The Resy Hit List: Where In New Orleans You’ll Want to Eat Right Now

Since 1905 regulars have been willing to stand in line for hours on the sidewalk to secure a table at this French-Creole institution. (Only recently did this policy change when the restaurant became a Resy partner.) Most regulars could not even tell you what the menu looks like. They rely on their trusted usual waiter to bring them what looks best from chef Philip Lopez’s kitchen. Shrimp with sauce remoulade and crabmeat maison are foolproof starters. If they are on offer, don’t miss trout almandine, broiled pompano, and fried soft-shell crabs — each of which will come ladled over with meunière sauce for the asking. (Pro tip: Ask).

Men must wear jackets in the dining rooms after 5 p.m. and all day Sunday. Pro tip: Wear a jacket. They will not let you off the hook if you forget, and you will be obliged to wear a soup-stained loaner. Sneakers, tank tops, and flip-flops are never welcome. Step it up and enjoy a classic.

Managing partner Andrew Duncan christened newcomer Jolie a “loungerie”: a mashup between lounge and brasserie. Velvet, leather, and tapestry form the backdrop for a standout beverage program headed up by Kiah Darion from Bar Marilou and Will Lester from Longway Tavern. Over-the-top, playful cocktails are crafted with props, including blow torches and glitter. (The house take on a French 75 arrives in a flute with a baggie of Pop Rocks suspended from the rim.) Pair it all with Frenchified shareable plates: snails in a curried sauce; whipped foie gras piped on sourdough toast rounds; and crisp frites beneath with a meaty duck gravy — a take on poutine from chef Indigo “Soul” Martin, who formerly ran the pop-up Indigo Soul Cuisine.

In the early 1970s Dick Brennan Sr., was struck with the idea to invite a lively jazz trio to play for the post-church crowd at the fledgling restaurant his family had recently bought. In bringing together a trifecta of booze, food, and music, the Brennan family created a new genre in New Orleans dining — where it was perfectly acceptable to party hardy on Sunday morning and then return home for a nap. While that formula has been replicated, the original continues to thrive, with chef Meg Bickford’s constantly changing menu. If you’re there during the day, keep an eye out for poached eggs with cochon de lait: pork shoulder rubbed with hot sauce and garlic and slow smoked for 18 hours, then topped with tasso-studded Hollandaise.

Celebrated chef Frank Brigtsen honed his considerable skills under the tutelage of the late legendary chef Paul Prudhomme, who backed his prized charge when Brightsen opened his namesake in 1986. It’s still housed in a cozy Riverbend shotgun cottage, with a familial vibe kept by Marna Brigtsen as backdrop for her husband’s contemporary Creole cuisine. Mainstays include an unusual seafood platter you will see nowhere but here, with redfish topped with a sauce of shrimp and smoked cashews; plus cornbread with hunks of shrimp and smoked corn butter; baked oysters Fortuna; and New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp with a rice calas griddlecake. They all show the link between the city’s dining history and its present.

Call 504-861-7610 for a (tough-to-land) reservation. 

Cooking demon Sophina Uong and her husband and business partner William “Wildcat” Greenwell turned a ho-hum former corner store into a tropical roadhouse named after their cat. It has become a go-to spot for “inauthentic” global cuisine from Uong and killer craft cocktails from Greenwell, with names like Daddy Issues and, yes, Uncle Butthead. The menu is subject to Uong’s considerable whims, but a dependable stalwart is the mind-blowing Kashmiri-spiced fried chicken. (Pro tip: Get an order for the table.) Appearances may be made by jelly doughnuts with orange flower water and cardamom sugar; chicken tinga chilaquiles; and Thai shrimp cake with eggs, mustard greens, curry, and fish sauce vinaigrette.

Film veterans and restaurant newcomers Alixandra Petrovitch and Paul McCaige are out to replicate the vibe of the city’s bygone neighborhood restaurants, down to the vintage jukebox, which Petrovitch stocked with 45s of New Orleans classic tunes she snagged from her mom and aunt. Chef Jacob Zambarano ‘s kitchen turns out rethought comfort foods: an andouille corn dog with Creole mustard; artichoke and cheese manicotti; and meatloaf with cauliflower purée and onion gravy.  Desserts include re-fried Hubig’s pies served with gelato from nearby Angelo Brocato confectionary. There are small-production wines, specialty cocktails, local beers, and THC/CBD seltzers. And when it’s hot again, sno-balls, both boozy and traditional, will hit the back patio.

Walk in, or call 504-766-6642 for a reservation. 

Chef Donald Link opened this king-maker in 2000, which launched his Link Restaurant Group and propelled a generation of culinary talents, including Stephen Stryjewski (Cochon), Ryan Prewitt (Pêche), Rebecca Wilcomb (Gianna), and Maggie Scales (La Boulangerie). Today the standard for excellence is kept by chef de cuisine Tyler Spreen. His seasonal French-Southern menu is complimented by an exceptional wine program and service. In a town awash in gumbo, the one here is a standard-bearer. Tender bites of chicken float in a deep, dark, silken roux and flavorful broth rich with smokey hunks of andouille and bright with slivers of scallion. Make use of the basket of warm bread to mop every drop of gumbo from your bowl.

Chef Eric Cook’s flagship is firmly rooted in New Orleans’ singular hospitality, with inspired takes on Southern cuisine. Expertly fried oysters make two memorable appearances. They are the main attraction on a salad with crisp little gem lettuce, thin shavings of radish, a scattering of blue cheese, and a hint of sugarcane vinaigrette. They also co-star in a fun take on a BLT alongside cubes of smoked pork belly and a complex tomato jam. Shrimp and grits are boosted by silken tomato butter and smoked sausage. And Cook’s deeply satisfying chicken and dumplings have the power to bring a warm smile to the stoniest of faces, thanks to a last-minute addition of fresh thyme. Nab a spot on the deep second-floor balcony overlooking Magazine Street for excellent people-watching.

After nearly 40 years, this unpretentious spot holds fond memories. The quadfecta is the charming dining room, a resistance to change (reservations remain phone-only, as with Brigtsen’s), a killer wine list, and the seasonally driven menu. The linens are white. The prices are reasonable. Chef Brian Larson turns out beautifully low-key cooking. Fried Gulf oysters might show up with roasted delicata squash, blue cheese, and a red-wine gastrique. When in season the buttery goodness of a soft-shell crab is kissed by the smoker, then fried for a crisp exterior before hitting the plate, perhaps with citrus beurre blanc. Double-cut pork chops also benefit from a trip through the smoker before being seared and served with a Creole mustard sauce. And the celebrated wine list exhaustively covers selections from the United States and France.

Reservations open one month to the day in advance; call 504-895-1111.