Guide to New Orleans, Louisiana

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New Orleans is a wonderful town with many endearing names: the Crescent City, Vieux Carre, French Quarter, le nouvelle Orleans, and Nawlins. The city was built at a sharp bend in the Mississippi River, giving it the Crescent City moniker. The city was founded in 1718 by Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, from Sieur de Bienville.

The city boasts a free flowing nightlife and beautiful Victorian and French Colonial Architecture. My favorite parts? You can take your drinks ANYWHERE and the world is literally your oyster. There’s so much great seafood and extraordinary Cajun cuisine around every corner.

We created this guide to help you plan for your next trip to New Orleans. Please let us know in the comments section if we’re missing anything!

Things to Do

• • Walk around Canal Street – There are many shops, restaurants and people to meet!
  • Check out the cute artisanal shops, restaurants and bars on Magazine Street.
  • Look at beautiful Victorian homes along St. Charles by cable car. It only costs $2!
  • Visit the Tree of Life in Audubon Park.

• Visit Lafayette’s Cemetery – It’s free!
• Swamp Tours will cost you around $55 and comes with round-trip hotel transportation.
• Plantation Tours
• Visit the Voodoo Museum
• Haunted Tours with Ghosts, Vampires and more! We recommend French Quarter Phantoms tours.

Where to Eat

• Acme Oyster House – The oyster house offers the best charbroiled oysters in town. Be prepared to wait in a line for 30 minutes-1 hour just to dine here. If you’re short on time, dine across the street at Felix’s. Apparently, it’s just as delicious, maybe even better, reports some LETers.
• Antoine’s – Antoine’s offers an affordable lunch pre fixe fare in their beautiful restaurant. Be prepared to dress up if you’re sitting in the front section of the restaurant. Enjoy a 25 cent (yes you read that right) cocktail with your meal (limited to one per person). The food is good, but the atmosphere takes the cake.
• Cafe Degas – Edgar Degas spent several months in New Orleans before returning to France and painting the works that made him famous. While here, he stayed in a mansion (now known as the Degas House) along tree-lined avenue Esplanade Avenue. Just a few blocks down the street Cafe Degas celebrates the life and work of Degas with a menu of French bistro food (mussels and frites, escargot, French onion soup) hits the spot. A pecan tree grows through the dining room. The dining room is really more of an open-air, lush patio, complete with metal tables and chairs from the French Pavilion at the Louisiana World Exposition in 1984.
• The Clover Grill – Come here for the best burgers and tater tots in New Orleans! It’s right across from the Voodoo Museum on the iconic Bourbon Street. Be prepared to dance with the servers.
• Cochon Butcher – Come here for a swine filled feast. It’s a deli lovers dream come true. Try the cracklins and hogs head cheese.
• Commander’s Palace – The family behind this six-time James Beard Award-winning restaurant that opened in 1893 sees the world as a crazy, dizzying merry-go-round and the restaurant as a place to stop and take a break from it all. The kitchen has incubated hallmark chefs like Emeril Lagasse and Paul Prudhomme. Executive Chef Tory McPhail’s “haute Creole cuisine” is impressive, but the hospitality and the atmosphere is where the restaurant shines. Commander’s invented the jazz brunch, and the bright blue restaurant sits in a Victorian-era mansion across from the Lafayette Cemetery. Prepare to spend a considerable amount when dining at this fine dining establishment.
• Dooky Chase Restaurant – This Faubourg Treme landmark is famous for its soul food and lunch buffet, as well as its private collection of African American art. Dooky Chase is now run by Paris-trained chef, Edgar Chase, grandson of founder Leah Chase. The fried chicken rivals that at nearby Willie Mae’s, and the fried catfish will be some of the best you’ve ever had.
• Dry Dock Cafe – Located across the river at Algier’s Point, this quaint restaurant serves a mean onion soup and barbecue shrimp. It’s a great place to get a skyline view of New Orleans. Algier’s Point is known as the second oldest city in the area.
• Galatoire’s – This 112-year-old restaurant serves its incredible shrimp remoulade and pompano with crab meat. Don’t bother looking at the menu. Just ask your waiter what to order. During the day enjoy live music from the percussion band and be prepared to sing. Note: Jackets and classy attire is required.
• Harbor Seafood & Oyster Bar – Locals love and visitors LOVE finding out about this place. Try everything Nawlin’s from the traditional poboy, fried seafood, boiled seafood, gumbo, raw oysters, chargrilled oysters, to blackened anything. The restaurant has it’s own fresh seafood market in the adjoining space. You’ll find fresh oysters, royal red shrimp, alligator, and anything edible from the sea. It’s out by the airport, so it’s a must-do pretty much when en route to the MSY.
• Jacques Imo’s – Come here early because the lines are long. They serve your traditional New Orleans fare. The decor is whimsy and will take you into another world.
• Mother’s – Come here for brunch. Dine on traditional New Orleans creole cuisine. There’s a long wait so get there early and hungry!
• St Roch Market – This St. Claude Avenue food hall offers an array of vendors that can take care of any dining situation, from breakfast to dinner, at an affordable price point. New additions include T2 Street Food (Vietnamese from Tan Dinh offspring), Good Bird (rotisserie chicken sandwiches) and Fritai (Haitian eats).
• Turkey in the Wolf – The vegetarian Reuben is a must here. Don’t forget to order one of their delicious cocktails.
• Willie Mae’s Scotch House – Come early to beat the lines. Everyone comes here for the best fried chicken in NOLA.

Where to Drink

Bars

• Bourbon Street
  • 21st Amendment Street Bar
  • Carousel Bar – You’ll have to come early or wait for a seat at the carousel bar. Located within the posh Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter, the Carousel Bar offers plush sofa seats and watch the merry-bar-go-round. Enjoy craft cocktails and small bites here.
  • Galatoire’s Bar – Located on the opposite side of the restaurant, the bar is quieter and filled with patrons dressed to the T. Don’t forget to wear your suit jacket in this refined establishment.
  • Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop – We stopped by Lafitte’s during a haunted tour. They’re known for their purple voodoo slush and being the oldest building turned into bar.
  • Pat O’Briens – This is where you go for hurricanes. Take your glass home with you afterwards.
  • Voodoo Lounge – Open 24/7 with a full bar, this is the meeting place for the ghost, vampire and voodoo tours and for when you want to sip on a drink. Stay here long enough in the evening for the tamale man to come by. His tamales are amazing!
  • Effervescence – Effervescence is both a bar and restaurant with over 300 sparkling wines in stock. Their game is in their name.
  • Hot Tin – A rooftop bar guaranteed to raise your spirits. Located at the Pontchartrain Hotel, this is a place to go to get above the ground.
  • Portside Lounge – A Caribbean themed rum bar with a tropical vibe. The drinks are those permutations of lime and rum that stir memories of a past Caribbean vacation.
  • The Old Absinthe House – This 200+ year old bar in the French Quarter is a great stop for an absinthe adventure. Get the Absinthe Frappe or one of their famous drinks.
  • Arnaud’s French 75 Bar – Arnaud’s is a cozy bar that serves up classy drinks. The Brandy Crusta and French 75 are two classics to be tried.
  • Napoleon House Bar & Cafe – This 200 year old French Quarter landmark was once the home of a New Orleans mayor who offered the spot to Napoleon as a refuge during his exile (but the little guy never made it). Today, it’s the essential spot in town for a Pimm’s Cup, and it’s now run by the Ralph Brennan restaurant group, so the food menu is also on point.
  • Sazerac Bar – Back in the day, Huey P. Long used to order his beloved Ramos Gin Fizzes here. Today, you can get all sorts of exceptional cocktails at this Roosevelt hotel beauty, but ordering the bar’s namesake, a Sazerac is a sure bet.
  • The Columns – This Garden District gem has a beautiful mahogany bar that turns out just about any classic drink you can imagine, but drinking at The Columns is best when the weather cools down— a seat on the hotel’s veranda is highly coveted, offering a gorgeous view of St. Charles Avenue.
  • Cure – This Freret Street trailblazer has always been at the forefront of New Orleans’ new school of craft cocktail bars since opening in 2009, and still turns out the most innovative drinks in town—including at sister bars Bellocq and Cane & Table. They also do a great classic cocktail happy hour.
  • R Bar – Within shouting distance of both Frenchmen Street and the French Quarter and housed beneath the Royal Street Inn, the classic corner R Bar sees its fair share of both locals and tourists. With its dim lights, pool and reasonably priced drinks, this is the probably the authentic New Orleans dive bar experience. The Monday night special is a haircut and a shot for ten bucks.
• Magazine Street
  • Monkey Hill Bar – We stumbled upon this bar and loved the cozy atmosphere. Come in an plop on one of their many sofa seats. Order beverages at the bar and rest your legs in this living-room like atmosphere with friends. Their cocktail menu is extensive with seasonal offerings. I loved their chocolate martinis.
  • Igor’s: This Bar + Laundromat + Karaoke will make you feel like you’re in a really strange part of the world. You can people watch, listen to people sing their hearts out, and do laundry over a pint of beer. Don’t forget your hamper.
• Algier’s Point
  • The Crown & Anchor Pub – This cozy English-style pub is located next to the ferry dock on Algiers Point. The Crown and Anchor offers an old tavern feel with a British flair. You’ll have to walk through Dr. Who’s Tardis to enter. They offer a small selection of local and international beers and my favorite is a hot toddy on a chilly day.

Coffee

• Addiction – Addiction serves French Truck coffee, featuring all your favorite third wave drinks including cortados, pour-overs, cold drip and more, as well as house-blended sodas. The graphics are a little disturbing, as is the overall addiction concept. But when the coffee is flowing, that’s all that matters.
• Cafe du Monde – Get coffee and beignets (french donuts with powdered sugar topping) to start or end your day. The cafe is open (almost) 24 hours a day and through some holidays at multiple locations. Check out the original location next to Jackson Square in the French Quarter. Cafe du Monde is a cash only joint.
• Mammoth – This sunny Warehouse District spot boasts a Seraphim in-counter brewing system with automated pour overs and more specialty drinks featuring Michigan-based Madcap Coffee. Try the Mammoth Espresso Tonic for a cooling sparkle in the heat. And keep an eye out for the fig jam pop tart from Levee Baking Company.
• Revelator Coffee Company – This new Warehouse District hotspot features an array of third wave coffee drinks made from house roasted beans, juices from City Greens, and pastries from Gracious Bakery. It’s a sophisticated space with a long, gorgeous bar and ample seating. It’s part of a chain based in Birmingham but it feels just like home.
• Rouler – This bike repair + coffee shop located in the Warehouse District serves up coffee from French Truck, beer from Urban South, and pastries from Gracious Bakery. Shop for bike accessories and apparel or wait for your bike to be repaired while you sip on your coffee.
• Satsuma – With two locations in the city, this “hipster” and healthy joint is sure to satisfy. Order the Green Eggs and Ham sandwich: eggs, pesto, ham, and swiss cheese on a croissant – yum! This is place to go if you’re looking for a detour from the rich and heavy food that New Orleans serves up regularly. As a heads up, they turn off the internet during their busiest hours.
• Salon by Sucre – A veritable third wave coffee mecca in the Quarter, this Sucre location/coffee shop/restaurant boasts a Modbar. It’s basically the Ferrari of coffee brewing systems. The Sucre connection guarantees oodles of dessert options for pairing.
• Solo Espresso – Tucked away in the Bywater, this small coffee joint uses Chemex and Clever Drippers, so this place is for the methodical, well-brewed cup of coffee. It also hosts small food popups, and the basement coffee joint almost feels like a speakeasy. The space is small, but the coffee is great.
• Stumptown – Locate the cafe in the lobby of the Ace Hotel, Stumptown has a brass and marble tap system that pours out its cold brew coffee, as well as pastries from its upscale restaurant, Josephine Estelle. Their primary focus is on Cold Brew and the brass Mod Bar and a brass La Marzocco espresso machine. You can pretty much personalize your order and have it any way you want.

Entertainment

Tipitina’s for some jazz music. Check their events here.

Transportation Around NOLA

• Best way to get around is to walk! The city is easily walkable and fairly safe. Soak up all the colonial French architecture.
• Ride the Cable Car! A full day ticket is only $3. A one-way ticket is $1.50.
• Take the Ferry across to Algier’s Point. It’s only $2 (cash only) and runs every 15 minutes.
• Uber – Take an Uber and avoid paying expensive parking fees ($20-$40). Use our link and get $20 when booking your first Uber!

Lodging

There are many hotels along Canal Street. We stayed at the Aloft hotel which is dog-friendly and offered great drink specials on the weekend. The evening rate was $200+.

Check out Airbnb for great hotel deals. Get $40 USD in credit when you sign-up through our link.

How to Get There

• Fly
  • Fly into Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport (MSY)
  • Fly in Baton Rouge Airport (BTR) and take a 2 hour drive to New Orleans. We did this and were able to get cheaper plane tickets. The difference was about $250 flying out from BTR.
• Drive – Rent a car and start your engines! It’s only a 5 hour drive from Houston to New Orleans.
• Charter Bus – Relax on a reclining seat and enjoy the scene on your way to New Orleans. Trips can take up to 3 days (from east/west coast). Cost can be same or more than flying due to multiple stops.
• Train – Train tickets can be just as expensive as flying.

Safe travels! Let us know in the comments if there’s anything we’ve missed.