THINGS TO DO
Restaurants
Cafe Beignet on Royal Street
Charming, intimate bistro with breakfast, beignets & café au lait, plus patio seats. (2-minute walk from Hotel Monteleone!)
The Camellia Grill
Fabled institution for diner fare dished out by bow-tied servers, plus late-night dining
Surrey's Café & Juice Bar
American & Latin brunch fare plus fresh-squeezed juices draw crowds at this quaint cafe
Stein's Market and Deli
Jewish deli drawing crowds with specialty meats, cheeses & unique selection of brews. Pro tip: Try their Reubens and their bagels – they're shipped from NYC (legit).
Commander's Palace
Notable spot for refined Creole fare & an elegant jazz brunch in a chandelier-hung space since 1880. Pro tip: they offer 25 cent martinis at lunch.
Central Grocery & Deli
Small Italian market selling specialty foods & muffuletta sandwiches, WHICH ITS FOUNDER INVENTED.
Dat Dog
Quirky hot dog joint offering an array of gourmet sausages, all-beef hot dogs, award-winning French fries, and a sampling of local craft beers, in a brightly colored, unpolished environment. (There are a few locations, but this one's our favorite.)
St. Roch Market
1875 market reborn as a cool food hall with stalls selling eclectic NOLA eats & drinks, plus some outdoor seating
Cochon Butcher
Stylish renovated warehouse serving elevated, pork-focused Cajun fare in a group-friendly setting. SUPER YUMMY. Upscale version = Cochon Restaurant.
St. James Cheese Company - Uptown
This family-owned and operated artisan cheese shop is a popular lunch destination in the city
Turkey and the Wolf
A playful option for inventive sandwiches & cocktails served in a quirky, colorful space. Pro tip: order the Collard Green Melt.
Parkway Bakery & Tavern
Longtime (since 1911) neighborhood hangout with a patio known for classic-style po' boys
Willie Mae's Scotch House
Lauded family-owned spot since 1957, famous for fried chicken & other soul food in a humble setting. (That line, though! Get there early.)
Bacchanal Fine Wine & Spirits
Wine-&-cheese store featuring globally accented small plates & live music on a lush back patio (Anna's favorite spot in NOLA!) Pro tip: pick out a few cheeses from the fridge inside, and they'll bring you a cheese board
Paladar 511
Local & imported talent helm the kitchen at this sleek spot serving pizzas, pastas & seasonal sides. Pro tip: order the Fried Arancini starter.
Pêche Seafood Grill
Seafood from a coal grill & raw bar, plus local brews, are found in rustic digs. Pro tip: order the fried bread with sea salt
Sylvain
Elegant gastropub with cocktails & American fare in a former carriage house with courtyard seats. Pro tip: Best Sazeracs - their brunch is yummy, too!
Saba
Casual bistro with family-style platters of locally sourced Middle Eastern fare & outdoor dining... their pita bread will change your life.
Clancy's Restaurant
John Todd's favorite restaurant. Think white tablecloths and classic, hand-written NOLA menus in a homey space. He's fancy.
Galatoires
Fine-dining century-old institution serving French-Creole fare in upscale space (jackets required).
Lilly's Café
Vietnamese standards like pho, banh mi & signature spring rolls on Magazine St. Anna's favorite dish is the spicy tofu appetizer!
Tan Dinh
A variety of authentic dishes round out the extensive menu at this choice for Vietnamese fare (Anna's favorite Vietnamese restaurant in the NOLA area). Pro tip: get the crispy chicken wings shaken in spicy lemongrass sauce OR Marinated roasted duck with sweet, crispy rice patties.
9 Roses Restaurant
Spacious, modest joint offering a large menu of Vietnamese fare plus Chinese dishes too. Tasty pho!
Sweets
Cafe Du Monde French Market
Iconic New Orleans cafe known for café au laits, chicory coffee & beignets since 1862. This is the one, my friends!
Creole Creamery
A miles-long list of only-in-NOLA ice cream flavors. Uptowners fill this 50s-style ice cream parlor year-round for the shop’s clever house-made ice creams.
District Donuts Sliders Brew
Donut shop selling fancy fresh-to-order donuts, coffee, breakfast biscuits, and sliders. Nom. (Next door to Stein's, so you can get both!)
Southern Candymakers - French Market Store
Family-owned candy store making fresh delicious candy from the French Quarter for the past two decades. BEST PRALINES.
Dong Phuong Oriental Bakery
Local bakery crafting traditional French pastries & sweet/savory Vietnamese eats for over 30 years
Bars
Carousel Bar
This classic haunt at the Hotel Monteleone has a circular bar that revolves like a carousel
Napoleon House
Muffalettas, po' boys & other Creole staples in a circa-1914 house with a palm-filled courtyard. Pro tip: try their famous Pimm's Cup.
Beachbum Berry's Latitude 29
Tiki-style gastropub serving up exotic drinks & island-inspired cuisine. You know we like our tiki bars!
Cane and Table
Rum-based cocktails & eclectic small & large plates in environment that evokes Old Havana
Kingfish
*Temporarily Closed* Contemporary spins on Southern dishes and classic cocktails. Pro tip: Don't miss their happy hour! Daily from 3:30-6pm
Erin Rose
Dive bar with incredible frozen Irish coffees. (This is the essential day-drinking in the French Quarter accessory.) Pro tip: Visit "Killer Po' boys" in the back of the bar for gourmet po' boys.
The Sazerac Bar
Grand Roosevelt Hotel cocktail bar with classic drinks, plush banquettes & elegant old-world vibe (where the Sazerac was invented)
Piscobar at Selina Catahoula
The cutest little boutique hotel with a Piscobar and rooftop - their pisco sours are delicious!
Hot Tin
Choice cocktails, champagne & city views at a chic rooftop bar at the Pontchartrain Hotel
Cure
Firehouse turned stylish, dimly lit cocktail lounge with creative drinks & eclectic array of dishes
The Tchoup Yard
Lively outdoor cocktail destination with relaxed, colorful furnishings & a nearby food truck.
Dive bars / breweries
Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar
Dimly lit hang & one of the oldest bars around, serving beer & frozen drinks since the 1700s. Pro tip: order the frozen "purple drank."
Ms. Mae's
Drink deals, a jukebox & table games draw lively crowds to this 24/7 dive-bar mainstay
Snake & Jake's Christmas Club Lounge
Dive bar set in a shacklike setting with late hours, year-round retro holiday decor & a jukebox
New Orleans Lager & Ale (NOLA) Brewing
Smoked BBQ & sides join more than 20 beers on tap at this two-story brewery with a roof deck. (Likely the first NOLA brewery?)
Urban South Brewery
"We’re combining the heritage of European beer making with the brashness of new American styles as we build New Orleans' newest craft brewery." A+ brews!
Miel Brewery & Taproom
Independent craft brewery, taproom, and beer garden located in the Irish Channel. Dog & kid friendly!
Second Line Brewing
Independently-owned craft brewery located in Mid-City neighborhood (child & pet friendly). There's typically a food truck outside. It's one of our favorites!
Live music
Maple Leaf Bar
Dive bar and music venue with live New Orleans-style music, tin ceiling & a hopping dance floor. Pro tip: come on Sunday night for live music and an all-you-can-eat shrimp boil.
The Spotted Cat Music Club
Weathered bar & intimate jazz venue hosting live acts on a tiny stage for a standing-room crowd
Le Bon Temps Roule
No-frills neighborhood bar with local music by the likes of the Soul Rebels, plus late-night grub
Tipitina's
Rustic, black-and-white tiled venue & landmark since '77 for live music & Cajun dancing
Shopping
Shops of the Colonnade - French Market
The French Market is a market and series of commercial buildings spanning six blocks in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as a Native American trading post predating European colonization, the market is the oldest of its kind in the United States.
Canal Place
Luxury retail complex (mall) offering 3 floors of brand-name shops for clothing & accessories
Zèle NOLA - New Orleans Local Artisans
Zele is a permanent, indoor art market offering customers a one stop shopping experience that's stacked with clever and unique items created by local artists, makers, entrepreneurs, and inventors.
Funky Monkey
Store with an eclectic offering of new, used & vintage clothing, plus costumes & funky accessories
Events, museums & sights
Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival
*TBD* In a city well known for its music and its food, the Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival combines the best of two specific genres. 10/15 - 10/17. Free Admission. Lafayette Square in the Central Business District (CBD).
New Orleans Swamp Tours
Your USG Tour Captain will take you deep into the Brataria Swamps. You'll see alligators, nutrias, Cyprus trees, and many different types of birds. Explore areas that are still used to this day for the crabbing, shrimping, and trapping industries. Experience it all in a 2-hour adventure you wont soon forget! *Shuttle transportation to and from downtown New Orleans and the French Quarter is available.
St. Louis Cathedral
The Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, also called St. Louis Cathedral, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans and is the oldest cathedral in what would become the United States
The Cabildo
In the heart of Jackson Square, the Cabildo was the seat of Spanish colonial city hall of New Orleans, Louisiana, and is now the Louisiana State Museum Cabildo. The Cabildo and The Presbytere feature exhibits on Mardi Gras and Hurricane Katrina.
The National WWII Museum
Tells the story of the American Experience in the war that changed the world - why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means.
New Orleans Pharmacy Museum
Circa-1823 apothecary is now a museum with exhibits of early medicines, superstitious cures & more
Mardi Gras World
Guests tour the 300,000 square foot working warehouse where floats are made for Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans
Audubon Zoo
Located in historic Uptown New Orleans Audubon Zoo offers an exotic mix of animals from around the globe
Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium
With more than 50 live exhibits and numerous multimedia elements, the 23,000-square-foot facility is the largest free-standing American museum dedicated to insects
Lafayette Cemetery No. 1
Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 is a historic cemetery in the Garden District neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded in 1833 and still in use today
Whitney Plantation
Whitney Plantation is the only plantation museum in Louisiana with an exclusive focus on the lives of enslaved people. Visit Whitney’s memorials and restored buildings to enter the world of a Louisiana sugar plantation and to remember those who built and worked this property. On your walking tour, your guide shows you through slave cabins, a freedmen’s church, detached kitchen and outbuildings, a 1790s owner’s house and memorials built to honor the enslaved. (1hr, 30 min guided tour).
Parks
Audubon Park
Seated in historic uptown New Orleans, Audubon Park is a favorite spot for recreation, picnics or enjoying a beautiful day. For more than a century, people have enjoyed this urban oasis with allées of ancient live oaks, a tranquil 1.8-mile jogging path, a lagoon, picnic shelters, and playgrounds.
City Park
This is where we got engaged! Enjoy the sculpture garden (free), NOLA botanical garden (not free), and NOLA Art Museum (also not free).
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve protects the natural and cultural resources of Louisiana's Mississippi River Delta region. It is named after French pirate Jean Lafitte and consists of six separate sites and a park headquarters.