Nina Compton

Coming Up

Formal training at the Culinary Institute of the America, Hyde Park, gave structure to an already disciplined palate. From there, the work widened across kitchens that sharpened range and judgment: cook at Sandals resort in Saint Lucia, cook at Sandals resort flagship in Jamaica, cook at Daniel in New York City, and cook at Philippe Ruiz at Palme d’Or at the Biltmore Hotel in Miami. Each stop added another layer to a voice that would later register as both composed and approachable. Advancement came through a sequence of leadership roles that built method as much as authority. Nina Compton moved through leadership as sous chef; later executive chef at Casa Casuarina in Miami Beach, sous chef; later Head Chef at Scarpetta at Fontainebleau Miami Beach in Miami Beach (from 2008), and eventually chef-owner at Bywater American Bistro in New Orleans (2018–2025). The line reads as accumulation: technique, judgment, and the ability to make a point of view legible in the room. That accumulation is now most visible at Compère Lapin (since 2015), where the years of training and transition settle into a practice that stays polished without going cold.

Where They Are Now

Compère Lapin in New Orleans and Bywater American Bistro in New Orleans are the two rooms tied most directly to Nina Compton’s name today. Compère Lapin was opened in New Orleans as a place where her background could speak plainly, and its name, drawn from a mischievous rabbit in Caribbean and Creole folktales, gives the room its tone. The joke is not decoration; it signals a restaurant built on memory, wit, and a bridge Between St. Lucia and Louisiana. Caribbean cuisine is the center of the work, interpreted in New Orleans with relaxed precision rather than ceremony. Nina Compton has described the intent directly: “I’m serving food and drinks of complexity in a very casual environment.” The line is useful because it names the balance at the core of the kitchen—layered flavors, clear construction, and hospitality that does not overstate itself. That balance shapes the grain of the room. The food and drinks carry complexity, but the atmosphere stays open and unforced. The work reads quietly, built on Caribbean and Creole reference points and on the perspective of a Saint Lucian-American chef who has made place into method.

Signature

Nina’s signature dishes include Compère Lapin, Bywater American Bistro, BABs, and Nina’s Creole Cottage.

In Their Words “I'm serving food and drinks of complexity in a very casual environment.” “The opportunities to work for and learn from these chefs are special.”

Honors

Nina’s honors include James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: South (2018) and Best New Chef.