A Guide to New Orleans
This city revolves around live music, drinking, and eating. If that’s your vibe, this place is for you!
1. Start off your morning with beignets and a cafe au lait from Cafe de Monde.
Pro-tip: It’s open 24 hours!! Avoid weekend mornings, where lines tend to form. From my experience, weekend mornings were just fine! Also, it’s cash only and seat yourself. I’d recommend grabbing a table outside, specifically along the side of the entrance, so you can listen to live music from the band typically performs. For reference, you can get 3 beignets and a cafe au lait for $6 flat.
2. Come to NOLA without a diet in mind. Eat as many beignets as your stomach will allow. With that, I’d check out Cafe Beignet as well, which is very comparable, but I still preferred Cafe de Monde for the experience!
3. Explore the French Quarter, whether that’s walking through the area or going on a free walking tour (tip as you wish). The architecture is really lovely and from getting lost in the city, you’ll notice the various influences, including the French, Spanish, Caribbean, etc. that makes up the beauty of New Orleans. Some particular landmarks include the St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square. There’s the river, where you can walk along or rent a blue bike and explore town! There’s the infamous Bourbon Street, full of restaurants and bars, and every night, there are always people out and ready to party.
Pro tip: Avoid the months of July and August, because that’s when the heat and humidity is at its peak. If there’s anything I’ve learned about the South, the humidity is insane. 90 degrees will feel like 105+ degrees. And from all the locals, I learned that no one becomes used to the weather, rather, they completely avoid the heat by staying inside and coming out in the evening. You’ll notice how not many people are out in the afternoons (beyond the tourist spots) for a reason!
4. Take the trolly (St. Charles) to Garden District and Lafayette Cemetery #1.
The Garden District is this charming neighborhood full of small cottages to grand mansions. This area used to full of plantations, which definitely brings some perspective on how old NOLA is and how far back everythng dates. NOLA recently turned 300 years old! Additionally, the cemetery dates back to the 19th century, and all the tombs/mausoleums are built above ground due to the city being built on top of a swamp.
Pro tip: I was shocked to discover how large New Orleans is and trolleys are definitely an effective way to get around town. Download the RTAMobile app, where you can check the schedule for all the trolleys and purchase a day pass for $3 or single pass for $1.25! Truly a steal.
5. Go on a ghost tour!
I missed out on a tour, but there are a ton of “tip as you like” ghost tours that happen each night around 7 pm. The city is said to be very so haunted and a big part of its culture is the voodoo/spiritual aspect. Also, with Hurricane Katrina in 2005, there are many parts of town, where old hospitals and buildings were completely abandoned afterward.
6. Explore the other districts/major streets of NOLA including Warehouse district (more refined and posh, full of bars and restaurants). Magazine Street (boutiques, the cutest coffee shops, specifically French Truck Coffee - must try the NOLA iced coffee, preferably with oat milk)
7. Nightlife for the locals and more of a chill night. Go to Decatur Street, which curves into Frenchmen Street (where you’ll find all the live music clubs). Just explore and see which places are poppin and what kind of music meets your taste. After 7 pm, there’s the cutest outdoor market on Frenchmen Street with all these independent artists sell their art and what not.
8. For an evening of live music and away from the bustle of downtown, go to Bacchanal Fine Wine & Spirits. I’d say this was one of my favorite places. Once you enter, you’ll find yourself in a wine shop with a wide selection. Grab a bottle of wine, walk outside, where you’ll find an outdoor patio with a stage for live music. Up the stairs, you'll then find a bar, where they have happy hour until 5 pm, and that's when the live music begins!
9. Go out on Bourbon Street. This street comes alive every single night, where it’s BLOCKS full of bars and restaurants and live music. There are deals, where drinks are 3 for 1. And drinks can cost approx $10 for cocktails and $5-6 for beers. Live jazz bands comprise most of the nightlife music, but for some west coast hip hop, your best bet is Bourbon Heat. Some bars I really enjoyed is Bourbon Bar, where they had Moscow Mules for $12 and jazz piano music being performed (more so on the refined end). On the other hand, I’d recommend Lafittes Blacksmith Shop, which is the oldest bar in the US and it dates back to 1772!
Pro tip: If you want rowdy (and a tiny bit trashy), Bourbon street is the place to be. Navid perfectly phrased it as “where old people go out to feel young again”. On the flip side, Frenchmen street is for a “let’s get drinks and enjoy music” kind of night out.
THINGS I DIDN’T DO, BUT I WISH I DID…
10: Get outside of New Orleans, and go on a day-tour to check out the plantation homes and swamps! It may be a bit costly, but if you’d already spent the money to make the trip to NOLA, why not?
A COLLECTION OF RECOMMENDATIONS
(FROM MYSELF AND RECEIVED BY OTHERS!)
FOOD/RESTAURANTS:
Killer PoBoys (get their Seared Shrimp + Zapps Kettle Chips - NOLA speciality)
Creole House Restaurant & Oyster Bar (Shrimp and Grits)
Acme Oyster House (expect a line, but their charbroiled oysters are worth it!!)
The Ruby Slipper Cafe (popular brunch spot)
Gumbo Shop
Central City BBQ
Mother’s Restaurants - for Po boys
Bearcat Cafe - super yummy vegan brunch spot, a bit expensive
Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar
Crescent City Pizza Works
Dat Dog
Cochon Restaurant (Cajun food)
Satsuma Cafe (trendy cafe)
Ba Chi Canteen (vietnamese food)
MUSIC BARS/NIGHTLIFE
The Spotted Cat Music Club
The Swamp on Bourbon Street
Bacchanal Fine Wine & Spirits (A MUST)
Carousel Bar
Frenchmen Street - for all the live music
Tipitina’s - music venue
Preservation Hall - jazz music
Parleaux Beer Lab
Lafitte's Blacksmith Bar (oldest pub in the US)
The Maison - live music
Hot Tin - rooftop bar
COFFEE!
French Truck Coffee - get their NOLA Iced Coffee + Oat Milk