Top Best Italian Restaurants in New Orleans

"Come to Paladar for the pizza (where the lamb sausage and tzatziki pie will bowl you over), but the menu offers many Italian delights if you’re willing to share some of the small plates. Try the lovely fried arancini or the fantastic chicken liver mousse, before moving on to other pleasures. Super bonus points, too, for Paladar’s wallet-friendly prices -- $11 for the house-made raviolo with egg yolk, ricotta, maitake mushrooms, porcini cream, and truffle pecorino?"

"This airy Marigny mainstay is California cool meets classic Italian trattoria. Come for the house-made pasta and pizzas: you can't wrong with the classic tomato, mozzarella, and basil combo or the lamb sausage with garlic confit, roasted pepper, pine nut, and tzatziki. The seasonal salads and vegetable plates are excellent as well."

"A pizza is topped with collard greens, Gruyere cheese, applewood-smoked bacon and a farm egg. Reservations accepted. Dinner Wed.-Mon., brunch Sat.-Sun."

"White tablecloths, votive candles and a mishmash decor—the elegant main dining room is illuminated by a stained-glass fleur-de-lis skylight, while the more casual bar is accented with wooden casks and framed photos of celebrity visitors—encapsulate the unpretentious charm of this Italian-focused restaurant. Irene’s has a sense of playfulness, but the deliciousness of its food is no game, beginning with the expertly mixed cocktails (you can’t leave here without downing a Sazerac) and extending through the decadent desserts (the Creole cheesecake, topped with Grand Marnier–soaked berries is a house favorite). The name of the game here is to please with big, bold flavors."

"For a taste of the Creole-Italian cuisine that is one of New Orleans’ culinary signatures, follow the smell of garlic to Irene’s new French Quarter home. The family-owned restaurant has cooked classics like house-made pasta topped with soft shell crab and a cream sauce, duck St. Philip, and lasagne Bolognese since 1992. The new location on Bienville exudes all the charm of the original."

"Since 1993, upscale Italian classics draw crowds to this homey yet elegant dining room with a piano bar. 529 Bienville St, in the heart of the French Quarter."

"Situated in a corner of the Ace Hotel – which is so beyond hip that each room comes stocked with a record player and full vinyl collection, as well as an epic minibar that will cause cocktail enthusiasts to high five themselves with excitement – its lunch and dinner menu from chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman favors Italian standards with an emphasis on housemade pastas. In the morning, there are the usual suspects that kids  love: a short stack of buttermilk ricotta pancakes dusted with confectioners sugar, housemade yogurt sporting granola and honey, and a towering fried chicken biscuit. Best bites for tykes: Cacio e pepe, gemelli with “maw maw’s gravy,” and meatballs sitting on a field of melted parmesan."

"Josephine Estelle is located inside the Ace Hotel, which has quickly become one of the coolest hangouts in town. And, let’s just say that the kids who hang out here are just as hip as the adults. The hotel’s chic, art deco restaurant is always full of both locals and visitors alike, just starting the night off before moving the festivities to the lobby bar or a nearby music venue."

"Ace Hotel stands in the Warehouse District, where you can check out Alto, the hotel’s rooftop garden. Get a mix of seasonal cocktails, wines, craft beers, frozen drinks and rotating on-tap specials at Alto’s bar. Poolside dining includes a selection of Italian-inspired small plates for any growing appetites."

"A traditional Neopolitan-style Italian eatery located in the heart of New Orlean’s Central Business District (CBD), Domenica has become a favorite among both locals and critics sin..."

"Get ready to get messy; if you’re going to “Manale’s,” you’d best order the BBQ shrimp, a dish that, strangely, has nothing to do with barbecue or grilling. It’s all about the sauce, a decadent combination of butter, olive oil, and black pepper used to poach the whole, huge Gulf shrimp. Shelling those shrimp, bathed so heavily in that sauce, means that you’re going to have butter leaking all the way down into your armpits if you’re not careful."

"About BBQ Shrimp: Pascal’s Manale s known for its amazing take-out BBQ since 1913 and is home to New Orleans’ original BBQ Shrimp. With Cajun spices and fresh shrimp, you’ll truly feel like you are in the South. Pascal Manale Hours: Monday-Saturday 11:30am-10pm."

"This local favorite was once a corner store in 1913 than later designed as a restaurant. Manale’s was a family business, ran by Frank Manale and his son’s and nephews. This restaurant didn’t make it over a hundred years for no reason though."

"That’s Rizzuto’s Ristorate & Chop House, making new memories in the former home of Tony Angello’s Ristorante in Lakeview. MoreCallReserveStart Your ReservationWebsite"

"741 Bonnabel Blvd., Metairie, (504) 835-8593; www.giorlandos.com. Mama G’s battered and fried eggplant medallions are served atop angel hair pasta with shrimp au gratin sauce. Reservations accepted for large parties."

"If you want to see classic New Orleans, go to Liuzza’s on Bienville. I grew up in Mid-City, and I still love it and recommend it to everyone, because it hasn’t really been touched by all the changes in New Orleans. It’s just the same place it’s always been."

"Good vibes, the service and staff are great, the food is even better. Never a bad experience with them. Definitely recommend More reviews"

"Don’t let the plain Jane sign outside this Gentilly BYOB scare you away. Good Time sushi and hibachi is a cute little neighborhood sushi place with fresh options and good service. The lunch menu is cheap, cheap, and specialty rolls, like the “good time” and “the tiger,” are generous of portion and fresh."

"Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré is one of the longest-running local theaters in the United States (founded in 1916). As the name indicates, it’s a more intimate theatre setting with a seating capacity of just over 300 seats. Located just off of Jackson Square, this venue is primarily used for the performing arts, including dramas, musicals, comedies, and children’s productions."

"Through the iron gate on St. Peters Street lies one of the world’s most respected music venues and the spiritual home of New Orleans jazz, Preservation Hall. The band “preserves” the traditions of New Orleans jazz as it was in its heyday a hundred years ago, and plays five white-hot, hour-long sets each night in front of a packed room, where benches are kicked back so people of all ages can dance. No reservations, no booze—just stand in line with everyone else and you’ll be rewarded with a little local magic."

"The most famous music venue in the French Quarter, Preservation Hall was the center of the New Orleans jazz revival of the 1950’s. Today the Preservation Jazz Hall Band plays three or four limited seating jazz sets every night in the hall that remains virtually unchanged for the last 50 years. Definitely get your tickets in advance!"

"After dinner is sure to check out live jazz at Preservation Hall. This ended up being our favorite thing we did in New Orleans and strongly suggest you don’t miss out on this during your 3 days in New Orleans."

"Named for the beloved New Orleanean gospel singer, the jewel of Armstrong Park was decimated in Katrina and subsequently refurbished into a state-of-the-art facility. The inaugural performance of Giuseppe Verdi's Messa di Requiem established a roster a of stellar lineups, ranging from Broadway shows and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra to the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and the New Orleans Ballet Association. Catch programmes such as Shostakovich, La Bohème and comedian Aziz Ansari this spring."

"The Mahalia Jackson Theater of the Performing Arts is a theater located in Louis Armstrong Park and named after gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, who was born in New Orleans. It originally opened in 1973 as the New Orleans Theater of the Performing Arts and then was renamed after Jackson in 1993. The theater was badly damaged during Hurricane Katrina but reopened in January 2009."

"Through the iron gate on St. Peters Street lies one of the world’s most respected music venues and the spiritual home of New Orleans jazz, Preservation Hall. The band “preserves” the traditions of New Orleans jazz as it was in its heyday a hundred years ago, and plays five white-hot, hour-long sets each night in front of a packed room, where benches are kicked back so people of all ages can dance. No reservations, no booze—just stand in line with everyone else and you’ll be rewarded with a little local magic."

"The most famous music venue in the French Quarter, Preservation Hall was the center of the New Orleans jazz revival of the 1950’s. Today the Preservation Jazz Hall Band plays three or four limited seating jazz sets every night in the hall that remains virtually unchanged for the last 50 years. Definitely get your tickets in advance!"

"After dinner is sure to check out live jazz at Preservation Hall. This ended up being our favorite thing we did in New Orleans and strongly suggest you don’t miss out on this during your 3 days in New Orleans."

"Congo Square is located within Louis Armstrong Park, just north of the French District. It is a location steeped in history as the the enslaved of New Orleans would gather here on their day off to set up a market, sing, dance, and play music. There isn’t much here now, but the tiles and tress make for an interesting composition steeped in untold history."

"Inside, there are iconic sites like Congo Square, a historic meeting place for slaves in the 1800s. There are also sculptures, a duck pond and plenty of green space where you can relax after spending your morning walking around the city."