15 Best Seafood Restaurants in New Orleans | 2024 (Top Eats!)
If you’re an avid carnivore, then you will absolutely love the cuisine culture in New Orleans, especially with the delectable goodness of gulf seafood.
New Orleans provides you with tons of seafood options, either in broiled or fried clams, with lots of chili and grilled sauce poured over it.
Its method of only using open wood fires makes it one of the best around, fueled by commercial fishing enterprises that provide the freshest catches from the sea.
The variety here is just fascinating, like soft shell crab po boys, shrimp étouffée, jambalaya, raw or broiled oysters.
They also have several local favorite dishes that one can enjoy either in crowded dining rooms or in our lovely picnic style.
But be assured that New Orleans has tons of restaurants providing varied numbers of ambiance and food selections that will definitely make you fall in love with it.
The Best Seafood Restaurants in New Orleans This Year
1. Mr. B’s Bistro
Why it’s a must visit?
The Mr. B’s Bistro restaurant is one of the top-rated seafood restaurants in New Orleans that serves celebrated food choices at the corner of Royal & Iberville in the French Quarter.
The restaurant is known for owning its own cookbook and serves unique seafood options right in the heart of New Orleans.
It’s a perfect place to have business lunches as well as to enjoy a chic and casual vibe with excellent staff service.
Not to mention how incredible this restaurant is as a Sunday brunch option to celebrate any festive occasion.
Chef’s choice
This restaurant is prominently known for its signature dishes like barbecue shrimp plate and gumbo ya ya, which the local people have loved for decades.
They also have the nicest drink selections and have been mentioned in the food and wine magazine for being the best business lunch restaurant.
Besides its prime French Quarter location, it’s also a perfect spot for romantic dates.
Location and Contact
- 201 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130-2226
- Website
- Phone:- +1 504-523-2078
- Email:- dine@mrbsbistro.com
Also See: Places for Seafood in French Quarter
2. Grand Isle Restaurant
Why it’s a must visit?
The Grand Isle restaurant is known for its standoffish location on the strip of the mainland in Louisiana, which is famous for its fishing.
It’s one of the most famous restaurants to try fresh local seafood while also immersing yourself in vintage photos by channeling the enjoyable gulf goodness as its namesake.
It is situated on a busy Futon street and highlights several talents like the chef Ryan Haigler who is from South Carolina and brings his amazing recipes to the heart of New Orleans.
He had a humble beginning starting from Waffle House, and quickly showed his excellence in creating the nicest seafood selections ever.
Chef’s choice
This restaurant brings a lot of flavor into various Gulf specialties, like its unique versions of grilled oysters with havarti and tasso, as well as smoked fried oysters with garlic aïoli.
They also have another delicious treat, like their smoked drum chowder with roasted corn, that you should definitely not miss out on.
They also have a special butcher program to create their own steak specials with winning combos of baby clams with confit pork cheek and crispy popcorn rice pilaf.
Overall, it’s a good sophisticated restaurant near me that offers a relaxed vibe and is situated between the convention center and the canal street.
Location and Contact
- 575 Convention Center Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70130-1649
- Website
- Phone:- +1 504-520-8530
- Email:- info@grandislerestaurant.com
3. Station 6
Why it’s a must visit?
The Station 6 restaurant is one of the top-rated seafood restaurants in Bucktown, New Orleans, that is quite a charmer with a fantastic team of Allison Vega Knoll and Drew Knoll.
It is one of the best family restaurants that is cutely decorated with family photos and has very well-informed and warm service.
The friendly atmosphere of the restaurant, with eye-catching details like leather banquets and burnished wooden tables, gives it a rustic vibe that is perfect for any old soul.
Chef’s choice
The restaurant has a fetching oyster bar serving the tastiest oysters with the drinks.
They have other creative seafood options like sizzling garlic shrimp, birds of yellowfin tuna with a serving of jicama slaw, spicy Cajun caviar, and chargrilled oyster pasta.
Meat lovers will definitely appreciate their sloppy drew that is made with provolone, onion jam, braised beef, and savory horseradish dressing.
Another excellent non-veg option included grilled pork chop, which comes with a delicious barbecue gravy and is just delicious.
Location and Contact
- 105 Metairie Hammond Hwy, Metairie, LA 70005-1307
- Website
- Phone:- +1 504-345-2936
- Email:- info@station6nola.com
4. Red Fish Grill
Why it’s a must visit?
The Red Fish Grill is one of the cool places to eat seafood in New Orleans that can handle lots of crowds because of its excellent menu and service.
The restaurant sets a high bar when it comes to both cuisine and service because of its impressive quality of seafood, which has made it a spotlight location for seafood in New Orleans.
It’s also an outstanding place to come in large groups with your friends and enjoy full-service dining with more than 500 options of cocktails.
Chef’s choice
If you’re wondering where to eat seafood cuisine with a broad menu, then this restaurant should be on the top of your bucket list.
The restaurant features yummy delicacies like wood-fried red fish with a serving of Tasso ham, crawfish, and roasted mushrooms slathered in lemon butter sauce.
Other unique varieties here include their two courses, like their 1-pound Dungeness crab special and different cocktails.
Location and Contact
- 115 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130-2301
- Website
- Phone:- +1 504-598-1200
- Email:- info@neworleans-food.com
5. GW Fins
Why it’s a must visit?
The GW Fins restaurant was inaugurated in 2001 and has received national praise for servings of creative dishes in its unique atmosphere.
It’s one of the best restaurants for seafood in the French Quarter that takes its interior inspiration from nature, depending on the season.
The menu here also keeps changing daily according to the season, and you can expect to discover various unique dishes here if you decide to come here.
Thankfully, this diner also provides a premium valet service by taking care of your things in the most responsible manner.
Chef’s choice
As the restaurant exclusively specializes in seafood, it has an incredibly fresh seafood variety with creative options.
Their Atlantic bluefin tuna and tasty southern flounder are the most yummy choices here.
They also have mouthwatering lobster dumplings that make for a scrumptious appetizer option to begin your meal with and are also a crowd favorite.
Also, reservations are recommended here, so be sure to call ahead of time.
Location and Contact
- 808 Bienville St Between Bourbon and Dauphine Streets, New Orleans, LA 70112-3122
- Website
- Phone:- 504 581-3467
- Email:- infonola@gwfins.com
6. Bourbon House Seafood & Oyster Bar
Why it’s a must visit?
The Bourbon House Seafood & Oyster Bar restaurant was recently refurbished and is one of the must-eat places to try authentic po boys.
The local people belove this restaurant because of its incredible drinks and sandwich selections that have several NOLA specials.
Besides being a diner, it also is a bustling oyster bar that serves several delicious drink options.
Chef’s choice
The restaurant has a whiskey collection that has given it a top oyster bar reputation for enjoying authentic Louisiana cuisine and drinks.
The dishes here primarily consist of traditional Louisiana seafood dishes with several lunch and dinner selections.
During lunch, people love devouring their duck, halibut, Royal red shrimp risotto, snoopy’s, and sea scallops, and we should butter that makes for a perfect combination.
These exceptional seafood dishes with crisp white wines provide an authentic dining experience.
Location and Contact
- 144 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130-2302
- Website
- Phone:- +1 504-522-0111
- Email:- info@bourbonhouse.com
7. The Franklin
Why it’s a must visit?
The Franklin restaurant is a perfect luxury diner for people who like dining in a fancy and elegant setting with a polished space.
It’s one of the 5-star restaurants situated in the Bywater and Marigny neighborhoods in New Orleans.
This restaurant stands out from the crowd because of its inviting and intimate space, which has made it a perfect date spot in New Orleans.
The restaurant is spearheaded by the executive chef Dane Harris who uses his excellence to create the most delectable varieties available in New Orleans.
Chef’s choice
Besides being in a big city, the restaurant also has a big menu with seasonally prepared dishes that are French-inspired.
The menu is relatively modern, with the dishes like beef tartare with cool garnishing and crispy rainbow trout with tangy citrus salsa Verde.
Whatever you decide to eat here, do not miss out on their stupendous burger with their delicious farmhouse fries and cheddar.
They also have tasty PEI mussels with Nduja that are just a stellar combination.
They also have a fascinating cocktail program that includes delicious martinis.
The restaurant takes its reputation to the next level by having a corner store that is filled with awe-inspiring art with natural light that is the personal private collection of the owner.
Location and Contact
- 2600 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70117-7320
- Website
- Phone:- +1 504-267-0640
- Email:- thefranklinnola@gmail.com
8. Le Chat Noir Restaurant
Why it’s a must visit?
The Le Chat Noir restaurant is spearheaded by Chef Seth Temple and is located on the famous St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans.
The restaurant has earned a commendable reputation for using farm-fresh ingredients with a healthy vegetarian menu that comes with overflowing flavors.
Another great thing about this restaurant is that the wines here are available at cheap rates, and the boutique products here are actually remarkable for large groups.
Chef’s choice
The restaurant spotlights several star-of-the-show food options like there hakurei turnips that are made with delicious crispy, small veggies with greens and miso umami sauce containing fronds of bronze fennel and candied meerkats, which are hauntingly tasty.
They also have daily specials like their fresh fish, which is served with mushrooms, capers, and oniony soubise.
They also have other incredible selections, like their crab-fat agnolotti with their impressive wine list and lots of grape varieties that are just to die for.
Location and Contact
- 715 St. Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130-3713
- Website
- Phone:- +1 504-381-0045
- Email:- info@lechatnoirnola.com
9. Peche Seafood Grill
Why it’s a must visit?
The Peche Seafood Grill restaurant is an industrial diner that has a chic ambiance that local people love to visit.
The food near me at this restaurant is lined with seafood that is entirely made on a coal fire grill.
It has also won a James Beard award with the partner and Ryan Prewitt, who delivers intriguing dishes in the most fabulous form.
Also, it’s recommended to book reservations here early and by phone as the seats here tend to run out pretty quickly.
Chef’s choice
This restaurant is most famous for its local rod seafood that is nicely cooked over a coal grill.
The several fascinating dishes here include shrimp with purple rice pilaf, the tastiest redfish varieties, and big drum with mushroom broth that are just out of the world.
The redfish here is nicely made with a lemonade flavor and herbaceous salsa verde that is just truly divine.
Therefore, no matter what else you get here, go for their whole gulf fish head to tail and redfish, as it’s the chef’s specialty.
Also, meat lovers love trying to stay here with their 22-ounce Brasstown ribeye, which is perfect for two people.
The reservations here are often made early and often only by phone or online.
Location and Contact
- 800 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130-3616
- Website
- Phone:- +1 504-522-1744
- Email:- lizbodet@gmail.com
10. Acme Oyster House
Why it’s a must visit?
The Acme Oyster House restaurant is situated on the upper side of the French Quarter and has been a mainstay location serving seafood delicacies since the year 1910.
It has become a regular spot for seafood lovers that welcomes both local people and foreigners alike.
It has become one of the best places to try oysters as more than 3 million a prepared regularly every year here.
It’s the biggest oyster seafood bar that gives you a broad variety to enjoy several specialties.
Chef’s choice
Anyone who loves oysters will go crazy at this restaurant as the impressive oyster variety here, with a bar, makes it quite exceptional.
Some incredible varieties here include jambalaya, fried soft shell crab, and oysters Rockefeller soup.
If you have a hard time deciding between the shrimp po boy and oyster, then order half of each.
Basically, it’s a legendary spot that has remained a go-to spot to try oysters in the French Quarter since 1910.
Location and Contact
- 724 Iberville St., New Orleans, LA 70130
- Website
- Phone:- +1 504-522-5973
- Email:- moniquer@acmeoyster.com
11. Trenasse
Why it’s a must visit?
The Trenasse restaurant has received a lot of praise for its servings of innovative dishes inside its chic atmosphere.
It’s one of the great restaurants for seafood in the Central Business District, which inspires its interior from nature, as per the season.
The menu here also keeps rotating regularly according to the seasons, and you can expect to find distinct dishes here every time you visit.
Thankfully, this restaurant also has a premium parking facility by taking care of your essential things in the most precise manner.
Chef’s choice
As the diner exclusively specializes in seafood, it provides a range of fresh seafood varieties in creative forms.
Their Atlantic bluefin tuna and southern flounder are the tastiest choices here.
They also have delectable lobster dumplings that make for a yummy appetizer option to start your feast with and are also a local favorite.
Also, reservations are recommended here, so be sure to call them before your set time.
Location and Contact
- 444 Saint Charles Ave Ste 100, New Orleans, LA 70130-3106
- Website
- Phone:- +1 504-680-7000
- Email:- greg@trenasse.com
12. Superior Seafood & Oyster Bar
Why it’s a must visit?
The Superior Seafood and Oyster Bar restaurant is the king of crawfish beignets that comes in tons of different forms to appeal to your taste buds.
The restaurant was operated several years ago and still manages to deserve consistent quality in its gorgeous atmospheric ambiance.
The restaurant has colossal wood framed mirrors, pressed tin ceilings, and polished tiled floors with an option for outdoor seating.
It is a dynamic neighborhood spot located on prostitutes near Napoleon and Saint Charles Avenue.
After dining at this restaurant, one can admire the beautiful garden district mansions here that provide quite a memorable experience.
Chef’s choice
The restaurant is popularly known for its crawfish beignets that come in various forms, cornbread and mac & cheese, or as well etoufee with blackened catfish.
It’s a favorite dish of a lot of people, including their crawfish pasta which comes packed with grilled gulf shrimp, andouille sausage, and crawfish that come nicely blended with their smooth tomato cream dressings and penne.
Also, while ordering these things, go for their signature cocktail, their refreshing adult lemonade, lemon juice, champagne, French frozen 75 combined gin drink, or their simple syrup.
Location and Contact
- 4338 Saint Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70115-4742
- Website
- Phone:- +1 504-293-3474
- Email:- info@superiorseafoodnola.com
13. Olde Nola Cookery
Why it’s a must visit?
The Olde Nola Cookery is a relaxed and laid-back diner in the French Quarter that provides impressive Creole and Cajun cuisine as well as seafood.
It is located on the historic Bourbon St and therefore is one of the most famous restaurants for seafood in the French Quarter that is loved by both local people and tourists.
This restaurant is highly famous for its beautiful patio setting that provides a panoramic view of the French Quarter and is also ideal for celebrating special events.
It’s an all-day diner that is also perfect for dinners and for enjoying a late-night snack.
Chef’s choice
The restaurant serves a decent selection of creole and Cajun cuisine in delectable forms.
But you should definitely try their different seafood selections here, like shrimp and other roasted varieties that are pretty good.
They also have excellent alternatives that are worth mentioning, such as their jambalaya pasta which is a perfect meal to go with their tasty drinks.
Other favorite options include po boys, seafood gumbo, red beans, seafood platters, and rice.
It’s also a great place for late-night snacking, as its small platter options here are pretty decent.
Location and Contact
- 205 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130-2204
- Website
- Phone:- +1 504-525-4577
- Email:- contact@nolacookery.com
14. Commander’s Palace
Why it’s a must visit?
The Commander’s Palace restaurant is a fancy restaurant in the French Quarter, New Orleans, that is also one of the most popular diners to ever exist.
This restaurant became a garden district icon and a recognized New Orleans culinary institution for being one of the top restaurants.
It was started in 1880 and since then has earned several awards for its incredible service and delicious seafood.
This restaurant also has a specific dress code asking people to dress in a casual but presentable way.
Chef’s choice
The restaurant has a charming white striped ceiling serving delicious seafood, creole, and Cajun cuisine.
It also serves other seafood delights like decadent turtle soup, pecan-crusted fish, and excellent selections of martinis.
Some of the most loved local dishes here are gumbo, turtle soup, shrimp, and grits.
They also serve toothsome bread pudding as well as tasty smoked boudin stuffed quail.
But overall, nothing can rival their delicious shrimp, Po Boy.
They also have other delicious seafood Po boy selections like Parade Route that is created that is an excellent remnant of the previous chef Tory McPhail and is made with at least 20 crispy gulf shrimp.
The shrimp are deliciously provided with sweet onions, housemaid Tasso and pickled okra mayonnaise that goes nicely with their hot sauce and crunchy potato chips.
Location and Contact
- 1403 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130-5798
- Website
- Phone:- +1 504-899-8221
- Email:- caitlin@commanderspalace.com
15. Oceana Seafood Grill
Why it’s a must visit?
The Oceana Seafood Grill restaurant is one of the most highly-rated seafood restaurants in New Orleans that serves sustainably sourced dishes.
It’s an excellent restaurant with a broad variety of options with several daily specials, but it has limited reservations.
The restaurant follows a sustainable approach of only using locally sourced seafood to create its dishes.
Chef’s choice
The restaurant serves yummy options like salmon sushi, steak tartare, gulf shrimp, and oysters from a raw bar that serves all these dishes.
Other light options include lamb skewers, crawfish croquettes, hush puppies, and small platters of catfish.
On the heavier side, one can try their Louisiana shrimp roll, hanger steak, or grilled tuna.
They also have delicious 22 ounces of ribeye and grilled fish as a whole plate.
They also have many delicious daily specials, including Keylime pie with buttermilk Chantilly as dessert and grilled mahi-mahi with orzo as some dinner options.
Location and Contact
- 739 Conti St, New Orleans, LA 70130-2220
- Website
- Phone:- +1 504-525-3661
- Email:- info@oceanagrill.com
Final Thoughts
As a part of the Gulf, New Orleans is brimming with tons of excellent seafood restaurants with exceptional places to eat.
The several excellent restaurants available in New Orleans render it pretty amazing to try various seafood dishes in several seafood stores, markets, and restaurants.
As Louisiana itself has its own crab season, coming to New Orleans to celebrate such festivals has made it a pretty spotlight location to try seafood.
That’s why it would be a shame to come to New Orleans and not explore various exceptional seafood restaurants.
That’s why to help you not go through the regret, we created this list of some of the best seafood restaurants in New Orleans that you can visit.
Bon appétit!
Faqs
New Orleans has a fascinating history stretching back to 300 years of being one of the world’s largest seafood industries with generations of fishermen existing and making a living. The crossing of the Louisiana and Mexican borders and waterways for more than 400 years made this possible.
New Orleans is famous mainly for its stellar fried catfish and fried shrimp, as well as tons of other seafood options like shrimp boils, crawfish, crab, or a plate of oysters.
Crab season mostly happens between March and June in the Gulf, providing more than 60 types of crab choices that are readily available in various seafood stores and restaurants.
New Orleans provides the top 10 fish species, including smallmouth bass, redfish, Atlantic cod, channel catfish, sea proud, largemouth bass, white catfish, crappie, and yellow perch.
