Top Best Italian Restaurants in Lower Garden District

"Over in Marigny, this acclaimed neighborhood joint established in 2015 was the kind of newbie that eclectic and open-minded eaters from the area and journalists throughout the city welcomed immediately. The California-inspired cuisine of husband-and-wife team Jack Murphy and Susan Dunn, who've partnered on Paladar 511 with Susan’s brother, Chef Ed Dunn, delights within the light-filled, lofted industrial space. There’s an emphasis on inventive pizzas, such as a lamb merguez topped pie with garlic confit, roasted peppers, pine nuts and tzatziki; small plate gems like steelhead trout crudo or beef carpaccio with fried oysters, remoulade and chervil; and a new American take on classic Italian cuisine, with a nod to NOLA, in big plates or small, such as an arancini with a short rib rage, lemon, parmesan and parsley or a blue crab agnolotti with mascarpone, lemon and English peas."

"Offering both breakfast and lunch, Paladar 511 is located in the Marigny and known for being a foodie hotspot. In the kitchen, local and imported talent come together to serve one-of-a-kind pizzas and pastas that you will spend the following weeks dreaming about. The interior is a cross between rustic-industrial and luxurious, with furnishings that create an unreplicable lofty ambiance."

"A pizza is topped with collard greens, Gruyere cheese, applewood-smoked bacon and a farm egg. Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.-Mon., brunch Sat.-Sun."

"One bite of the complimentary bruschetta at Irene's on Beinville and you'll know you're in Italian heaven. Chef/owner Irene DiPietro immigrated from Sicily to NOLA and opened her beloved eatery in 1992 in a tiny spot on St. Philip Street that grew and grew as the crowds formed. Nowadays, this still family-run place (her son Nicholas Scalco is the current chef de cuisine) occupies a larger space while dishing out the same recipes."

"Irene’s may be in newish digs on Bienville Street but this family-owned Creole Italian restaurant remains the gold standard for homey, cheesy Italian goodness. Open since 1992, Irene’s is much loved for its lasagne Bolognese and crispy duck St. Philip. Although it now accepts reservations, cutting down on the wait for a table, it’s still fun to have a martini in the piano bar before tucking into a feast."

"Since 1993, upscale Italian classics draw crowds to this homey yet elegant dining room with a piano bar. 529 Bienville St, in the heart of the French Quarter."

"Situated in a corner of the Ace Hotel – which is so beyond hip that each room comes stocked with a record player and full vinyl collection, as well as an epic minibar that will cause cocktail enthusiasts to high five themselves with excitement – its lunch and dinner menu from chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman favors Italian standards with an emphasis on housemade pastas. In the morning, there are the usual suspects that kids  love: a short stack of buttermilk ricotta pancakes dusted with confectioners sugar, housemade yogurt sporting granola and honey, and a towering fried chicken biscuit. Best bites for tykes: Cacio e pepe, gemelli with “maw maw’s gravy,” and meatballs sitting on a field of melted parmesan."

"European-style attention to detail applied to full-flavored Southern-style ingredients results in an innovative culinary experience at Josephine Estelle, which serves some of the b..."

"Located in the swanky Roosevelt Hotel on Canal Street, on the edge of the French Quarter and the CBD, Domenica dazzles with chef, co-owner Alon Shaya's regional Italian cuisine and what may be the best thin crust pizza in town. Shaya gets ingredients from partner John Besh's farm, so the emphasis is on seasonal freshness. Pastry chef Lisa White, a CIA grad, gives Italian desserts a New Orleans sensibility - as in her zuppa inglese made with rum-soaked banana cake, fresh bananas butterscotch mousse and peanut brittle and a light and slightly fizzy Zabaione made with Lambrusco (instead of traditional Marsala) and fresh Louisiana strawberries."

"Domencia in Italian translates to “Sunday” as its a Sunday tradition to explore your taste palettes and gorge on delicious foods. At Domencia, they do just that with all of their, at home, prepared pastas and freshly roasted vegetables. Even their Napolitano style Pizzas are carefully handled and placed inside of their famous wooden oven."

"A traditional Neopolitan-style Italian eatery located in the heart of New Orlean’s Central Business District (CBD), Domenica has become a favorite among both locals and critics sin..."

"Oddly enough, the New Orleans barbeque shrimp that made Pascal’s Manale famous over the last century is actually not barbequed at all. Instead, these crustaceans are cooked in a peppery butter sauce, though you won’t mind the misnomer when they’re melting in your mouth. Elsewhere on the menu, you’ll find classic Italian and Louisiana dishes with delicious variations."

"About BBQ Shrimp: Pascal’s Manale s known for its amazing take-out BBQ since 1913 and is home to New Orleans’ original BBQ Shrimp. With Cajun spices and fresh shrimp, you’ll truly feel like you are in the South. Pascal Manale Hours: Monday-Saturday 11:30am-10pm."

"Metairie Ave., Metairie, (504) 454-5885; www.thatsamorepizzaonline.com. A Chicago-style deep dish Veggie Lovers pie includes artichoke, mushrooms, spinach, black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, bell peppers and onions."

"When an Italian restaurant has been in the same spot for over 30 years, you know there's something great coming out of the kitchen. That's the story of Mona Lisa on Royal Street, where reasonably priced classics make your mouth water just by smell alone. The lasagna is legendary (made with meat or a vegetarian version with spinach and artichokes), the pizzas are perfect for sharing and the shrimp scampi is perfectly prepared."

"(1212 Royal St.) Right next to Bennachin is another comfy, cozy spot, the Mona Lisa, decked in the namesake’s-centric art floor to ceiling, and serving some of the best (and most inexpensive) pizza in the Quarter."

"If you want to see classic New Orleans, go to Liuzza’s on Bienville. I grew up in Mid-City, and I still love it and recommend it to everyone, because it hasn’t really been touched by all the changes in New Orleans. It’s just the same place it’s always been."

"Funded by the WPA, the City Park Rose Garden, as it was called when it opened in 1936, has been expanded over the years to fit 12 acres of land featuring more than 2,000 varieties of plants from all over the world. In the early 1980s, the space was renamed the New Orleans Botanical Garden, but what has remained are the 10 sculptures commissioned by Mexican-American relief artist Enrique Alférez."

"– Did you know that New Orleans has a Botanical Garden in City Park?. Open all year round, the Botanical Garden covers 10 acres of land and is beautiful in the growing season. On Wednesdays in April and October, there are extended hours in the garden from 5-8 for an evening with musicians."

"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."

"Roux Carre is a true community restaurant dedicating its entire restaurant to the preservation of Central City culture. Various food vendors within it help to represent the African American, Caribbean, and Latin American influences of the city. These community spots include Estralita’s Express, Johnny’s Jamaican Grill,The Pupusa Lady, Splendid Pig, and the Youth Empowerment Project‘s Trafigura Work and Learn Juice Box."

"A project of Good Work Network, Roux Carré is dedicated to preserving the culture of the Central City community by bringing vacant property in a low-income neighborhood back into commerce in a way that honors its culturally and historically rich location to serve those who have created and sustained it. The food vendors represent African American, Caribbean, and Latin American influences on New Orleans culture."

"Lobster, cream cheese, lemon grass and sambal chili paste fill fried Rangoons served with mae ploy dipping sauce. Reservations accepted."

"Traditional gumbo may be known to be a blank canvas for New Orleans true Creole flavors, but Creole can easily be done without animal products. Here you can get a vegetarian gumbo of the day, which is usually also vegan as it’s a beans and rice base. They also sometimes have a vegetarian or vegan Po’boy and many veggie sides to go along with your gumbo."