New Orleans has long been a city with strong culinary traditions. What might surprise visitors is the degree to which the breadth and vibrancy of dining options have expanded in recent years. Alongside the expected French-Creole classics are an array of newer restaurants that showcase Israeli, American Southern and Caribbean cooking, to name just a few. In short, there has never been a more rewarding time to dine out in the Crescent City.

Arnaud’s

Arnaud’s values tradition over innovation. You won’t find farm-to-table anything at this French Quarter Creole grande dame. What you will find are quintessential dishes like potato-encrusted Gulf fish accented with Herbsaint butter, shrimp smothered in the restaurant’s inimitable rémoulade sauce, and the justifiably famous soufflé potatoes. The antiquarian charm of its warren of dining rooms and the only-in-New Orleans experience of a café brûlot (a flaming postprandial concoction of coffee, orange and brandy) prepared tableside make dining at Arnaud’s a meal to remember. To sample the ambiance without the commitment of a full meal, the adjacent French 75 bar features top-notch cocktails along with a small-plates menu that hits some of the same notes.

Arnaud’s
813 Bienville Street. Tel. (504) 523-5433