I have traveled to over fifteen cities for work during the last eleven years with my company. Several cities I’ve been to multiple times – sometimes even multiple times in the same year. I always say that the best food that I’ve ever had while traveling for work was either in San Diego or New Orleans. I absolutely loved my time in New Orleans the last three times I visited for work. There is an endless well of delicious restaurants, each one more unique than the last.

On my last visit to the city, I dined at four new (or new to me) restaurants. It was actually really hard to narrow it down to four, since I had a long list of really good restaurants to try. Check them out below!

MaMou
MaMou is a modern French brasserie with strong Creole influences. They utilize local Louisiana ingredients and merge that with traditional French techniques. The name of the restaurant actually comes from Chef Branighan’s great-grandmother, as a homage to her. Despite only being open for 3 years, MaMou has been gaining a lot of attention. In 2023, it was included in The New York Times “Restaurant List” of 50 best restaurants in the U.S.

The highlight of the meal was the Calamari Farcie, which features squid stuffed with sweet sausage and baked in a tomato sauce, like a shakshuka. The squid was so tender that I barely even needed a knife for it. If you still have room for dessert, definitely get the Lemon Madeleines! They’re so cute, so bite-sized!

Jewel of the South
Housed in a restored 1830s Creole cottage in the French Quarter, Jewel of the South is currently number 44th on San Pellegrino’s The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025 list. It is also a 2024 James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Bar. Despite being known for its status as an outstanding bar, Jewel of the South features a menu that is seasonal and ever-changing, with a focus on sourcing unique and high-quality ingredients.

Jewel of the South has excellent cocktails, but it also has excellent food as well. The Beef Tartare was excellent, with tripe cracklins on top for the added texture. The Redfish was cooked perfectly, with distinctive Creole flavors. And the Whirling Dervish was one of the best cocktails I’ve ever had, with its distinctive flavors of mango sticky rice and smoky rum. Check out my more detailed review of Jewel of the South in my Bars in New Orleans post.

Compère Lapin
Helmed by Nina Compton, who hails from St. Lucia, the menu at Compère Lapin brings together her Caribbean roots and the culinary traditions of Louisiana. Inspiration for the menu comes from the traditional Caribbean folktales featuring a mischievous rabbit named Compère Lapin that Chef Compton read during her childhood. She draws on the story’s themes of exploration and play to fuse her Caribbean roots with the rich heritage of New Orleans.

A highlight of the meal was the Blacked Pig Ears with Smoked Aioli. I was a little hesitant, but my waitress told me it was one of her favorites on the menu so I gave it a try. So crispy and paired so well with the lime juice. The Curried goat with sweet potato gnocchi was also a hit. If you’re into Caribbean flavors, the curried goat is right up your alley.

Palm & Pine
Located on the fringe of the French Quarter, Palm & Pine offers a seasonal menu that draws on a mix of local and Southern influences. Opened by chef-owners, Amarys Koenig Herndon and Jordan Herndon, it aims to provide “fine dining level cuisine, without the pretense and stuffiness”. The Herndons have been James Beard Award Semi‑Finalists for Best Chef: South in both 2023 & 2024.

I ordered the P&P Salad at the recommendation of my waitress. She said that the dressing is made with their house made and house fermented Worcestershire sauce. It was one of the best salads that I have ever had. The flavor of the dressing was so unique and paired so well with the Gouda that was shaved on top of the salad. I also absolutely loved the Corn Babies, or buttermilk cornbread shaped like corn and served with pimento cheese butter. This was so good – the cornbread was so fluffy. Don’t forget dessert, in the form of Devil’s Fig Cake. The chocolate cake was so moist and just the right amount of sweetness.