A party town through and through ever since its founding by the French in the 1700s, New Orleans is the kind of city that exudes indulgence, from the iconic cocktails conceived in the city's thriving bar scene, to the comforting Creole cooking at one of the many traditional restaurants. Combined with friendly Southern charm, a rich and complex history, and unique colonial architecture, and there's more than enough to lure even the most seasoned traveller.
What makes the city so atypical compared to the rest of the country and certainly the south is its individual cultural blend, thanks to prior Spanish and French rule, and a strong Caribbean influence. However the city is not without controversy, from being the largest slave-trading centre in 19th century to a key location in the Civil Rights struggle during the 20th. One need not look far for evidence of its chequered past, from the many plantation tours available to the boards around the city charting its tumultuous history.
Equally omnipresent is the memory of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which 15 years later the city and it's people are still recovering from. However New Orleans residents are resilient and the city continues to party on.
THINGS TO KNOW
When to go:
New Orleans is at the bottom of the USA close to the equator so it gets incredibly hot and humid during the Summer months. I visited in late November/December and it was still warm and relatively humid, with highs of around 25 degrees celsius, though it got cold in the evenings. To avoid the heat I'd recommend visiting at the beginning or end of the year, however you may want to plan your visit around one of the many festivals such as Mardi Gras.
Money
The USA uses the American dollar, obviously. Keep in mind that sales taxes are not included in prices on products, so you're going to be paying more at the till. There's also a big tipping culture with 18%-25% considered the norm, so factor this in for meals as it can really hike up costs.
What to pack
You can wear what you want in NOLA, but I'd recommend sticking to loose, airy pieces to keep you cool in the humidity, plus a layer for evenings. A lot of the fine dining and traditional restaurants have dress codes, so pack a smarter evening outfit and good shoes - for men, some places require a shirt and don't allow shorts. It's a city to walk around, so pack comfortable shoes!
Where to Stay
The French Quarter is where the action is, however it's very touristy and can be noisy if you're near one of the main nightlife areas, and I imagine rather expensive. If you want to stay within walking/tram distance of main sights but in more local surrounds, check out the Garden or Warehouse/Arts district, or further over in Bywater.
Things to do in New Orleans
Take a Tour
You'll be bombarded by guided tour offerings at every turn in the French Quarter covering every possible subject from food and history tours to ghosts, voodoo, cemeteries, plantations, swamps and bayous. If you're anything like me and get bored at just the thought of following someone around as they drone on about history, I can understand your apprehension, however they're surprisingly worth doing. New Orleans is so rich in history and culture that it's a shame not to take the time to discover it, and a tour is about the easiest way to do so.
I chose to do a voodoo tour with Free Tours by Foot, a 'pay as you feel' tour company offering tours on a range of subjects. I picked voodoo out of curiosity, as it's something fairly unique to the city and that I don't know much about, beyond the sensationalised Hollywood depictions (which funnily enough, turned out to be completely inaccurate).
Our tour was lead by Robi, a voodoo High Priest (and all round fabulous human), who explained the history of his ancestors and how voodoo was practised by slaves who brought their religion over from Africa. It was far from boring, and had us hooked with fascinating tales of the slavery era, as well as demonstrating a voodoo ritual and showing us around one of the shops. The tour took around 2.5 hours, and we were able to tip as we felt at the end.
I also visited a Creole plantation just outside of New Orleans called Laura Plantation, which gave an overview to both the Creole way of life and the conditions of slavery. Being in the slave trading capital of the South it felt important to take the time to understand the history of what happened and why. There are plenty of different plantations to visit owned by both American and Creole families, and I'd recommend doing your research on which to visit as it's obviously a very sensitive topic.
Shop till you drop
In the French Quarter, Chartres Street has some interesting stores including designer vintage emporiums and boutiques stocking mid range brands and quirky gifts. For more traditional souvenirs, head to Royal and Decatur.
The best shopping though is to be done on Magazine Street, which stretches for several miles from Canal Street on the edge of the French Quarter down through the Garden District. Amongst hip restaurants, coffee shops and bars there are plenty of chic boutiques, independent stores and thrift shops. My favourites Free People have a store there, plus check out White's Mercantile for unique gifts, and a very adorable dog called Franklin.
If you're looking for classic American brands at discount prices, the Riverwalk outlet has big names such as Nordstrom Rack and Coach, although spotting a gem is a bit like finding a needle in a haystack.
Cruise the Mississippi
On our last day we took a jazz boat cruise down the Mississippi on the Steamboat Natchez. It's a tad (okay, a lot) touristy, and the average age is about 70, but nonetheless it's a fun way to see the city from the river, and only takes a couple of hours. It starts with a guy (who sounds incredibly bored, ngl) explaining some of the history and sights along the way, until about halfway through when the jazz band starts up in the restaurant, which is broadcast throughout the boat. There's an option to buy lunch, which is a simple buffet spread, for not much more, so totally worth doing. It gets windy, so dress warm if you want to sit out!
Roam the streets
For tourists, the heart of NOLA is the charming colonial streets of the French Quarter. You'll inevitably end up on Bourbon, the tacky yet fun nightlife street home to many a neon-sign clad bar serving up live music, drag shows, and cheap drinks. Stroll down Royal for art galleries, souvenir shops, and some of the district's prettiest architecture. Then head to Jackson Square to see the church and horse-drawn carriages lined up, browse Chartres Street for independent stores, designer boutiques and vintage, and wander the quieter residential streets to spot candy coloured Creole houses.
When you've been sufficiently trampled by hoards of tour groups in the French Quarter, head further afield to the Garden District to pick out which antebellum-style mansion you'd most like to live in, or the residential neighbourhood of Bywater, peppered with rainbow hued homes.
Eating in New Orleans
Auction House Market
I am such a sucker for a street food market, so Auction House Market was on my New Orleans bucket list from the get go (and not just for the fabulous restroom wallpaper, pictured...). I love being able to try local and international cuisines all in one place, and the fact that there's something for everyone (travelling with my vegetarian parents in a non-veggie friendly country, this in particular was massively appreciated). Auction House Market is an indoor bar and restaurant space with around half a dozen different vendors, serving up everything from Indian dosas, South American empanadas, Asian poke bowls and traditional NOLA seafood.
I visited for breakfast, and tucked into heaving breakfast bowls filled up with potatoes, gooey cheese, peppers and your choice of meat or veg. However not all stalls are open first thing so I popped back another day for dinner, to try the cocktail menu and the catfish po boy from seafood restaurant Elysian. Catfish is a local speciality, so it's a must-try. Oh, and don't forget to visit the restrooms!
Auction House Market
801 Magazine St
New Orleans
LA 70130
Brennan's
Standing proudly in pink on Royal Street, Brennan's is one of the city's best known fine dining Creole spots. It's a beautiful restaurant with several chic dining spaces including an outside terrace for warmer days. We stopped by for breakfast on our first morning in NOLA, hungry, jet-lagged, and ready for a feast, and they sure did deliver.
New Orleans cuisine is completely unique thanks to the melting pot of cultures and societies that have called the city home over the years. Brennan's exemplifies that with a truly one of a kind breakfast and lunch menu - if you're looking for avocado on toast, this ain't the place (well, unless you want it with crab).
There's turtle soup, eggs with short rib, artichoke, trout and more, or maybe you're in the mood for the crispy sweet tea-brined quail? I don't know what it entails, but at Brennan's, it'll be good.
I chose the Eggs Hussarde, a signature dish of poached eggs, hollandaise, Canadian bacon and a Marchand De Vin sauce. It was familiar yet reinvented, rich, and well proportioned with a sauce so tasty I had to refrain from licking the plate. The standout though was the Eggs Sardou, poached eggs on a bed of crispy fried artichoke and creamy spinach, which made heroes of simple ingredients. In fact Brennan's is one of the few places in NOLA where you have a decent number of vegetarian options. The portions are more European in size than the usual feasts we'd come to expect, as it's fine dining - but it's by no means stingy!
If there's one dish you 100% have to get at Brennan's, it's a dish they made famous - The Bananas Foster. The dessert is cooked at your table, mixing butter and sugar and flambeing bananas in the sauce. I don't want to think about how many calories it contains, but my gosh it's so good. Even if you don't love bananas, you'll love this (if you don't I'm sorry don't sue me).
I'd recommend booking ahead as it gets busy, however we turned up first thing in off season and were seated immediately without a reservation.
Brennan's
417 Royal St
New Orleans
LA 70130
Cafe Beignet
Beignet's (pronounced Ben-yay, it took me a while too...) are a local delicacy that you pretty much have to try when you visit New Orleans (I'm fairly certain they don't let you leave until you do, them's the rules). They're basically deep fried dough, sprinkled with a liberal portion of powdered sugar. Why not just eat donuts, you ask? Yeah, I dunno either.
The two main places to get them in NOLA are Cafe Beignet and Cafe du Monde. Though countless others offer them, these are the most famous. We chose the former, largely because it was the first one we came across. A cosy cafe that looks a little like a Parisian bistro, it serves up its namesake beignets in portions of 3, alongside a simple menu of breakfast dishes. We ordered breakfast, and of course, the beignets.
If I'm completely honest, I didn't really get the hype. They would have been way better if they were stuffed with chocolate, or perhaps came with a dipping sauce. However everyone else seems to love them, so maybe it's just me!
Brennan's
334 Royal Street
New Orleans
LA 70130
Drinking in New Orleans
Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone
I imagine every person who's ever visited New Orleans has stopped by Hotel Monteleone for a drink at the carousel bar (unless they're teetotal, perhaps!), and with good reason. Decadently adorned with lights, mirrors, and illustrated animal scenes featured on the ornate seats, it's a real sight to behold. As for the drinks, there's a lengthy cocktail menu of classic drinks and New Orleans signatures, as well as plenty of wines and spirits.
Unsurprisingly the spot is extremely popular - turn up at opening to nab a seat at the bar itself or be prepared to poach as soon as someone leaves! I was lucky enough to be allowed in before opening to take a few snaps - apparently it's rarely so empty. But with Tennessee Williams, Richard Ford and Truman Capote amongst a list of esteemed guests, you're in good company!
Hotel Monteleone
214 Royal Street
New Orleans
LA 70130
Jack Rose
Tucked away off the lobby of The Pontchartrain Hotel, Jack Rose restaurant is an oh so stylish ode to Tennesse Williams, inspired by the playwright's The Rose Tattoo. It consists of several dining spaces and a living room (where these shots were taken), the former offering a full dinner service while the latter serves up drinks and nibbles. With plush velvet seating and walls lined with paintings (including the centrepiece, a portrait of NOLA's own Lil' Wayne), it's a decadent space that manages to retain a lack of pretension thanks to the kindly staff and laidback offering. We didn't try the full restaurant menu, but I tucked into a mushroom grilled cheese which still haunts my dreams to this day, it was so full of molten oozing cheesy goodness... Oh, and the cocktails are good too!
Jack Rose
2031 St Charles Ave
New Orleans
LA 70130
Drink Beauty
Okay disclaimer, I didn't have a drink at Drink Beauty, but I wanted to pop in anyway because well, look at it! Part beauty bar, part matcha cafe, this Instagrammble spot on Magazine Street is decked out in pink, serving up photogenic drinks with fun slogans alongside macarons and beauty products. There's a focus on healthy ingredients - alongside matcha, expect drinks containing turmeric, beetroot, and even CBD oil if you're in need of a chill moment after a morning of shopping. I tried a bit of one and it was definitely an acquired taste, but maybe I'm just not woke enough for the whole wellbeing movement...
Drink Beauty
3424 Magazine St
New Orleans
LA 70115
Hot Tin
Whilst you'll find Jack Rose on the ground floor of The Pontchartrain Hotel, the top floors hosts another gem in the form of Hot Tin (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, gettit?), a stylish rooftop bar with excellent drinks and panoramic views of New Orleans down below. Styled after a 1940s artist's studio (their words, not mine), it's a gorgeous spot to soak in the city from above. The cocktail list features classic New Orleans highlights like French 75, alongside the bar's signature drinks, a mix of fruity, fresh concoctions that taste far more expensive than their 12 dollar price tag.
Hot Tin
2031 St Charles Ave
New Orleans
LA 70130
If you've been to New Orleans and have any other suggestions, please leave a comment! Also if you use this guide let me know where you end up going, I'd love to hear from you on Insta!
Drink Beauty seems like the place to go for every bloggers! New Orleans is one of those historic American city I would love to visit so much!!(:
Cate // 35mminstyle / blogging + photography
Author
Definitely, it’s super photogenic! It’s so beautiful and so unique compared to the rest of the Country, 100% worth visiting!