Best Dinner Places to Eat in Lower Garden District

"The turquoise and white awning is the first sign of good taste at this flagship of the Brennan family, housed in a gorgeous Victorian mansion in the Garden District since 1880. Sporting a decor that combines whimsy with elegance, Commanders is a dressy spot, no shorts or t-shirts and jackets are preferred - but not required - for gents at dinner. The kitchen, where Emeril Lagasse and Paul Prudhomme started and chef Meg Bickford now presides, delivers Haute Creole specialties including oysters with absinthe and skillet seared gulf fish."

"The Commander’s takeout menu changes daily and rotates classics like turtle soup, lacquered quail, and pecan pie as well as seasonal dishes like duck breast salad and wild Louisiana barbecue shrimp, available in family or individual sizes. Call to order, seven days a week between 11:30 a.m."

"Known for the award-winning quality of its food and its convivial atmosphere, the history of this famous restaurant offers a glimpse into New Orleans’ storied past and has been the go-to destination for Haute Creole cuisine and whimsical Louisiana charm."

"Being an enterprising restaurant owner, Owen Brennan encouraged Paul Blangé, his chef, to invent a dish with bananas as the main attraction, in 1951. The dish was named after Richard Foster, the former chairman of the New Orleans Crime Commission and friend of Owen Brennan. In this iconic dish, bananas are flambéed tableside with brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, rum and served with New Orleans Ice Cream Co. vanilla bean ice cream."

"The pink facade of Brennan’s on Royal Street easily makes it one of the most photogenic restaurants in the French Quarter. And while you’re there, you can explore more beautiful photo spots around Royal Street, like the ornate balconies and the lively street performers. Pro-tip: they also have gorgeous tile tables outside that make for the perfect cute drink flat lay."

"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."

"In 1905, founder Jean Galatoire brought French recipes and traditions to New Orleans with his restaurant. Galatoire’s has continued thriving with the help of his descendants. The original culinary customs have been preserved because the restaurant believes in consistency."

"This jackets-required grand dame of Bourbon Street open for dine-in Wednesday through Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and for weekly changing menu of takeout family meals. Call to order between 9 a.m."

"GW Fins is one of the best restaurants in New Orleans to find a fish selection from around the world. Their menu is on the fancier side, and their appetizers are worth every craving!. Some of their appetizers include Lobster Dumplings and Fried Snapper Breast."

"GW Fins is one for classic desserts, the kind whose ingredient list fills you up just from reading the menu. Customer favorites include the samoa, the “Salty Malty,” an ice cream pie with a pretzel crust, and white chocolate and caramel bread pudding."

"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 ..."

"Hot dogs and cool jazz make a delicious Frenchmen Street pairing. Take a break from club-hopping to fill your belly with inventive goodness from one of the most popular cheap eats in New Orleans. Choose your sausage—traditional, crawfish, alligator, and more—then go wild with toppings ranging from blue cheese to crawfish etouffee in what Dat Dog calls “jazz improvisation on a bun.” Or let the bandmaster lead with specials like the Bacon Werewolf with Slovenian sausage and sauerkraut."

"About Dat Dog: While the other locations on this list all have nightly live music, Dat Dog makes our list of top ten Frenchmen Street bars as a restaurant. The food here is amazing and you can still sit on the balcony of the restaurant and hear the outdoor live jazz bands playing on the corner directly below you every evening. Restaurant Website: (HERE)."

"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."

"A post shared by Kimberly Porter (@kimberly311rush) on Mar 12, 2014 at 5:00pm PDT. This contemporary restaurant in the Bourbon Orleans Hotel is known for serving amazing Creole and Cajun dishes for breakfast. All the dishes are prepared using fresh and seasonal ingredients."

"611 O’Keefe Ave., (504) 323-4259; 5001 Freret St., (504) 603-3085; www.blazepizza.com. The build-your-own-pie format allows diners to choose sauces (tomato, spicy tomato, garlic-pesto or cream sauce), cheeses (mozzarella, feta or Gorgonzola), meats, vegetables and more."

"For your pizza pleasure, we recommend the Veg Out, topped with zucchini, mushrooms, red onion, and red sauce dollops. And you can get vegan cheese at no extra cost!"

"A pork rib plate includes sauce, a roll and two sides such as coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, Caesar salad, barbecue beans or potato chips."

"Whether you’re in for a shot of beer or some quality food, Gordon Biersch has you covered. This pub-style restaurant creates their own award-winning beer to compliment their delicious bar snacks for a truly original time. Try their GB Beer Mushroom Chicken served with asparagus and a bit of brew in their stunning location, and then you’ll see what makes Gordon Biersch the winner of “Best Bar Patio” by beer-drinkers as well as the 2nd best place to drink beer in New Orleans."

"What is a chain brewpub next to a casino doing on this list?. Brewer Nick Anzalone has been expanding the restaurant’s beer selection with his creative recipes including hazy New England IPAs, Brut IPAs, saisons, and a non GBB-standard Bohemian Keller Pils lager. Anzalone has upped the beer cred at GBB-NO and it’s a great place to stop by downtown."

"Located in the Broadmoor neighborhood, Broad Street Cider produces handcrafted ciders and meads in small batches with no artificial flavors or added sugars. The dry and semi-dry ciders and meads are gluten-free, unfiltered, unpasteurized and have no added sulfites. Head to the taproom for not only the standard offerings but also limited specialty releases available on draft and to-go in jar fills."

"Address: 2723 S Broad StreetNew Orleans, LA 70125Phone: (504) 405-1854Website. Try a craft brewery experience with a twist at Broad Street Cider. At Broad Street, they’re making hand-crafted ciders and meads in small batches based on apple juice from Michigan and the Pacific Northwest."

"So far, Broad Street Cider is the only cidery in New Orleans. No worries though, they’re pumping out enough variety to keep visitors and locals intrigued. When I visited there nearly a dozen ciders on tap, plus a number of guest taps."

"One of the pioneers of the contemporary scene on Julia Street, the Arthur Roger Gallery inhabits an architecturally award-winning space that is itself a work of art. Showing both emerging local artists and nationally lauded veterans, the gallery is an anchor of the New Orleans art scene. It expanded in 2008 to include Arthur Roger@434, dedicated to new media artist exhibits, such as digital projections and interactive video."

"Just around the corner from the Ogden Museum is Arthur Roger Gallery, one of the first galleries to open when the city’s art scene was just beginning to bloom in the late 1970s. Now Roger has an expansive roster of roughly 50 artists, including New Orleans natives like Ida Kohlmeyer and Robert Gordy, as well as internationally known artists such as glass sculptor Dale Chihuly and photographer Edward Burtynsky."

"In 1978 Arthur Roger opened his gallery at 3005 Magazine Street in New Orleans’ Garden District. A year earlier the Contemporary Arts Center had opened in downtown New Orleans. The artistic scene in the city was beginning to burgeon."