Dakar Nola | Senegalese Cuisine in New Orleans 🇸🇳

By chance, I visited New Orleans this New Year's (my heartfelt condolences to those who lost their lives on New Year's Eve 🙏). Known as the "City of Cocktails and Parties," New Orleans has always been on my bucket list. Plus, this year's James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant was right here in NOLA! I was excited to try Senegalese food for the very first time! While researching, I learned about the deep historical ties between Senegal and New Orleans—especially in music, religion, and food. This connection dates back to the transatlantic slave trade, when many West African people were forcibly brought to the Americas, embedding their cultural practices deeply into the life of New Orleans. The restaurant is named Dakar, after the capital of Senegal. The chef, Serigne, was born in New York but grew up in Senegal. He previously worked at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans and at the three-Michelin-starred Atelier Crenn in San Francisco. Opening his own Senegalese restaurant has always been his dream. Highlights: ❤️ Hand-Washing Ceremony: A beautiful pre-meal tradition where warm water is poured for each guest to wash their hands, followed by a towel to dry. It’s a warm, welcoming ritual often practiced during family gatherings or formal occasions. ❤️ Dining Options: When booking, you can choose between "Communal" and "Private" seating. Communal means sharing a table with up to 4 other guests, while Private is your own table. If you're an extrovert—or even a half-extrovert—I highly recommend the Communal experience for a unique and social meal! Dishes We Tried: 🍵 Ataya: Mint ginger tea with a matcha foam A warm and soothing opening drink. A little sweet, but comforting and aromatic! 🦀 Cassava: Cassava cake with crab and fish A delicate and flavorful bite—soft cassava topped with tender crab and fish. 🍤 Gulf Shrimp + Break Bread: Black bean stewed shrimp with puffed rice Tender shrimp in a rich black bean sauce, served with crispy puffed rice. Sopping up the sauce with bread is a must! 🍚 Bennachin: Onion and tomato jollof rice Considered a precursor to jambalaya! The rice is richly spiced and deeply satisfying. 🐟 The Bounty of the Gulf: Grouper with tamarind sauce The sweet-and-sour tamarind sauce complements the tender grouper perfectly—fresh and light! Have you ever tried Senegalese food? Or visited a restaurant with a cultural ritual like the hand-washing ceremony? Share your experience below! 👇💬 #NewOrleans #NewOrleansTravelGuide #HiddenGem #ImmersiveDining #GlobalFoodies #WestAfricanCuisine #TrySomethingNew #SenegaleseFood #CulturalDining #JamesBeardAward #FoodAndHistory #UniqueEats #FoodExperience #NOLAeats #MustTryNOLA