New Orleans just grabbed another national shout-out, with Food & Wine’s 2026 Global Tastemakers awards handing big love to both Emeril’s and the Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone. One is a white-tablecloth temple of reinvention, the other a spinning shrine to cocktails and selfies, and together they pretty much sum up why food-obsessed travelers keep this town high on their must-eat lists.
As reported by Food & Wine, Emeril’s landed at No. 5 on the magazine’s Top U.S. Restaurants list, with special praise for Chef E.J. Lagasse’s refreshed tasting-menu approach. The same awards put the Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone at No. 3 on the Top U.S. Hotel Bars list, spotlighting its rotating counter and deep cocktail history. For the Global Tastemakers, Food & Wine surveyed more than 400 chefs, travel pros and writers, then passed the results to a Global Advisory Board to lock in the final rankings.
Closer to home, NOLA.com tracked the reaction, noting that Food & Wine named New Orleans the fourth-best food city in the country and singled out neighborhood favorites like Ayu Bakehouse, Pêche Seafood Grill and Acamaya. Writer Marco Cartolano framed the accolades as part of a bigger pattern, where headline-grabbing fine dining shares the spotlight with the everyday spots that actually keep the Crescent City fed.
What This Means For Local Diners
Emeril’s has leaned into a more refined, technique-heavy tasting menu since its 2023 renovation and now runs under Chef E.J. Lagasse, according to Emeril’s. The restaurant touts its role as a two-star MICHELIN flagship and emphasizes its Warehouse District roots, a mix that helps explain why national voters keep it on their short lists. For diners, the honor is a reminder that New Orleans’ big-name dining rooms can comfortably stand alongside the bakeries, grill houses and seafood counters that Food & Wine also highlighted.
Carousel Bar Keeps The City Spinning
The Carousel Bar’s prize spot on the list underlines how deeply cocktail culture runs in New Orleans. Eater NOLA notes the bar’s intimate ring of 25 seats and its slow spin, while Hotel Monteleone confirms its French Quarter address. The rotating counter makes a full 360-degree loop every 15 minutes, as Food & Wine points out, and its long role in cocktail history keeps it packed with both visitors and locals. Scoring a stool still takes either luck or planning, with the hotel selling a pre-opening Carousel Bar Experience that guarantees a seat for guests chasing the full moment.
For anyone plotting a New Orleans weekend, the takeaway is straightforward: lock in the big reservation and leave time to linger over drinks at the icons. Between Emeril’s tasting menu and the Carousel Bar’s slow-turning seats, the city’s old guard and new-school culinary bragging rights are sharing the same national spotlight.
