Welcome to the Eater 38, our answer to the question, “Can you recommend a restaurant?” It’s a curated list intended to highlight the New Orleans area’s standout restaurants while spanning cuisines, neighborhoods, settings, and price points. Showcasing a mix of po’ boy shops, Creole cafes, and fine dining destinations that make New Orleans one of the most interesting places to eat in America, these are 38 restaurants that are crucial visits for any New Orleans diner.
Each quarter Eater New Orleans updates the Eater 38 with different destinations; eligible restaurants have to have been open for at least a year. Sometimes a great restaurant is removed to make way for another one, in order to keep things new, fresh, and representative, but that doesn’t mean it won’t return sometime in the future. Below, Eater’s guide to 38 essential New Orleans restaurants for spring 2022.
For a guide to the best new restaurants New Orleans, turn to the Eater Heatmap.
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Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission.
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