I’ve been to New Orleans twice, in July 2022 and April 2024, and both trips were mostly about eating. This guide collects every New Orleans meal I’ve posted, with links to the photos, so you can plan your own food crawl through the French Quarter and beyond.
Acme Oyster House
If there’s one stop I’d make every trip, it’s Acme. It’s been serving oysters on Iberville Street, just off Bourbon Street, since 1910, and the chargrilled oysters, topped with garlic butter and cheese and cooked over a flame, are the thing to order.
- Acme Oyster House, July 2022
- Acme Oyster House, April 2024
- A video of the chargrilled oysters coming off the grill
More seafood in the Quarter
- Deanie’s Seafood, a family-run spot on Iberville Street known for big Louisiana seafood platters
- Pier 424 Seafood on Bourbon Street, for boiled shrimp and Gulf seafood
- Chargrilled oysters for the first meal of the 2022 trip
- Crab claws Bordelaise and a ribeye
Fried chicken at Willie Mae’s
Willie Mae’s Scotch House in the Tremé neighbourhood is famous for its fried chicken and won a James Beard America’s Classics award in 2005. It’s a short ride from the French Quarter, and going early helps avoid the queue.
Beignets and brunch
- Café Beignet, July 2022 and Café Beignet on Bourbon Street, April 2024. Fried dough under a mountain of powdered sugar, and usually a shorter line than Café du Monde.
- The Trifecta at the Ruby Slipper Cafe, a local brunch favourite known for its Benedicts
Beyond the food
The Steamboat Natchez is an authentic steam-powered sternwheeler that cruises the Mississippi from the Toulouse Street Wharf. Listen for its steam calliope before departures.
Tips
- Many of the best-known spots don’t take reservations, so expect lines at peak times and go early or mid-afternoon.
- Summer is hot and humid, so plan indoor meals for the middle of the day.
- Most of the French Quarter is walkable, but you’ll want a ride for Tremé and other neighbourhoods at night.
