Excellent advice on wine and food pairings is just one of the highlights of this New Orleans bright star. Opened in 1999 and considered an upstart in this city of decades-old dining establishments, Cuvee nevertheless has gained a reputation as one of New Orleans’s finest gourmet restaurants. Intimate, with just 85 seats, the restaurant is housed in a landmark 1833 building whose age strangely complements its “nouveau New Orleans cuisine”—dishes like sugar cane-smoked duck breast and crispy confit leg served with Hudson Valley foie gras and Roquefort-pecan risotto.

Cuvee Information:

• Creole menu. Lunch, dinner. Closed Sun. Bar. Business casual attire. Reservations recommended. Valet parking.