Best Restaurants, Must Try Places in Gentilly

"Visitors to the Garden District can’t miss the iconic striped awning in front of this historic restaurant near Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse propelled the restaurant to worldwide fame as their careers took off and now Commander’s Palace is renowned for its excellent versions of Creole classics, its refined but festive atmosphere and the 25-cent martini lunches."

"While you’re in the Garden District or shopping on Magazine Street, you have to stop by Commander’s Palace. The place has been around since 1880, and it’s one of the most famous restaurants in New Orleans for a reason. Their famous teal and white striped exterior is what landed them on this list, but definitely check them out for fine Creole dining and their jazz brunch too."

"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 stucco Brennan’s Restaurant is an example of an elaborate former bank and residence from the late Colonial period. Constructed in 1795, the two-story mansion first operated as the Banque de la Louisiane. It was later converted into a residence."

"The name “Brennan” in New Orleans is synonymous with quality food, affordable prices, and legendary recipes, and this tradition is continuing with the eponymously named Brennan's, ..."

"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."

"Gumbo is a traditional Louisiana dish that has been around since the early 18th century. While there are many variations on the stew, one of the best restaurants offering the dish is at Galatoire’s Restaurant, a fine dining establishment in the French Quarter which was founded in 1905. The Gumbo here is so good it was awarded the ‘Best Gumbo in New Orleans’ by Southern Living."

"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."

"GW Fins’s celebration of everything seasonal, fresh, and from the water is contagious, with chef Michael Nelson constantly churning out specials, and specialties, that convey the love and care brought to each dish. The white linen French Quarter restaurant adapted quickly during the pandemic, offering dishes that were takeout-appropriate as well as quarts of Nelson’s beloved sauces, soups, and sides; offering delivery for the first time ever; and selling fresh, uncooked seafood from its supplier. That dedication to its product — lobster, fish collars, sheepshead, sea bass, and more — and diners make GW Fins a standout."

"Head to GW Fins's, where entrées rotate daily based on the supply from local, sustainably-minded seafood suppliers. Expect both chilled and hot appetizers like tuna tartare and lobster dumplings as well as main dishes that range from local grouper to sea scallops, halibut, and black bass, all with pristine white tablecloths, impeccable service, and the backdrop of the Quarter as you dine."

"This French Quarter restaurant is known for having one of the best gumbos in New Orleans. There’s also a really great wine list to go with your food."

"The colorfully decorated hot dog shop serves a full menu of crazy hot dog combos in New Orleans as well as at outposts outside of the city. Sides are equally inventive with a selection of loaded fries and tater tots. Plus, Dat Dog has a full bar featuring craft beers, daiquiris and specialty cocktails."

"If it’s tubular tastes that you seek, Dat Dog is here to delight your every desire. Yes, the classic Vienna beef with ketchup is on the menu, but it’s wildly outshined by the dozens of other elaborate combinations. Go all-in on an alligator dog with dat sauce and nana’s slaw."

"We love & miss Dat Dog so it was our first NOLA stop on this vacation. Something for everyone & not too big or too small for lunch."

"Locals know this unpretentious corner seafood market and restaurant as one of the best places for quality crawfish; step up to the counter and order your feast, which comes with a thorough and patient tutorial—when the season ends, fear not, you’ve always got local shrimp and oysters to fall back on. Lurking on the seafood-focused menu is one of the city’s finest non-seafood po boys, the Cochon de Lait, overstuffed with pecan smoked pork, spicy Coleslaw, pickled peppers and a zipped up mayonnaise made with charred onion. (There’s a reason why they leave a giant roll of paper towels on your table.)"

"Crawfish boils are the pastime of southern Louisiana between March and June. Anytime the region’s famed mudbugs are plump, locals throw together a party revolving around tables loaded with the fresh-cooked crustaceans plus corn, sausage, potatoes and a load of high-intensity Creole seasoning. Bevi sources fine crawfish, along with crabs, shrimp and most any other local shellfish, then cooks them well and serves them on big trays."

"Siberia, 2227 St. Claude Ave., (504) 265-8855; www.siberialounge.com. Beef stroganoff is a stew with mushrooms, peas and carrots in creamy sauce served with noodles, fries or potato salad and a roll."

"3841 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 888-9046; www.acropoliscuisine.com. Saganaki is sauteed kasseri cheese flamed with Ouzo and served with pita."

"New Orleans' world-renowned gold medal winner, Chef Andrea combines Louisiana products with Northern Italian cuisine to create a memorable dining experience. A favorite among locals. Located in Metairie, 10 minutes from the French Quarter."

"Adolfo's, on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans is a quirky, homey Italian eatery upstairs from the Apple Barrel Inn bar. Arrive when they open to avoid a wait - reservations aren't the norm unless you have a large party. Order garlic bread to start, make that a double order, then you absolutely must get the crab meat and corn cannelloni, a house specialty."

"Closed throughout most of the stay-at-home order, this cozy and bustling Frenchman Street institution just reopened for takeout and dine-in service, Thursday through Sunday. Call the restaurant after 5:30 p.m. to place an order for Creole Italian classics."

"It’s right on the edge of the French Quarter so you aren’t in the thick of it when you want some quiet but can walk into it in five minutes. It’s a 4-star hotel that feels like a 5. Prices are as low as $120 per night. My room had a bathtub with an amazing view!"

"Be sure to take as much time as possible during your 3 days in New Orleans exploring the historical district of the French Quarter. You’ll be enamored by the gorgeous buildings with covered porches and balconies overlooking the gas lamp lit streets."

"* Just a short walk away from here is Lafayette Cemetery, where the inspiration for Lester's tomb sits, and has also recently been a filming location for the vampire-themed show The Originals. You can also find the coven house of American Horror Story in the Garden District, AND the house that was the inspiration for Disneyland's Haunted Mansion!. * Is it any surprise that after our self-led tour of the Garden District we were inspired to take what turned out to be an amazing ghost tour of the French Quarter the following night?!. * * * * #neworleans #nola #bigeasy #ig_neworleans #gltlove #followyournola #igersneworleans #igersnola #alwaysneworleans #visitneworleans #discovernola #flashesofdelight #photosinbetween #wearetravelgirls #theprettycities #unlimitedparadise #sheisnotlost #darlingescapes #femmetravel #globelletravels #openmyworld #thatauthenticfeeling #pursuepretty #traveldeeper #letsgoeverywhere #forbestravelguide #mytinyatlas #dametraveler #timeoutsociety #huffpostgram"

"Of all the cemeteries in New Orleans, Lafayette exudes the strongest sense of subtropical Southern Gothic. The stark contrast of moldering crypts and gentle decay with the forceful fertility of the fecund greenery is incredibly jarring. It’s a place filled with stories – of German and Irish immigrants, deaths by yellow fever, social societies doing right by their dead – that pulls the living into New Orleans’ long, troubled past."

"The first planned cemetery in New Orleans is in the Garden District and takes up just a single city block. When Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 was founded in 1833 it was in the City of Lafayette, which was incorporated into New Orleans in 1852. The cemetery holds around 7,000 people and 1,100 tombs, many of which are stunning, all the more so for their patina and the slight air of dilapidation."

"Bourbon Street is a little overdone as a New Orleans tourist go-to, but some must-see gems that are worth visiting remain. One of them is the Musical Legends Park, which is a small park showcasing the musical and cultural background of New Orleans, Louisiana, teeming with a rich heritage. Throughout the park, there are life-sized, intricately made statues in bronze of many famous local musicians."

"One of the most popular spaces for public gatherings along Bourbon Street that doesn't involve the usual tourist schlock and frozen hurricanes. Free jazz sets are performed every day from 10 a.m. till close, and families congregate here to enjoy them."

"If you want a place that is surrounded by musical history, then the Musical Legends Park should be on your list. Sit and sip on a drink and eat some beignets while you listen to live music. Artists display their artwork around the park."

"Many of our readers would suggest us to check out City Park while we were posting photos of ourselves in New Orleans on social media. After seeing photos of this place it’s no wonder why this place is a photographer’s dream and has the most beautiful trees everywhere."

"In City Park twirling amongst the Spanish Moss Though all of the above are fantastic options for your New Orleans itinerary, here are a few more:"

"This spectacular oasis in the middle of NOLA’s uptown area features multiple picnic spots, playgrounds, a jogging trail, riding stables, a golf course, and more. It stretches from St. Charles Avenue (making it an easy trip on the streetcar) to Magazine Street, and right across Magazine, you’ll find the impressive Audubon Zoo."

"Audubon Park boasts a great green lawn overhung by live oak trees in Uptown. One of our favorite spots for river-watching, the Fly, is located here. At the Fly, you can stroll along the riverside while kids play and pets poke around the trees."

"Formerly the plantation of Etienne de Boré, the father of the granulated-sugar industry in Louisiana, this large, lush patch of greenery…"