Best Restaurants, Must Try Places 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."

"2600 Belle Chasse Highway, Gretna, (504) 391-0053; www.sunraygrill.com. Plaquemines oyster bread is made with oysters, artichoke, spinach, tomato and basil and topped with garlic cream sauce and fried oysters."

"1601 St. Charles Ave., (504) 302-9716; www.hoshunrestaurant.com. Kung pao chicken includes peanuts, chilies and celery in brown sauce. Reservations accepted for large parties."

"I was super excited about trying this restaurant it was BOMB. It's located on St.Charles Ave. Everything was perfect the chicken was c..."

"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."

"If your picnic plans bring you to fabulous City Park, this local cafe is an excellent place to grab some takeout. It’s only a hop, skip, and a jump away and offers various delicious sandwiches, paninis, po-boys, salads, and more. Plus, if you plan to bring your pup along with you to the park, there’s a pet-friendly patio where you can sit while you wait for your order."

"Adventurous eaters love this Metairie hot spot for its exotic Chinese menu offerings. If bean curd skin, tripe with special sauce, and fried pork intestines aren’t your jam, crispy duck, orange beef and other traditional dishes more than suffice. Daily lunch specials are cheap and good."

"China Rose was my introduction to the New Orleans soup dumpling. A chef friend told me about it, and it felt like Fight Club. The first rule of dumpling club is to not talk about dumpling club."

"George Rodrigue, a native song of south Louisiana, was best known as the creator of the ‘Blue Dog’, perhaps the most recognizable symbol of Louisiana contemporary art. The dog, with its soulful yellow eyes, was first painted in 1984 for Bayou, a selection of Louisiana ghost stories released in conjunction with the 1984 World’s Fair, held in New Orleans. Rodrigue decided to paint a version of the Cajun loup garou, or werewolf, and in so doing created the ghostly visage of the Blue Dog."

"Born and raised in southwest Louisiana, “Cajun Country,” George Rodrigue preserved on his canvas what he feared was his dying heritage — including its land, people, traditions and mythology. It was a Cajun legend, the loup-garou, that spawned his most famous series, The Blue Dog."

"Gryder describes itself as a platform for artists to express diverse perspectives and experimental discourses. The venue showcases divergent exhibitions which aim to highlight the intellectual and transcendent role of art as well as its preservation. You’ll be drawn in by works like Jan Gilbert’s panels of spooky figures, Dapper Bruce Lafitte’s dynamic scenes of New Orleans or Babette Beaullieu’s intricate structures made from branches."