New Orleanians mark time by food seasons, not calendar flips. The hottest months belong to frozen daiquiris and technicolor snoballs. Spring brings families and friends together over spicy spreads of boiled crawfish. Carnival season is all about sweet and savory king cakes. In other words, in a city that puts food at the center of its life—and not just the center of the table—eating and drinking is always a special occasion.
When it comes to celebrating a birthday, graduation, or just feeling alive in the Big Easy, the stage is set with buckets of seafood, cocktails in James Beard Award-winning bars, and grand dining rooms that have hosted generations of milestone events.
Read on for a guide to the 12 best restaurants to book across New Orleans to get the party started.
Arnaud’s (French Quarter)
With gracious attitudes and pitch-perfect timing, the staff at Arnaud’s is as happy about your special occasion as you are. Celebrate with tasty Creole plates and an effervescent French 75 cocktail. Not to mention an exquisite view: Arnaud’s beveled glass windows overlook charming Rue Bienville. Add a swinging jazz brunch on weekends, and toasting an occasion at this French Quarter classic is a no-brainer. In addition to the main restaurant, there’s a more relaxed sibling spot, Arnaud’s Jazz Bistro (set next to Arnaud’s main dining room) and a smaller annex called the French 75 bar for drinks.
La Petite Grocery (Garden District)
Chef and owner Justin Devillier, whose expertise landed him a 2016 James Beard Award: Best Chef South, takes traditional New Orleans cuisine to the next level at this charming Cajun spot. From blue crab beignets to shellfish stew with collards, Devillier’s riffs on Southern flavors are spot on. The chef and his team can also create a specific menu experience just for your party, depending on what you’re celebrating. As for its name, the Creole-style cottage started its journey as the Central Tea, Coffee, and Butter Depot in the late 1800s, and the genuine hospitality is still alive and kicking.
The Grill Room (Central Business District)
Classy and sophisticated, the Grill Room promises a very splashy special occasion-meal. Its glitzy setting—wall-length, hand-painted murals, mirrored ceilings, and one dazzling chandelier—is fit for a grand proposal. Expect an impressive spread of modern Louisiana dishes presented with an artistic eye. Executive chef Vlad Kogan and chef de cuisine Alex Kuzin design an always-changing menu of dishes like wild mushroom steak and fried South Carolina quail, and, if it’s offered, the strawberry pavlova with basil panna cotta is a must. If you’re not here to pop the question, consider coming for the popular lunch special—a luxe take on the meat and three.
Brennan’s (French Quarter)
This storied restaurant has anchored Creole dining on Royal Street since 1946 and is a go-to for birthdays or anniversaries. No festive meal here is complete without the bananas Foster, a flaming bowl of bananas, butter, and rum invented by founder Owen Brennan in the early 1950s. The cinnamon-scented show is the perfect ending to breakfast at Brennan’s, where the highlights are Creole-accented egg dishes. Stop by the courtyard every Friday at 5 pm sharp, when the staff sabers a bottle of Champagne (call ahead to make sure the courtyard is not reserved for a private event).
The Rib Room at the Omni Royal New Orleans (French Quarter)
New Orleanians have celebrated anniversaries and birthdays at the Rib Room for more than 60 years. The restaurant earned a 2023 New Orleans Wine & Food Experience award for its wagyu dish served on fried rice cake with Cajun caviar and torched bearnaise, and it continues to consistently outdo itself. Chef Ronald Proano goes way beyond king cuts of prime rib and dazzles with local seafood like the crab salad with heirloom tomatoes and burrata. Before or after, keep the celebration going with a drink at Touché bar next door.
Yo Nashi (Central Business District)
Yo Nashi isn’t just omakase in New Orleans—it’s New Orleans omakase. Which means that Japanese techniques and styles collide with in-season New Orleans ingredients for an occasion-worthy eight- to 10-course omakase dinner. The menu changes regularly, but past dishes have included caviar and cream with sake gelée and bluefin tuna tartare with black garlic vinaigrette and mango. The omakase concept is relatively new for New Orleans diners, making Yo Nashi a unique celebration spot to book.
Antoine’s (French Quarter)
Antoine’s has managed to survive and thrive since 1860. The storied restaurant has outlived the Great Depression, two World Wars, Prohibition, and a pandemic. Through it all, a celebration at Antoine’s mattered. The kitchen cranks out some of the city’s most famous dishes, such as oysters Rockefeller and eggs Sardou. While dinner is a given here, there’s also a special jazz brunch. The grand restaurant can seat over 700 people at one time in several rooms that one could get lost in. During Prohibition, a door in the ladies’ room led to a secret chamber where a coffee cup full of booze was the reward. Finding the way back—well, that was another story.
Gabrielle Restaurant New Orleans (Mid-City/City Park)
This locally adored spot delivers Cajun and Creole faithfuls, plus reimagined traditional dishes like panéed veal (a local delicacy that features thinly cut meat coated in egg and breadcrumbs and pan sautéed until golden brown) with lobster ravioli and lobster brie sauce. Gabrielle’s trademark warmth and hospitality comes from co-owners and spouses Greg and Mary Sonnier. Greg began his career at local institutions K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen and Brigsten’s, while Mary used to be Gabrielle’s pastry chef. Though she’s no longer baking at the restaurant, her homespun touch still graces the restaurant’s renowned pies and cakes, which no celebration here is complete without.
Lola’s (Mid-City)
This intimate neighborhood Spanish tapas restaurant on Esplanade Avenue might just be the perfect date night or anniversary spot. The dining room is full of two-tops big enough to hold a large pan of paella to share, but small enough to have a quiet conversation. The menu’s greatest hits include tender strips of grilled calamari, garlicky mushrooms, and fideuas (an angel hair pasta-based paella). Save room for housemade almond nougat ice cream; it comes in a large parfait glass and is big enough for two.
Shaya (Uptown)
Sleek, monochromatic Shaya was made for big nights out. Step into the uptown blue-tiled space, where the smell of wood smoke offers a preview of what’s to come. Pillows of pita bread, slow-cooked lamb, spiced hanger steak, and gulf shrimp kebabs are baked to perfection in a wood-burning oven. The menu draws from Tel Aviv’s ultra-original food scene, a blend of culinary influences from North Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Turkey, and Greece. With all that going for it, it’s no surprise the celebration-worthy spot earned a James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in 2016.
Café Sbisa (French Quarter)
Chef and co-owner Alfred Singleton shines at this historic restaurant, which traces its origins to 1899. Café Sbisa is one of the oldest French Quarter restaurants and known for turning Gulf seafood into one spectacular gumbo, made with court bouillon (broth) from co-owner Craig Napoli’s seafood business. Toast to a special occasion in the main dining room; for a more intimate affair, the restaurant offers private dining on its two upper floors.
Restaurant R’evolution (French Quarter)
This posh French Quarter restaurant comes from celebrity chef and Louisiana native John Folse. Restaurant R’evolution was made for special occasions, thanks to an extra-elegant setting (crystal chandeliers, red velvet seats) and remixed Cajun and Creole classics. The menu exudes pure decadence, with options like caviar, foie gras, and splurgy special-occasion cognacs. If there’s one dish everyone orders, it’s the Death by Gumbo, a silky liquid poured over a stuffed quail tableside.
Tried them all? Check out other options here.
Beth D’Addono is a food and travel writer based in New Orleans. Her latest book is 100 Things to Do in New Orleans Before You Die.
