Eating your way across New Orleans is one of the best things you can do when you’re in the “Big Easy.” So I created this foodie destination guide for New Orleans.

I highly recommend doing a food and cocktail tour during your trip to New Orleans. This will let you sample local foods, learn about the history of the city’s cuisine, and get recommendations from a local guide.

Plan an Epic Trip To New Orleans

Many New Orleans restaurants require reservations, so book as early as possible to get a table.

Know Before You Go: in New Orleans, it’s legal to have an open container of alcohol outside of a restaurant. So you can take any drink to-go, and you can stop at takeout windows for refills while you walk around the city.

Ready to discover your new favorite restaurant? Then here’s the ultimate foodie destination guide for New Orleans!

Breakfast and Brunch

Cane & Table – American, Bar, $$. Come here for brunch and the classic daiquiri (which isn’t a frozen drink).

The Ruby Slipper Café – American, Cafe, Vegetarian Friendly, $$-$$$. The innovative Benedict menu here is second to none, and you have to try a bloody Mary.

Toast – French, Cafe, $. Come here if you want a sweet breakfast. This spot specializes in crepes and aebleskivers – round Danish puffed pancakes smothered in sauces such as lemon curd, caramel, jam, chocolate, maple syrup, or Nutella.

Slim Goodies Diner – American, $. This is the epitome of Southern comfort breakfast food. Be sure to try the sweet potato pancakes!

Brennan’s – American, Cajun, Creole, $$$$. This elegant restaurant is worth the splurge. Fun Fact: the bananas foster dessert was invented here!

Elizabeth’s Restaurant – American, Cajun, Creole, $$-$$$. This restaurant can be summed up in two words “praline bacon.”

Dinner and Lunch

Red Fish Grill – Oysters, Seafood, $$. Make sure you order the Alligator Sausage & Seafood Gumbo and the Cat 5 Hurricane.

Napoleon House – Creole, $$. Try the Muffuletta sandwich, chicken and andouille sausage jambalaya, and the Pimm’s Cup cocktail.

Sofia – Italian, $$-$$$. This is the best pasta and pizza in town, and you can create your own spritz.

Tsunami Sushi – Japanese, Seafood, Sushi, $$-$$$. This trendy restaurant is serving up the best Asian cuisine in town. I’m still dreaming about the truffle salmon!

Bywater American Bistro – American, Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly, $$-$$$. This converted industrial space specializes in American food with a Caribbean “flare.”

Commander’s Palace – Come for the traditional fine dining and stay for the 25-cent martinis at this mansion-turned restaurant – note: there’s an enforced dress code – collared shirts, closed-toed shoes, etc.

Cocktails

Dickie Brennan’s Tableau – Creole, $$$. The must-try cocktail here is the French 75. Rumor has it that the upstairs room of this restaurant is where part of the Louisiana Purchase was drafted.

Peychaud’s – Drinks, $$-$$$. If you want to sit in a fancy garden drinking a bougie drink, then this cocktails-only (no food) hot spot is for you.

The 21st Amendment at La Louisiane – You’ll love this Prohibition-inspired lounge with top-notch craft cocktails that New Orleans’ most notorious mobsters once owned.

Cure – American, Bar, $$-$$$. This firehouse-turned-dimly-lit-cocktail-lounge is credited with pioneering the craft cocktail movement in New Orleans.

Patrick’s Bar Vin – Wine Bar, $$-$$$. Calling my fellow winos! Make a beeline for this wine bar for an extensive selection of wine by the glass and fabulous charcuterie boards.

Henry’s Gin Bar – Gin Bar, $$$. In 1888, this Cabinet Saloon was where the Gin Fizz was invented!

Jazz Clubs

Snug Harbor Jazz – This venue is an intimate, historical backroom that’s home to some of the best jazz performances on Frenchman Street.

The Blue Nile – As one of the longest-standing clubs on Frenchman Street, you can see some Jazz legends here, and the venue makes you feel like you’re part of the band.

The Spotted Cat – This club has two or three bands every night, seven nights a week. It has a grimy yet posh ambiance that makes you feel like you’re back in 1920s New Orleans.

Dessert

Cafe Du Monde – Bakery, Cafe, $. No trip to New Orleans would be complete without stopping at this iconic landmark for the city’s famous Beignets.

Sucré – French Bakery, $$. New Orleans has a lot of great patisseries, but this make-you-feel-like-you’re-in-Europe shop takes the cake.

Creole Creamery – Ice Cream Parlor, $. You can’t go wrong with any of the scoops, sundaes, and malts here.

Leah’s Pralines – Dessert Shop, $. This old-fashioned, third-generation family-owned shop is famous for its homemade pralines. If you have a sweet tooth, come ready for a sugary wonderland!

Jack Rose Roof – Lounge, Bar, $$. Previously called Hot Tin, this whimsical bar and restaurant on the roof of the historic Pontchartrain Hotel has some of the best views in the city.

The Monkey Board – Bar, $$-$$$. Enjoy fun frozen drinks and tropical cocktails surrounded by bright, graffiti-style artwork and sweeping views.

The Rooftop at The Roosevelt – Hotel Pool Restaurant, $$$. Non-guests of The Roosevelt can only access this bar by renting a private cabana that can hold up to eight people. So get your crew together to lounge in style above the city.

Rosie’s on the Roof – Bar, Pub, $$. This Irish bar has a casual vibe, live music, and you have to try the crab Beignets.

Cheap Eats

Willie Mae’s Scotch House – American, $. No trip to the South would be complete without an excellent friend chicken meal, which this restaurant will give you.

French Toast – American, Cafe, Vegetarian, $$. If you want a great breakfast at a great price, then this is the place for you.

Coop’s Place – American, Cajun, Creole, Bar, $$. Coop’s is more of a dive bar than a restaurant, but the food is still excellent and excellently priced.

Parkway Bakery & Tavern – Quick Bites, American, Bar, $. You can’t visit New Orleans and not try a Po Boy, and the Po Boys here are hard to beat.

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This foodie destination guide for New Orleans is not a sponsored post, and, as always, the thoughts and opinions expressed in this guide are entirely my own. Some of the links in this foodie destination guide for New Orleans are affiliate links, and, at no cost to you, I may earn a small commission from this foodie destination guide for New Orleans.