OpenTable Names Two New Orleans Restaurants to 2026 List
Dakar NOLA and GW Fins are the two Louisiana restaurants included on OpenTable's 2026 top 100 restaurants in America list.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Dining Out
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OpenTable included Dakar NOLA and GW Fins on its 2026 list of the top 100 restaurants in America, with both New Orleans restaurants representing Louisiana. The list is compiled from verified diner reviews and dining metrics covering Sept. 1, 2025, to Aug. 31, 2026.
Why it matters
The ranking draws on diner ratings, five-star review shares, alerts set and advance reservation rates rather than critic opinion, offering New Orleans diners a data-based signal of local restaurant performance. For residents and visitors choosing where to eat, the inclusion highlights two established options in the city.
Both restaurants hold a 4.9/5 diner rating on OpenTable, with GW Fins drawing more than 22,000 reviews compared with more than 400 for Dakar NOLA. The source does not specify the restaurants' individual positions on the list.
The players
OpenTable
OpenTable is an online restaurant reservation platform whose diner reviews and dining data were used to compile the 2026 top 100 list.
Dakar NOLA
Dakar NOLA is a New Orleans restaurant offering a pescetarian tasting menu that blends Senegalese and Louisiana influences.
Chef Serigne Mbaye
Serigne Mbaye is the chef behind Dakar NOLA, whose work earned a Michelin star and the James Beard Award for Best Chef: South this year.
GW Fins
GW Fins is a French Quarter fine dining seafood restaurant in New Orleans with more than 22,000 OpenTable reviews.
The details
Dakar NOLA, located at 937 Leonidas, offers a pescetarian tasting menu inspired by Senegalese techniques and flavors and Louisiana traditions, and it received a Michelin star and the James Beard Award for Best Chef: South this year. GW Fins, at 808 Bienville St. in the French Quarter, is a fine dining seafood restaurant.
Timeline
Sept. 1, 2025 to Aug. 31, 2026: review and dining metrics period used for the list.
2026: OpenTable publishes its top 100 restaurants in America list.
Dining Trend
OpenTable's annual top 100 restaurants in America list, now in its 2026 edition, ranks restaurants using verified diner reviews rather than critic judgments. The methodology places New Orleans' two entries within a consumer-driven national benchmark.
Diners planning a New Orleans visit can use the list as a starting point, since both Dakar NOLA and GW Fins accept reservations through OpenTable. Booking in advance is worth considering, as the list weighs the share of reservations made ahead of time.
The takeaway
Diners seeking well-reviewed New Orleans restaurants can start with the OpenTable list, which emphasizes verified diner feedback. Checking recent reviews and reserving early can help secure a table at highly rated spots.
Further reading
For more local picks, explore Dining Out coverage in New Orleans.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WGNO - News With A Twist.
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