The Best Places to Eat in New Orleans

This restaurant has been around since 1933, although it was originally known as College Inn. They serve farm-to-table food from their own farm located right next door, so you know you're getting the freshest possible ingredients. One of their iconic menu items won Best of Show in the First Annual Po-Boy Festival: the Fried Green Tomato Shrimp Remoulade Po-Boy. Another award winner is their unique dessert offering like the Fried Bread Pudding Po-Boy. It's a Po-Boy, but sweet instead of savory. You'll want to make reservations for Ye Olde College Inn. And don't forget to bring your appetite for farm-fresh goodness, and maybe even a Po-Boy.

If you're not familiar with Emeril Lagasse, then you're in for a real treat. He's an icon himself and his food is top-notch, award-winning fare. Emeril owns many restaurants. In fact, with 12 restaurants and many awards, Meril's is the perfect spot to experience Emeril's best dishes, including plenty of creole fare. One of the iconic dishes available at Meril's is Fettuccine Nero. This dish is fettuccine with jumbo lump crab meat, Calabrian chiles, arugula, and toasted almonds. There is even a gluten-free option for this dish. If you desire a meat dish instead of seafood, try the Candied Pork Ribs.

Critics call Mr. John's Steakhouse the best steakhouse in the city and there is a good reason for that. At this elegant, yet relaxed, steakhouse you'll find a dining experience like no other. Desi, Paul, and Rodney bring a combined experience of over 50 years. Superior food, superior service, and superior steaks. For an icon of a dish, try out any one of their USDA Prime steaks. Mr. John's Steaks are carefully selected and aged for tenderness then seared to perfection at 1800° in their Montague broiler. Choose filet mignon, petite filet, New York strip, ribeye, or cowboy steak. They also have a porterhouse for two if you're brave enough and hungry enough.

Located in New Orleans’ bustling Warehouse District, an unforgettable dining experience awaits. Annunciation serves modern Creole and Southern cuisine with an impressive cocktail menu and spectacular food choices. Annunciation is an experience where there are many iconic dishes. Creative menu choices include crispy oysters with spinach and brie, sweetbreads with grits, and Marsala Veal Annunciation with housemade pasta covered with Alfredo. For an iconic dish with New Orleans flair, try the seasonal offering of Sesame Crusted Yellowfin Tuna that comes with creole fried rice, sweet potato habanero, and steel sauce. The ambiance at Annunciation is a luxurious, upscale bistro with savory food choices.

This is a restaurant whose theme is "fun, not fine dining." Found in the former Red Light District, its catchy slogan is just a fraction of what Channing Tatum's Saints & Sinners is all about. Not only is the food memorable, but it also uses its venue and profits to help charity organizations. The food is pure New Orleans fare. Find menu choices like BBQ Shrimp and Grits and Blackened Gulf Fish and, for or one of the more memorable items, try the Miss Lulu’s Classic Jambalaya. It's classic jambalaya with all the flavors: rice, chicken, Andouille sausage and many more secret ingredients. Deliciousness awaits.

Located right in the French Quarter, The Rib Room at the Omni has been a mainstay for literary greats, politicians, and locals alike. This restaurant uses locally sourced ingredients to create amazing food and has an elegant atmosphere. With a namesake like The Rib Room, you'd be remiss if you didn't try their meat offerings. Check out the Breaux Bridge Honey Comb Crusted Rack of Lamb that comes with brûlée bourbon, roasted sweet potato, sautéed kale, and caramelized rosemary lamb reduction. On every menu section, there is something to delight your taste buds. From pan-seared scallops to crispy frog legs. The taste is all New Orleans and each dish is iconic and worth the experience.

This is a place where you'll find authentic Creole-Cajun cuisine and down-to-earth Southern dishes in an elegant, yet comfortable setting. In fact, The Pelican Club states that you'll be comfortable in either a ball gown or blue jeans. The decor is impressive and the food is exceptional. It's hard to choose one dish that is better than the rest, but the Pelican Club offers a prix fixe menu, which is an excellent place to start. For a menu offering that is pure New Orleans, check out the Louisiana Jumbo Lump Crabmeat Spaghetti Fino. It's in a creamy sauce with corn, with onions, lemon, Parmesan, basil, and buttered focaccia breadcrumbs.

Here is a restaurant with an ever-changing menu. Chef Tenney Flynn has become known as one of the country’s foremost seafood authorities and he has earned the namesake “the fishmonger czar of the South” from The Wall Street Journal. He is a nationally recognized expert on Gulf seafood and it shows in his food at GW Fins. The fish is a daily catch, so the menu changes daily as well. If you happen to see it, try the American Red Snapper. If that's not on the menu for the day, the Parmesan Crusted Sheepshead is a mouthwatering choice. Every fish used comes deemed sustainable and you won't find fresher fish than at GW Fins. Fresh fish plus a recognized Gulf seafood expert equals an iconic dining experience.

For one century, Manale has specialized in seafood, as well as traditional Italian dishes and thick juicy steaks. Pascal’s Manale is renowned for its raw oyster bar and its famous BBQ Shrimp and traditional Italian cuisine. If you plan to check out Pascal's Manale, and you should, then get their most famous and iconic dish, the Original Pascal's Barbeque Shrimp, which is the house specialty. It made them a huge name in the culinary world and is perfect for those who love fresh shrimp with a New Orleans flair. Prepared in a spicy and tangy sauce, it is a must-have while in New Orleans.

A national treasure, Ruth's Chris Steak House got its start in New Orleans. At Ruth's Chris, each cut of USDA Prime beef arrives cooked to perfection and sizzling on a 500-degree plate — just the way Ruth liked it. If dining with someone special, you simply must try the Porterhouse for Two. It is 40 ounces of prime beef cooked the way the original owner prepared it back in the day. Choose from signature sides like sweet potato casserole, lobster mac and cheese, and creamed spinach. In fact, the sides are as delicious as the steak. Don't let the fact that Ruth's Chris is a chain deter you from going because the food is some of the best you'll ever experience and the service makes you feel like royalty.

For regional specialties in a casual bistro setting, try Mr. B's Bistro, which has been a star among New Orleans since 1979. Serving Louisiana fare, their reputation is impeccable and their food feels like home. Mr. B’s creates signature items such as Gumbo Ya Ya, their super-dark roux and spicy chicken brings the fans, and the andouille gumbo is a mainstay. The Barbequed Shrimp has a Worcestershire-spiked butter sauce with garlic and black pepper and is lip-smacking good. Try the wood-grilled local fish and Creole Bread Pudding with Irish whiskey sauce as a couple of their iconic dishes. But definitely try the Gumbo Ya Ya. It's the quintessential iconic New Orleans dish.

With a laidback attitude, Grand Isle Restaurant's food is nothing but. The cuisine is quintessential Creole and the drinks flow with unique cocktails and cold brews. There are quite a few favorites from locals. Choose the Fried Shrimp Po Boy or the Fisherman's Stew made with gulf fish, shrimp, calamari, oysters, Creole seafood broth, and brown rice for a must-try iconic dish. The Grand Isle Restaurant is in the Central Business District and well worth the drive to experience some of the best food in all of Louisiana.