4 Best Restaurants in Baton Rouge, Side Trips from New Orleans

Locals praise the seafood at this busy spot, and rightly so: the food is consistently good, fresh, and served in large portions. The fried seafood platter—shrimp, oysters, crawfish tails, catfish, and stuffed crab served with onion rings, hush puppies, and a choice of salad or various coleslaws—is your best bet.

This upscale bistro with a lush courtyard and walls adorned with art is about three miles from the Louisiana State University campus. Tempting main courses, including seafood, beef, and pork dishes, as well as roasted duck and quail, highlight the menu. The Hallelujah Crab (soft-shell stuffed with seafood and topped with "creolaise" sauce) is a specialty, and Juban's own mango tea is delicious. The warm bread pudding makes a memorable end to meals here.

A broad, clubby dining room invites lingering over some of the best Italian cuisine in town. Local ingredients find their way into hearty Italian dishes, such as eggplant Parmesan and cedar plank redfish. There's also a romantic bar section just off the main dining areas. The restaurant is a few minutes east from downtown along Interstate 10.

On the roof of the Shaw Center for the Arts, the sleek, modern dining room of this Japanese restaurant commands one of the best views in town, with tables overlooking the busy Mississippi River (an open-air patio is available, too). In addition to the usual sushi-bar fare, the chefs here prepare creative Louisiana-style variations: try the panko-crusted alligator roll or the soft shell crab, for instance. Weekday happy-hour specials draw a young and chatty crowd.