One of my favorite place to visit is New Orleans. The people and the food are both so unique and entertaining. Every time I visit I try to hit local cheap eats and at least one fine dining establishment. Some favorites have been Commander’s Palace, Stella! and this year, it was GW Fins.

GW Fins has popped up consistently on the New Orleans Chowhound Message Boards as one of the best fine dining restaurants in the area, and it was about time I visited them.

We were quickly seated in an immense oval dining room with booths lining the perimeter and a large open dining area in the center. The booths along the wall were higher than the booths in the next circle making it so you could see everyone, but still feel cozy in the booth. I was very impressed by the elegance of the interior, especially being located only a block off of Bourbon Street.

We ordered wine and appetizers, and were served fresh-baked biscuits as our bread. Very good. The appetizers were the crab cakes and stone crab claws. My husband doesn’t like mustard, and LOVED the light, creamy mustard sauce that was provided with the crab claws.

I got the Blackened Swordfish with mashed potatoes, crispy shrimp, buttered spinach and roasted corn butter. The mashed potatoes were the best mashed potatoes I have ever had in a restaurant – amazing. I honestly could have had the corn butter as a beverage and have been happy. I have never had swordfish blackened before, and I am hoping to try to recreate it at home very soon.

The hubs got the Jalapeño Glazed Scottish Salmon with mashed potatoes, thin bean succotash, and roasted corn butter. The salmon was perfectly cooked and the jalapeno glaze gave just the right amount of heat.

The service was exemplary – essentially a relaxed French-style service. The entire place was embodied with a warm, cozy elegance. Once again the Chowhounds have been dead on, GW Fins was one of the best fine dining meals I have had.