


It looks like it takes up an entire city block and is painted a bright shade of light blue. You simply can’t miss this place, both aesthetically and food-wise. But no matter where you’re headed, you can rest assured you’ll stumble across something delicious along the way.Ĭheck your preconceptions at the door-here are the 22 most essential food and drink experiences in New Orleans, all told from a bonafide local’s perspective. There are four general geographical quadrants in New Orleans-toward the Mississippi, toward Lake Pontchartrain, Uptown, and Downtown-each with their own flavors and cultural vibes. Dress codes should always be minded-this is genteel country, after all-and fine dining spots don’t mess around when it comes to coat-and-tie requirements. Here’s a handy lay of the land: For those in the know, the four pillars of New Orleans cuisine are Creole, Cajun, Vietnamese, and Soul Food. There are even exclusive online groups where restaurant-lovers share their latest and greatest conquests, providing an entirely new outlook on the city’s offerings that stretch far beyond iconic dishes like po-boys, king cakes, and crawfish boils. You’ve heard the phrase “eat to live?” People here, they “live to eat.” Everyday conversations center around where you’re going to get lunch or dinner, or what you just consumed and who made it. Food is one of the most vital parts of local culture. The real reason people flock to the Big Easy? To eat.

And while downing enormous Hurricanes and Hand Grenades on Bourbon Street undoubtedly has its place, there’s so much more to New Orleans’ culinary landscape than frosty to-go cocktails. Much like Las Vegas, you can walk down the street with open containers of alcohol in pure, 100% legal bliss. A lot of people come to New Orleans to drink.
