Rest

The Columns

Genteel and well located on St. Charles with a huge porch for evening cocktails or morning coffee.

Creole Gardens

Funky and affordable with breakfast included and an easy walk around the block to catch a trolley. Not to mention super friendly staff.

Race and Religious                                                                                                        

 Comprised of an old creole cottage, row house and slave quarter this corner of Race St. and Religious St. is now a perfect getaway for large and small groups. With so much of the buildings’ history preserved it’s like no other lodging in the city.

Devour

Café du Monde

Some tourist attractions are ridiculously popular for a reason and crispy, light, sugar-mounded beignets are as good of a reason as it gets for standing in line first thing in the morning. 

District Donuts and Sliders

A new addition to Magazine St. this is all day noshing spot is a great place to break from shopping. With donut flavors like Vietnamese Iced Coffee and an almost Northwest-style coffee bar in the a.m. that transforms into beers and sliders around lunch, this place will have you covered.

Casamento’s

There are many options for oysters in this town, but not many are as delicious and charming as Casamento’s. Whether it’s oysters on the half shell, the “oyster loaf” or gumbo, you will eat well and you will leave happy.

Cochon Butcher

Around the corner from big brother Cochon the restaurant is this butcher/sandwich shop/ meat heaven. Get a meat filled sandwich or even a suckling pig to go. 

Arnaud’s

So, yes, you’ve got your Galatoire’s, your Antoine’s and your Arnaud’s and they all seem very similar from the tourist’s point of view. However,  Arnaud’s wins out for me not only because of the wonderful bar, French 75, and the excellent food, but also a little bit because it’s got one of the most beautiful dining rooms anywhere. 

Commander’s Palace

Another tourist place, you are asking? Here’s the thing, brunch at Commander’s Palace is still one of the most enjoyable things a tourist can do in New Orleans. Between the roving jazz trio and the hollandaise and the bloody mary served like nowhere else (meaning you are served the fixings and then a bottle of vodka frozen in ice is brought over and poured until you ‘say when’) it’s just fun. Do it. 

 

Parasol’s

This Irish Channel bar/restaurant may be best known for their roast beef po boys and their miniscule men’s room but they make, in my opinion, the perfect example of a shrimp po boy.

Napoleon House

In a city full of ambiance, the Napoleon House still manages to drop jaws. Their specialty is the Pimm’s Cup which could not be more refreshing or pair more fantastically with the gulf shrimp salad and remoulade. 

Jacques Imo’s

The sign outside reads “Warm Beer, Lousy Food, Poor Service” none of which is true, of course. But, if you like the idea of eating cheeky, tasty food in the atmosphere of a crazy fun house party, this is your spot.

Willie Mae’s Scotch House

The world’s best fried chicken. Enough said.

Jean Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar

Tell me, where else in America can you drink a Sazerac in a building that’s close to 300 years old and was used as a front for one of the country’s most famous smuggling operations? Yeah, this is pretty much it.

Hansen’s Sno-Bliz

First things first. A snowball is NOT a snow cone or shaved ice or any other frozen ball-shaped water substance put into a cone or cup with syrup poured on it. The texture of a New Orelans snowball is nearly impossible to describe as it’s just too divine. Also, you can get condensed milk on your snowball which is, obviously, total heaven. There is much debate about who makes the best snowball in the city but Hansen’s has been doing it for 74 years, is still run by the same family and makes all their own syrups, so get in line.

Do

Ogden Museum of Southern Art

The largest collection of American southern art in the world it’s a really fantastic museum that has a stellar permanent collection as well as wonderful temporary shows.

National World War II Museum

Short of visiting the D-day landing beaches of Normandy, this is the place to visit for a full view of the war.

Magazine St.

Stretching from almost downtown to through the garden district this street has a shop for almost everyone. 

New Orleans Pharmacy Museum

Established in 1823 by America’s first licensed pharmacist and now a museum that’s like a step back in time. 

Tipitina’s

Certainly not as famous as another popular music venue in town, yet also very important to the musical landscape of New Orleans. A great place to see your next favorite band.

Save Our Cemeteries

Intriguing, beautiful and possibly haunted, many of the cemeteries are not open to casual visitors. You can, however take a tour with this organization and not only get to see the tombs up close but even learn a little something. 

 

Photo Credits:

1. Morgan Ennis 2. Tom Barnes 3. Danny Keaton 4. Michael Siu 5. Jason Perlow 6. curtesy of District Donuts 7. Mark Shands 8. Jablow via flickr 9. curtesy of Arnaud’s 10. curtesy of Experience LA 11. Morgan Ennis 12. Exit Lines via flickr 13. Willo O’Brien 14. curtesy of Southern Foodways Alliance 15. Kit Hancock 16. Charlotte Cox 17. Wendy Rodrigue 18. curtesy of NY Times 19. Avenue Inn B&B 20. Educational Tours 21. mdub70 via flickr 22. curtesy of Times-Picayune