Emeril’s is a contemporary Louisiana restaurant in New Orleans’ Warehouse District. Emeril Lagasse opened the flagship at 800 Tchoupitoulas Street in 1990 after more than seven years as executive chef of Commander’s Palace. Esquire named it Restaurant of the Year soon after its debut, helping establish both the restaurant and Lagasse’s “New New Orleans” cooking on the national stage.
E.J. Lagasse, Emeril’s son, returned to New Orleans in 2022 after training at Le Bernardin in New York, Core by Clare Smyth in London, and Frantzén in Stockholm. Now chef and co-owner, he leads the restaurant’s kitchen and daily operations.
The father and son oversaw an extensive renovation in 2023. The redesigned restaurant has about a dozen tables, plush seating, and direct views into the kitchen through a floor-to-ceiling glass wall. Dinner begins with an opening bite served inside the kitchen before guests return to the dining room for the tasting menu.
E.J.’s cooking combines techniques developed abroad with the restaurant’s Louisiana identity. The menu draws heavily on regional farmers, fishermen, and producers while returning to dishes that have been part of Emeril’s history for decades. Current and recurring preparations include smoked salmon cheesecake with caviar, oyster stew, trout almondine, boudin, Louisiana quail, skillet cornbread, and banana cream pie. Established recipes are refined without losing the flavors that made them recognizable.
The main dining room offers a tasting-menu experience, while the Wine Bar at Emeril’s has a more relaxed format with small plates, classic cocktails, and selections from the restaurant’s extensive cellar.
Emeril’s received AAA’s Five Diamond designation in 2024 and belongs to Relais & Châteaux and Les Grandes Tables du Monde. In 2025, it became the only restaurant awarded two stars in the inaugural Michelin Guide American South, making E.J. the youngest chef to lead a two-star kitchen.
