At a time when the downtowns of cities across the United States, one after the other, are coming back to life in the image of Brooklyn, New Orleans has accomplished what would seem impossible—forging ahead with its own identity, its own aesthetic, its own cuisine, its own music. Turn one corner and run straight into a brass band, turn another and take in a streetscape of cascading flowers and wrought-iron balconies. Walk inside a restaurant for increasingly contemporary takes on creole cuisine, or a bar that’s never even heard of reclaimed wood. Being in New Orleans cannot be mistaken for being anywhere else, and even if you’re not walking around on Bourbon Street with a hurricane, the effect is intoxicating.
During my time there, I was lucky to be introduced to Annie Irvin, a New Orleans native and executive director of the Beauregard-Keyes House and Garden Museum in the French Quarter. Her additions to this guide bring an insider’s edge that lets a visitor go deep into the singular experience that is New Orleans–the history, the music, the architecture, the food, and the fun. -ss
Words by Annie Irvin and Sarah Stodola. Photos by Sarah Stodola.
Coffee/Breakfast:
STUMPTOWN | If you only go for the spectacular light fixture, no judgment. But the coffee and kombucha are worth your time, too, and you can sit in the connected Ace Hotel’s lobby. 610 Carondelet Street | Warehouse District
BACKATOWN COFFEE PARLOUR | Just outside the French Quarter, a coffee shop that feels distinctly local, with space to spread out and really get down to work, or take to the couches for a lazier morning. 301 Basin Street | Iberville
THE STATION | The owners converted a long-abandoned gas station into an airy, friendly coffee shop and bakery, a stop at which is always a good decision. 4400 Bienville Street | Mid City
HIVOLT | This is where you go if you want to find young, artistic types staring at laptops. Great coffee, strong muffin game, and delicious breakfast sandwiches and bowls. 1829 Sophie Wright Place | Lower Garden District
PAGODA CAFÉ | Tiny spot with breakfast tacos so good, I’ve never ordered anything else there. Other draws: outdoor seating and delicious coffee. Go early—the line forms by 9:30am. 1430 North Dorgenois Street | Mid-City
MAMMOTH ESPRESSO | This small spot is delicious and inviting, yet never super-crowded and an easy stop if you’re staying in the CBD at the Ace or Nospi, especially. 821 Baronne Street | Warehouse District
Treats:
THE VINTAGE | A newly opened instant classic, willing to be whatever you want it to be—bar, coffee shop, or beignet destination—in a setting of deep velvet and lush quirkiness. 3121 Magazine Street | Garden District
CAFÉ DU MONDE | If I can get past how touristy it is, anyone can. The beignets are just as divine as they must have been in the 19th century, when the place opened. A national treasure. 800 Decatur Street | The French Quarter
DRIP AFFOGATO BAR | I’ve always thought the Italian affogato—espresso poured over ice cream—a delight worthy of its own café, and New Orleans has finally done it, in a great, light-filled corner spot. 703 Carondelet Street | Warehouse District
CREOLE CREAMERY | Uptown ice cream shop that specializes in locally inspired flavors as well as the classics. The menu changes by season. (Get the Black and Gold Crunch during football season.) 4924 Prytania Street | Uptown
DISTRICT DONUTS | We passed on a wedding cake to serve District Donuts at our reception. The menu changes every day (check Instagram for current), but everything is decadent and delicious and unique. 2209 Magazine Street | Uptown[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Art and Museums:
FRANK RELLE PHOTOGRAPHY | Relle photographs New Orleans and the area around it at night using sophisticated lighting and long exposures. The results perfectly encapsulate the eerie corners of the bayou. 910 Royal Street | The French Quarter
NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART | A well curated city art museum on a digestible scale. Don’t miss the outdoor sculpture garden if the heat isn’t paralyzing. 1 Collins Diboll Circle | City Park
FRENCH QUARTER MUSEUM ASSOCIATION | A newly opened visitors center at the Historic New Orleans Collection highlights seven French Quarter museums, from historic houses to the Jazz and Pharmacy Museums. 533 Royal Street | The French Quarter
LOUISIANA CHILDREN’S MUSEUM | I love any excuse to go to this museum as it prepares a new campus at City Park, where the concept will be the same, if not cooler. 420 Julia Street | The Warehouse District
WHITNEY PLANTATION MUSEUM | Outside the city but worth the trip, this is one of the first museums/memorials in the South to offer an honest look at African American and enslaved people’s history. 5099 Highway 18 | Wallace, Louisiana
Shopping:
FAULKNER HOUSE BOOKS | On the first floor of a house where William Faulkner once lived, this tiny, perfect bookstore defies its size by offering up a seriously robust collection of interesting literature. 624 Pirate Alley | The French Quarter
BAMBI DEVILLE VINTAGE | Browse for hours and just try not to walk out of here with a piece that has stood the test of time—I scored the two best vintage hats of my life. 818 Royal Street | French Quarter
SAINT CLAUDE SOCIAL CLUB | At a time when so many indie clothing shops seem to sell the same stuff, this one stands out with its eclectic, New Orleans-centric inventory. Pops of color everywhere. 1933 Sophie Wright Place | Lower Garden District
JAMES H. COHEN & SONS | The collection of old southern currencies for sale here—from the Mississippi Central Railroad, the State of Louisiana, and the Confederacy—are riveting, as long as you don’t think too hard about who might be the market for them. 437 Royal Street | French Quarter
KAY’S BOUTIQUE | A shop that caters to all shapes and sizes, featuring West Coast-inspired street styles and probably the only place in New Orleans with such an assortment of fringe, sequins, and feathers. 5419 Magazine Street | Uptown
Eats:
JACK ROSE | This lush space in the Pontchartrain Hotel feels like the version of New Orleans you might find in Alice’s Wonderland. Don’t miss the locally famous Ashley Longshore painting of Lil Wayne. 2031 St. Charles Avenue | Lower Garden District
LA PETITE GROCERY | Like so many places in New Orleans, this is a neighborhood spot that elaborates on the concept. The food brings creole cuisine into the 21st century, maybe even the 22nd. 4238 Magazine Street | The Garden District READ FULL REVIEW
NAPOLEON HOUSE | A century-old restaurant and bar in a two-century old building, and it looks the part. The food is solid, the music is classical, the space is magical. 500 Chartres Street | The French Quarter
MANOLITO | Bi-level—yet still tiny, yet totally spacious enough—Cuban spot in the French Quarter that the locals love. I had a fab frozen daquiri and a couple satisfying dishes during my visit. 508 Dumaine Street | The French Quarter
CLANCY’S | Up there with like an Antoine’s and Galatoire’s, but all the way uptown, which keeps it kind of a secret. Traditional Creole food and a very typical New Orleans dining experience (like plan to spend at least a couple of hours there). 6100 Annunciation Street | Uptown
Cocktails and Bars:
FRENCH 75 | Straight up elegance a few steps and a world apart from the chaos of Bourbon Street. The bartenders know their way around a classic cocktail—might as well order that French 75. 813 Bienville Street | French Quarter
HOT TIN | Atop the Pontchartrain Hotel, with sweeping views of New Orleans. It gets crowded, but if you come early you’ll be rewarded. 2031 St. Charles Avenue | Lower Garden District
LAFITTE’S BLACKSMITH SHOP | On the quieter end of Bourbon Street and housed in an 18th century building, this place is just a good bar, plain and simple. 941 Bourbon Street | The French Quarter
TWELVE MILE LIMIT | A quintessential New Orleans neighborhood bar, of the kind you have to leave the French Quarter to find. They also served me a mean avocado toast. 500 S Telemachus Street | Mid-City
BOMBAY CLUB | A dark, lovely little secret under the Prince Conti Hotel. The menu is long and fun to look through. I feel like I’m in a mafia bar in Chicago every time I go. Great bar snacks, too. 830 Conti Street | The French Quarter
BEACHBUM BERRY’S LATTITUDE 29 | My first-ever foray into tiki drinks that rise to the level of craft cocktail, served in a friendly space that in no way feels touristy. 321 N Peters Street | The French Quarter
Hotels:
THE ACE HOTEL | It’s a scene, yes, but mostly a good one, set against the Ace aesthetic we are all largely familiar with by now. The huge rooms make for a perfect respite from said scene. 600 Carondelet Street | The Warehouse District READ FULL REVIEW
THE PONTCHARTRAIN HOTEL | A full renovation two years ago reintroduced the glory of this historic hotel. The rooms are good, but the restaurants and bars are magnificent. 2031 St. Charles Avenue | Lower Garden District
CATAHOULA HOTEL | Awesome space right in the middle of the Warehouse District. Great location, but you’d have fun even if you spend the whole weekend in the bar, rooftop, and courtyard. 914 Union Street | The Warehouse District
NOPSI HOTEL | Friends have stayed here and really liked it. The restaurant and bar are great it’s perfect for a drink before heading to the Saenger, Joy, or Civic for a show. 317 Baronne Street | Central Business District
Music:
SPOTTED CAT MUSIC CLUB | As Frenchmen Street increasingly becomes a place for tourists over locals, this little spot remains laidback and a stage for the most New Orleans of New Orleans musicians. 623 Frenchmen Street | The French Quarter
BACCHANAL | At the far end of the Bywater neighborhood, this mostly outdoor spot is an open secret for good food, great wine, and even better live music nightly. 600 Poland Avenue | The Ninth Ward
GASA GASA | Near Tulane and caters to a younger crowd, but also brings in a lot of cool local and traveling acts. The space is tiny and the bar is simple. 4920 Freret Sreet | Uptown
MAPLE LEAF | There’s a reason everyone brings their visitors here, with its standing shows from local acts like Rebirth Brass Band and George Porter. 8316 Oak Street | Uptown
THREE KEYS | In the Ace Hotel but hosting a thoroughly local lineup, plus I’ve seen some cool Cuban music there and a couple of good DJs. 600 Carondelet Street | The Warehouse District
Only in New Orleans:
FIFI MAHONEY’S | Part salon, part costume shop—You can get the best wigs in town here and they’ll style you on site. I make an annual pre-Mardi pilgrimage here. 934 Royal Street | French Quarter
THE COUNTRY CLUB | A pool and decadent scene that you can pay a daily rate to partake in. Don’t miss the weekly drag brunch. 634 Louisa Street | Bywater Neighborhood
CHRIS OWENS | Chris Owens is pushing 90 and still puts on a variety show at her club every night. It’s very participatory—I think everyone in the audience is brought on stage at some point. 500 Bourbon Street | French Quarter
