16 Must Eat New Orleans Restaurants For First Time Visitors (2024)

Royal House has a beautiful second-level wrap around porch that offers fantastic French Quarter people-watching. Plus, they’re oysters are fresh and I LOVED their cheesy shrimp n grits! Soft shell crab and oysters are what to eat when visiting New Orleans (at least for one meal!) and Royal House was the perfect place for dinner on our first night. The perfect introduction to must eats in New Orleans...

I'm SO team Cafe Beignet!! I enjoyed them SO much more than Cafe Du Monde. Cafe Beignet was far less crowded, had way better decor and the beignets were all evenly shaped and equally tasty. There are a fewCafe Beignet locations, I recommend the one on Royal Street. It’s very empty in the evening and perfect for photos! I think they take the rank for the best place to eat in New Orleans for beignets in my opinion.

Cafe Du Monde is the other beignet place and considered one of the best places to eat in New Orleans. BUT I found it was extremely crowded, we were ignored by servers for over 20 minutes (even asking one if he could take our order) and I wasn’t a fan of how the beignets weren’t consistently shaped. We tried to sit down but ended up being forced to order the beignets to go because we couldn't get served, and we took them to the park across the seat to eat on a bench. That was a nice experience to eat while looking at Louis Catherdal, but the rest of it... not so much. Everyone in New Orleans comes here and they just aren't equipped to handle that much foot traffic.

Tucked in the 9th Ward is The Country Club. Its front porch and yellow paint is charming, sure, but what you could never guess is tucked behind it is a beautiful restaurant and – wait for it – a pool! We grabbed lunch there one day and then took a dip in the pool afterward. Pool passes are $15 for the day. Head here on a hot day for a different take on New Orleans where you’ll mingle with locals. I insist that you order the Crab Beignets – it was one of my favorite dishes of everything we ate in New Orleans!

You may accidentally walk right by this restaurant, but you’d be missing out on all the wonderful history inside and probably the best dang lunch you’ll find in the French Quarter. Napoleon House earned it’s namesake because it was rumored that the original owner was building out the extensive upstairs living quarters to house Napoleon himself.. and then Napoleon died, so that never happened. But the restaurant downstairs is still thriving and has all the original flair you may have found in an 1800’s restaurant, including the original bar! Order the muffaletta (OMG SO GOOD!) and a Pimm’s Cup for a refreshing and refreshingly affordable lunch. Pro tip – they offer seasonal Pimm’s Cup flavors, so try an original and seasonal one!

A cute little coffee shop in the heart of the French Quarter. The coffee is totally San Francisco priced, bu DANG, their$6Las Tres Flores latte is probably one of the best latte's I've ever had. Seriously. Don't skip this spot if you're on the hunt for the best coffee in New Orleans.

Gourmet sausages in a colorful restaurant that overlooks Frenchmen Street = our kind of place. We arrived around 7pm, right as the Big Jazz Band on the corner below the restaurants was starting. We lucked out and were able to grab killer seats on the balcony overlooking the jazz band! I tried the alligator dog, which was perfect. We originally planned to stay for just dinner and go fine jazz in a club, but we ended up staying all night!! It was the highlight of my trip and one of the best unique eats in New Orleans.

The Carousel Bar is located in the lobby of Hotel Monteleone. While we stayed a few nights in that hotel, we never were able to grab a seat at the bar because it's so popular! It did look like a lot of fun to grab a drink at. The bar actually moves in a circle, like a real carousel!

A contemporary restaurant that has slight New Orlean's flair. We took a peek inside and the decor is trendy and chic. I'm told thecharcuterie board is great, along with the fish tacos. Happy hour is daily from 2pm-7pm.

This spot is one of the most famous classic brunch restaurants in New Orleans (you probably recognize the blue exterior, or have heard about their 25 cent martinis.) It's in the heart of the Garden District right across the street from Lafayette Cemetery. Visit the cemetery, then come for their 3-course Jazz Brunch.

A traditional bar in front with a great back patio space. Their happy hour is a good one for drinks, you can snap up a beer for just a few bucks. We tried frogs legs here. I didn't like them, but Robin loved them. I also grabbed the crawfish grits which has appeared on the Food Network once. I thought the prices were a little high for the food, but the location is great and hey, if you've never tried frog legs now is your chance!

Brennans New Orleans is a CLASSIC. It's probably on all your best " what to eat in New Orleans French Quarter " lists. Located in a pink building on Royal Street, the place was constantly hopping. I recommend reservations, as tables fill quickly. We didn’t get a chance to eat there (because we didn't make reservations!) but it came highly recommended by many people!

We walked by this spot a few times and I loved how romantic it looked. The restaurant is in a 150 year+ courtyard filled with flowers and string lights. They serve traditional Lousiana fare and would make a great date night spot!

Want to find the best rose in New Orleans? Head here! They have a fantastic happy hour menu where most items are 50% off. We loved this place so much we went twice – the brunch menu is equally as delicious! Plus, the decor in here is hipster-chic. Try the fried chicken sandwich or the hangover bowl!

Remember those slushy machines in gas stations? Picture that, but with 15 different daiquiri flavors all lined up on a wall. Pop in, choose a flavor, pay the man $10 and stroll along Bourbon Street with your cold daiquiri to go!

Ok, so this isn't a place to eat but rather a drink to order. It's co*cktail with atop-secret recipe and only 5 spots in New Orleans are allowed to serve it (mostly on Bourbon Street.) I can't think of a polite way to say this, so I'll be blunt: it f*cks you up. Robin and I shared one just to see what it's like and I felt DRUNK after just half. We think it's a mix of pineapple juice and an array of 3-5 alcohols. If you're trying to party, this drink will help you do that on a budget because all you need is one!