NEW ORLEANS, La. — Dakar NOLA, chef Serigne Mbaye’s Senegalese tasting menu restaurant, picked up its first Michelin star Wednesday night, giving New Orleans another starred kitchen as the guide released its 2026 picks for the American South at a ceremony in Nashville.
The restaurant began as a communal pop-up only a few years ago and moved to a new location this year. It was one of just three restaurants across the region to enter the guide at the one-star level, joining spots in Atlanta and Gay, Ga. The honor follows Mbaye’s James Beard award in June for best chef in the region.
Three other New Orleans restaurants held on to their stars. Emeril’s kept two stars for a second straight year and remains the only two-star restaurant in the regional guide, while Saint-Germain and Zasu kept one star each.
The city’s footprint in the guide also grew. Thirty-eight New Orleans restaurants now appear in it, up from 32 last year. Six were added to the recommended list, including Crustacean Club and Jewel of the South in the French Quarter, Evviva in Faubourg Marigny and Saint Claire in Algiers, and Safta’s Table joined the Bib Gourmand list for good-value cooking.
Tourism officials say the stars draw visitors. A leader at New Orleans and Company said some chefs report reservations are harder to get and that diners now travel from other countries to eat at their restaurants. The regional guide, now in its second year, covers 265 restaurants in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and the Carolinas, plus Atlanta. Restaurants can gain or lose recognition each year, so the stars are reviewed again with every annual edition.
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