The MICHELIN Guide's Favorite Restaurants in New Orleans

From the Stars to the Bib Gourmands, these are the Inspectors' favorites in the Big Easy.

2 MICHELIN Stars Bib Gourmand MICHELIN Star Louisiana New Orleans

New Orleans is a city with a culture unlike anywhere else in the world. Its history has paved the way for a distinctive cuisine made of Creole and Cajun flavors, shaped by French, African, Spanish, Native American and other culinary traditions.

From tasting delicious gumbo and jambalaya to countless other iconic dishes, The MICHELIN Guide Inspectors have identified the best restaurants in the city. Leading the charge is Emeril’s, which has earned Two MICHELIN Stars. Chef E.J. Lagasse, at only 22 years old, has become the youngest chef to ever achieve that honor, and he now leads the only Two Star kitchen in the greater region. He is also the 2025 American South Young Chef Award Winner.

In addition, the Inspectors awarded two restaurants One MICHELIN Star and eleven restaurants a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand in New Orleans.

See the Stars, Bib Gourmands and the full list of recommended restaurants in New Orleans below.

Two Stars

Emeril's
Cuisine: American/Creole

The young E.J. Lagasse, son of the indomitable namesake, now oversees a remarkable dining room that has celebrated Creole cuisine for more than three decades. His determination is palpable as he charts a new course, bringing contemporary refinement and vibrant originality to the fore. BBQ shrimp tarts, deep-flavored gumbo and superb, golden-brown cornbread paired with French butter feel familiar and new at once. This is cooking that bursts with personality and class and never at the cost of flavor. Generously spaced tables and plush banquettes offer direct, unobstructed views into a gleaming kitchen fronted by floor-to-ceiling glass. All the while, a superb service team tends to every detail with warmth and generosity.

One Stars

Saint-Germain
Cuisine: Contemporary

The old adage about not judging a book by its cover couldn’t be more apt for this little restaurant in Bywater. An unassuming front advertising "natural wines and garden patio" leads to a quaint bar where Chefs Blake Aguillard and Trey Smith start the meal with a few pleasant bites. Once inside the intimate dining room, the contemporary tasting kicks into high gear with a griddled cornbread cake smeared with butter aged and cultured in-house. The combination is outrageously satisfying. A series of petite courses follows, each one showcasing refined sauces and bold flavors. Carolina Gold rice with crab and ginger is a winter-proof knockout. Other hits include squab with creamed greens as well as a warm cheese soufflé bolstered by brûléed sugar.

Zasu
Cuisine: American Contemporary

Chef Sue Zemanick is no stranger to the New Orleans dining scene, having spent time in the kitchens of some of the city's famed restaurants before opening Zasu in 2019. Set in an easy-to-miss cottage in Mid-City, it's an elegant oasis with a sleek dining room marked by wood floors, dark green walls and gold tones. The menu is tightly edited, featuring a dozen or so dishes focused on seafood and blending local flavors with French techniques. A scallop shell holds two perfectly seared scallops in a Thai chile-lime butter with watermelon radish for a refreshing opener, while tilefish on a bed of Swiss chard, sweet potatoes and beach mushrooms in a beurre blanc is a satisfying main course. End with something sweet like the warm peach cake with vanilla yogurt sauce.

Bib Gourmands

Acamaya
Cuisine: Mexican

Are we in Bywater or Mexico? Pastel pink tile, gorgeous stonework and striking breeze walls set a stylish, dramatic stage for Chef Ana Castro. Not to be outdone by the room’s good looks, she offers an inspired, seafood-driven menu that showcases equal levels of boldness and flair. Consider the superb “al pastor” hamachi tostada, the corn for which is nixtamalized in-house. Hearty masa-dough dumplings tossed with Higgins crab, oyster mushrooms and a corn beurre blanc deliver warmth and refinement in spades. Even something like a sweet potato arrives turbo-charged with peanut mole, turmeric and lime. A custard-like flan ends the meal on a sweet note. The bar, meanwhile, shakes up a dazzling selection of vibrant, craveworthy cocktails.

Cochon
Cuisine: Creole

Set within a corner of a large warehouse in the central business district, Cochon charms with exposed brick and wood-paneled walls, black floors with rust accents, and a mix of tables, booths and banquettes. It's Southern food at its finest here, where you'll find everything from wood-fired oysters to fried alligator. Order a drink from their wide selection of whiskey, rye and bourbon, then settle in for a snack like chili-dusted cracklins with Steen's cane syrup. Main dish hits include chicken and house-made andouille sausage gumbo loaded with flavor, or rabbit and dumplings, a comforting recipe from the chef's great-grandmother. The delightful offerings continue through to the end, with pineapple upside down cake and apple gateau among the tempting desserts.

Cochon Butcher
Cuisine: Deli

How does one possibly decide at Donald Link’s beloved butcher and deli? Open since 2009, the nose-to-tail charcuterie program is impressive, and one could make a meal out of thin slices of mortadella and gorgeous wedges of head cheese. But it would be a mistake to fill up just on appetizers and miss the many sandwiches heading your way. A superb muffuletta layered with house meats and an olive salad stands as one of the city’s very best. It could feed two. The Cubano, meanwhile, features thin slices of wonderfully smoky pork and ham bound with melty Swiss cheese. There’s also “Le Pig Mac.” From the fresh-baked bread to the meats to the chips, this well-honed restaurant nails down the details and doesn’t cut a single corner in the process.

Domilise’s Po-Boy & Bar
Cuisine: Deli

There are some places that have earned cult status for their offerings, and Domilise's Po-Boy & Bar, opened since 1918, is one of them. Here in their humble sandwich shop on a corner of Uptown, they serve a small menu of sandwiches. They're not just any sandwiches, of course. These are po'boys, and they're legendary. Walk in, chat with the friendly staff and place your order for a shrimp po'boy—it's what everyone else is here for too. Battered, fried shrimp bathed in a hot sauce are tucked inside Leidenheimer bread with shredded lettuce, mayo and a pickle. You'll be back for another soon enough.

Dooky Chase
Cuisine: Creole

The legacy of Leah Chase shines as bright as ever. In the 1960s, her dining room hosted countless Civil Rights activists and leaders. Today, it is under the care of her grandson Chef Edgar Dook Chase IV, who continues the family tradition of cooking heartwarming Creole cuisine. Gumbo, red beans and rice, and golden fried chicken strike honest chords alongside mustard greens and peach cobbler. A dazzling collection of African-American art adorns walls painted red, with red patterned carpet and red-striped chairs to boot. All the while, congenial matriarchs take their time walking by each and every table. The total effect of groundbreaking history, remarkable sincerity, and wonderful cooking is something that few restaurants can claim.

Hungry Eyes
Cuisine: Fusion

Is subtlety overrated? Chef Mason Hereford makes a compelling case at this kitschy restaurant on Magazine Street. Those familiar with his sandwich sensations at Turkey and the Wolf will not be surprised to find a similar kind of culinary maximalism. Big, bold, loud flavors that adhere to no one cuisine course through the cooking and consistently harmonize into something delicious. Charred cabbage and bok choy jolted with Sichuan peppercorn oil, toasted peanuts and rice is basically an entree but listed as an appetizer. Artichokes on the half shell is the garlicky, veggie alternative to the oyster classic. Room for curry? Hearts of palm, calamari and crispy rice come together seamlessly. Neon, tile and VHS tapes set a quirky, relaxed atmosphere.

Lufu Nola
Cuisine: Indian

Two friends with a passion for food and respect for their roots. That's the origin story of Lufu, or "let us feed you," Nola. Aman Kota and Sarthak “Shan” Samantray originally did pop-ups but after adding partner and chef Sachin Darade, the three opened this brick-and-mortar in the Central Business District. This is craveable Indian cooking. Tandoori-grilled naan, charred and puffy, wafts with the scent of garlic and butter. Then, if you only get one thing, let it be the dosa. Golden and crisp, it's served with a side of sambar masala and a light green sauce. Chase it with a drink like their Curry Nola-da, a nonalcoholic twist on a pina colada with garam masala and curry leaves.

Mister Mao
Cuisine: Asian

Who is not having a great time at Mister Mao? Miles away from the French Quarter in Uptown, find a lively dining room painted top to bottom in bubblegum pink and emerald green. The colorful setting is as vibrant and upbeat as the cooking. This is not food that fits into a tidy box, as inspiration leans Asian and Indian with detours all over. Fried chicken dumplings with date and poblano chile chutney are as satisfying as garlicky egg noodles glossed in butter, oyster and fish sauce, and Parmesan. Kale and collards cooked down with cumin, turmeric and coconut milk is a cross-cultural sensation. Clever and flavorful, the food here is both fun and accomplished. Weekend brunch is the perfect time for large groups to order with abandon.

Parkway Bakery & Tavern
Cuisine: Deli

Like many places in New Orleans, Parkway Bakery and Tavern has a storied history, first opening for business in 1911. Current owner Jay Nix purchased it in 1995 and has kept the legacy strong.
Parkway is designed for a crowd, both inside and out, and the crowds come. It's a neighborhood gathering place where people come to have a few drinks, catch a Saints game and eat poor boy sandwiches and other traditional fare like jambalaya. The menu is large but it's mostly single-minded, with seafood, specialty and meat poor boys on offer. Overwhelmed by the options? You'll never go wrong with the Creole barbecue shrimp. Breaded and fried shrimp layered in a New Orleans French roll; it's the ultimate classic.

Saba
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

For the last decade, the city has feasted on Alon Shaya’s hummus served with puffy pita bread charred in a wood-burning oven. Creamy and smooth, this time-tested combination is immensely satisfying. At Saba, which means “grandfather” in Hebrew, blue crab and lemon butter take this classic dish to another level. Where has this twist been all this time? Much of the menu at this expansive restaurant in Uptown reads straightforward—pickles, dips, salads—but what lands on the table is vibrant and refreshing. Chef Shaya’s operations now stretch to other parts of the country, but expansion has not watered down his efforts. The fundamentals here remain in good order, down to the falafel, which sports a crackly crust and a tender, bright green center.

Turkey and the Wolf
Cuisine: Deli

In a city where sandwiches have their own fabled history, this kitschy kitchen in the Irish Channel quickly made a mark of its own shortly after opening in 2016. First timers must swing for the collard green melt, a trademark favorite with pickled cherry peppers, coleslaw, Russian dressing, and toasted rye. Fried bologna is another must-order. It is a towering, crunchy sensation brushed in hot mustard and stacked with potato chips. Know that these are sandwiches with scale, loaded, toasted, piled up, and packed down with flavor to the very last square inch. Some might look to the cabbage for a light reprieve, but even this “salad” is tossed in a chili-coconut dressing and buried under a torrent of fried garlic and crispy pig ears.