EVERYTHING FOR A WEEKEND IN NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
NOLA (New Orleans Louisiana) is such a quirky, fun, beautiful place filled with friendly people and AHHHHmazing food. Walking around the French Quarter and popping in and out of places you will find tons of food and drinks and loads of fun! If you are in need of some local references for food, drinks, or entertainment, then you have come to the right place! Here is everything you need to know to visit NOLA and have the time of your life!
FOODS YOU SHOULD TOTALY TRY IN NOLA:
Boiled Crawfish - Technically, you can find crawfish year round. But, many local will tell you, only eat boiled crawfish during crawfish season! The rest of the year it is either frozen local crawfish or it is sourced from elsewhere.
Beignets - Cafe Du Monde - This is a must! They have been serving Beignets since the Civil War! The line is often long so if you need a back up spot, Cafe Beignet is a great option as well.
Pecan Pralines - Try pralines or fudge at any of the little shops. Super sweet, but yummy. Loretta’s in the French Market is really good.
King Cake - If you find it, eat it! King Cake is seasonal and typically found during Mardi Gras and it is SO yummy! It is basically a mix between a donut and cake stuffed with cream. You will love it!
Hot Sauce - Spice is a HUGE thing in Louisiana! Every place in the Quarter has dozens of them to try. Some are so hot you have to sign a waiver eating!
Chicory - OK. This is not my thing, but it is very much a NOLA thing. Chicory in Coffee is huge. Personally it isn’t for me, but by all means try it.
Po-Boys - It is a sandwich stuffed with various meats usually fried shrimp or seafood. In the Quarter you can go to Cafe Masperos or Johnny’s Po-Boys or Erin Rose, but the best one in the city and where you will find me every day is Parkview Bakery! It is worth the uber ride, and it is such a great, local, backyard vibe.
Muffalettas - Central Grocery Co. is a super famous spot for this. I don’t eat meat so I have never had it, but everyone raves about it!
Oysters - Full disclosure, I have never eaten or even tried an oyster, but I have heard that Antoine’s Restaurant or Felix’s is the way to go for that.
Hurricane Alcoholic Drink - Pat Obrien’s is famous for this, but they have them everywhere.
Hand Grenades - These are a huge thing on Bourbon. Be warned, the sugar masks the liquor and you will be beyond drunk afterward.
Absinthe - Pirate’s Alley is the place for it. 55% alcohol makes it a doozy. Their version is the legal limit.
SnowBalls - I lived for these as a kid, and Hansens is the place in the city to get it.
World Famous Fried Chicken - Willie Maes has been on every food network show and is SUPER famous. It is supposed to be life changing chicken. Now they have created a bit of a chain, but make sure to visit the original location.
Gumbo, Jambalaya, and Étouffée - These will be served lots of places and worth trying. Best spots: Jambayala - Coop’s Place / Gumbo - Stanley's
BEST COFFEE AND BREAKFAST NEW ORLEANS:
My favorite breakfast spot in the whole city is in the Lower Garden District at Hivolt Coffee. It is the best coffee in the city including pour overs and the pastries and breakfast are all great!
If you are in the Warehouse District there is a Stumptown Coffee in the Ace Hotel which is a great option as well!
Brennans is super famous for breakfast. I have never been. But, worth pointing out. Make sure to get a reservation.
When in town, I usually eat at Sasuma Cafe. Cheap, simple, and healthy, something hard to find in Louisiana some times ;)
Another favorite of mine is Surrey’s. To be fair, I have never tried anything other than their pancakes, but I don’t need to! Their pancakes are the best!
Elizabeth’s in Bywater is a super traditional southern breakfast with smothered everything and great biscuits. It is really good and a great way to try southern food!
Ruby Slipper is also a fun spot with cajun/creole breakfast influences. It is probably the best breakfast spot to please everyone and still get to try some unique things.
BEST BARS IN THE FRENCH QUARTER:
Pat O’Briens dueling pianos is a must! It usually has a line, but once you get in it is such a blast. They basically pack people into a room with two dueling pianos that play any song request and everyone in the room sings as loud as possible to classics and shares drinks. It can really be a blast!
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop is the oldest structure in the city to have a bar so it is a great spot to grab a drink.
Carousel Bar - This bar is inside of a hotel. There is a carousel inside it that moves and is it’s claim to fame. It doesn’t sprinkle my donuts, but people seem to love it!
Pirate’s Alley - if you dare try the absinthe. This is a famous spot and the only place in the city to sell legal absinthe. Fair warning the alcohol content level is HIGH.
Saints and Sinners - Nothing crazy about this other than Channing Tatum owns it so the girls tend to love it. And, for that reason, it is worth pointing out.
Ace Hotel’s rooftop is a really beautiful space! One of my favorite spots. My girlfriend from Los Angels and I always laugh going there cause its definitely like the other Ace Hotels in terms of lack of friendliness and run by New Yorkers. But, still the rooftop bar is super nice!
Frenchmen Street - SUPER famous for Jazz music. Places like the Spotted Cat are where all the greats played back in the day. It is the locals version of Bourbon Street, or at least it used to be. Typically, you can find lots of live music and fun spots.
Tchoup Yard is a super fun spot and great for a day hang out. There are loads of backyard games and outdoor vibes and usually lots of locals just playing corn hole and drinking beers. It is also located right where lots of brewers have popped up which is new to the city, so it is a great day drinking spot.
Musical Legends Park is such a cute romantic spot (maybe the only one) on Bourbon. I think it is only Friday nights, but a live jazz band plays outside and for a moment you feel like you are in a European city. Swoon.
Bourbon Street is filled with dozens and dozens of bars and intoxicated people. It is not where locals tend to hang out, but if you are looking to experience this side of NOLA and have a blast doing it, just pop in and out of all the bars along the street. No destination is needed here.
Cochon Butcher and Cochon Restaurant are both really good spots in the warehouse district with great vibes and food with a local twist. (Cochon means “pig” so that says a lot about what is on the menu).
Peche is a nice restaurant as well. Peche means “fish” so there is a lot of seafood dishes here. Nice vibes. Good food.
Pizza Domenica - Great pizzas and pastas and garlic bread knots, and a nice break from fried food.
Josephine Estelle in the Ace Hotel is a great little spot. More Los Angeles type foods like anything with a vegetable (lol) than the other places listed. Plus, you can pop up to the rooftop bar afterward.
NOLA in the French Quarter is really good. Typical cajun and creole dishes that are really well done. More pricey.
Emeril’s is super famous and fancy pants. I have never been. Heard great things! More pricey.
Commander’s Palace is SUPER famous and supposedly really amazing. Never been. Hard to get a resi. Heard amazing things! Most pricey.
St. Roch is a great stop and my personal favorite place to get biscuits. There are several vendors in this space like a small market and it is a great way to try different foods in the city!
BEST TOURIST STOPS NEW OREANS:
Napoleon’s House (yep, he had a house there that is now a restaurant) The food is not life changing, but it is cool to see. And, full disclosure, Napoleon died before getting to visit this house, so he never lived here, but it was built for him.
There are lots of huge plantation style homes in the Garden District one of which is where Mark Twain used to throw parties. These old southern homes are to die for.
Near there is St. Charles Ave. where 300-400 year old oak trees line the street. You gotta take a trolley ride down this street and see it. It is beautiful.
Jackson Square in front of the St. Louis Cathedral which is the most popular photo spot and dates back hundreds of years.
Cemeteries - Due to being below sea level, graves are all above ground in NOLA. And, many of them date back centuries and are well worth a visit. You can even visit Marie Laveaus (the famous Voodoo Queen’s) tomb. Across from Commander’s Palace is Lafayette Cemetery which is free to visit. My recommendation for a more historical tour would be to visit St. Louis Cemetery where notables have been buried. You have to do a tour, but it’s great. OH, and you can see the period tomb Nicholas Cage had built for when he dies. Kinda wild.
Swamp Tours - This isn’t necessarily “historic” perse other than people having been boating here for centuries and the cypress trees are hundreds of years old. The tours are a whole lot of fun and you get to see alligators out in the wild! I highly recommend doing one to see a completely different type of landscape and life on the bayou.
Museums - There are lots of great museums all within walking distance of each other. So, if you are looking for a break from Bourbon street this is your spot. The WW II museum is one of the best tin the country and a great way to spend the afternoon. There are also wonderful art museums like the Ogden and the Contemporary.
WHERE TO SHOP NEW ORLEANS:
The French Market in the French Quarter is the best place to shop for souvenirs and fun little things. Most of the goods are on the cheaper side so it is fun to walk about. As a kid, this was always my favorite spot!
If vintage clothing is your thing, then Royale Street is a great place for all things vintage. There are several vintage boutiques specializing in unique period clothing.
There are loads of Local shops selling New Orleans designers like Krewe Sunglasses which are great and well worth the stop in.
Magazine Street is my favorite street in the city and it is filled with loads of shops, antiques, and great eateries. It is a great way to spend an afternoon outside of bourbon. Just take the trolley car from the French Quarter.
WHAT TO PACK FOR A WEEKEND IN NEW ORLEANS:
Casual is a way of life there. While a few trendy spots have come to town and people dress more trendy/urban in those spots, for the most part, it is casual. The city is so laid-back and truly no one will care what you are wearing.
Comfy Shoes - The streets and sidewalks are uneven and often cobblestone. Tourism causes a lot of trash. And, rain doesn’t help. So, I recommend comfy shoes like tennis shoes that you are ok to get scuffed up and wet and maybe even just toss after the trip.
Sunscreen - The heat is no joke here!
Hat for sun - A hat or even an umbrella to protect against the sun is a must in the summer and maybe even year round!
Sunglasses - As mentioned above, sun protection is a must!
Backpack - I am a backpacker type of tourist because with all the heat and alcohol you will want water and a place to store your raincoat and sunscreen, etc. Plus, like in any tourist spot, keeping your things safe and protected is the way to go!
Toilet Paper/Kleenex packets - The French Quarter is old and packed with people. The bathrooms aren’t guaranteed to have TP in them so make sure to bring some! Oh and a few baby wipes wouldn’t hurt either!
Rain Coat/Jacket - If it rains, umbrellas are quite difficult on the narrow sidewalks, so a rain coat is the way to go.
Bug Spray - When it is too cold there aren’t mosquitoes, but GURL mosquitoes are a very real thang there, especially if you are going on a swap tour in the summer!
Cash - A lot of the city will accept credit card, but there are still quite a few places that are cash only. Quite literally some spots have been cash only for centuries. So, I recommend keeping some handy.
STAY SAFE AND LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL!
While the city is without a doubt one of my favorite places, it does have a darker side not all that different than parts of Los Angeles. So, I recommend being vigilant. As a tourist, you can be a target, so while I have never had anything happen, it is a high possibility. Put simply, I would just do your best to keep your wits about you and not flash money. Stay safe!
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