Say goodbye to that waistline: 6 top restaurants and food stops in New Orleans to gorge yourself.

If I could only give you one piece of advice about visiting New Orleans it would be this: come hungry.

Seriously. If your tummy were a gas tank, I would heartily recommend that you arrive with it on “E”.

Because… bruh. You will eat, and eat, and eat some more while you’re there. New Orleans’ will take your stomach hostage until you pop a button or split a seam (not an attractive image, but fairly accurate nonetheless).

As I recounted in my recent guide to New Orleans, NOLA is soulful, musical, and steeped in history. But the food really deserves a mention of its own.

Because, heavily influenced by Creole, Cajun, and European cuisines, The Big Easy easily has some of the most unique, plentiful, and flavourful dishes in the U.S.

The crazy thing is that, while there’s a ton of food, practically all of it is extremely tasty. Seriously, it’s rare to hear someone say they didn’t enjoy the food in New Orleans.

Which is comforting… but also a bit daunting when you’re unsure where to eat, because you’re truly spoiled when it comes to excellent options.

So with that said, in this post I’ll chronicle where to eat in New Orleans… not least so you can get started on making that food baby!

Where to eat in New Orleans

Broussard’s, 819 Conti St.

Let’s start with the restaurant that was my personal favourite, though I may be biased since my visit there incorporated two of my favourite things: brunch and live music!

Broussard’s is an insanely beautifully decorated restaurant smack dab in the French Quarter; from the moment you walk through its doors you can feel the class and history that ooze from its walls. In other words, it’s pretty fancy (and thus perfect for low-key bougie folk like myself, ha)! As for the food, the brunch menu is a mash-up of Creole and Parisian cuisine, so you know it’s good.

However, the best part of the experience is the live band that serenades you as you eat. I mean, who doesn’t want a saxophonist getting his Kenny G on as you tear into your Eggs Benedict!? While this isn’t unique to this restaurant in particular (I found out that live music in restaurants at all times of day is pretty standard in NOLA), the combination of the gorgeous setting, convivial atmosphere (the servers were lovely), and tasty and well-presented food (definitely the best plating I saw during my trip) put Broussard’s at the top of my list. I just loved the overall vibe and attention to detail.

Royal House Oyster Bar, 441 Royal St.

Can you believe that I forgot to take pictures at this restaurant? The horror! Clearly I was too caught up in the food. At any rate, you have to take my word that this historic French Quarter establishment (it’s the 4th oldest restaurant there and was the former residence of the Tortorici family of New Orleans) has many things worthy of a nosh. However, given that seafood is the restaurant’s specialty (especially oysters, as per the name), I had to try the shrimp etouffee, which was divine.

Desire Oyster Bar, 300 Bourbon St.

This is probably the most “New Orleans-feeling” restaurants in NOLA. Conveniently positioned along world-renowned Bourbon Street, you can take your evening from 0-100 (aka from low-key diner to party animal) real quick.

Besides the awesome location, the decor and eats are super traditional: chargrilled oysters are as New Orleanian as it gets and the marquee sign above the bar harkens back to a bygone era in the iconic town. I had the Andouille Crusted Gulf Fish and chased it with a bread pudding for dessert– though the latter was so rich I couldn’t finish it all!

Dr. Gumbo Food History Tour, 310 Chartres St. (outside SoBou Restaurant)

I already shouted out this food tour in my Things to do in New Orleans blog post, but it’s worth mentioning again here. I love food tours because they allow you to sample a wide range of foods and restaurants the guide has already vetted; this one is no exception! This delicious journey through NOLA encompasses all the necessary stops (seven in all!), including a stop for gumbo and another for po’boy and muffuleta sandwiches. Remember when I told you you needed to come to New Orleans hungry? Nuff said.

Spotted Cat Food & Spirits, 2372 St. Claude Ave.

Chances are, after fully immersing yourself in traditional NOLA cuisine, you’ll want to “cleanse the palate” with some lighter, non-Louisianan fare. I did, which is exactly why I went to the Spotted Cat for breakfast and had the huevos rancheros. Welp.

This is the 2nd location of the original Frenchmen Street bar/restaurant known for great music, drinks, and amazing food.

But while its new St. Claude and St. Roch location may be decidedly more low-key and family oriented, it still has awesome food… like huevos rancheros. It’s a short walk away from Louis Armstrong Park, so an ideal spot to fuel up before or after a jaunt through the greenspace.

Café du Monde, 800 Decatur St.

Gorging yourself on beignets at the Café du Monde mayyyyy be a tad cliché, but is an absolute must for any visitor to New Orleans. Because, I mean, if you didn’t have a beignet and cafe au lait at the world-renowned French Market coffee stand, did you even really visit New Orleans?!?

The cafe is an institution, serving up Louisiana’s state donut rain or shine, 24 hours a day.  So there’s no excuse not to visit (and take a selfie with a powdered sugar mustache while you’re at it).

Lauren Pope