Louisiana's Prime Waterfront Views

Enjoy riverfront dining, relaxing cruises and outdoor activities that get you on the water.

Creole Queen New Orleans

Take a river cruise for amazing views and on-board entertainment and dining.

Palmettos Restaurant on the Northshore

Palmettos offers riverfront dining, live music and enticing menu options. 

Chimes Restaurant in Covington has decks overlooking the Bogue Falaya River.

The Chimes sits on the banks of the Bogue Falaya River, offering serene views and good eats.

Louisiana is a land defined largely by its waterways. There’s the Gulf of Mexico that provides world-famous seafood and fishing adventures, swamps that offer an up-close look at prehistoric-type landscapes, and remote lakes that make for great weekend getaways.

There are rivers, too, coursing through most of Louisiana’s metro areas. Visitors interested in waterfront dining and river cruises don’t have to look too far to find them — you have plenty of options, and all of them offer fantastic views. Here are just a few of our favorites.

Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS

New Orleans, Mississippi River
What could be more of a classic Louisiana experience than boarding an old-school riverboat and enjoying an al fresco meal while serenaded by a New Orleans jazz band? The Riverboat City of New Orleans, which docks at the edge of New Orleans’ famous French Quarter, offers lunch, brunch and dinner jazz cruises. 

Creole Queen

New Orleans, Mississippi River
Enjoy a luxurious ride on an authentic paddlewheeler, the 800-passenger Creole Queen. Choose from one of three different excursions: the Dinner Jazz Cruise, a traditional affair where you’ll enjoy an elegant Creole dinner while listening to live music; the Historical River Cruise, where you’ll hear a narrated tour describing New Orleans’ fascinating backstory; and the ever-popular Sunday Jazz Brunch.

Tchefuncte’s Restaurant

Madisonville, Tchefuncte River
Experience elegance at the Tchefuncte River waterfront, courtesy of its namesake dining destination. Tchefuncte’s Restaurant, located in the Northshore town of Madisonville, offers top-tier dining with a focus on local ingredients. Dine on roasted snapper, blackened tile fish and other Gulf of Mexico delicacies while overlooking one of the region’s most scenic waterways.

Palmettos on the Bayou

Slidell, Bayou Bonfouca
Situated next to the verdant Heritage Park near downtown Slidell, Palmettos on the Bayou offers quiet, intimate dining on the Bayou Bonfouca waterfront. This is a great dining getaway for New Orleans visitors especially — the restaurant is located just a half-hour’s drive from the Crescent City — and with its combination of south Louisiana charm and a menu featuring local seafood, it’s easy to see why the waterfront views are among many other reasons to dine at Palmettos.

The Chimes

Covington, Bogue Falaya River
Situated across the Bogue Falaya River from downtown Covington, The Chimes offers some of the most spectacular views of any waterfront dining destinations you’ll find. The Cajun and Creole traditions are strong here, with menu items that include everything from boudin to alligator. Combine your trip to The Chimes with a leisurely paddle down the Bogue Falaya — local outfitter Canoe & Trail Adventures launches from The Chimes’ boardwalk.

Tin Lizzy’s Landing

Springfield, Tickfaw River
Looking for a down-home, no-frills, off-the-beaten-path waterfront dining experience? Then, Tin Lizzy’s is your kind of place. It’s located along an especially curvy stretch of the Tickfaw River in remote Livingston Parish, just a half-hour drive from the antique shops and breweries in Ponchatoula and nearby Hammond. Catch live bands performing seasonally and enjoy dockside cocktails and bar food year-round.

Trapp’s

West Monroe, Ouachita River
While Cajun cuisine may be more closely associated with south Louisiana than north, Trapp’s brings the flavors of boudin, crawfish, gumbo and beans & rice to West Monroe. The restaurant's culinary history is the stuff of legend, dating back to the 1890s when patriarch Bernard Trappey founded a hot sauce empire that has thrived for decades. Learn more about the Trappey family’s deep Louisiana roots by checking out the family photos on the restaurant’s walls, and enjoy a touch of Trappey’s with your meal while overlooking the Ouachita River.

Waterfront Grill

Monroe, Bayou DeSiard
Situated on a tributary of the Ouachita River, Waterfront Grill is steeped in local history and among the best-known dining destinations in Monroe. This being northeast Louisiana, the cuisine here is more traditionally Southern than Cajun, with its most popular dish — Catfish DeSiard — earning accolades in Southern Living Magazine.

Maglieaux’s Riverfront Restaurant

Natchitoches, Cane River
Maglieaux’s is an iconic Natchitoches restaurant located on the Cane River waterfront downtown. Its menu reflects the owners’ Italian heritage, mixed with some Creole influences. Pasta dishes dominate the menu, along with the classics of Louisiana cuisine — po’boys, crawfish dishes and étouffée among them.