Things To Do
Our Favorite Coffee Shops and Bakeries
Cherry Coffee Roasters, Coffee Science, District Donuts, Humble Bagel, Levee Baking Co., Mojo Coffee House, The Station Coffee Shop & Bakery
Our Favorite Brunch Spots
Bearcat: Whether you're in the mood to be a bad cat or a good cat, you'll find something delicious on their menu. They have locations in both the CBD and Uptown! Copper Vine: While this "wine pub" offers lunch and dinner on weekdays, we especially love their weekend brunch menu! Bottomless mimosas are a must on Saturdays and Sundays! Molly’s Rise and Shine: A great laid-back brunch spot located on Magazine Street. Satsuma: An easy Uptown brunch with delightful vegetarian options! Surrey’s Cafe: Located on Magazine Street, this brunch spot offers some of the best flavors in the city. Please keep in mind that Surrey's is BYOB. Tartine: A cozy café with a courtyard that serves traditional French breakfasts, including tartines—open-faced bread topped with various sweet or savory ingredients—alongside a menu of sandwiches, pastries, and tea parties for breakfast and lunch.
Our Favorite Laid Back Restaurants
Addi’s Nola: This quaint restaurant with a homey feel serves traditional Ethiopian cuisine with injera bread and is just a 4-minute walk from Derbès Mansion! Asuka Sushi & Hibachi: It’s tough to pick, but this is our top choice for sushi in the city! Lebanon's Cafe: This Uptown restaurant is our favorite spot for Middle Eastern food in the city! Manolito: Cuban cuisine & frozen cocktails in an intimate, bilevel space with a homey ambiance. Mid City Pizza: Great pizza with locations in Uptown and Mid City, despite its name. Sneaky Pickle/Bar Brine: Sneaky Pickle by day and Bar Brine by night, this spot offers top vegan options and has been the backdrop for many of our cherished memories. Sweet Soul Food: This vegan soul food restaurant in the Broad area offers some of our favorite takeout in the city! Tito's Ceviche and Pisco: Tito's offers a delightful selection of Latin American and Peruvian cuisine. Must-tries include any of the ceviches, a pisco sour, and the Alfajores!
Traditional NOLA Flavors
Morning Call: A New Orleans staple, stop by Morning Call anytime day or night for a beignet or a cafe au lait- located within City Park! Guy’s Po-Boys: Mary Helen's pick for a classic New Orleans Po'boy! Short Stop Poboys: And Anna's Pick for a classic New Orleans Po'boy! Boiled Seafood: Enjoy boiled crawfish, shrimp, raw, fried, or charbroiled oysters to your heart's content at Captain Sid’s Seafood (Metairie), Sal's Seafood (Marrero), Salvo's Seafood (Belle Chase). And if you are focused on all things oysters, try to stop by Casamento's Restaurant (Uptown)! Snowballs: Plum Street Snoballs (Uptown), Hansen's Sno-Bliz (Uptown), Casey’s Snowballs (Metairie), and Buck's Sno-Wiz (Westwego).
Our Favorite Fine Dining Restaurants
Baru Bistro & Tapas: Baru reimagines traditional Colombian and Caribbean dishes with local ingredients in a snug, funky bistro offering modern Latin-Caribbean small plates, happy hour, and Saturday brunch. Costera: Located on Prytania Street, Costera offers coastal Spanish cuisine that highlights local produce and seafood with fresh, vibrant flavors. After dinner, treat yourself to ice cream at Creole Creamery, a local favorite just a few buildings down the street! The Chloe: Located inside The Chloe Hotel, this restaurant offers a stunning setting and a fresh, exciting take on Creole classics. Be sure to make a reservation!
Cocktails and Drinks
Cure: Located on Freret Street, Cure offers a chic, relaxed atmosphere with well-crafted cocktails and a refined menu, perfect for unwinding during a busy weekend. Hot Tin: Enjoy a cocktail and a stunning view of New Orleans at the chic rooftop bar of the Pontchartrain Hotel. Jolie: A new spot with great ambiance and fun pop-rock-filled cocktails! Miel Brewery & Taproom: Miel is a neighborhood microbrewery with a rotating selection of brews, revolving food trucks, and pop-ups. You can usually enjoy some amazing Viet-Cajun style crawfish! QiQi: No list of our favorite spots in New Orleans would be complete without the coziest queer bar in New Orleans. Qiqi has been the backdrop for countless special memories with our closest friends. Superior Seafood & Oyster Bar: A date night staple for many years, Superior Seafood's happy hour offers $1.25 raw oysters and large frozen drinks for the price of a small! You don't want to forget a frozen French 75. Happy hour is 4:00 pm - 6:30 pm, daily.
Audubon Park and City Park
Audubon Park: One of our favorite spots in the city and where we got engaged! Perfect for a walk among the lush landscapes, scenic walking paths, and picturesque oak trees or to just sit and watch the local urban park wildlife. New Orleans City Park: Always a beautiful sprawling oasis, City Park features lush green spaces, tranquil lagoons, and vibrant wildlife, perfect for a leisurely stroll or a romantic picnic. City Park is home to the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, and the New Orleans Botanical Garden. You can also discover hiking trails, bike and boat rentals, cafes, and putt-putt.
New Orleans Museum of Art
New Orleans Museum of Art: One of our favorite places to visit on a hot or rainy New Orleans afternoon. Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden: Located on the grounds of City Park, right next door to NOMA, the sculpture garden hosts 90 sculptures situated on a beautifully landscaped site among meandering footpaths, reflecting lagoons, Spanish moss-laden 200-year-old live oaks, mature pines, magnolias, camellias, and pedestrian bridges. Admission is free! New Orleans Botanical Garden: Also located on City Park grounds, the botanical garden contains more than 2,000 varieties of plants from around the world. Also included in the garden is a particular favorite of ours, a depiction of Sappho, by Enrique Alférez.
Crescent City Farmers Market - City Park
The Crescent City Farmers Market hosts a City Park farmers market on Sundays near Tad Gormley Stadium; Marconi Drive @ Navarre Ave.
