Where to Splurge on Seafood in New Orleans

Seafood on the half shell from Miss River. | Sam Hanna/Four Seasons New Orleans

The best New Orleans restaurants specializing in over-the-top, decadent feasts from the sea

Seafood is a birthright here in New Orleans, where the Gulf waters inform every aspect of the culinary landscape. The city’s chefs wrangle an embarrassment of crustaceans, mollusks, and finned fish every which way: broiled, fried, sautéed, and richly sauced. While po’ boys and platters overflowing with fried oysters, catfish, and shrimp are impossible to resist, this line-up delivers decadent seafood treats served in places special enough for date night, venues best reserved for a celebratory evening.

For a guide specific to New Orleans’s best fried seafood, see here, and for the lowdown on the city’s best po’ boys, see Eater’s guide here.