The Best Restaurants in the French Quarter of New Orleans

In my opinion, the best restaurants found in any location cover a full range of history, culture, and the gastronomy of the local area. While it can be an experience to get all three of those elements at one location, it’s not always possible. Many exciting new places don’t have the history and those with great history may not always have the best meals. Luckily, when it comes to New Orleans and its iconic cuisine, there are so many fantastic places that have the history, gastronomy, and culture of New Orleans all wrapped into one fantastic place to eat. And the ones that may not have the history sure do have the culture and ambiance to go with it. So, without further ado, here are the best restaurants in the French Quarter of New Orleans that I discovered on my adventures there.

Cornet

If you’re looking for traditional New Orleans cuisine while overlooking the chaos and debauchery of Bourbon Street, then Cornet may very well be the place for you. We were thrilled to get to eat out on the balcony (it was cold but most definitely manageable) on our trip to New Orleans, and there was nothing like getting that corner booth and watching everyone moving about Bourbon Street below. The location of this spot is most definitely prime, the balcony and its views are beautiful, and the food was delicious, making it one of the best restaurants in New Orleans.

I’m all about gumbo, and the gumbo served here was both classic and mouthwatering. I highly recommend you give Cornet a visit the next time you’re in the area.

Antione’s Restaurant

Having been in business since 1840, Antoine’s Restaurant boasts that it is New Orleans’ oldest restaurant. The history and gastronomy here is hard to compete with, honestly. The location is beautiful, and with over 14 rooms and a capacity to sit up to 700 people, it’s a sprawling maze you can enjoy exploring around your meal, and the staff encourages the exploration. Definitely check out the wine cellar which is 165 feet long and 7 feet wide!

With its delicious cuisine, uniquely crafted alcoholic drinks, rich history, and the unique tradition of Réveillon being offered at Christmas time, we strongly encourage you to try Antoine’s. It’s upscale, traditional, and exciting, all at a fantastic place to eat. 

Muriel’s Jackson Square

Another popular upscale location is Muriel’s in Jackson Square. On top of its delicious cuisine, prime location at Jackson Square, incredible menu and a traditional Réveillon menu for Christmas, and the range of specialty drinks it has, Muriel’s also has a rich and exciting history starting back in 1718. However, it’s the story of Pierre Antoine Lepardi Jourdan that makes Muriel’s the most famous and interesting place to eat in New Orleans. Pierre was the owner of the property in 1814, when he lost it in a game of poker. Unable to give up his beloved home, he instead, tragically committed suicide in the area upstairs that is now known as the séance lounges.

It is believed that Pierre still resides at Muriel’s today, so a table is set and left for him each night, to appease his spirit. If you eat at Muriel’s, be sure to go to the end of the main hallway and through the door to see Pierre’s table.

Head up the stairway next to it and veer off to the right upstairs to see the séance lounges. They are absolutely worth the visit!

Vampire Apothecary

While it may be a new establishment, the Vampire Apothecary brings with it the centuries of vampire culture that can be found in the New Orleans area. First of all, the atmosphere is classy, unique, and truly special, with drying herbs and unique art pieces being hung around the establishment. And the drinks are unbelievably unique and spectacular. While we only had the charcuterie board there, I can attest that the presentation is fabulous, truly worth the experience, and my Vexing Violet drink was unlike anything I’ve had before- in a good way! With a menu ranging from food to cocktails to special collagen coffees to special tea blends to fangs and gifts, this is definitely a place you must see and experience for yourself! So I highly encourage you to make the journey there on your next trip to New Orleans!

The history, gastronomy, culture, and cuisine of New Orleans is so unique and so special that it compares to nothing else I’ve experienced before. I hope you make it out to New Orleans at least once to see what I mean, and when you do, I encourage you to eat at the places mentioned above. In my opinion, they are the best restaurants in the New Orleans French Quarter. I’d also like to give a special shout-out to Fat Boy’s Pizza, as it offered enormously large and delicious pizza slices for when we needed to eat and move quickly.

New Orleans was an experience like no other! Read about my other New Orleans experiences here!