“A meal at Dakar NOLA comes with stories….which makes the night feel like a dinner party that is as enlightening as it is fun.”

— Kevin Sintumuang, Esquire

Chef Serigne Mbaye and Dakar NOLA have been awarded a distinguished Michelin Star, recognizing his exceptional culinary artistry and innovative approach to West African cuisine!

Chef Serigne Mbaye on Stage at Michelin Awards 2026

Chef Serigne Mbaye and Dakar NOLA has been honored with the prestigious 2026 James Beard Award for Best Chef South!

Dakar NOLA has been named No.4 in North America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026 and The Best Restaurant in South USA!

Logo for North America's 50 Best Restaurants 2026, sponsored by S. Pellegrino & Acqua Panna.
Owners of Dakar NOLA, Chef Serigne Mbaye and Managing Director accepting Number 4 spot on North America's 50 Best Restaurants award and the Best Restaurant in the South USA 2026 award at awards ceremony in New Orleans.

Dakar NOLA has been named No.6 in North America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 and The Best Restaurant in South USA!

Logo for North America's 50 Best Restaurants 2025, sponsored by S. Pellegrino & Acqua Panna.
Two people standing on a stage with a large screen behind them that displays the text "North America's 50 Best Restaurants, The Best Restaurant in South USA 2025, Dakar Nola New Orleans." They are smiling and posing for a photo. The person on the left is wearing a patterned dress, and the person on the right is in a yellow traditional outfit with a red scarf.
In 2025, Dakar was recognized as one of the most essential and influential restaurants in America in the past 20 years

In 2025, Dakar was recognized as one of the most essential and influential restaurants in America in the past 20 years

James Beard 'Best New Restaurant' Award 2024

James Beard 'Best New Restaurant' Award 2024

Time 100 Next Honors Chef Serigne Mbaye

Time 100 Next Honors Chef Serigne Mbaye

USA Today: Restaurants of the Year 2024

USA Today: Restaurants of the Year 2024

Bon Appétit: The 24 Best New Restaurants of 2023

Bon Appétit: The 24 Best New Restaurants of 2023

Esquire: The 50 Best New Restaurants in America 2023

Esquire: The 50 Best New Restaurants in America 2023

Go behind-the-scenes with Bon Appétit as we invite you into our kitchen. Get inspired by Netflix’s ‘High on the Hog’ Season 2, Episode 1 ‘Food for the Journey’, where Chef Serigne Mbaye sheds light on the profound influence of African cuisine has had on the culinary tapestry of New Orleans.

Netflix: ‘High on the Hog’ featuring Chef Serigne Mbaye

Bon Appétit: The Best New Restaurant in New Orleans Is Senegalese

The Last Zebra Podcast

Dook Chase: A Chef’s Journey on WYES PBS

BBC Afrique

Condé Nast Traveler

CBS Mornings The DISH

4WWL Louisiana

The New York Times logo in black gothic script.
The logo of James Beard Foundation with the name mirrored upside down.
This is a black device with white circuitry and a small LED screen.
Black silhouette of a girl with pigtails and a bow, wearing a dress, holding an umbrella.
Close-up of the word 'RESY' in black text on a white background.
The word 'AXIOS' in bold, black letters
Black screen with no visible objects or text.
Text written in black reads "bon appétit" on a white background.
Black circle and the text 'USA TODAY' in gray.
Logo of Esquire magazine with stylized cursive text
The Forbes logo in black text on a white background.
The word "thrillist" in bold, black and white stylized text.
Stylized black-and-white Cleveland Miami Herald logo
Black text on a transparent background that reads 'Toutes Nasty Travel' in a bold, stylized font.
The word 'AFAR' displayed in large black letters on a white background.
Close-up of the word 'SAVOUR' in black letters on a white background.
Outline of the word "EDONK" on a black background.
The image contains the word "EATHER" with the letter "E" stylized. The background is black.
Logo with the word 'gambit' in black lowercase letters.
The logo of FOOD52 in black text on a white background.
GARDEN & GUN logo with black text and a circular design element.
Logo for CUISE NOIR with stylized black text.
Hola.com logo with a yellow crescent moon and blue text on a black circular background
NBA logo with a basketball player silhouette and the letters NBA
Text reading "Charleston Wine + Food"
Text that reads 'Tasting Table.' in black font on a white background.
Country Roads logo with a black silhouette of a dog above the text.
The logo of StyleBlueprint in black text on a white background.
Logo with the word 'localPov' in lowercase letters, featuring a colorful dot inside the letter 'c'.
The grayscale logo of VOA with the letters 'VOA' in bold font.
Text-based logo of 'New Orleans' in black font.
The logo of H&N, featuring large black letters H and N separated by a hyphen.
Partial view of the logo of The Tennessean newspaper in black and white.
Gulf Live logo in black text.

For Media/Press inquiries, please email:

press@dakarnola.com and holly@elevenelevenpr.co