Best Restaurants, Must Try Places 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"

"Before the (mostly very good) microbreweries came to New Orleans, there was the Avenue Pub. Sitting nonchalantly on St Charles in the Lower Garden District, it’s been a beacon for serious beer fans in the city for years. The charmingly ramshackle building has been around since the late 19th century, and there’s a British pub feel to the place, with wooden beams and furniture, plus a spacious balcony that overlooks the streetcar and one of the city’s busiest streets."

"There’s not much to say about the Avenue Pub that hasn’t already been said in scores of local and national publications. The Pub’s beer selection, excellent staff, and unique events have vaulted it to the top of many “best of” lists, and rightfully so. Owner Polly Watts has influenced on the growth of New Orleans’ beer scene in big ways — and her relationships with Belgian and Scandinavian brewers have brought beers to the city that no one else has."

"Every streetcar ride should take you to a neighborhood beer joint. So this makes an excellent spot to hop off the St. Charles Streetcar. Owner Polly Watts has carved out a name for this place with her terrific selection of craft beers, many of..."

"Intimate, stylish and specializing in Cajun and Creole-style seafood dishes, ANNUNCIATION is a must visit restaurant for romantic dining. Rustic exposed brick walls, candlelit tables and a bistro-style ambience set the romantic scene, while ANNUNCIATION’s friendly, professional maître d’ Richard Williams ensures a smooth and sophisticated dining experience. ANNUNCIATION’s co-owner and chef Steven Manning opened the restaurant in the summer of 2012, brining more than 30 years experience to the table."

"You'll distinguish Annunciation's Old World version of turtle soup for its redder tone. It's definitely worth downing a bowl or two -- as is the rest of the seasonal menu. New Orleans gets hot, so it's worthwhile to mark a few sno-ball locations on your map."

"1016 Annunciation St., (504) 568-0245; www.annunciationrestaurant.com. Fried eggplant is stuffed with Louisiana shrimp, lump crabmeat and crawfish and served with Creole lemon-butter sauce. Reservations accepted."

"Selections allow for customizing the platter—which comes with rice, beans and a grilled chicken salad—but the combination of a shrimp flauta, bean burrito, and shrimp, fried fish, and chorizo tacos delivers the best of the best. 5932 Magazine St., 897-3974, taqueriacorona.com."

"1827 Hickory Ave., Harahan, (504) 738-6722; 3535 Severn Ave., Metairie, (504) 885-5088; 5932 Magazine St., (504) 897-3974; www.taqueriacorona.com. Fried fish tacos are topped with red cabbage and spicy tartar sauce."

"This park pays tribute to one of the Big Easy’s most esteemed legends, Louis Armstrong. The park is all about art, jazz, and music, featuring different events throughout the year at the historic Congo Square. It’s only a block from the jazz-inspired Hotel St. Pierre; so grab your food and find a peaceful spot among the trees, or spread out a blanket along the banks of the lagoon."

"New Orleans, Louisiana, isn’t particularly known for being lush with greenery. That’s probably why Louis Armstrong Park is one of the top green tourist attractions that New Orleans has to offer. It’s close to the teeming French Quarter so isn’t far displaced from the cultural aspects of the city, and with a huge 32-acre space, it’s often become the home of events and festivals."

"Just outside of the French Quarter is Louis Armstrong Park, a public space honoring the jazz musician it was named after. 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."

"Protecting six different locations in and around NOLA, the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve adds up to 22,421 acres, encompassing bayou, prairie, swamp and the site of the Battle of New Orleans (1815) at Chalmette Battlefield and National Cemetery. The park also looks after the French Quarter Visitor Center, which maps the history of New Orleans and the many cultures of the Mississippi Delta in Louisiana, going into language, music, livelihoods and architecture. A little way south of New Orleans in Marrero is the expansive Barataria Preserve, where marsh, swamps and hardwood forest are crawling with gators, snakes and turtles."

"Named after a famous pirate and privateer who helped defend New Orleans from the British in 1815, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park offers a sight to behold. See the treasures that the park hides as you stroll along the Bayou and learn about Cajun Culture. Find out the different science behind the hundreds of plants and animals that reside there!"

"The Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve consists of six physically separate sites in southeastern Louisiana. Two of these sites are in the New Orleans area and are well worth a visit. The Barataria Preserve offers a chance to see some of Louisiana's natural treasures."

"Arcing around the east bank of the Mississippi opposite Algiers Point is a riverside park laid out in the 1980s and 90s on the site of former wharves and warehouses. Woldenberg Park fronts the French Quarter and is bordered to the south by the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and the Entergy Giant Screen Theater. During the French Quarter Festival in early April the main stages are put up in Woldenberg Park."

"For a day of exploring in the French Quarter, Woldenberg Park is an essential stop. Located right where the Quarter meets the mighty Mississippi, the park begins at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and runs along the water to St. Philip Street. Picnic spots, gazebos, and waterfront benches provide some of the city’s best views of the river."

"For example, at the Woldenberg Riverfront Park is a 16-acre park in front of downtown near everything. Woldenberg Riverfront Park is a wonderful place to go jogging or picnic. You’ll find people playing their music in the park."

"Lilette is a decadent French restaurant situated on Magazine Street. Stellar cuisine from chef John Harris and a hip cocktail bar make this a sexy destination for foodies of all ages. Tempting bites like truffle Parmigiano t with wild mushrooms and marrow and grilled herbed squab with chanterelles line the menu."

"(Uptown, French, $$$) Hanger steak was on point, Manhattan and Old Fashioned were perfect, and our waitress/bartender was friendly and genuinely answered our questions."

"Paul Prudhomme, who opened K-Paul’s in the French Quarter with his wife, Kay, in 1979, fathered the Cajun food revolution, introduced the world to blackening as a cooking technique, and even ushered in a new era for Commander’s Palace, where he made a name for himself before K-Paul’s as the restaurant’s first non-European chef. Since Prudhomme died in 2015, the kitchen is run by his longtime collaborator and fellow Opelousas, Louisiana native, Paul Miller. The two met in the 1970s and Miller moved to New Orleans to work with Prudhomme at Commander’s."

"K-Paul's Restaurant in the Quarter is the trademark establishment of the late chef Paul Prudhomme, whose Cajun jambalaya (culturally different from French Creole) has tasso sausage, chicken, and a jalapeño kick."

"A Louisiana drum fillet is blackened in a cast-iron skillet and served with crabmeat-chipotle compote, potatoes and vegetables. Reservations recommended."

"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."

"Built in 1851 by the Jesuits, this breathtaking, Moorish-inspired structure melds Islamic architecture with Christian and Jewish symbolism (including hundreds of Stars of David). Massive bronze doors, soaring Arabesque arches, stunning stained glass (featuring 18 stations of the cross), cast-iron pews and columns are among the church’s many architectural highlights. Of special note is the towering cupola, the marble statue of Mary (originally carved for Marie Amélie, queen of Louis Philippe of France, during the mid 1800s) located above the onion-domed high altar and two Venetian-glass mosaic shrines at the rear of the sanctuary."

"Sure, it’s the most touristy spot in the city, but no list of beautiful Big Easy buildings can be complete without its most recognizable building. Overlooking Jackson Square sits the St. Louis Cathedral, one of the oldest continually operating cathedrals in the United States. After the original structure was destroyed in the Great New Orleans Fire of 1788, multiple rebuilds resulted in the current—and much larger—structure designed by Louisiana architect Jacques de Pouillyin 1850."

"If you’re up for waking up early, Jackson Square, featuring the beautiful St. Louis Cathedral in the background, is about as Instagrammable as you can get. This area gets crowded later in the day though, so if you want the perfect shot with no people in it, you have to go early. Either way though, it’s a fantastic shot for your ‘gram."

"If you’re down in the CBD or headed toward the French Quarter, one small church lies hidden on Rampart Street. Peering through the doors, you see a rather simple sanctuary and some of the homeless asleep on the pews. The real beauty is to either side of the altar: the shrines to St. Jude and Our Lady of Guadalupe."