Top Best Japanese Restaurants in New Orleans

"Delicately prepared sashimi does not usually come to mind when discussing New Orleans cuisine, but this tiny Uptown restaurant has created buzz and received accolades since its 2018 opening. Chef Hao Gong worked for years at the popular Sake Cafe, and he’s translated his skills into an innovative pan-Asian menu that displays Japanese and Chinese influences. Raw dishes—salmon with Asian pear, soy and basil seeds; tuna with dragon fruit and spicy soy—are super fresh and innovative, while hot dishes—tofu with shiitakes, wood ear mushrooms and lily flower; Gong’s mother’s pork and ginger dumplings—are creative and satisfying."

"Luvi is one of the best restaurants to open in New Orleans in the last few years, a petite and colorful Uptown cottage where chef Hao Gong wows with his mastery of Japanese and Chinese cuisines. Gong, who worked for years at Sake Cafe, delivers raw and nearly raw fish paired with the likes of cucumber and yuzu vinegar and pink dragon fruit, as well as Shanghai comfort food like dumplings, dan dan noodles, and bam bam chicken. The menu changes often, but can always be counted on for a range of hot and cold delights."

"If you haven't tried our grill tables and authentic Japanese cuisine, now is the time: bit.ly/gkreservation #GyuKakuMiami. In Japanese, Gyu-Kaku means, “Horn of the Bull.” In New Orleans, it is one of the leading Japanese restaurants providing authentic Japanese yakiniku experience to all kinds of diners. Visiting this restaurant will give you a chance to enjoy premium cooked meats that are grilled in flaming charcoal grills right in front of your eyes."

"The place, in a former K & B drug store, is pretty in a 1990s sort of way with design wows like bright, multi-colored, Chihuly-esque blown glass chandeliers and bi-level white tablecloth dining (the top level is reserved for private parties). The sushi menu melds traditional Japanese dishes and New Orleans ingredients (see jazz roll, Uptown roll, and New Orleans roll on the menu) along with bento box lunch specials and a full bar including an extensive sake list and specialty cocktails. Happy hour happens daily from 3 p.m."

"Even though they call themselves a café, this is certainly an upscale spot. Make your reservations because it’ll book fast. They, too, incorporate New Orleans cuisine throughout their menu– some highlights include the Crawfish Corn Soup and PoBoy Roll."

"A good meal was ruined by four obnoxious children running and stomping across the upper level and around the entire restaurant while two mothers sat drin..."

"Flouting “California style sushi,” Metairie’s Kanno proffers the usual, along with an entire section of skinny rolls sans rice and soy paper. Available in half and full roll portions, these pared down rolls include the likes of the Elvis roll (named for the chef), made with salmon, avocado, and both snow and blue crab, and the protein roll, with spicy tuna, snow crab, avocado and salmon. A hefty sake menu includes sparkling sake, though it’s not always featured."

"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."

"The Mississippi River is a very prominent part of New Orleans, so you have to get a picture along its banks. My favorite spot is just south of Jackson Square where you can get a nice shot of the Crescent City Connection Bridge in the background. This shot below was late in the day we arrived after a long flight."

"Get your dose of nature at one of New Orleans’ two large parks.City Park is larger than Central Park in New York and is home to the New Orleans Museum of Art, as well as several gardens.Audubon Parkboasts the Audubon Zoo and is easily accessible by street car. Either way, both are excellent options for a relaxing afternoon."

"If you’re searching for what to do in New Orleans City Park with kids, the Louisiana Children’s Museum has to top your list. Kids will delight in playing throughout the indoor and outdoor areas. Outside, your kids can explore exhibits on the water, in the garden, and more!"

"In the heart of City Park in New Orleans, sits the wonderful Louisiana Children’s Museum. The museum offers over 56,000 square feet of space for your little ones to run wild right alongside their imagination. There is so much for kids of all ages to discover and explore."

"Behind the museum’s main building is a gated outdoor space in 11 acres of mature parkland enriched with more than 90 works of sculpture. The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden opened in 2003 and at the time of writing in 2019 had just doubled in size with an expansion that included 26 new works, mostly by 21st-century artists. On serpentine paths among pines, magnolias, camellias and live oaks draped with Spanish moss there are pieces by Henry Moore, Deborah Butterfield, Barbara Hepworth, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Robert Indiana, Gaston Lachaise and René Magritte, as well as contemporary sculptors like Katharina Fritsch, Hank Willis Thomas and Jeppe Hein."

"The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden is technically a part of the New Orleans Museum of Art, but it’s one of those places to visit that deserves its very own part of this listing since many come by just to visit the garden on its own. Right near the main NOMA building, an 11-acre expanse of garden stretches out, decorated with over 90 different sculptures. The gardens first opened in 2003 and have grown in size ever since it made its home in the rear of the Louisiana museum."

"The sculpture garden that sits just outside the New Orleans Museum of Art is a wooded quilt of streams, pathways, lovers' benches and, of course, sculpture, mainly of the modern and contemporary sort. During spring and summer, theatrical productions are often put on here, but it's a lovely spot for a stroll any time of year."

"Harrah’s Hotel, 525 Fulton St., (504) 587-7099; 3633 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 888-3600; www.ruthschris.com. Steaks such as New York strips, rib-eyes, porterhouses and filets are cooked in an 1,800-degree broiler. Reservations recommended."

"Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in New Orleans is a classic and consistent staple, serving the finest USDA Prime beef steaks, fresh seafood, signature side dishes, and homemade desserts."

"Ruth's Chris Steak House originates in New York City, but their Big Easy satellite location is just as awesome — if not more so —than their Big Apple parent location."

"La Boca, which resides in a chic renovated former warehouse, is an Argentinian steakhouse specializing in fine cuts of beef served in a simple and traditional way. Established by James Beard semi-finalist chef Adolfo Garcia, La Boca features designs from local architect Brooks Graham and metal craftsman Duane Link, resulting in a beautifully designed space able to accommodate the restaurant’s ever growing clientele. Try dishes such as the chorizo de la casa, La Boca’s house made grilled sausage and the bife ancho, a mouthwatering 24 ounce cowboy cut, bone-in rib eye steak."

"Bife La Boca is a lime- and garlic-marinated Angus sirloin flap served with avocado. Reservations accepted. Dinner Mon.-Sat., late-night Thu.-Sat."