Emeril’s

A Two-Michelin-Star tasting menu experience in the Warehouse District — here's what you're committing to

Emeril's operates at the $$$ price tier, which here means a multi-course tasting menu format in an open-kitchen dining room on Tchoupitoulas Street. This is not a drop-in dinner. The 2023 renovation put the kitchen on full theatrical display, and the experience begins with a kitchen tour before you're seated — a deliberate signal that you're paying for the full arc of an evening, not just the food on the plate. If you want something more casual or à la carte, the bar menu exists and is worth knowing about, but the tasting menu format is the main reason to be here.

Chef E.J. Lagasse, who took over the restaurant his father Emeril opened in 1990, trained at Frantzén in Stockholm and the three-Michelin-starred Core by Clare Smyth in London before returning to New Orleans in 2022. That pedigree is visible on the plate. The tasting menu pulls from Louisiana's produce while recontextualising house classics , smoked salmon cheesecake with Petrossian kaluga caviar, trout almondine, and the Potato Alexa, a dish dating to 1993, sit alongside forward-looking additions like a one-bite po' boy, lobster gumbo, and oyster stew with honshimeji mushrooms. The kitchen earns its two Michelin stars and its 92-point La Liste (2026) score with technical precision, not nostalgia alone.

The wine program is one of the most serious in the American South: 3,280 selections, a 13,000-bottle inventory, and a list weighted toward Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhône, California, and Italy. A corkage fee of $100 applies if you bring your own. Sommelier Chelsea Palmer oversees pairings designed to match the tasting menu's old-meets-new structure , expect bottles like a 2001 Amiot Guy et Fils Grand Cru Montrachet alongside more unconventional selections. For a food-focused explorer, this wine depth is a genuine draw, not a secondary amenity.

Practically: dinner service runs Tuesday through Saturday, 5:30 to 9:30 pm (10:30 pm Friday and Saturday). The restaurant is closed Sunday and Monday. Booking difficulty is rated near impossible , plan well in advance, particularly for Friday and Saturday. A dress code applies: men are expected to wear dinner jackets. The address is 800 Tchoupitoulas St in the Warehouse District, accessible from Louis Armstrong International Airport (GPS: 29.9446, -90.0696).

One practical note worth addressing directly: Emeril's is a tasting menu restaurant focused on the dine-in experience, and this format does not translate to takeout or delivery. The kitchen tour, the theatre of the open kitchen, the sequenced wine pairings , these are intrinsic to the experience. If you're looking for Louisiana cooking that travels well, Pêche Seafood Grill or Acme Oyster House are better options for off-premise. Emeril's is a reservation you build an evening around.

The venue holds a 4.5 Google rating across 2,430 reviews, a AAA 5 Diamond award (2025), Resy's Leading of the Hit List (2025), Les Grandes Tables Du Monde (2025), and Opinionated About Dining's North America Leading Restaurants list (ranked #394 in 2024). The combination of institutional legacy, a credentialed second-generation chef, and active critical recognition makes this one of the few New Orleans restaurants that justifies the tasting menu price point without qualification.

For context across comparable U.S. tasting menu experiences: Emeril's occupies a tier below Alinea in Chicago or The French Laundry in Napa in terms of international ranking but above most regional fine dining tasting menus in terms of critical recognition and wine depth. Closer in format and price positioning are Lazy Bear in San Francisco and Providence in Los Angeles. Within New Orleans itself, no other venue currently holds two Michelin stars. Explore our full New Orleans restaurants guide for the broader picture, and see our New Orleans hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide for planning the full trip.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is lunch or dinner better at Emeril's?

• Emeril's is dinner only , service runs Tuesday through Saturday from 5:30 pm, so there is no lunch option to compare. Book dinner on a Tuesday or Wednesday if you want a quieter room; Friday and Saturday fill fastest and are hardest to secure.

What should I order at Emeril's?

• The tasting menu is the right format here , it's what the kitchen is built around, and it's what earned the two Michelin stars. Highlights based on documented menu content include the smoked salmon cheesecake with aged Petrossian caviar, the Potato Alexa (a house legend since 1993), and newer additions like the one-bite po' boy and lobster gumbo. If you prefer à la carte, the bar menu is available and offers a lower-commitment entry point to E.J. Lagasse's cooking.

Does Emeril's handle dietary restrictions?

• Dietary restriction policies are not documented in available data. Contact the restaurant directly before booking , for a tasting menu format at this price tier, most kitchens at this level accommodate serious dietary needs when given advance notice, but confirm specifics directly.

Can Emeril's accommodate groups?

• Seat count is not publicly listed, but the Warehouse District dining room is a full-service restaurant, not an intimate counter. Groups planning a special occasion dinner should contact the restaurant directly to confirm group capacity and whether private arrangements are available. Given the near-impossible booking difficulty rating, groups should plan further in advance than individual reservations.

Is Emeril's good for a special occasion?

• Yes, and it's one of the stronger cases in New Orleans for a milestone dinner. Two Michelin stars, a AAA 5 Diamond rating, a kitchen tour, a wine list of over 3,000 selections, and a tasting menu that balances legacy dishes with contemporary Louisiana cooking give the evening a clear structure and occasion weight. The dinner jacket dress code reinforces the formality. If you want something slightly less formal but still serious, Bayona or Saint-Germain are worth considering.