New Orleans

Upscale but unintimidating CBD place, full of blissed-out diners – from businessmen to bearded hipsters – feasting on fine, authentic Cajun food. — Rough Guide

Commander’s Palace opened in the 1890s and is the quintessential New Orleans restaurant. — The Infatuation

Hailed by Food and Wine as among the "best of the best," Executive Chef Susan Spicer has done wonders at Bayona. — Travel + Leisure

The jewel of Uptown restaurants, Gautreau's serves subtly intoxicating French cuisine in an intimate, gilded setting. — BlackBook

At Domenica, dinner often begins with a taste of something that has been in the works since before the restaurant existed. - Times—Picayune

Upperline'€™s seven-course Taste of New Orleans menu offers such traditional dishes as shrimp remoulade on a thick slice of fried green tomato. — Gayot

John Besh's Louisiana upbringing and knowledge of cutting-edge culinary trends enable him to compose menus that hold their own among the most stringent standards of fine dining. — Gayot

Cochon star Donald Link has a way with seafood, too. — Bon Appétit

The menu features a heart-stopping alligator sausage cheesecake, as well as a dish called "Godzilla meets fried green tomatoes," a tower of fried soft shell crab on top of the Southern favorite. — Tasting Table

Savoring the classic luxury of fried, golden brown oysters bathed in melted Brie seems fitting in Clancy's somewhat austere atmosphere. — Gayot

The best drinks in New Orleans (it’s a fact). — Bon Appétit

"Real food, done real good" is the motto at Elizabeth's, where the vinyl-print tablecloths look just like grandma's and breakfast is the most important meal of the day. — Fodor's

This outdoor café--a stone's throw from the mighty Mississippi--is the destination for Nola's signature breakfast food, the beignet. — BlackBook

A corner grocery has been exquisitely transformed into an intimate French bistro with gas lighting and pressed-tin ceilings, where local specialties share menu space with French favorites. — Where

Every neighborhood needs a hangout, and the dwellers of the Garden District's elegant mansions tend to spend their time at this fabulous corner bistro. — Fodor's

Contemporary Southern classics. — Zagat

"Hold on for a delightful culinary ride" at this "warm, wood-paneled" French Quarter gastropub delivering "inventive" American eats backed by a "strong bar" pouring "brilliant" cocktails. — Zagat

The flagship restaurant of the elegant Windsor Court Hotel... maintains a high standard of opulence in its formal dining rooms, with elaborate floral arrangements and white-glove service. — DK Eyewitness

Around the corner from its big brother Cochon, Butcher packs its own Cajun punch with an upscale sandwich menu that dials up the flavor on local classics. — Fodor's