16. India’s
City: Baton Rouge, LA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (225) 769-0600
Address: 5230 Essen Lane
Description: While it’s not the only Indian restaurant in Baton Rouge, India’s offers an excellent choice of exotic dishes highly flavored with curried sauces and served with condiments, such as coconut chutney. The lamb curry, chicken tikka masala, and vegetable samosa are favorites. The large lunch buffet gives customers a chance to choose from mild to highly spiced dishes. Mango ice cream is the perfect ending to a meal. Open for lunch and dinner.
17. A TASTE OF ASIA NGUYEN BISTRO
City: Baton Rouge, LA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (225) 291-2222
Address: 3651 South Sherwood Forest Blvd.
Description: A Taste of Asia is a remarkable restaurant that serves Vietnamese, Thai, traditional Chinese, and fusion cuisine. Each dish is bursting with texture and flavors and served with a sense of artistry. Meals can start with Vietnamese spring rolls or 5-spice dragon wings. Try the shredded green papaya salad or the Cantonese birdnest with chicken. Catch the slight tang in the sauce in the orange beef or the piquant curry bite in Thai crispy chili fish. The waitstaff is very accommodating. For example you can order curries peppery hot or as mild as you choose. The setting is lovely, and the food is even better.
City: Baton Rouge, LA
Category: Restaurants
Address: 4335 Perkins Rd.
19. TSUNAMI SUSHI
City: Baton Rouge, LA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (225) 346-5100
Address: 100 Lafayette St.
Description: Experience one of the most beautiful and romantic views of the Mississippi River at Tsunami. The downtown restaurant on the sixth floor of the Shaw Center for the Arts is the fashionable place to be seen, especially at sunset. Tsunami offers an extensive list of sushi and sashimi. Dinner menu includes succulent Pacific Rim ribs cooked in sake and pineapple juice served with a mango barbecue sauce, and crispy duck served with sugary snap beans with a raspberry hoisin drizzle. Lunch and dinner are served Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday.
20. BOUTIN’S CAJUN MUSIC AND DINING
City: Baton Rouge, LA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (225) 819-9862
Address: 8322 Bluebonnet Blvd.
Description: For an authentic Cajun dining and dancing experience, don’t miss Boutin’s. Stop by for lunch or dinner or just to enjoy live Cajun music. Watch patrons waltz or two-step around the large dance floor while others dine in surrounding areas. For a taste of Louisiana tradition, order a platter of steaming boiled crawfish or a fried crawfish platter. Perfect for a family outing and visitors who want to capture some Cajun flair. Meeting rooms and banquet facilities are available. Lunch and dinner served daily.
21. BRUNET’S CAJUN RESTAURANT
City: Baton Rouge, LA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (225) 272-6226
Address: 135 South Flannery Rd. and U.S. 190
Description: Ready for a “real” Cajun experience? Check out the fried seafood platters piled high with catfish, shrimp, oysters, soft shell crab, and frog legs. Choose from various platter combinations. Appetizers include oysters on the half shell, marinated crab fingers, and fried white boudin balls. Chicken fingers will appeal to the youngsters in the family. If you get there for lunch, try the catfish courtbouillon or shrimp fettuccini. Cajun bands perform Wednesday through Saturday nights. Bring your dancing shoes. Hours are Monday 5 to 9:30 p.m.; Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
22. JUBAN’S RESTAURANT
City: Baton Rouge, LA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (225) 346-8422
Address: 3739 Perkins Rd.
Description: Creole-inspired cuisine becomes an exceptional fine dining experience complemented by one of the region’s finest wine cellars, which was awarded Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence. Exceptional entrees range from the signature Hallelujah Crab to an excellent selection of veal, beef, lamb, and duck. The rich gumbo is superb and 25-cent martinis are featured for lunch. Reservations suggested. Open for dinner Monday through Saturday. Lunch is served Tuesday through Friday. Dress is business casual to dressy. Reservations suggested.
23. MANSURS ON THE BOULEVARD
City: Baton Rouge, LA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (225) 923-3366
Description: Fine Creole cuisine and inviting surroundings are enormously popular with locals and visitors alike for some of the finest dining in Baton Rouge. Award-winning dishes include the exquisite cream of brie and crabmeat soup, as well as the prime rib and cedar-roasted redfish entrees. Live jazz piano music completes your dining experience. Softly lit side rooms are perfect for private parties that can be fun or formal. Off-premises catering is available. Mansurs is open for lunch, midday, and dinner. Reservations suggested. Dress is business casual to dressy.
24. DIGIULIO BROTHERS ITALIAN café
City: Baton Rouge, LA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (225) 383-4203
Address: 2903 Perkins Rd.
Description: Located in the culture district near the Perkins Road overpass, DiGiulio’s is a small neighborhood cafe with great atmosphere and excellent wine bar. A specialty of the house is the delicious meatless lasagna with five cheeses—ricotta, parmigiana, romano, provolone, and mozzarella—topped with a rich marinara sauce. Pizzas are made fresh to order. The veal picatta with veal sauteed in wine, lemon juice, and capers is a delightful light dish. A favorite Sunday brunch dish is the pasta frittata. Open for lunch Monday through Friday and for dinner Monday through Saturday. Sunday brunch is 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
City: Baton Rouge, LA
Category: Restaurants
Address: 4205 Perkins Rd.
26. GALATOIRE’S BISTRO
City: Baton Rouge, LA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (225) 753-4864
Address: 17451 Perkins Rd.
Description: Galatoire’s Bistro opened in Baton Rouge in November 2005 when this famed New Orleans restaurant celebrated its 100th anniversary. Local gourmands consider themselves fortunate that the restaurant has become a part of the city’s fine dining choices. A remarkable dish is the Louisiana Seafood Eggplant Cake featuring crabmeat, boiled shrimp, and eggplant in a béchamel-bound cake with a spicy remoulade aioli topped with jumbo crab meat. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Friday. Dinner only on Saturday, and Sunday brunch, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dress is business casual to dressy.
27. GINO’S
City: Baton Rouge, LA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (225) 927-7156
Address: 4542 Bennington
Description: This family-owned Italian restaurant has the distinction of being voted Best Italian Restaurant in the city. Outstanding southern Italian dishes include a rich baked lasagna, Italian sausage with pasta and red sauce, and arancine stuffed with ground meat, peas, rice, sauce, and Parmigiana. The extensive menu also features grilled seafood, poultry, and steaks. Lounge is open Monday through Saturday with live entertainment Thursday through Saturday. Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday and for dinner only on Saturday. Closed Sunday. Dress is business casual.
28. MAISON LACOUR FRENCH RESTAURANT
City: Baton Rouge, LA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (225) 275-3755
Address: 11025 North Harrell’s Ferry Rd.
Description: Chef Michael Jetty offers a wide range of French cuisine including seafood, game, veal, lamb, and beef. Guests are served in a pleasant French cottage setting. Elegant entree menu includes such dishes as grilled filet topped with crawfish tails in a spicy red butter sauce and young squab marinated in port, stuffed with veal, pork, shallots, and pistachio and baked with port wine sauce. Dressy casual attire welcomed. Reservations recommended. Hours for lunch are Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and for dinner, Monday through Thursday, 5:30 to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until 8:30 p.m. Dress is business casual to dressy.
29. ALBASHA GREEK & LEBANESE RESTAURANT
City: Baton Rouge, LA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (225) 216-1444
Address: 2561 Cityplace Court
Description: Enjoy the flavors of the Middle East in a pleasant setting. Albasha offers a variety of shawarma and gyro plates and salads. If you’re hungry, order the lamb shank plate that includes rice pilaf topped with toasted pine nuts. Lunch and dinner served daily.
30. CAFE MEDITERRANEAN
City: Baton Rouge, LA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (225) 336-4501
Address: 4347 Perkins Rd.
Description: This unpretentious neighborhood cafe features food from throughout the Mediterranean region, including Lebanese, Greek, and Italian. Exceptional dishes are the lasagna and eggplant Parmigiana, both topped with a luscious thick, rich marinara sauce. Chicken shawarma and gyros sandwiches and plates are packed with meats flavored with Lebanese spices and garlic. Greek and Italian salads are served with cold, fresh ingredients. Lunch and dinner are served Monday through Saturday. Closed Sunday.