In the heart of New Orleans' Bywater neighborhood, sisters Ana & Lydia Castro offer up fantastic Mexican coastal cuisine and seafood with delicious New Orleans (and many other) accents. As I sat down as a solo diner, with a full view of the open kitchen filled with smiling faces, I immediately saw this was my kind of menu: lots of small plates, seafood, and acidic dishes, shining with brightness from herbs, chiles, and heat. I believe it's called "mariscos", as a sort of catch-all term for dishes including aguachiles, ceviches, shrimp cocktails, tostadas, and more. (I might be wrong here... I'm no Mexican cuisine expert). But I AM definitely certain that I loved every bite I tasted, including... Hamachi "Al Pastor" Tostada - Pineapple * Cilantro * Shallot * Tepache Half Dozen Brightsides Oysters - Lime * Salsa Veneno * Chiltepín Vinegar Aguachile Verde - Gulf Shrimp * Cucumber * Tomatillo * Serrano Ceviche - Red Snapper Onion Ash * Serrano * Avocado * Jicama Octopus - Morita Chile * Anchovy * Sunchoke Escabeche * Tortillas Margarita - Siembra Alteño Blanco Tequila * Lime * Salt What a lineup, what an evening! Acamaya appeared on the 2024 NYT Best Restaurant List and received a 2025 Bib Michelin Gourmand distinction, among many other accolades. And after gobbling up a nice sampling of the menu, I can see why! There's no doubt I will be looking to return ASAP to Acamaya in New Orleans. Thanks to Ana, Lydia, and their entire terrific team. read more

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What a stunning dinner! I stopped in with a friend during carnival and had the best low key meal! We shared 6 dishes which were all delicious but the outstanding ones (to me) were the shrimp costra (that cheese chicharron ) and the tuna tostada. But really it was all tasty. My friend had a cocktail and said it was good. I had a refreshing glass of wine, also tasty. And of course, we had flan for dessert. Service was great especially at a time of year when we're all just way too tired to function. Space is somehow both moody and welcoming. read more

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Food: mediocre at best and far less tasty than any taco truck in the city. Not even close to worth the price. Service: okay. Ambiance was nice read more

Loved our experience! The food is so fantastic, unique, great options, and delicious cocktails. We even got dessert and there's a reason there are only 2 because they are divine. Highly recommend especially for special occasions and bringing out Of town guests. Killer ambiance and service. We will be back! read more

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We had aqua frescas, a cold chili sopa with shrimp, hangar steak, a mussels dish, the crema beans, and both desserts. The service was a 10/10. The vibe was modern and sheik with a nose to Mexican culture. Some high notes: the hangar steak and the sauce, the mussels, and the flan. The tres lèche had a lemon sauce on top that was off-putting, the aqua Fresca was over powered by the ginger, and I did not care for the sweet in the beans. I felt from the description that it may not be my thing, so that was on me. read more

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The interior is simple with small dining tables and a small bar. There were large windows in the area I was seated in and l enjoyed watching people walking their dogs while I was dining. The ceviche was made with Amber Jack, unusual sweet/spicy marinade and julienned jicama. The julienned jicama was difficult to maneuver into my mouth, and they did not offer tortilla chips or anything on which I could place the ceviche. I ordered the Carne Asada (4 blue corn tortillas included) and it was beautifully plated. The beef was perfectly cooked for me as I like very rare, but the sauce was very bland in my opinion. I asked my server if they had any side salsa, and apparently the chef only wants what he/she chooses on the plate. I did not push further for salsa. I prefer my Carne Asada with more flavorful sauce and spiciness. The side of Ayocote beans was the tastiest dish I ordered, but I still would like to have had a little spiciness to it or a side of some kind of house made salsa. I think I will keep searching for a restaurant that is more willing to accommodate side salsas. read more

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A solid place to experience an innovative spin on elevated Mexican food in New Orleans. Ambience is hip and modern. I did find some of the dishes to be a bit messy / clunky (tostadas, I'm looking at you! I think the portions could have been sliced and served differently), but the flavors were solid enough to get away with it. I also really enjoyed the wine selection as well--we ordered a nice bottle of orange wine to share with the table. A fun experience to visit with friends, and definitely different than your typical New Orleans-style restaurant selection. read more

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Acamaya delivers a new exciting meal in the city. Bold, modern Mexican coastal flavors meet pristine seafood, layered with smoke, and heat in dishes that demand attention. Every plate is confident, intentional, and impeccably executed. A must try! read more

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Let's start with the good part! I absolutely loved the location, tucked away in a charming, very New Orleans residential neighborhood. It was a peaceful and pleasant break from the noisy, touristy, and often grimy downtown area. The restaurant itself was beautiful and definitely worth visiting. The hostess was friendly, and our server was courteous and prompt, great service all around. Now, on to the food. I had a feeling it was going to be a mess when the server described the menu as a "food glossary." A what now? Child, just hand me the menu so I can order! I went with the fish of the day, and honestly, I don't think they have a grain of salt in the whole kitchen. I don't even remember what kind of fish it was because it was just flavorless. Everything was overpriced and bland. After dinner, our server brought out the dessert menu and it had two options. TWO. She could've sent that in a text! But I will say, the tres leches cake was delicious and almost made up for the underwhelming dinner. Would I go back? Probably. The atmosphere, service, and location are worth another visit. I'll just be sure to bring some Tony's in my purse next time! read more

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This place has a cool ambiance. We really liked most of the food we tried but didn't care much for one item. Great = Chochoyotes - great flavor combination. Fish of the day which was Flounder on the bone and the belly on the side - perfectly done, a great dish. Octopus - the right texture and sauce. Sweet potato is a side dish and has a peanut mole, tumeric, and lime - it was another great flavor combination. Good = Ceviche which was snapper this time - the jicama is a nice touch and it was a good dish but just really unusually heavy on the citrus flavor. Carne Asada - cooked well and tasty it just wasn't anything special especially for $35. Bad = Tuna Tostado. Connective tissue on every bit of it and the nori gave it a fishy flavor. Service - she seemed bored. We mentioned to the server that we liked everything but the tuna tostado and got an "Oh well" look. She didn't seem interested in us or being there. This meal was close to $300 before tip. We had some drinks so that was about $60 of it. If you like bubbles, would recommend the gruner. El Chamuco was tasty. I asked the server to pick me out one of the Spanish reds for the carne asade but she didn't tell me which one it was which in hindsight isn't surprising. read more

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For the people who expect a taco / enchilada / a burrito or a typical "gringo" style dinner at a Mexican restaurant , please keep your remarks for yourself and just try and enrich your senses by Acamayas food or even enrich the cultural experience you get thru chefs dishes ! I left full and happy ! But mostly full on the "wow"factor that every dish we had, gave me ( 4apps or small plates and 3entrees ending up with a dessert) .. I still think about the ceviche, the "el pastor" tostada , the fish of day and the tuna tostada!!And also thinking about my future dish at this nice , clean , amazing restaurant that we have in New Orleans ! Thank you chef and hope you had a great bday while doing what you love and know best! read more

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With so many great restaurants in New Orleans, it's hard to pick just one during a visit. In town for a quick trip, the one restaurant that I was fortunately able to book on a late Saturday night was Acamaya. CNNTraveler had just listed Acamaya as one of the world's best new restaurants and after dining there, it was worth the pick. Acamaya was dimly lit with a large center prep area, bar to the left, and more intimate seating. Despite having a reservation, I still waited nearly 30 minutes to be seated. The staff was apologetic and did try to keep things moving. Once seated, service was quick and the staff at the bar did a great job making sure you were taken care of. The food was flavorful and overall phenomenal! The Bluefish Tuna Tostada was really good and after eating the Hamachi - I immediately ordered another one. It was such a mix of flavors and had a little kick that made it a dish that I needed to have again. The crawfish costra was also really good. Prices were very reasonable for such a good restaurant and I'm already thinking about the next time I can come back for the Hamachi and to try other items on the menu. read more

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We received AMAZING service from the time arrived, seated, and left. The hostess quickly greeted us and was a nice warm and familiar face. We had reservations and were quickly seated. The waiter was waiting in is as we were indecisive in our meal selections. He was kind, patient, and very helpful. The shared small plate style was great as we often like to share. It was or anniversary so we were greeted with a glass of champagne to celebrate the moment. The food was very tasty and the dim lit romantic environment helped to set the tone for the evening. It was nice to be able to have a conversation without a lot of loud noise around us. I'm sure we'll be back again! read more

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What a wonderful experience dining at Acamaya. We made a reservation, upon arrival we were greeted and seated promptly. Our server was outstanding. Attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. We had numerous dishes. Each one distinct in flavor profile. Not a single bad bite. Three dishes that were outstanding were Aguachili Verde, Shrimp Costra, and the Carne Asada. The house made tortillas perfection. I highly recommend this dining experience. read more

I was surprised to see Acamaya receive a Michelin star. Out of the three cocktails I ordered, none were enjoyable. The octopus was cooked properly, but the flavors did not complement each other well at all. The aguachile was acceptable, but a tiny portion. The oysters--typically a favorite of mine--had an unusual and off-putting taste, I don't add anything usually and I couldn't eat more than two in fear something was actually wrong with them. The arroz negro, however, was quite good, with a pleasant and unexpected crunch in each bite. Overall, the service also fell below expectations. It was the end of the night and appeared to be rather slow but it took over 20 minutes to get our first cocktail and 30 before she actually asked if we were ready to order and then stated we had to place the entire order at once.. Disappointing to say the least. read more

Fresh seafood and deliciously distinct flavors come together in a cool (almost too cool... bordering on pretentious) modern Mexican setting. The tuna tostado and seafood tomato dip melt in your mouth. The carne asada is beefy and tender. But, as mentioned above, there is an undercurrent of pretentiousness. The lack of any kind of simple, familiar (& filling) appetizer offering leaves a lonely feeling. No tortilla chips, no pico de gallo and no guacamole in this establishment. It's hard to tell what's driving this... a commitment to authenticity or a desire to keep all apps in the profitable $20+ range. The service is solid but workman-like... our server didn't break a smile even once. Maybe she (like us) was missing the guac & chips. Final note... we were a table of 5...when the bill came... it included a "mandatory large group tip" of 22%. 5 people = large group? Smells like pretentiousness! read more

Food needs more salt and flavor. Ambiance is regular and dark and rustic, very nice, but the chairs are not super comfortable. The service was excellent and the drinks were TERRIFIC. read more

A surprisingly excellent upscale restaurant in New Orleans. The octopus and the fish were just excellent. The shrimp contra was reordered twice! The carne asada and the rest of the food we ordered was also excellent and so we're the drinks. Ambience is cozy modern and the service was impeccable! read more

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Look this place is good, REALLY GOOD! If you don't believe me just go ask Esquire, The New York Times, Eater, Gordon Ramsay, the list goes on and on folks! So let's just give Ana, Lydia and the whole Acamaya team their well deserved crowns! My favorites: Shrimp Costra Pulpo/Octopus Both of the Tostadas read more

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There are many incredible, mind blowing, and life changing places to eat in New Orleans. Acamaya is without a doubt, one of them. This isn't the kind of food you'd find at a national chain. You are not getting massive plates of food that leave you unable to safely walk. Acamaya is the kind of place where you get the cocktail, you order multiple things, and you essentially end up creating your own multi-course dining experience. My girl and I love to order as many small plates as we can when we visit for the first time. We like to get the essence of the restaurant, and try as many things as we can, so we don't end up judging a place based on two dishes. If we end up enjoying the place, we typically return and complete the menu, and find our favorite things along the way. I recommend you order as many dishes as your party can handle, and share, SHARE DAMN YOU! We had a lot of items, and let me just say, they season the food. There isn't a bland thing. It's not over salted, but there is salt, so if you're sensitive to it, you might want to watch out for the Flounder (which was unbelievably terrific!). The beans will seem bland in comparison to other dishes, but if you get them early, they're beautiful, and even better when paired with the tortilla. This is the place that will be added to the "friends are visiting" recommendation list. Acamaya would fit in any of the food capitals of the world, fortunately for me, it lives in the city that I do. read more

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Food was good Service was another question. The female server came back after the order and asked if I had wanted a drink. I told her" I had placed it with her. The Spanish white". She proceeds to say she can only remember so much or something to that extent. After that she never came to check up on us. At the end of the night, she came up to me and "suggested" that I change my tone, it would go a long way as hospitality is a big thing here. We had tried to let the manager know about this incident. We were given the response of we stand behind our staff and their actions. We are not looking for discounts nor any comps. Just a simple acknowledgement from the establishment that no other customers would be disrespected from the wait would have made the night better. Restaurants are there to offer hospitality and food. Hence the industry is called hospitality. It was extremely rude for the server to take a customers response to her forgetting to write down the order personal. read more

Acamaya is an absolute standout. From the moody aesthetic to the open layout, this place just feels different. Service is fantastic; the hostess is friendly and engaging, the servers incredibly knowledgeable and professional. But the true standout here is the food. This is far from your traditional Mexican restaurant as far as Mexican restaurants in the US go. The menu is a love letter to Mexico, with a creative use of ingredients that turn your expectations of Mexican food on its head. Highlights: - The chochoyote was a showstopper - so much so that it is the reason I came back a second time for dinner. Be sure to look at the back of the menu for the glossary as it'll explain chochoyote far better than I could. - Hamachi "Al Pastor" Tostada was delicious; a blue tortilla topped with thinly sliced and layered pork and pineapple. - The Crab Sope was phenomenal. The sope was fluffy, and the crab generous. - The Sweet Potato is not to be missed. I am not typically a big sweet potato fan, but this is absolutely incredible. The peanut mole, lime and turmeric, along with the textures, are a gift to the palate. Also enjoyed the Al Pastor Swizzle cocktail. I've yet to save enough space for dessert, but imagine it'll be as impressive as everything else in this hotel. read more

I wasn't sure what to expect. My friends and I landed here on a Monday after lots of City flooding and many places were closed or didnt have staff. It was a pleasant surprise. Food delicious, staff friendly and knowledgeable, and the place was really nice. I didn't feel like I was in New Orleans. Had more of a Cali feel. Definitely a different take on any Mexican I've had in a great way. I loved each item I had. read more

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Every dish was delicious! And the drinks were also incredible. The arrozo negro and chochoyotes were two dishes that really stood out for me. I found myself thinking about them long after the meal was over. Would definitely return for another meal! read more

Acamaya came highly recommended from multiple sources. Came here with a large group and we tried a LOT of different dishes. As a group we came to the consensus 75% of them were amazingly fantastic, while the remaining 25% were just fine (and maybe even slightly underwhelming) and pricing in general was pricey but that was expected. This is the sort of spot I'd recommend eating family style, which sometimes means you have to place multiple orders of an item or try less things depending on the number of people in your party. Service was fantastic the whole time, both with our server and bar staff. This is definitely a great place for a business dinner or celebrating a special occasion. read more

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I visited Acamaya with a group of 6 over the weekend to celebrate my brother's bday. The space is beautiful and dimly lit for a romantic feel. We were about 5 minutes behind our reservation and had no issues being seated when we arrived. Our waitress who's name I don't remember was neither pleasant nor unpleasant but she was patient and attentive. I know that waiting on a large table could be cumbersome but she did it without flinching. My brother is the type to order everything on the menu so that's basically what he did. We tried the octopus, aguachile, the hamachi & tuna tostadas, the oysters, charred okra, heirloom tomato salad, crab claws, sunburst trout, carne asada, chochoyotes, shrimp costra and tres leches for dessert. My favorites include the oysters which were very fresh, the heirloom tomatoes which had an amazing flavor, octopus which was perfectly charred, perfectly cooked carne asada and the chochoyotes...the flavors were unique and took us on a journey through Mexico City. Bro also ordered a bottle of sparkling Rosè and most everyone ordered a cocktail as well. I do think the pricing is unnecessary considering that even though all together dinner was well over $600 some of us were still a bit hungry. read more

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Everything was amazing! Cocktails were unique and delicious. Tostadas blew my mind, both the hamachi and tuna. The octopus had an outer crispness that I have not experienced anywhere else. Shrimp wrapped in crispy cheese and topped with delicious sauce. Then, I am not a big fan of flan, but this flan is on a whole new level that turned me into a lover! Wow! I don't understand why this place is not rated 5 stars! Come on people, know greatness when you taste it. Kudos to our super friendly servers and bartenders. Relaxing, simple and clean ambiance. Now stop reading and go! read more

Was excited to try, but service was terrible and took away from the experience. Food and ambiance were good, but not enough to where I could justify going back and dealing with such rude and disrespectful staff. read more

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Great service and amazing flavors!! Every drink and dish was delicious! A must stop when visiting NOLA. read more

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Everything was perfect! The welcome, the service, the food!! Staff seems to genuinely enjoy being part of something special!

Anything you order will be delicious so go with a group to share lots of plates. Don't skip dessert. Our table said it was the best flan we have had. My personal favorites were the flautas, crab sope, octopus, and flounder. Staff were very friendly and brought each course out with appropriate timing. Highly recommend a reservation. read more

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Okay, there are a LOT of unfairly low reviews here, and I think I know why. The prices are not cheap. When the two of us go--typically for special occasions--the bill is between 150 to 200 dollars. In my opinion, it would be hard to eat here for two for less than 100. With that said... the food is truly exceptional. There isn't another restaurant like it in the city. The atmosphere inside is elegant and chill. It's absolutely worth trying for yourself. Make sure to book a reservation ahead of time. They're often full several days in advance--that's how good the food is. read more

I was very excited to try this place due to all the hype surrounding it. It was #1 new restaurant on Eater Nola. For my wife and I, it was a let down. Not that the food wasn't edible, it was just nothing special. We tried 4 different items and the only one that we felt was something we couldn't either cook ourselves or not get anywhere else was the octopus, and even it was just ok. My wife did however enjoy her $18 cocktail, if you are in to that sort of thing. Our bill was $170 with tip and she had one cocktail and I had one mocktail, for us it's just too expensive for what it is. And we are not cheap by any means, just not worth the hype in our opinion. The space is decorated quite nice however, I'll give them that! read more

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Overall an amazing place based on the food and service experience. Showed up with a reservation for the next day and they were still happy to accommodate us. The cocktails were great, and the food absolutely superb - but the service is what made the night for us. read more

It was mid. Tiny portions, high prices. Atmosphere is hip, but I wouldn't go back for food. Never have I left a restaurant hungry and broke. Topped off with a slice from Pizza D. read more

Acamaya - Tiny octopus plate - Mexican Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Being a Hispanic woman I was expecting a completely different type of taste from this restaurant. I read an article about this place and how it had been in the same sentence as " Michelin star" I was humbled as soon as I ate my dinner. I ordered almost everything on the menu and the portions are very small. The best thing on the menu is THE DAMN SWEET POTATO !!!!!!. The drinks are honestly what I what I would visit for. Love the architecture and vibe. The service is great! Very attentive and she thoroughly explained the menu and each course. Definitely feel like it's over priced considering how small the portions are. I would overall give this place a 4/10. Please try the sweet potato and the drinks! Also the desert was okay! read more

I ate at Acamaya last night and given it was a Friday night it was pretty crowded and as the evening wore on it got very noisy. Like difficult to hear the convo amongst my tablemates noisy. Our server was great (unfortunately I cannot remember his name) and very knowledgeable of the menu. We had a party of four and ordered 11 dishes and 2 desserts. I really enjoyed the ceviche, crab sobe, shrimp costra, chochoyotes and hamachi tostada. They were all small plates that the 4 of us shared and enjoyed. Reviews were mixed on the larger plates. We had the "veracruz" style flounder which everyone in the party found overly salted and actually sent back. I was disappointed because that was the dish I was most looking forward to trying. There was also arroz negro which was a rice with squid ink and mussels. I did not care it but others in the party enjoyed it. I found the flavors lacking in the rice after trying so many other flavorful dishes. We completed the meal with the vanilla soft serve with chicory caramel and the masa tres leches for dessert. I really enjoyed the vanilla soft serve, the caramel was sweet, salty and perfect topping for the ice cream. I didn't care for the tres leches but I dont typically enjoy tres leches cake however my friend who loves tres leches thought it was great so definitely give it a try if that's your thing. All in all I enjoyed 8-9 of the 11 dishes we ordered so I'd say that's a win. I do find it to be quite pricey for the quantity of food received, so while I would return it would not first on my list. read more

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It was ok. Nothing spectacular. I love the layout & design but the food was nothing to write home about. The oysters were very good & the eye dropper of hot sauce was grea The Carne Asada needed more seasoning on the meat itself. Definitely not worth the price. read more

After having tried another restaurant from Ana Castro, I was excited to check out her new place. We started off with drinks that were expertly crafted and well balanced. All the dishes we sampled had complex flavor profiles and the ingredients complemented each other very well. The staff was very friendly and open to answer questions or provide suggestions. This spot would be perfect for a date with its chill and romantic vibes. read more

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If Ana Castro has a million fans, I'm one of them. If Ana Castro has 5 fans, I'm one of them. If Ana Castro has 1 fan, that one is me. If Ana Castro has no fans, I'm no longer alive. If the world is against Ana Castro I'm against the entire world. Till my last breath, I'l support Ana Castro. Chef of former Lengua Madre does it again! Every dish we ordered was so perfectly curated and beautiful. The servers went above and beyond for us! As expected, the space had great vibes. This might be a contender for my new favorite restaurant. We had 5 people at our table and we ordered about 8 dishes to share along with dessert and it was a perfect amount of food. If you're looking for Mexican food that isn't just tacos and fajitas, you're in for a treat. read more

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