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OT NOLA

MissK03's picture

Submitted by MissK03 on Tue, 04/11/2023 - 4:06pm

I know (from reading) a bunch of you have been there. We are going next month! It's one of my friends fav places so we booked in a specific area and I have certain tips from her. It will be our first time. 

Looking for fav places for food drinks etc. Going for 3 nights and  luckily getting there early 10am our first day.  Thanks! 

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Noway2b1's picture

Submitted by Noway2b1 on Tue, 04/11/2023 - 9:42pm

There are a couple locations. I'll be there this November and looking forward to it! 

grannyd's picture

Submitted by grannyd on Tue, 04/11/2023 - 6:51pm

Beignets with powdered sugar and chicory coffee at Café Du Monde (Decatur St, in the French Market) are an absolute must! You’ll be coated in white debris but soooo worth the mess! Blum 3

ndc's picture

Submitted by ndc on Tue, 04/11/2023 - 7:22pm

Oooh, yes!  Cafe Beignet on Royal Street is good, too.  I of course had to have beignets at both!

TrueNorth77's picture

Submitted by TrueNorth77 on Thu, 04/13/2023 - 11:33am

I actually prefer Cafe Beignet to Cafe du Monde- no huge crowds (Cafe du Monde always has a huge line), and the beignets are just as good! We actually go to the Cafe Beignet on Bourbon street because it has a lovely outdoor courtyard that you can always find seating at, and they almost always have a live jazz band playing. It's a great place to go for breakfast and hang out and listen to live music for a while. 

Rumplestiltskin's picture

Submitted by Rumplestiltskin on Thu, 04/13/2023 - 11:50am

I also prefer it. Cafe Du Monde is more iconic and historical but the lines and everything make it less of a comfortable experience than Cafe Beignet. As far as restaurants, there are some really good pricey ones, if you're into that. Galatoire's and Antoine's come to mind. I've never taken a bus or walking tour but that sounds really cool.

Also I've never been to the Preservation Hall jazz club but that is supposed to be really cool. One of my daughter's music teachers used to be big into the New Orleans jazz scene and some of her family members are still musicians there and they said that there are often celebrities in the audience. You have to have a reservation and you can make them online. I never could make the timing work. 

TrueNorth77's picture

Submitted by TrueNorth77 on Thu, 04/13/2023 - 12:03pm

Yes! I have never been either, but Taylor Swift was at the Preservation Hall jazz club the last time we were in NOLA (in Nov). No one really noticed her because they were watching the music and didn't expect to see her, which is pretty cool. 

MissK03's picture

Submitted by MissK03 on Thu, 04/13/2023 - 1:22pm

We aren't super fancy but I'll check them out. The musical hall is definitely 'my kind of scene! 

Exjuliemccoy's picture

Submitted by Exjuliemccoy on Tue, 04/11/2023 - 7:50pm

Willie Mae's in the Treme for the best fried chicken.

Mother's on Poydras (We go there immediately after checking into our hotel)

Coop's Place on Decatur (Great food after bar hopping)

Acme Oyster House

The Camelia Grill for breakfast

Garden District for beautiful historic homes

I second Ruby Slipper and Cafe du Monde as well. NOLA has great museums, too - we especially liked the WWII one. Be sure to see both St Louis cemeteries (exquisite sculptures), but only in a tour group as muggings happen in the maze of graves and the guides have so many great backstories. Ride the trolley. There are lots of walking tour companies, and a bus tour is great, too. Plan on walking a ton, don't waste money in the thousand souvenir shops, and keep your wits about you. NOLA is a high crime city, so don't venture outside the Vieux Carre on foot at night.

Oh, and enjoy the bathrooms. Given the age of the buildings, you may find yourself in a stall the size of a small broom closet under a staircase, but it's all part of the charm.

MissK03's picture

Submitted by MissK03 on Tue, 04/11/2023 - 7:54pm

I told SO we have to do the cemeteries. Good to know via tour guide. I'd just go in being me. I don't normally fall victim to souvenir shops haha. Thanks for the ideas! 

TrueNorth77's picture

Submitted by TrueNorth77 on Thu, 04/13/2023 - 11:49am

We are not tour people, we like to do our own thing. We always just walk in the cemeteries and walk around on our own. I'm sure we're missing out on a lot of info, but we get bored easily on tours. lol.  

ESMOD's picture

Submitted by ESMOD on Wed, 04/12/2023 - 5:30am

We were there for my ysd's wedding about a year ago.. there is a lot of walking.. so have comfortable shoes.. and the "aroma" in the morniing is interesting lol.  Also, if you are not from a city area.. there is a fair amount of big city issues to deal with.. don't leave your things unattended.. don't leave things in cars where people would see and want to break in.. be mindful of your surroundings etc..

halo1998's picture

Submitted by halo1998 on Wed, 04/12/2023 - 6:33am

We did a tour of the Garden District..highly reccomend and the Ghost Tour...also reccomend.

Lafayette's, Blacksmith shop (its a Bar)..

Cafe Du Monde

Jackson Square...

 

Merry's picture

Submitted by Merry on Wed, 04/12/2023 - 8:49am

Court of Two Sisters has a fabulous brunch.

Magazine Street is a fun place to walk and shop and eat that isn't so touristy. (It's New Orleans -- eat.)

 

TrueNorth77's picture

Submitted by TrueNorth77 on Thu, 04/13/2023 - 11:34am

I second the brunch there. SO many options and a really pretty outdoor courtyard. You need to make reservations in advance usually.

notarelative's picture

Submitted by notarelative on Wed, 04/12/2023 - 9:22am

Marci Gras World -- see floats from previous years and learn how they are made.

Have a drink at the carousel bar

And echoing some responses

Court of Two Sisters --- make reservations and sit in the courtyard

WW2 museum -- lines to get in can be long. We wished we had prebooked.

cemeteries -- definitely do a tour. We learned so much.

thinkthrice's picture

Submitted by thinkthrice on Wed, 04/12/2023 - 10:37am

Drink:  Pimm's cup at the Hotel Monteleone's carousel bar....tip:  arrive around 10:45 a.m. just before they open at 11 a.m.

Commander's palace

Walking ghost tours.

 

Ispofacto's picture

Submitted by Ispofacto on Wed, 04/12/2023 - 3:57pm

I have not been there but DD33 went with xH and the pics of the Tree Of Life were impressive.

 

TrueNorth77's picture

Submitted by TrueNorth77 on Thu, 04/13/2023 - 11:47am

Every trip I have to go to Felix's for Chargrilled Oysters, twice. Acme Oyster house is another spot that has them, but Felix's is usually less busy and the Chargrilled Oysters are equally delicious. It's right across the street from Acme.

Mr. Ed's Oyster bar on Bienville St. is also one of our favorites for seafood. A local recommended it and we always make sure to stop. 

Jacques-Imo's has fantastic fried chicken and....crawfish cheesecake! It sounds awful but it's a savory dish (not sweet at all) and absolutely delicous. We got it as an app and I would have eaten it for my dinner. Another place locals go. 

Oh. And if you have time...you MUST do an airboat swamp tour! In a smaller boat (around 6 people), not the big ones. It was such a blast and you can see aligators and the swamps. Really cool, we liked it way more than we expected and would easily go again. 

We got engaged in NOLA and go there often, I absolutely love it. I hope you have a fantastic time!