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Dining Room - Dakar NOLA, New Orleans, LA
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Dakar NOLA

$50 and over
African
937 Leonidas Street, New Orleans, LA 70118-1120

Make a reservation

A photo of Dakar NOLA restaurant

Dakar NOLA

4.9
$50 and over
African
Uptown

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 19 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Innovative
  • Romantic
Dakar NOLA is a modern Senegalese restaurant by Chef Serigne Mbaye.
Dinner features a pescatarian tasting menu. We are reservation-only, open Tuesday–Saturday, and the experience lasts approximately 2 hours. Our menu changes frequently and is largely dairy- and gluten-free.

Reservations open on the 1st of each month at 10 AM CT for the following month (e.g., December opens November 1). Closed Sundays and Mondays.

We can accommodate shellfish and peanut allergies if noted when booking, as well as gluten intolerance/allergies. We cannot accommodate allergies to fin fish, soy, shellfish aroma/fumes, allium, or honey. We are unable to accommodate vegan diets or vegetarians who do not eat food prepared with seafood broth.
To ensure the flow of service, late arrivals will join the meal at the course currently being served.

We can no longer accommodate parties larger than 6 guests in the dining room. For large groups or corporate events, please submit an inquiry to events@dakarnola.com

OpenTable Icon

20262025

  • Award icon
    James Beard Winner2026
  • Award icon
    MICHELIN 1 Star2026
  • Award icon
    James Beard Winner2024

From the OpenTable editors: Born in NYC and raised in Dakar, chef Serigne Mbaye has garnered national acclaim for his deeply personal pescatarian Senegalese tasting menu, including a James Beard Award in 2026 and a #4 spot on North America's 50 Best Restaurants list the same year. Step into the jewel box restaurant for a memorable evening, where some of the dishes are served family-style and where you'll learn about the history of the food and drinks in front of you. Expect a welcome tea, before diving into the seasonal seven-course menu that might include Gulf shrimp and smoky jollof rice. The restaurant ranked

Executive chef: Serigne Mbaye

Staff spotlight

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    African
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (504) 493-9396
  • Website
    https://www.dakarnola.com/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Cash not accepted, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Location
    937 Leonidas Street, New Orleans, LA 70118-1120
  • Award-winning
    1. OpenTable Icons 2026
    2. OpenTable Icons 2025
    3. James Beard Winner Best Chef: South 2026
    4. MICHELIN 1 Star 2026
    5. James Beard Winner Best New Restaurant 2024
  • Neighborhood
    Uptown
  • Cross street
    Leonidas Street & Freret Street. There is ample parking available.
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Kosher, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Chase Sapphire Reserve badge

    Your Table, Reserved: Chef Serigne & Friends

    $200.00 per person

    Prepaid

    1 - 6 people

    Nov 15, 2026 only
    Your Table, Reserved: Chef Serigne & Friends: A Celebration of Food & Heritage To view availability for this event, add your eligible Chase card to your OpenTable account. Two Chefs. One Night. A Shared Heritage of Flavor. Join Chef Serigne Mbaye and acclaimed chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, and entrepreneur Chef Pierre Thiam for Chef Serigne & Friends: A Celebration of Food & Heritage—an immersive culinary experience honoring the traditions, flavors, and shared histories that connect Senegal, New Orleans, and the African diaspora. Your evening includes an exclusive collaborative multi-course tasting menu showcasing the creativity, traditions, and shared histories that inspire each chef's cuisine. Throughout the evening, each course tells a story of place, migration, memory, and innovation—highlighting the connections between Senegal, New Orleans, and beyond. Plus, you'll enjoy a meet-and-greet with the chefs. Seats are limited for this one-night-only event. You will have your choice of indoor seating within our dining room, or outdoor seating on the terrace. This is not a pescatarian-only menu, other proteins may be served. Allergies, dietary restrictions, and preferences cannot be accommodated. We are excited to be part of the Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Table collection on OpenTable. To celebrate, we’ll be hosting an exclusive event for Sapphire Reserve cardmembers. Add your eligible Sapphire Reserve card to your OpenTable account to book now. Chase Sapphire Reserve®, J.P. Morgan Reserve® and Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business® cardmembers are eligible for this event.
    Your Table, Reserved: Chef Serigne & Friends Photo

  • Tasting Menu - Communal Dining

    $195.00 per person

    Prepaid

    1 - 11 people

    Multiple dates available
    You will be seated at a communal table of six for shared dining experience. Designed to bring strangers, acquaintances, and loved ones closer together through food. Our menu changes often and features seafood only dishes. Most items are dairy and gluten-free. Multi-course tasting menu price is $195 per person Wine pairing is $130 per person Non-alcoholic pairing is $75 per person Both wine and non-alcoholic pairing is $180 per person Corkage fee is $45 limit 2 bottles per reservation

  • Tasting Menu - Private Table

    $195.00 per person

    Prepaid

    1 - 11 people

    Multiple dates available
    You will be seated at your own table. Our menu changes often and features seafood only dishes. Most items are dairy and gluten-free. Multi-course tasting menu price is $195 per person Wine pairing is $130 per person Non-alcoholic pairing is $75 per person Both wine and non-alcoholic pairing is $180 per person Corkage fee is $45 limit 2 bottles per reservation

Concierge
AI Beta

Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Menu

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at Dakar NOLA.

4.9

4.9
(467)
  • 4.9Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.9Ambience
  • 4.6Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • New Orleans / Louisiana

    Best Overall

  • New Orleans / Louisiana

    Best Food

  • New Orleans / Louisiana

    Best Ambiance

  • New Orleans / Louisiana

    Innovative

  • New Orleans

    Best Overall

  • New Orleans

    Best Food

  • New Orleans

    Best Service

  • New Orleans

    Best Ambiance

  • New Orleans

    Innovative

  • New Orleans

    Good for special occasions

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Dakar - Nola offers an extraordinary dining experience with "outstanding service" and "creative, flavorful dishes." The seven-course meal is a "phenomenal" journey of taste, enhanced by a warm and intimate atmosphere. Chef Serigne Mbaye's personal touch adds to this "unique and memorable" culinary adventure, making it highly recommended.
467 Reviews

  1. Sarah Ann

    New York City7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Phenomenal experience, amazing food, top notch and intimate service. A once in a lifetime experience.

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  2. Donna Gold

    New Orleans26 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food!! Balwin our waiter was awesome. All the staff made you feel welcome. They were very knowledgeable about the food. Drinks and wine were fantastic!

    Is this helpful?

  3. Kevin Gold

    Baltimore4 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    The host and staff were great. They were extremely knowledgeable about everything. The food was authentic however certain dishes I felt like the chef was holding back on ingredients however the host mange to address my concerns and I’m sure the next time I visit things will be different.

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  4. anushka Gold

    Atlanta11 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on October 30, 2026

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    The outside experience is vastly different than the one you get inside, apparently. However, when you go to book the reservation, it does not indicate the difference between the two experiences. Inside, you get the Michelin star service, but outside it is not that level of care even though you are paying very similar prices. Our waiter was not professional, nor was he friendly. Additionally, there was an influencer outside eating that had the brightest light attachment to her phone, so she could take pictures of her food. However, she was not concerned about anyone else’s experience and kept shining the light in everyone’s eyes, including mine. The only way to block this was for me to wear my sunglasses. When we inquired with the waiter about what she was doing, he just gave us a very flippant response. She clearly wasn’t from a food magazine, because they usually have shoots scheduled for that type of activity. One thing that bothered my husband was that when he ordered a bottle of wine, the waiter did not present it to him nor offer him a taste. He just started pouring without even asking us if that was OK. This doesn’t seem like a big deal, but when you are touting Michelin star service that stuff matters. The only saving grace is that the food is amazing. However, I am not interested in going back there anytime soon, unless it’s sitting inside. I would not give them a star if I were the Michelin team. I typically don’t write reviews, but had such a terrible experience that I had to say something! 

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  5. Joshua

    Detroit1 review

    5.0

    Dined on October 30, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    As someone who travels all over the United States, eating at any up-and-coming or featured restaurant I can find scouring the Internet, I can say I have never had a more perfect dining experience as I did at Dakar. Every moment complimented the next, and it’s impossible for me to pick my favorite dish of the evening, because every single bite was a standout all on its own. 

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  6. Thomas

    Atlanta2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on October 29, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Outstanding, personable, and professional service. Incredible tasting menu. Worth every penny.

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  7. kia

    New York City13 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on October 27, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Every dish had a story and you felt it. The group o sat with was very nice. I will come here every time I come to New Orleans. The addition of the lobster was the best choice I made. The chef was nice enough to come out and great us.

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  8. robert

    Chicago4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on October 24, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We were there for a celebration, and the experience was outstanding! The staff was friendly and accommodating as well. The owner greeted each table,making sure our needs were met! Overall we had a wonderful time!

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  9. jill Gold

    San Francisco29 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on October 23, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was a wonderful evening of beautiful delicious food and great and very personable service. We loved sitting at the communal table talking with people we didn’t know but enjoyed so much. A great experience!

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  10. Christine

    San Francisco2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on October 23, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing food, service, and experience. Everything was delicious. We sat at the communal table, which I wasn’t so sure about, but we had a blast. The chef came out to greet tables and was very welcoming and gracious. I wish we lived closer so we could come back often.

    Is this helpful?

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    African
  • Hours of operation
    Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (504) 493-9396
  • Website
    https://www.dakarnola.com/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Cash not accepted, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Location
    937 Leonidas Street, New Orleans, LA 70118-1120
  • Award-winning
    1. OpenTable Icons 2026
    2. OpenTable Icons 2025
    3. James Beard Winner Best Chef: South 2026
    4. MICHELIN 1 Star 2026
    5. James Beard Winner Best New Restaurant 2024
  • Neighborhood
    Uptown
  • Cross street
    Leonidas Street & Freret Street. There is ample parking available.
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Kosher, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

FAQs

Smart casual is the guide, polished but relaxed, so neat, comfortable attire fits perfectly for this intimate tasting‑menu experience that many guests choose for special occasions.

Yes, Dakar - Nola is a lovely choice for date night, with intimate lighting, thoughtful wine pairings, and several guests describing memorable anniversary visits and warm, personal service.

Dakar - Nola feels intimate and communal, a house-like dining room with wood floors, Senegalese decor, low, warm lighting, a communal table option, and rituals (table-side hand washing and the chef visiting tables) that make the evening feel like a shared, thoughtful experience.

How FAQ content is generated

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. New Orleans / Louisiana
  4. New Orleans
  5. Uptown

Make a reservation

A photo of Dakar NOLA restaurant

Dakar NOLA

4.9
$50 and over
African
Uptown

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 19 times today
Experiences are available.
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