New Orleans Celebrates Dakar NOLA’s First Michelin Star as Emeril’s Retains Two-Star Distinction

The city’s 2026 American South selection also recognises Saint-Germain and Zasu, alongside neighbourhood favourites honoured for value and culinary quality.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Dakar NOLA gained its first Michelin star in the 2026 American South selection.
• Emeril’s retained two Michelin stars while Saint-Germain and Zasu hold one star each.
• New Orleans & Company listed 12 local Bib Gourmand restaurants and 21 Michelin Recommended restaurants.
• The regional selection includes 265 restaurants across 44 cuisine types.

New Orleans has gained another Michelin-starred restaurant, with Dakar NOLA joining the city’s top-rated dining destinations in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide American South selection. The latest awards also reaffirm the standing of Emeril’s, which retained its two-star distinction, while Saint-Germain and Zasu each hold one star.

Unveiled at an awards ceremony in Nashville on 21 October, the regional selection brings renewed attention to the breadth of New Orleans dining, from chef-led tasting menus to casual establishments recognised for value. New Orleans & Company, the city’s destination marketing organisation, welcomed the results in a message dated 22 October, describing the honours as recognition of the people, traditions and creativity behind the local restaurant industry.

The new one-star award for Dakar NOLA is particularly notable because the restaurant connects Senegalese culinary traditions with ingredients and influences from Louisiana. Its approach adds a distinctive West African perspective to a city whose food culture has long been shaped by the movement and exchange of people and cuisines. The restaurant joins Saint-Germain and Zasu among the New Orleans establishments recognised with one Michelin star in the latest selection.

Emeril’s, meanwhile, maintains two stars, a distinction first awarded in the inaugural American South selection in 2025. Led by chef E.J. Lagasse, the restaurant has become a prominent example of contemporary interpretations of Creole cuisine. Lagasse was also named to TIME’s 2026 TIME100 Next list, another indication of the attention directed towards the city’s younger culinary leadership.

From tasting menus to neighbourhood institutions

The breadth of the selection goes well beyond starred dining. New Orleans & Company identifies 12 local restaurants in the 2026 Bib Gourmand category, which recognises good food at good value: Acamaya, Cochon, Cochon Butcher, Domilise’s Po-Boy & Bar, Dooky Chase, Hungry Eyes, Lufu NOLA, Mister Mao, Parkway Bakery & Tavern, Saba, Safta’s Table and Turkey and the Wolf. Safta’s Table is marked as a new addition.

The organisation also lists 21 MICHELIN Recommended restaurants: Addis Nola, Atchafalaya, Casimiro, Clancy’s Restaurant, Compère Lapin, Evviva, Galatoire’s, Herbsaint, Jewel of the South, Killer Poboys, La Petite Grocery, Molly’s Rise & Shine, Osteria Lupo, Patois, Pêche, Restaurant August, Saffron NOLA, Saint Claire, The Crustacean Club, The Kingsway and Willie Mae’s Nola. Casimiro, Evviva, Jewel of the South, Saint Claire and The Crustacean Club are identified as new to the list.

Across the entire American South, Michelin’s 2026 selection encompasses 265 restaurants representing 44 cuisine types. The guide announced three newly starred restaurants across the region and 59 Bib Gourmand establishments in total. Those regional numbers underscore the competitive context in which New Orleans restaurants received their distinctions.

Why the recognition matters to visitors

For visitors, the range of distinctions offers different ways into the city’s food scene, rather than a single model of destination dining. Starred restaurants can anchor a special-occasion trip, while Bib Gourmand and Recommended establishments draw attention to everyday neighbourhood favourites, longstanding dining rooms and newer concepts.

New Orleans & Company has also been positioning culinary travel as part of its wider visitor-economy strategy, pointing to international restaurant awards and competitions alongside the city’s own established food heritage. In its latest statement, the organisation’s president and chief executive, Walter J. Leger III, thanked chefs and restaurant teams for their contributions to both visitors and residents.

Travellers exploring the results can consult the New Orleans Michelin dining guide and the 2026 American South selection announcement, with further destination information available from New Orleans & Company.