Acamaya

The story

Acamaya New Orleans – Mexican Seafood with a Michelin Bib Gourmand

From Mexico City to the Bywater

Born in Texas and raised in Mexico City, sisters Ana and Lydia Castro spent their childhood in their grandmother’s kitchen. Years later, they both found their way to New Orleans, fell in love with the city, and decided to call it home. Acamaya, their first restaurant together, is the result. Located on Dauphine Street in the Bywater neighborhood, the restaurant aims to meld the best of Mexico City, Gulf of Mexico seafood, and New Orleans hospitality. The tagline says it simply: “Mariscos pa’ la banda” – seafood for the people.

A Menu of the Gulf

The menu at Acamaya is built around Mexican coastal cooking, drawing heavily on the Gulf’s daily catch. Cold dishes set the tone: a half dozen oysters arrives with lime salsa veneno and chiltepin vinegar; an aguachile verde features gulf shrimp, cucumber, tomatillo, and serrano; a tuna tostada gets depth from charred avocado, peanut, and nori. The hot kitchen turns out octopus with morita chile and sunchoke escabeche, blackened drum “Veracruz style” with gordal olive and stewed tomato, and arroz negro – rice blackened with huitlacoche, studded with Bangs Island mussels, squid, and shrimp. The chef’s “pescado del día” is served with chileatole and tortillas. Everything is shareable, vibrant, and rooted in the culinary traditions of both Mexico and the Louisiana coast.

Recognition and Atmosphere

Acamaya earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in the guide’s first edition for the American South, a mark of good quality, good value cooking. It has also been named one of the best new restaurants in America by Esquire and Bon Appétit, and earned a spot on the New York Times Restaurant List. Chef Ana Castro was named a 2026 James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: South. The dining room is relaxed but lively, with a bar serving cocktails like the Señor Chilton (chiltepín blanco tequila, aquavit, passion fruit) and a carefully selected beer list. Reservations are recommended, but the restaurant holds seats for walk-ins. Free street parking is available in the residential neighborhood.