Melissa & Marc
Things to Do
Cafe Du Monde French Market
Beignets for days!
Preservation Hall
Intimate jazz hall, one of the best New Orleans experiences!
Antoine's Restaurant
Circa 1840 old-world dame of fine French-Creole dining and birthplace of oysters Rockefeller.
Jackson Square
This famous landmark facing the Mississippi River is surrounded by historic buildings, including the St. Louis Cathedral, the Presbytere and Cabildo (Louisiana State Museums), not to mention the Lower and Upper Pontalba Apartments, the oldest apartment buildings in the United States. The Pontalba Apartments offer retail shops, museums, galleries and restaurants on the ground level; their second and third floors still house a selection of prestigious apartments. For well over a half-century, there has been an open-air artist colony at Jackson Square. Local artists paint, draw, create portraits, caricatures, and display their work on the square's iron fence. Some have been there for generations! Jackson Square is a favorite site for visitors and locals. The artists, restaurants, museums, merchants and the square itself make Jackson Square one of the French Quarter's most popular destinations.
Carousel Bar
This classic bar at the Hotel Monteleone has a circular bar that revolves like a carousel.
Commander's Palace
Commander's Palace is a New Orleans institution - famous for its teal exterior, award-winning food, and $0.25 weekday martini lunches (you heard that right!). For those flying in mid-week, swing by this Garden District staple for some inventive creole cuisine and a few cheap drinks - or enjoy the famous jazz brunch over the weekend! Just note they do have a dress code (no shorts).
The National WWII Museum
Amazingly rated the #1 tourist destination in New Orleans and #2 in the U.S., the National WWII Museum is an unforgettable way to experience this historic war. A compelling blend of sweeping narrative and poignant personal detail, the Museum features immersive exhibits, multimedia experiences, an expansive collection of artifacts, first-person oral histories, as well as unique access to experiential history - including the opportunity to tour and ride on an authentically restored PT-boat.
Magazine Street
Eat, shop and drink with specialty coffee shops, boutique stores, art galleries with some of the best antique stores in the country!
Galatoires
Fine-dining century-old institution serving French-Creole fare in upscale space (jackets required).
Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar
One of the oldest bars in America around since the 1700's known for it's purple drank.
Old Absinthe House
For those not familiar with Absinthe, it is a liquor made from, among other things, wormwood. It is said to have a bitter, licorice flavor and is greenish/chartreuse in color. Originally brought to popularity in Europe, Absinthe found quite a following here in New Orleans ... the little Paris of the New World. When absinthe was outlawed in 1912, the authorities threatened to burn the bar to the ground if they didn't close their doors for good. Under the cloak of darkness, the owners moved the famous "copper-colored wooden bar" to a secret warehouse, and continued to serve the illegal drink. In 2004 the original bar was returned to the building!
Turkey and the Wolf
NOLA is a foodie paradise, which makes this review all the more compelling: "Even if you only have one day in New Orleans, Turkey and the Wolf is where you should go for lunch." (The Infatuation) Rated the #1 Best New Restaurant in the Country in 2017 by Bon Appetit, Turkey and the Wolf is a laid back sandwich shop serving new age classics like a fried bologna sandwich topped with potato chips and Skittles-infused cocktails (yep!). Perfect place to kick that wedding weekend hangover...
French 75
Iconic New Orleans cocktail bar.
Willie Mae's Scotch House
Lauded family-owned spot since 1957, famous for fried chicken & other soul food.
The Sazerac Bar
New Orleans is home to America’s first cocktail, the Sazerac. Originally a mix of cognac and a local bitters recipe from French Quarter druggist Antoine Amedie Peychaud, the drink became all the rage in New Orleans in the 1850s. Legend has it, Peychaud served his mixed drink in a large egg cup, called a “Coqutier,” from which we get the word cocktail. Today made with Sazerac rye whiskey instead of brandy, the cocktail has it’s spiritual home at the sumptuous Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel. Famed Louisiana Governor, Huey Long, the original King Pin, was so enamored by the bar, he lived on the 12th floor of the hotel and would conduct many of his meetings downstairs in it. The preserved bullet hole in the wall was actually made by one of Long’s over eager body guards.
The Spotted Cat Music Club
The Spotted Cat Music Club is the quintessential Jazz Club of New Orleans. Located just steps from the French Quarter, in the Faubourg Marigny District on Frenchmen St. "The Cat" has been a local favorite for live New Orleans music from Jazz, Blues, Funk, R&B and Klezmer. Internationally acclaimed as a TOP 150 Jazz Club and featured in numerous films, "The Cat" features local musicians bringing the best the city has to offer, seven days a week.
SoBou Restaurant
Slick W Hotel eatery & lounge with elevated Creole bar food, plus cocktails & self-serve wine. Also offers a Sunday Burlesque Brunch.
Boucherie
All of the meats at this Southern restaurant are smoked, cured, and aged in-house before being used in classic New Orleans dishes with an upscale twist, like a 12-hour roasted wagyu beef po-boy with pickled red onions and horseradish cream. Its name, Boucherie, stems from the tradition of South Louisiana families coming together to consume mass amounts of Cajun meats and hard liquor, and then taking the celebration's slaughtered hog leftovers to last them the winter.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
Step inside the walls of the oldest and most legendary burial ground in New Orleans. The storied graveyard—which can only be visited with a guide—is the final resting place of many illustrious Louisiana families and has been featured in Hollywood films like ‘Easy Rider.’ Learn about the city's curious above-ground burial practices as you walk among elaborate vaults and see the mysterious tomb of Voodoo priestess Marie Laveau. If you'd prefer to not pay $20 for the tour ticket, check out the nearby (and equally enchanting) Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 instead.
Parkway Bakery & Tavern
Longtime (since 1911) neighborhood hangout with a patio known for classic-style po' boys.
Pêche Seafood Grill
Seafood from a coal grill & raw bar, plus local brews.
Coquette
Trendy, chandelier-hung place serving locally sourced, Louisiana fare.