Considered a gem of the coast, Louisiana's unique coastal landscape—including bayous, swamps, and beaches—has influenced its culinary achievements. With the state's location on the Gulf of Mexico, it's no surprise that Louisiana has some of the best seafood and seafood cuisine in the country!
From oysters, lobster, and even crawfish, seafood has adapted throughout the course of Louisiana's cooking history, growing more delicious, richer, and tastier by the year. From shrimp po-boys to seafood gumbo, New Orleans takes advantage of it's access to such fresh delicacies and whips up some of the best food the country has to offer.
Where to Get the Best Seafood in New Orleans
1. Drago's
Multiple Locations
dragosrestaurant.com
Possibly the most iconic seafood restaurant within Greater New Orleans, Drago's is known for their delicious Charbroiled Oysters. People love this Drago's-found delicacy so much that you'll see Drago's food truck serve hoards of people fresh oysters at special events! A bucket-list worthy dish, the charbroiled oysters are a must-try for anyone.
Their menu is large and full of fantastic seafood options: Fleur de Lis Shrimp, Fried Gator Bites, Seafood Gumbo, Lobster Macro, and more. They have multiple locations, so there is no excuse to not check this restaurant off your bucket list!
2. GW Fins
808 Bienville St., (504) 581-3467
gwfins.com
Using fresh and seasonal ingredients, paired with their skilled culinary techniques, GW Fins sets itself apart as a refined and one-of-a-kind restaurant. Ranked by Yelp as one of the top 100 seafood restaurants in the country, GW Fins boasts a long list of accolades.
Sourcing their products locally to ensure that guests experience the freshest and most authentic New Orleans' seafood, their dinner menu is well-curated, with options such as: Lobster Dumplings, Panko Crusted Calamari, Lobster Bisque, and Yellowfish Tuna Tartare. Get some of the freshest seafood at GW Fins!
3. The Galley
2535 Metairie Rd., (504) 832-0955
Casual and homey, the outside The Galley looks like a quick-stop, Southern restaurant. But inside, it serves some of the best seafood Greater New Orleans has to offer. Get your hands a little dirty peeling crawfish with their Boiled Crawfish Plate or grab a quick bite to eat with their classic Shrimp Po-Boy.
If you have never experienced a classic seafood boil and need to try it, then The Galley is a great spot! A warm and cozy spot for families and friends, stop by for a casual dinner or lunch and have you heart warmed and belly filled.
4. Superior Seafood
4338 St. Charles Ave., (504) 293-3474
superiorseafoodnola.com
Superior Seafood loves to serve seafood upscale Louisiana-style. Start off with the Oysters Superior, which is a combination of Bienville, Rockefeller, and Chargrilled Oysters. The Crawfish Cornbread is a popular appetizer for the table. The large slice of cornbread comes swimming in a rich crawfish tail sauce.
In the Uptown Favorites section of the menu, you'll find the Pasta de la Mer: tail-on Gulf shrimp sit on angel hair pasta with mussels and kalamata olives in pomodoro tomato sauce. The Blackened Catfish Napoleon is Cajun influenced: delicious Des Allemands catfish blackened and topped with crawfish etouffee.
5. Peche
800 Magazine St., (504) 522-1744
pecherestaurant.com
Peche has the distinction of winning a James Beard Award. Not only is this seafood-centric restaurant a popular place before games and shows at the Caesars Super Dome and Smoothie King Arena, it has some of the best seafood that you can get in the entire city. The raw bar has several options including Gulf Shrimp, Steak Tartare, and a Seafood Platter.
You are welcome to get an entrée like the Grilled Tuna with lentils, carrots, and kumquats or the Jumbo Shrimp with coconut, greens, and a rice cake, but the whole table will love the Whole Grilled Fish. Add some side like beets with lime, chili, basil, and almonds for a complete meal.
6. Acme Oyster House
Multiple Locations
acmeoyster.com
Acme is famous for oysters as well as other seafood plates at all of their locations throughout the southern U.S. Locally, you can visit Acme Oyster House in the French Quarter (724 Iberville St.) or in Metairie (3000 Veterans Blvd.). While the menu may vary between locations, you can be sure there's always seafood on the menu.
Start off with a dozen Raw or Chargrilled Oysters, then get a bowl of hearty Seafood Etouffee. Sandwich lovers will probably want to get a Fried Shrimp or Fried Soft Shell Crab Po-Boy, but the fried seafood platters are divine. Choose from oyster, shrimp, fish, soft shell crab, crab cake, or a combination of them.
7. Felix's Restaurant & Oyster Bar
Multiple Locations
felixs.com
Felix's has two bustling locations in New Orleans. The French Quarter restaurant (739 Iberville St.) is popular with tourists who love to see the oysters getting chargrilled through the window. Locals, however, love the waterfront restaurant in the Lakeview neighborhood (7400 Lakeshore Dr.), which is a perfect spot for a sunset dinner or sun-soaked lunch.
Felix's boasts a huge menu. You can get your seafood fix with a boiled seafood platter, a stuffed po-boy, in soup, or even in a pasta. The BBQ Shrimp Pasta combines beloved barbecue shrimp over steaming penne pasta. The Pasta Felix has sauteed oysters and shrimp in Cajun Cream sauce.
8. Bourbon House
144 Bourbon St., (504) 522-0111
bourbonhouse.com
Fresh, delicious, and authentic, Bourbon House won't serve something that's not in season! A top oyster bar and seafood restaurant, they offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
With a large and diverse menu, the Bourbon House has a great selection of fresh seafood: Fried Jumbo Gulf Shrimp, Blackened Gulf Fish, Fried Catfish Po-Boy, and much more. A very popular dining spot, make sure to get a reservation when visiting the Bourbon House.
9. Landry's Seafood House
Multiple Locations
landrysinc.com
Landry's Gulf Coast seafood is so delicious that the brand has expanded across the southern U.S. from Texas to Missouri to South Carolina. In the New Orleans area, you can visit Landry's in the French Quarter (620 Decatur St.) or at the lake (8000 Lakeshore Dr.). It may sound weird, but the Oyster Bar Trash is a great appetizer; it's a combination of blackened shrimp, lump crab, steamed rice, and lemon butter.
Landry's has a big menu of platters, fresh catches, and house specialties. The Blackened Redfish Etouffee comes with steaming hot vegetables and rice. The Stuffed Shrimp en Brouchette is flavored with pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, and mornay sauce then wrapped in bacon.
10. Desire Oyster House
300 Bourbon St., (504) 553-2281
sonesta.com/DesireOysterBar
Desire Oyster Bar's iconic sign is one of
the most photographed signs on Bourbon Street (and maybe New Orleans itself). It
harkens back to a more sophisticated era of the entertainment district when
live jazz bands performed in every bar. Desire Oyster Bar allows some guests to
sit right where the action is: the oyster shucker raw bar. You can get them on
the half shell or chargrilled to perfection.
Some people prefer the Smack Yo' Momma Oysters; they're tossed in buffalo sauce and covered in bleu cheese crumbles. Top off your oysters with an entrée like the Big Fried Catch Plate, then go out to Bourbon Street for a good time.
The Best Seafood Restaurants in NOLA
Whether you are a local or a tourist, New Orleans—and Louisiana generally—is known for its fantastic selection of Seafood and Seafood restaurants. Try these restaurants out, either for a lunch with friends or a dinner with family, and experience fresh, authentic, and delicious seafood dishes.
