Best Dinner Places to Eat in Bywater

"GQ's Golden Dish Award for Eggs Sardou, Commander’s Palace’s legacy speaks for itself. Located in the Garden District, Commander’s Palace is thought to be the original spot for a jazz brunch and patio dining. For contemporary Louisiana food and alfresco dining, look no further than Commander’s Palace."

"Since 1880, Commander’s Palace has been a hot spot in the Garden District winning numerous awards. Customers come back again and again for the award winning food and welcoming atmosphere of this place filled with history. This venue is more than a restaurant, it is a landmark."

"This world-famous dessert was first created right here at Brennan’s restaurant by chef Paul Blange in 1951 when he was challenged to create a dish featuring the fruit. The delectable result is now the most ordered item on the Brennan’s menu. Patron’s of the restaurant will dine here just to order the Banana Foster having dined elsewhere for dinner."

"The birthplace of Bananas Foster, that flaming tableside dessert of bananas, rum, and brown sugar served over vanilla ice cream, is still going strong with an array of classic desserts to please the breakfast crowd. Because you should always have dessert at breakfast."

"It’s hard to miss the large, pink restaurant on Royal Street in the French Quarter. Brennan’s is where the iconic dessert, bananas Foster, originated—granting the venue much-earned glory. Here, the signature flaming dish is prepared tableside."

"If you’re going to take somebody to something fancy, show them Galatoire’s in the French Quarter. Bring them to the Friday lunch, and order so many things: the pommes soufflées (crispy twice-fried potato wedges); the café brûlot (a boozy hot coffee drink, served flaming in a chafing dish); and the trout amandine (fried with a butter, lemon, and almond pan sauce)—all super-traditional New Orleans. And if the restaurant has the soft-shell crabs on the menu, you’ve got to get them."

"Amidst the chaos (and, let’s face it, uncouthness) of Bourbon Street is a refined, old-line restaurant where waiters wear black bow ties and business people make deals during marathon lunch-into-dinner sessions. Here you’ll dine on famed traditional Creole dishes like shrimp rémoulade and trout amandine."

"If you're lucky enough to go on a night when soft-shell crab is on the menu, it'll be one of the best damn pieces of food you'll ever put in your mouth."

"G W Fins restaurant is a beautifully appointed fine-dining establishment featuring stunning metal sculptures of underwater depictions. Fishnet curtains, white linens, and fine artwork further create an elegant ambiance. Local owners Gary Wollerman and Chef Tenney Flynn have a reputation for being meticulous and providing high-quality seafood."

"While better known for its seafood, GW Fins certainly has no shortage of vegan options for even the most finicky of eaters. Owned and operated by Gary Wollerman, GW Fins makes our ..."

"Gents should wear a collared shirt but leave your coats and ties at home. GW Fins has served food in the French Quarter since 2001 and th..."

"Fulfilling the childhood nostalgia of eating a yummy hotdog cooked right on the grill on a summer day is Dat Dog. In multiple locations scattered across New Orleans is hot dog (with a twist) heaven with every kind of hot dog imaginable: crawfish dogs, alligator dogs, Slovenian dogs, plus over 30 different toppings. For the non-meat eaters, Dat Dog also has vegetarian and vegan options (chipotle dog, eggplant dog, vegan sausage dog)."

"601 Frenchmen St., (504) 309-3362; 3336 Magazine St., (504) 324-2226; 5030 Freret St., (504) 899-6883; www.datdog.com. A crawfish etouffee dog is a crawfish sausage topped with crawfish etouffee, onions, tomatoes, mustard and sour cream. Reservations accepted for large parties."

"The sprawling stand is painted in primary hues, as if the work had been outsourced to a talented kindergarten...Read More"

"Come enjoy both lunch and dinner at this neighborhood kitchen’s roomy Mid-City patio. While a more casual spot for outdoor eating, Bayou Wine Garden gives its customers a variety of wines and small plates to enjoy for a regular visit. In addition, the spot also prides itself as one of the few restaurants to serve wine by the tap."

"Head over to this casual Mid-City neighborhood wine bar for a fun evening in a relaxed atmosphere. Get your fill with a large selection of wines with options by the glass, bottle, or carafe. The bar also features a wine-on-tap system with 32 rotating wines at lower price points."

"Connected by a meandering courtyard, Bayou Beer Garden and Bayou Wine Garden make it easy for groups of beer lover and wine aficionados to grab a drink in the same spot. A word to the wise: this place gets chaotic on a game day. Photo:Bouligny Tavern"

"Tags: Chef Owned and Operated, Dog Friendly Patio, and Garden Guide. Category: Caribbean, Latin American, Outside Dining, Private Dining, and Weekend Brunch. Mayas Restaurant is a captivating Latin dining experience with exciting social rhythms."

"Boiled or fried yuca is served over salad and topped with mango salsa and pico de gallo. Reservations accepted. Lunch Wed.-Sat., dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Sat.-Sun."

"While Fritai is primarily a hot new destination for its Haitian cuisine, the bar program also offers something special — a number of clairin-centric cocktails; clairin being a Haitian spirit distilled from cane juice that tastes similar to rum but with a mezcal edge, as described by Fritai. There are more than a dozen tropical, herby, and classic cocktails on the drink menu, as well as wine, beer, smoothies, and set ups — a New Orleans-specific bar tradition, served here with a Haitian twist."

"Cafe Amelie is home to one of the most romantic courtyards in the Vieux Carre. The menu revolves around Louisiana fare with some international influences. If there is no time to linger over a meal in the lush courtyard, its sister restaurant Petite Amelie serves delightful sandwiches and salads and makes an ideal lunch spot."

"This romantic French Quarter gem checks all the boxes for a romantic meal. Cafe Amelie has all the charm you’d expect from a refurbished 150-year-old carriage house. Take your seat outside in the lush and airy courtyard or indoors in the beautiful carriage house dining area."

"Slightly toward the pricey side, Cafe Amelie serves up classic New Orleans cuisine in a romantic, elegant atmosphere. The food is said to be wonderful, as is the simple experience of eating in their courtyard on a pretty day."

"Warehouse DistrictThe various food halls springing up all over town bring small vendors to a receptive clientele with lower overhead costs than a regular restaurant, giving more niche ideas -- like vegan and vegetarian food -- the opportunity to set up shop. Stop in at the Auction House Market on the corner of Julia and Magazine to get a masala dosa at Tava Indian Streetfood, jackfruit BBQ toast from Happy Jaxx, and a vegan macaron or milkshake from Mac & Moon Macarons."

"I actually went here twice because of its location, and it’s obviously got some delicious options. It was only a few minutes walk from our first hotel, Loews New Orleans, and also near the WWII Museum. The food hall is from the same team that’s behind the more well known St. Roch Market, and it has a number of different vendors."

"The back-alley French Market spot is worth the trip for its hard-to-find vegan okra gumbo alone, but its health-conscious menu is full of vegan and gluten-free riffs on other New Orleans classics that usually come only in meat and seafood versions, like the popular Beyond Burger (also soy-free), and the vegan crabcake and Portobello mushroom po-boys."

"If you’re looking for vegan gumbo, then this place is for you. Wonder the back alley’s of the French Quarter and you’ll find this vegan-friendly gem. If you’re not feeling the gumbo, then you have to try their vegan burgers!"

"Mid CityLiterally every meat item on this menu has a vegan counterpart, from the classic Philly to poutine to the vegan Far East Philly which combines steak seitan, fried pickle onions, and vegan cream cheese. Even the dessert has been vegan-ified -- the Yum Bun takes vegan ice cream and sprinkles it with cereal served on top of a hot vegan honey bun."

"Trilly Cheesesteaks serves up some of the most delicious cheesesteaks in Louisiana. And, even though they’re famous for their traditional sandwiches, it’s the vegan cheesesteaks that really steal the show."

"Opened in 2017 in the Garden District, Lula is New Orleans’ only Creole/Southern restaurant with an in-house distillery. Partner Jess Bourgeois, formerly of Commander’s Palace, handles the restaurant while co-owner Bear Caffrey, a Baton Rouge ER doctor with a penchant for chemistry, oversees the distillery. To open a combined full service restaurant with a micro-distillery, Bourgeois and Caffrey had to seek approval through House Bill 233, which passed in the summer of 2015, paving the way for future restaurant-distillery concepts in Louisiana."

"This stylish yet rustic micro-distillery produces small-batch, handcrafted vodka made from Louisiana sugar cane. The smooth and clean spirit has the soft finish of a cane vodka. Also available is a molasses- and raw-sugar-based rum that is batch fermented and distilled, and gin steeped with botanicals like juniper, coriander, angelica root and citrus peel."

"Tea-brined, buttermilk battered Cornish hen is served with Creole slaw and fries. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sat.-Sun."

"You'll find everything from pizza to Middle Eastern to Vietnamese (plus a cocktail bar) at the stylish Pythian Market, a food hall located on the edge of the French Quarter. I've only been once, but I loved the flavor-packed Mushroom Medley Salad from Squeezed, and my husband had a Phoritto (basically, pho in burrito form ... a tofu version is available) from Eatwell."

"Next on our list of the absolute best lunch spots in New Orleans: Pythian Market is more than just a food hall in downtown New Orleans. In the market, you’ll not only find local food, but also a craft bar and curated retail vendors. Pythian Market is a gathering place for food, community, and commemoration of New Orleans culture."

"Pythian Market, 234 Loyola Ave., (504) 481-9599; www.pythianmarket.com. A Nashville hot chicken sandwich features a fried chicken breast dunked in Nashville-style hot sauce on a toasted sesame bun with house-made pickles."

"Congo Square is located within Louis Armstrong Park, just north of the French District. It is a location steeped in history as the the enslaved of New Orleans would gather here on their day off to set up a market, sing, dance, and play music. There isn’t much here now, but the tiles and tress make for an interesting composition steeped in untold history."

"Inside, there are iconic sites like Congo Square, a historic meeting place for slaves in the 1800s. There are also sculptures, a duck pond and plenty of green space where you can relax after spending your morning walking around the city."