New Orleans is a magical city. I lived there for almost five years and absolutely love it!
NOLA Tips:
Drink on the streets. There is no open intox law here, so pop a beer or pour some mimosas and hit the streets. At bars you can ask for a drink to go so you don’t have to rush to finish anything ever
Get out of the French Quarter. So many tourists stay in the Quarter and don’t see the rest of the city, which is a tragedy. Spend one night on Bourbon, not all nights.
If you visit in the summer months be sure to bring a raincoat, it rains almost every day from the humidity, but usually only for an hour or so
Check out my other New Orleans blogs here:
Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations:
Bacchanal: My favorite place in the city. Live music, cheese plates, and wine bottles in an adorable courtyard. Walk in and pick out your own cheeses and wine, and then snag a spot while they assemble your cheese plate. They have a small “real” menu if you want something more hearty, and they have a full bar upstairs if you aren’t in the mood for wine
Courtyard Brewery: My favorite brewery in New Orleans! They have the best New England IPAs in particular and an amazing staff!
District Donuts/Stein’s Deli: Two separate establishments, to be clear. They are right next to each other on Magazine Street and both offer fantastic breakfast options. District has fancy delicious donuts and amazing coffee (Vietnamese Iced Coffee here is my fav), while Stein’s has delicious bagels and breakfast sandwiches, with some sass
Parleaux Beer Lab: A great brewery in the Bywater. Lots of outdoor space! Right around the corner from Bacchanal
Courtyard Brewery
The Fly: Just off Audubon Park you’ll find a narrow strip of land along the Mississippi filled with locals enjoying the breeze and views. Bring some drinks and a blanket and lounge by the water. The sunsets are gorgeous!
Avenue Pub: The best beer bar in the city, maybe in the country. So many options. Go after 4pm to get onto the balcony overlooking St Charles Avenue!
Saba or Shaya: These Israeli restaurants are amazing and have won every top restaurant award in the country. The menus are really similar, as the head chef Alon Shaya worked at Shaya before he got into a feud with the owners and started his own spot, Saba. You need reservations for either spot. Get a bunch of small plates for the table and dig in!
NOLA Brewing: Sit on their rooftop, drink their specialty releases, and eat BBQ.
The Fly
The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting:
Mardi Gras: Mardi Gras is shown as only Fat Tuesday and only women gone wild on Bourbon Street, but it couldn’t be further from that. Mardi Gras is a month long celebration that can be as family friendly as you’d like. My favorite parade day is the Sunday before Fat Tuesday. Be sure to check out Bacchus and the Walking Wine parade that is directly before it!
Do NOT try to drive/Lyft/Uber/taxi/streetcar anywhere during Mardi Gras parades or directly before/after
The Columns Hotel: Go during Happy Hour and sit on the large front porch to watch the streetcars roll by
Frenchmen Street: It used to be called “the local’s Bourbon Street” but tourists have since claimed Frenchmen as well. It’s still a fun place and definitely worth checking out. This street is packed full of live music bars. Don’t pay a cover, just pop into a neighboring bar that doesn’t charge one. Maison, d.b.a, and The Spotted Cat are my favorites
Need some late night grub on Frenchmen? Dat Dog is perfect! Their gourmet hot dogs and fries are the perfect solution after a night full of drinking
Brieux Carre Brewing: Right off Frenchmen Street is a cute little brewery with some great brews. Their staff is super nice and I definitely recommend popping in! If it’s packed because the space is small just grab a beer to go and hit up Frenchmen!
Bourbon Street: You have to do it. Just don’t do it for too long of a time period.
Pat O’Briens: Check out the dueling piano bar and the flame fountain. Drink a hurricane but be prepared for lots of sugar and rum!
Lafitte’s: The oldest bar in America. This bar actually existed before America. Get the purple drank
Molly’s at the Market: Right in the heart of the French Quarter on Decatur Street this little dive bar is the quintessential NOLA hang. Grab a frozen Irish coffee (size = large obviously)
Cafe du Monde: You can’t leave New Orleans without getting hot, fresh beignets, and Cafe du Monde is the spot to do that. Don’t go at peak hours (weekend breakfast really) and the line will be relatively short. It moves fast so don’t be dissuaded if it is longer
Mardi Gras on St. Charles Avenue
Other ideas:
Superior Seafood: Go for Happy Hour—get a frozen drink (I love the pomegranate mojito, the French 75 is a local fav as well) and if you like seafood the Oyster Happy Hour is legit as well. During crawfish season you can get that here too
Crescent Park: You can pop into this park either from right near the French Market off Decatur Street in the French Quarter or down in the Bywater. Gaze at the Mississippi and the New Orleans skyline
Pizza Delicious is the city’s best pizza and directly off the Bywater end of the park
Bayou Beer/Wine Garden: Located in Mid City, this combo beer and wine garden location is the best of both worlds. The palm trees and outdoor set-up really bring the tropical vibes
Parkway Bakery: Grab a delicious poboy from Parkway, a couple of blocks up from Bayou Beer Garden.
Urban South Brewery: A large warehouse style brewery with some great beers! I love the Lime Cucumber Gose and their specialty releases
Hot Tin: The rooftop bar at The Pontchartrain Hotel
Miel Brewery: Right around the corner from NOLA Brewing, this brewery is cranking out delicious beers!
