The Best of New Orleans
Recently Broad was in New Orleans (NOLA) for our friend Nicolette’s bachelorette weekend. Our first trip to NOLA was two years ago for a friend’s wedding. Instead of recapping one of the trips, we decided we wanted to do a “best of” post about our favorite places in the city. We stayed at a cute hotel right outside the French Quarter (unfortunately we can’t remember the name) for our first trip. Broad stayed right at Bourbon Street for this second time. Personally we would prefer to stay near the French Quarter, but if you’re into partying all day and all night then definitely stay closer to Bourbon street.
Bloody Marys
Ok, this isn’t a place but it’s a PSA to say, get all the bloodies you can in NOLA! Not from one specific place, all of the places! Everyone puts these spicy pickled green beans and sometimes pickled okra in them and they are the best. The mix is just better too (it could be bottled but we don’t care, it’s amazing). Trust us, just order bloodies. You’ll thank us later.
Café du Monde
You might be thinking this place is a tourist trap or the beignets are overrated but you are completely wrong. Ok, there will be lots of tourists, but it’s for good reason. This is a must for anyone traveling to NOLA. We recommend going there first on your trip. It’s in a fantastic area and it’s worth the wait. There’s always a line to sit in the open air cafe or even for take out, but both move quickly. Also, the powdered sugar will get everywhere so use caution and don’t wear black!
Bourbon Street
Bourbon street is the party mecca of the USA. You can literally find anything: jazz clubs, karaoke bars, burlesque shows (or strip clubs), pit stops for frozen cocktails in to-go cups (remember, you can drink on the streets), restaurants (there are some good food places on the block), anything. Grab a hand grenade or a shark attack (fun but deadly drinks), ride a mechanical bull or visit the world’s oldest bar. We prefer to visit Bourbon Street during the day when it’s slightly less crazy, but you’re guaranteed a pretty crazy time whenever you go.
Commander’s Palace
Broad went here with the ladies and oh man, it was quite the experience. Located in the Garden District, the restaurant is huge, gorgeous and fancy (there is a dress code). They are known for their “haute creole cuisine” and their infamous 25 cent martini’s. Yes, you read that correctly. With the purchase of an entree you can order up to three 25 cent martinis, which is exactly what each of us did. The food was phenomenal, so so so good, and the drinks were delicious. The staff was also fun and really polite, even with us crazy girls there for a bachelorette party. It was a great environment.
Garden District
This is where all the big, gorgeous fancy houses are located (think celebrities). It’s also home to the Leafy Lafayette Cemetery, spooky ghost tours, Magazine Street, delicious restaurants and good beer. We suggest that after brunch at Commander’s Palace, you pick up some coffee and just walk around the area. There is no shortage of beautiful architecture, cafes and shops.
Stanley
We randomly found Stanley while walking around Jackson Square. It’s an unassuming, airy cafe with a menu full of modern Louisiana cuisine and they serve all day breakfast. The item on the menu that stood out and was absolutely delicious was the Eggs Stanley (eggs benedict with fried oysters!) Beard still talks about it to this day, probably one of the best breakfasts he’s ever had.
NOLA Brewing
When you think New Orleans beer, most people think Abita and honestly, we did too before we visited. One of our favorite beer stops is NOLA Brewing. It’s located in/close to the Garden District. They have a large taproom, delicious food and a wide array of delicious beers to choose from. They also have a large outdoor patio located on the second floor where you can sip your beer in the hot southern sun. When Broad went with the ladies, she had a flight of sours and they were all great.
Frenchman Street
Slightly less crazy than Bourbon Street, Frenchman Street is equally as fun. It’s full of bars with either live bands or jazz music. The crowd is a little less crazy with people preferring to hear some hot jams rather than drinking until they throw up in the street. The locals prefer this area over Bourbon, for obvious reasons.
The Country Club
The Country Club is located in the charming, historic Bywater neighborhood. The club includes a renovated restaurant and bar, and a separate pool area with a poolside bar and outdoor kitchen. We went for the famous Drag Queen Brunch. They had three performers, each performing 3 songs while we ate our brunch and drank the $18 bottomless mimosas. We didn’t have to worry about our glasses being empty at all, the staff was constantly running around making sure we were always filled to the top. The performances were fabulous and the food was phenomenal. We highly recommend this, especially if you’re there for a bachelorette party.
Luke
We had to have oysters when we visited NOLA for the first time. On our friend’s wedding day (Broad was in the wedding) we had time between the ceremony and reception and decided to head to Luke to grab oysters, and we just made happy hour!. We ended up getting two dozen and scarfed them down in our wedding attire. They were some of the best oysters we’ve ever had. We would love to go back and eat more food there!
Pat O’Brien’s
When thinking of New Orleans and booze most people think of Hurricanes.You absolutely need to have at least one and you must go to Pat O’Brien’s for it. In addition to Hurricanes, they have an assortment of fun, fruity cocktails to choose from. The bar is huge and it has an awesome patio with an outdoor bar too.
Carousel Bar
Located in the Hotel Monteleone, the famous Carousel Bar is a must-see stop for a drink or two. Sit down on one of the 25 seats around the whimsical, revolving bar and order a local cocktail or a classic drink. You don’t have to be a hotel guest to enjoy the bar..
Po’ Boys
This is an absolute must. The po’ boy is a traditional Louisiana sandwich that consists of meat or fried seafood such as includes shrimp, crawfish, oysters and crab. The bread is the best part. Its a baguette style French bread with a crisp crust and fluffy center. Our favorite spot for po’ boys is Mother’s Restaurant. It’s definitely worth the wait!
New Orleans is an incredibly unique city, unlike any other place we’ve been to in the United States. Plentiful drinks, amazing food, and people that have a great passion for their history and culture. From the craziness on Bourbon street to the fancy shops in the Garden District, it has something for everyone. We highly recommend making a visit and checking out the places on our list, and discovering some new favorites on your own!
Looks like a fun trip. Love the pictures as well. Now I need to put New Orleans in my travel bucket list!
THis has me so excited for my trip! Bookmarking this list.
We went to NOLA earlier this year for a friend’s wedding, & Mike had never been. Now he’s dying to go back!