New Orleans Restaurants

Visitors to the city wanting to experience the regional flavour should be aware of the important differences between the rustic Cajun, sophisticated Creole and traditional Southern styles of cooking that make up New Orleans cuisine. The unifying principle is: ‘fat is flavour’. Cream, butter and oil feature heavily. Keep this in mind, as combined with the hot weather, the heavy food can see you spend the best part of your visit in the confines of your hotel room. Stay on the safe side and limit yourself to one big meal a day.

Local cuisine

Like its jazz, New Orleans enjoys the only truly original local cuisine in the nation. Food is heavily influenced by the hearty Cajun country fare and the local Creole, haute Creole and New Orleans French cuisines.

Local ingredients and African, French, Spanish and Cajun traditions combine to produce a truly unique and easily recognisable New Orleans flavour. Unique specialties include beignets, square-shaped fried pastries that are sometimes called French doughnuts (served with coffee and chicory au lait); Po’boy and Italian muffalettas sandwiches; Gulf oysters on the half-shell, boiled crawfish and other seafood; jambalaya, gumbo and other Creole dishes; and the Monday evening favourite of red beans and rice. 

Where to eat

The tourist industry has spawned many mediocre restaurants that favour location over taste. In the French quarter, it’s easy to be served an average but expensive meal. Avoid the handful of trendy chain restaurants in favour of the little holes in the wall. Downtown, you can find everything from old-school grease joints to avant-garde bistros.