Winner of the 2018 James Beard “Best Chef: South” and semi-finalist for 2023 James Beard “Outstanding Chef,” Nina Compton is Chef/Owner of award-winning restaurant Compère Lapin in New Orleans’ Warehouse District and BABs (formerly Bywater American Bistro) in New Orleans’ “Sliver by the River” Bywater neighborhood. In March 2023, Compton opened Nina’s Creole Cottage – a fast-casual restaurant in Caesar’s New Orleans new celebrity chef food hall.
Born and raised in St. Lucia, Nina grew up with the flavors and beauty of the Caribbean. Upon completion of secondary school in England, she returned home where she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a chef. Her wary but supportive parents arranged an internship with a friend’s hotel in Jamaica where she fell in love with the creativity and camaraderie of the kitchen. Leaving the cozy, warm winters of the Caribbean, Nina chose to move to chilly Hyde Park, NY to study at The Culinary Institute of America.
Graduating in 2001 from America’s finest culinary school, Nina began her professional journey at Daniel in New York City, working and continuing her culinary education alongside world renowned chef/restaurateur Daniel Boulud and his team.
After moving to Miami, she continued to work with the best, joining the crews of Norman Van Aken at the original/iconic Norman’s and eventually, Casa Casuarina, a private club and boutique hotel in Miami Beach where she rose from Sous Chef to Executive Chef of the small yet highly acclaimed property.
With the excitement of the 2008 reopening of the refurbished Fontainebleau Miami Beach, combined with the chance to work with Scott Conant at Scarpetta, Nina leapt at the chance to join the pre-opening team as Sous Chef and went on to be appointed Chef de Cuisine, where she earned raves and accolades. During a star turn on BRAVO’s acclaimed cooking competition show, Top Chef New Orleans, on which she was a finalist and fan favorite, Nina fell in love with the Crescent City. An empty space with no floors or ceilings but plenty of potential lured Nina to New Orleans where she opened her first solo restaurant, Compère Lapin, at the Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery in the Warehouse District.
Since opening in June 2015, Compère Lapin has received critical acclaim including Eater National’s “Best Restaurants in America;” Food & Wine’s “40 Most Important Restaurants of the Past 40 Years;” a rave review in The New York Times; Esquire’s “40 Most Important Restaurants of the Decade;” Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award, Best U.S. Hotel Bar; and many others.
At Compère Lapin, the talented toque creates robust dishes that meld the flavors of her Caribbean upbringing and love for French and Italian cuisine, while highlighting the Gulf and Louisiana’s beautiful indigenous ingredients.
Compton’s highly acclaimed Bywater American Bistro – which opened in March 2018 – relaunched as BABs in January 2024 and focuses on comfort-driven dishes grounded by meticulous technique and imbued with her natural finesse. Nina’s Creole Cottage is Compton’s first fast-casual concept and features affordable, heritage-inspired dishes.
