Best Creole in New Orleans

Located in the French Quarter, and operated by a branch of the famous Brennan restaurant family, the venue is one of the city's original gourmet bistros. The Gumbo Ya-Ya, one of the kitchen's signature dishes, is worth the trip in itself, a flavor-filled bowl brimming with chicken and andouille sausage. Executive Chef Michelle McRaney, well-versed in Creole cuisine, prides herself in using only the freshest local ingredients. Because of this, her menu undergoes changes regularly, an act welcomed by the regular patrons. For entrees, look to the barbecued shrimp and braised rabbit, two dishes which you'll be remembering long after dinner is done. The service is some of the best in town, true iconic New Orleans hospitality.

Cafe Sbisa, the century-old brasserie on Decatur Street, is an atmospheric stunner, with original wood, intimate balcony and patio dining and a staircase that harks back to a golden age. Chef Albert Singleton, who wstarted as a bus boy leads in the kitchen, a partner with owner Craig Napoli, whose seafood business assures the freshest gulf catch on the seafood-centric menu. Outstanding French-Creole cuisine including blue crab cakes and an amazing turtle soup laced with sherry is served under the watchful eyes of a bawdy George Dureau mural - which somehow survived the mold that bloomed after the flood. Enjoy the likes of crawfish beignets, pasta jambalaya and barbecue shrimp on the second floor balcony overlooking the luscious bar.

Antoine's, the city's oldest continually operated family-owned restaurant, has undeniable pedigree - Oysters Rockefeller originated here in 1889, and the menu hasn't changed much since. Expect rich French Creole cuisine and Gulf seafood including tasty fried oysters on buttered toast with foie gras. Local gents still wear jackets for dinner, but it's not required. Diners can enjoy choices like potato souffle or Poulet Rochambeau, a boneless half-chicken served with a creamy cheese sauce and tangy bearnaise sauce. Their reasonably priced lunch special is a favorite among locals. Be sure to check out the bread pudding or the baked Alaska when it comes time to choose dessert.

Opened as a grocery store in 1898, Mandina's morphed into a full-service restaurant in 1932 and is still family operated. The prices are low, and the environment casual and unpretentious. The menu consists of the same New Orleans specialties, like oyster and artichoke bisque, red beans and rice, fried seafood and po'boy, that have been served there for more than 90 years. The trout amandine and the turtle soup are favorites. This quaint dining room serves scrumptious Italian and Creole fare, such as veal Parmesan, turtle soup and shrimp etouffee. The atmosphere is laid-back and the decor on the rustic side in a good way.

Another historic restaurant that got gypped out a birthday milesone - Broussard's turned 100 in 2020. Now in the Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts portfolio, the old girl is looking better than ever. The A-team here includes chef Jimi Setchim, who has manned kitchens including Bourbon House and Palace Cafe. Broussard's is a grand restaurant of historic proportions, with dishes like baked crab gratinee and oyster and mushroom pan roast.is pan seared duck breast with Creole cream sheese grits is the bomb. The kitchen's smartly imagined modern French-Creole cuisine gives this spot special panache. The classically informed cocktails at the Empire Bar landed Broussard's on Esquire's best bar list.

Chef Eric Cook brings old school Creole dishes to the table at Saint John, the modern art-filled restaurant he opened in the French Quarter in the fall of 2021. The New Orleans native has a strong track record - he brought elevated Southern cuisine to Gris-Gris in the Lower Garden District in 2018. With Saint John, he elevates the kind of home cooking that so many locals grew up with. His retro Creole dishes resonate with nostalgia for New Orleanians who have celebrated family milestones over platters of chicken Clemenceau and oyster patties. Dishes like chicken and shrimp maque choux, courtbouillon, and pork belly cassoulet all reveal the diversity of influences that created New Orleans cuisine, ranging from Sicilian and French to Spanish, African, German and Caribbean.

Arnaud's offers some of the Big Easy's best Creole food and a threefold of dining options. Enjoy jazz in the Jazz Bistro, a romantic dinner in the main dining room, or cocktails in the French 75 Bar. The classy joint is located just steps from Bourbon Street in the French Quarter. Their proprietary remoulade blend that adorns their shrimp Arnaud and crab cakes is a must. Arnaud's opened for business more than a century ago in 1918 and has been owned and operated by the Casbarian family since 1978. Second-generation owners Katy and Archie Casbarian run the storied restaurant along with their mother Jane. Ask about the Mardi Gras museum upstairs.

Removed from the usual downtown tourist traffic, this classy Uptown dining room's a hit with the locals. The skilled waitstaff, clad in tuxedos, deliver plates of Nouvelle Creole cuisine and introduce the impressive wine and scotch collection. Once you dig into one of the kitchen's specialties, like fried oysters with brie, smoked softshell crab piled high with crabmeat or the paneed veal, you'll understand why the restaurant's so busy. The former bar and po-boy shop has been a white-tablecloth eatery since the 80s, a favorite of locals who want a Galatoire's experience without crossing Napoleon, never mind Canal Street. First timers often say a meal at Clancy's is like crashing a private club.

New Orleanians are not only loyal to this traditional bastion of Creole dining, but they're also loyal to their waiter, and if they're old enough, to their waiter's son. Generations come and go, but Galatoire's, with its classic menu of trout meuniere, shrimp remoulade and stuffed eggplant, remains timeless. If you only choose one French-Creole restaurant, make it this one for Friday lunch, a storied champagne-soaked tradition at this Creole Palace that lasts until dinner. These regulars don't only want the trout amandine, they ask for their waiter by name at a place where the staff has tended to the same families for generations.

When Tory McPhail decided to head west to be closer to family and start his own restaurant group, there was no question that Med Bickford was going to be Commander's first executive chef. Promoted from chef de cuisine, Bickford continues to respect traditional Creole cuisine without being limited by its constraints. Sticking with local and sustainable product whenever possible, she conjures dishes like La Ceiba gulf fish prepared with crispy cassava and coconut lime fish fumet, stretching boundaries while still delivering the gumbo, turtle soup and prime steak that customers expect. Commander's offers one of the most diverse wine selections in the city - thanks to "wine guy" Dan Davis, who isn't a bit stuffy and happy to help.