N7, a Bywater establishment that offers an eclectic and Japanese-infused take on the classic French bistro, has been ranked #10 on Bon Appetit’s annual list of the United States’ best new restaurants.
“I pushed open the swinging gate to a different world: In front of me a vintage red Citroën was framed by a lush garden; to my right a former tire shop was covered with old gallery posters and French maps.,” restaurant editor Andrew Knowlton writes for the magazine. “I grabbed a seat at the copper bar and ordered a glass of chilly Loire Valley Chenin Blanc from an all-natural wine list. Was this a secret restaurant or the set of a Truffaut film?”
N7 is owned and operated by chef Yuki Yamaguchi and filmmaker Aaron Walker, the husband-and-wife duo who brought Yuki Izakaya to Frenchmen Street. The restaurant and bar opened to little fanfare in November of last year, but has developed quite the reputation since then via word-of-mouth. They don’t take reservations, so don’t be surprised if the new praise from Bon Appetit makes scoring a table a more time consuming process.
N7 was one of four Louisiana eateries that made on to the magazine’s list of the nation’s 50 best new restaurants when it was unveiled earlier this month, though none of the others made it to the Hot 10. Among them were Ace Hotel New Orleans’ italian outpost Josephine Estelle, John Besh’s contemporary bakery Willa Jean and Lafayette’s Pop’s Poboys.
