Acamaya
Mexican restaurant · Bywater
3070 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70117
Highlights
Creative Mexican seafood dishes with Gulf bounty and vibrant flavors
Creative Mexican seafood dishes with Gulf bounty and vibrant flavors
"At Acamaya the Castro sisters elevate coastal Mexican cooking with daily catches and playful abundance—crawfish folded into caramelized-cheese torpedoes in flour tortillas, masa dumplings filled with Jean Lafitte crab, and $90 platters brimming with caviar, gorditas, and puréed ayocote beans—set in a warmly lit room of soft pink tiles and ocean-blue bathrooms where every inch reflects their sunny, celebratory approach to seafood-forward dining." - ByThe Bon Appétit Staff
"Eater’s 2024 Best New Restaurant for NOLA and recently reviewed by the New York Times, this restaurant impresses on several fronts: an intriguing wine and cocktail list, punchy and robust raw dishes, and surprising stunners such as a humble sweet potato given main-character energy with peanut mole, turmeric, and lime. “Dessert is usually the least exciting part of a meal for me, but here, it’s the dish that seems to be lingering in my memory the longest. Tres leches cake gets a more robust, substantive quality with the use of masa, and mango adds an assertive tartness for balance. The flavor of the cake seems to change a bit with the seasons — the peach version on the menu currently seems a good enough excuse as any to revisit this special place.” — Missy Frederick, Eater cities director." - Henna Bakshi
"One of the buzzy newer spots the editors visited—grouped among the city’s ‘new cool kids’ that reflect the evolving, contemporary culinary scene." - Henna Bakshi
"When Mexican spot Lengua Madre closed, there was a gaping hole in the New Orleans food scene. Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait long for the chef to open Acamaya, which focuses heavily on seafood and might even be better than Lengua Madre. The thick and soft sopes are still around, this time topped with crab and whatever seafood is in season. Start with those and even more seafood—some crab claws with arroz negro, ceviche or house-smoked hamachi, and any fish special. The desserts are also standouts for their twists on Mexican classics, like flan with sultry tonka bean and tres leches made with cornmeal that tones down the sweetness." - chelsea brasted, megan braden perry
"When Mexican spot Lengua Madre closed, there was a gaping hole in the New Orleans food scene. Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait long for the chef to open Acamaya in Bywater, which focuses heavily on seafood and might even be better than Lengua Madre. The thick and soft sopes are still around, this time topped with crab and whatever seafood is in season. Start with those and even more seafood—some crab claws with arroz negro, ceviche or house-smoked hamachi, and any fish special. The desserts are also standouts for their twists on Mexican classics, like flan with sultry tonka bean and tres leches made with cornmeal that tones down the sweetness." - chelsea brasted, zella palmer, carlo mantuano, megan braden perry
