopped off at the French Market, The New Orleans School of Cooking, and New Orleans Creole Cookery.
Our guide Laurent had a charming French accent but knew his food and adopted city well. As a past chef, he had unique insights about our food and its origins in creole and cajun culture. At the end of the 3-hour food tour, he provided additional suggestions for restaurants in the city (see below for video and full listing).