The 11 Best NOLA Neighborhoods for Food, Ranked

When it come to New Orleans and solid food , phrases like “ an embarrassment of riches ” tend to jet forth in conversation . Everyone knows that nobody – and we meannobody– cooks and feed like denizens of the Crescent City , from down and filthy po - boy and gumbo spots to 150 - year - sometime Creole institutions . Some section of the city , however , come well than others when it comes to dining , so we put ourselves to the unenviable task of ranking each NOLA ‘ tough by their several food .

( Note : Given the outrageousness of attempting to rank72 distinct neighborhoods– Plum Orchard vs. Gert Town ? Dillard vs. Black Pearl ? – this ranking has been conducted using the city’s13 provision districtsas a introductory guideline . )

11. Lower Ninth Ward

There are more than a handful of humdrum neighborhoods in the 504 , but fewer have gotten more attending for hardship than the Lower 9 , which took a big hit in the “ federal floods . ” It still struggles to rebuild , and that include the restaurant option in the ' hood . We ’d have it off nothing more than to see loads of new eatery open up in the Lower Ninth , but until then , a po - boy atCajun Joe’swill do your paunch right if you ’re out that way .

10. Gentilly

Gentilly ’s dining scene is on the move , in particular with new additions like novel - school cafeteriaThe Füd Bar , which gets bonus points for its wallet - well-disposed homestyle grub and an dieresis . Still , it ’s not quite the ' hood you ’ll send your tourist friends to when they hail to townsfolk looking for the best food . There are some cool neighborhood spots in the region , includingSammy ’s Food Service & Deli , McKenzie ’s Chicken in a Box , andDaddy ’s Donuts .

9. The West Bank

The “ Wank ” is known by savvy locals as the place to go for astonishing Vietnamese food , including two restaurants that are consider by many to be the good Viet eateries in NOLA : Tan Dinh andPho Bang . Here you also have one of the ripe Thai joints in Ithiel Town , Banana Blossom , and the glories that are to be had at theHong Kong Market(including a cherubic and loud sandwich counter ) . But if you ’re not in the mood for pho when you see yourself across the river , there ’s always a great roast beef po - boy atDa WabbitorDiMartino ’s , as well as a myriad of Cajun enchant over atZydeco ’s .

8. Lakeview

Seafood joints on the water system overlooking the Lake are a NOLA institution , and they had a knockout time following the storm and floods of ‘ 05 . But thanks to places likeThe Blue CrabandBrisbi ’s , the custom of enjoying platter of gloriously fry peewee , oysters , catfish , and softshells lives on in all its splendor . sum up to that some new - school choice – particularly at the hand of beloved Chef Susan Spicer ( ofMondofame and her eagerly anticipated new offer , Rosedale ) , as well as a unexampled outpost ofDistrict Donuts . Sliders . Brewand you have a NOLA food ' hood worth reckon with .

7. Bywater

By now , you ’re probably cognisant that the Bywater is far-famed as being a hotbed for hipster graft and Airbnbers ( much to the chagrin of longtime locals and aborigine ) . But with the skinny jeans and feller chic come a revitalized dining sensibility in the Upper Ninth Ward . renowned standouts include cursory Italian fare atMariza , Elizabeth’s(try the praline bacon!),Oxalis , honest-to-goodness - schoolhouse United States Post Office - boys atJack Dempsey’s , Bacchanal Wine , Pizza Delicious , and a good deal of others ranging from vegan fare atSneaky Pickleto everything heart - tastic atThe Joint . There ’s also the contentious upscale food courtSt . Roch Marketfor your craft cocktails , oysters , coffee , and more in a stylishly renovated historic location .

6. Mid-City (inc. 7th Ward/Treme)

Mid - City has blow up in late years with spectacular new restaurants such as Michael Gulotta ’s Creole / Viet fusion eateryMoPho , the carnivorous carnival that isToups ’ Meatery , upmarket Mediterranean at1000 Figs , and grampus BBQ newcomerBlue Oak . And if you ’re jonesing for a chemise of boiled crawfish and Phthirius pubis , you now haveBevi Seafoodfor your “ berl ” needs . But even with cool raw place bringing attending to the ' cowl , you ca n’t abnegate its longstanding history as an eating / drunkenness destination , with everything up to and includingDooky Chase’s , Parkway Bakery & Tavern , Mandina’s , Angelo Brocato’s(lemon ice!),Li’l Dizzy’s , Liuzza ’s , and oodles of legal profession graze from classic cocktail to craft beer and , naturally , neighborhood corner spliff .

5. Marigny

When it comes to live music in New Orleans , it ’s pretty hard to wash up the Marigny when it comes to neighborhoods . While the food option are n’t as bountiful as its bar and medicine , there ’s plenty of good eats for when all that dancing to hot malarky stirs up an appetite . We bonk the cuisine and cocktails atThree Muses , informal Italian atAdolfo ’s , andYuki Izakayais one - of - a - kind when it comes to Nipponese solid food in NOLA .

4. CBD/Warehouse District

Between the businesslike CBD and the now - swanky Warehouse District , you have a concentration of some of the o.k. eating house the Crescent City has to to offer . A abbreviated count will return four joint at the hand of Chef Donald Link ( Herbsaint , Cochon , Peche Seafood Grill , Cochon Butcher ) , four by John Besh ( August , Borgne , Domenica , Lüke ) , and that ’s just for starters . The mob dining landscape has n’t continue newcomers away – recent great entries to the neighborhood eating scenery include the stellarCompère Lapin , Josephine Estelle , Seaworthy , Willa Jean , and Justin Devillier’sBalise .

3. Uptown/Carrollton

There ’s more to Uptown than just Tulane , Audubon Park , and the historic mansions and cemeteries of the Garden District . require a po - son and a sno - lump ? HitDomilise’sandHansen ’s Sno - Bliz , the sound topographic point for both in the city . A tripper towards the riverbend at Carrollton and St. Charles will bring you to favorites like Brigtsen ’s andCarrollton Market . And if you head towards the Freret St corridor , you ’ll find Cure , Wayfare , The Company Burger , and the newly open wine taproom and forward-looking French maculation , Bar Frances . There are approximately 100 other eateries stray from Lebanese to sushi , Mexican , diner - fashion burgers , pizza pie , Vietnamese , and even a killer kosher waffle restaurant ( no , really : it ’s calledWaffles on Maple ) .

2. Central City/Garden District

Magazine street is more or less of a “ miracle mile ” when it comes to eating and drinking , as evidenced by restaurant that start the gamut from Greek to Mexican , po - son shops , Caribbean , sushi , pizza , and the tasteful fare of eating house likeLa Petite Grocery , Lilette , andCoquette . novel , admirable entries seem to open monthly , which recently have includedCavanandAltamurain the Garden District , as well asCasa Borrega , Primitivo , and the recently revamped intellectual nourishment hallRoux Carrein the OC Haley corridor . Then of course you have historic St. Charles Ave , where you ’ll find places like theAvenue Pub , the Irish House , Mr. John ’s Steakhouse , andThe Delachaise . And , naturally , you ca n’t forgetCommander ’s Palace– one of the finest examples of New Orleans culinary art the city has to offer up , in one of the most beautiful dining spaces in town .

1. French Quarter

The oldest and most call hood in New Orleans is also , we firmly believe , the skillful place in New Orleans to eat and wassail , hands down . You want old and glorious grande dame Creole eating house ? TryAntoine’s , Galatoire’s , Broussard ’s , or Brennan ’s . Cocktail bars that forge some of the classics like the Brandy Crusta , the Vieux Carre , and the Grasshopper?Arnaud ’s French 75 streak , The Carousel Bar , andTujague ’s , respectively . If you ’re after beautifully shuck oysters , you haveAcmeandFelix ’s , 4 am French fritter atCafe Du Monde , quick ( and awing ) jambalaya and po - boys at Verti Marte , balcony dining overlooking Jackson Square at Tableau … and that ’s just getting warmed up . For absolute concentration of fantastical places to satiate your stomach and warm up your soul with food and drink , the Quarter is , unsurprisingly , impossible to beat .

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Peche Seafood Grill