Clare & Nick
Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler!
Algiers Point
Take the ferry from downtown, near the aquarium and wander around historic Algiers point. There are great bars, friendly folks, adorable houses, cute street cats and great views of the city from across the river. If the ferry isn't running or you miss it or just want to go by car, it's a cheap and easy lyft/uber ride.
The National WWII Museum
Whether or not you're a history buff, this nationally renowned museum is sure to be a powerful experience. Be sure to allocate a good amount of time - we've spent 3-4 hours inside and not seen everything. The American Sector, which is the museum's restaurant also has a great happy hour daily from 4-6 with $5 small plates and great drink specials.
The Columns Hotel
Lovely old hotel on St Charles with a great front porch, perfect for sipping a cocktail and having a bite to eat while watching the street cars go by. Happy hour is 7 days a week from 5-7 pm.
Audubon Park
Across the street from the front of Tulane University - a great place to walk, run, bike or even roller skate! An equally lovely spot for a picnic under beautiful old oak trees. The park is between St. Charles Ave and Magazine which are both great streets to explore. There's also a golf course at Audubon for the golf lovers.
The Delachaise Wine Bar
This is where we had our first date on a rainy, February night! It's an adorable and romantic wine bar reminiscent of what I think one would find in Paris, with great wine and food.
Paladar 511
One of our favorite restaurants in New Orleans. Located in the Marigny, it's a great place to get some amazing food before hitting up Frenchmen St for music and drinks. Everything we've ever had here is amazing!
Jacques-Imo's
If you can't handle rich, creole/cajun cuisine, first of all, my condolences, secondly, maybe skip this one. This restaurant is so funky and fun, and the food is sooo good! It's very popular and they only take reservations for 5 or more but I think it's worth the wait if you have to. Very close to The Maple Leaf bar which has live music every night.
Bacchanal Fine Wine & Spirits
Great wine bar with live music most nights. It's become very popular so plan to arrive earlier in the evening if you want a seat outside to hear the music.
Crescent Park
Walk up the crescent stair case to see a great view of the city from just down river. This park is a great place to walk along the river or bring a picnic - I'd suggest pizza from Pizza Delicious or pretzels/bratz from Bratz y'all just across the street.
Cafe Du Monde French Market
If you haven't had them before you obviously have to partake in a New Orleans culinary tradition and have beignets! If the line is too long at Cafe du Monde, try Cafe Beignet at 334 Royal Street in the French Quarter. There's a cute courtyard and indoor seating and the beignets are just as good. Have a cup of coffee with chicory while you're there for another New Orleans specialty.
Whitney Plantation
From the website: "Whitney is the only plantation museum in the region with an exclusive focus on slavery. Visitors are guided through the 18th century plantation grounds while learning about the forced labor system of a sugar and rice plantation. Sixteen original structures including the original big house and cabins still remain on site. As a site of remembrance, Whitney Plantation features several memorials dedicated to the enslaved who were forced to live and work here and throughout Louisiana. Guided tours are available every day except Tuesday. Tours begin at 10:00 and are available throughout the day until 3:00. Online reservations are recommended during peak times. Walk up tickets are available on first come first serve basis." A weighty but worthwhile experience.
Arnaud’s Germaine Wells Mardi Gras Museum
Arnauds is a grand, old New Orleans restaurant and if the walls could talk, well...it would be interesting. The next best thing however is to visit the Mardi Gras Museum located upstairs in the restaurant. It showcases many of the Mardi Gras ball gowns worn by Germaine Wells Cazenave, the daughter of the restaurant’s original owner, and Queen of more Mardi Gras balls than anyone else in New Orleans history. Its a cool exhibit that’s also kinda creepy, but in a good way. It’s free and open to the public as long as the restaurant is open. Arnauds also has great food and amazing service as well and both bars (French 75 & Richelieu) are wonderful. Be sure to try the soufflé potatoes, you can usually get them in the bar as well. They’re like the fanciest French fries you’ll ever eat, you won’t regret it.
Hansen's Sno-Bliz
In New Orleans, sno-balls are a treat and since the warm weather usually lasts well into October. There are other great options in the city including Plum Street Snow-Balls (1300 Burdette St - uptown), and Pandora's SnoBalls (901 N Carrollton Ave - Mid City) to name a few.
The Carousel Bar & Lounge
It can be hard to get a seat at the iconic Carousel, but if you grab a seat nearby you can usually stake it out until there are some openings. It's an actual Carousel that rotates (slowly). Probably not advised if you've imbibed too much ; ) or get motion sickness easily!
JAMNOLA
We definitely recommend this immersive art experience in the Bywater. Get ready to take lots of great pics. Check out their website or social media pages for an idea of all the amazing details and creativity you'll find here. There are sometimes groupon deals for tickets during the week if you're a deals freak like me.
Rock 'N' Bowl
A bowling alley by day, music venue by night. They regularly have zydeco and cajun music.
Maple Leaf Bar
Great dive bar/music venue. On the same street as Jacques-Imo's. Dinner there followed by music and drinks is an incredible NOLA night out.
Outdoor Dining Recs
There are lots of great outdoor dining options in NOLA, and the weather should be great! 🤞 This was posted on Nola.com recently if you’re looking for ideas for places to dine!