The Original French Market Restaurant and Bar

One of my favorite parts about visiting the French Market Restaurant is walking in during the afternoon, when barely anyone is there. Apparently, there’s an upstairs rooftop dining area to eat. I have no interest in that.

Instead, I take a seat at the bar in the dark, dingy back area. I order the same meal every time, and spend hours drinking while bullshitting with the bartender. I really liked the last young woman that I had the pleasure of getting to know over the course of a late afternoon in July. She married a Russian native Brooklyn boy, and ironically, so had I. We mused over all there was to get used to when you share a home with someone from Eastern Europe.

French Market Restaurant could be seen as touristy, and yet it is free from the photo-snapping, Insta-worshiping, phone-scrolling masses of people that plague just about every corner of the earth.

There’s no pressure to get the greatest shot and document every single moment of the dining experience. It’s one of those rare eateries still left where the afternoons pass slowly. People talk face to face while sipping an ice cold beer. It’s a come-as-you-are casual dining establishment, and that is partly why it makes my list of favorite places to eat in New Orleans. These types of places are disappearing from society, and I’m not happy about it.

Why French Market Restaurant Is a Must-Stop

When I eat here, I’ve already mentioned that I don’t ever deviate from my typical meal of choice. The crawfish boil or snow crab legs with a side of the corn, potatoes, and sausage is the first thing I try to eat as soon as I land. Why? Simply put, it feels like home. It’s the ultimate Cajun comfort food. I consider New York the home of my body and cultivator of my personality.

However, I consider New Orleans the home of my soul. I eat here to nourish not so much my stomach, but my soul. One of my habits is passing by the large window during crawfish seasons and taking in the scent of the ingredients boiling in a vat of hot water and a plethora of spices. It’s so damn inviting.

In case that wasn’t enough of a reason to visit, the French Market Restaurant prides itself on the fact that everything it serves is made from scratch — even its dips and sauces. 

For me, there is no greater affirmation that I’ve landed in the Crescent City than diving face first into a hot plate of crawfish fresh from the heavily seasoned boil.

Last but not least, you’ll never be disappointed in the the macaroni and cheese here. Its bold and creamy taste underneath a mound of more broiled cheese can warm the heart and bones during even the rainiest stormy afternoon.