A Guide to New Orleans

New Orleans Guide – Planning Your Trip

If you’re in your twenties, it’s highly likely you’ve already been to New Orleans, or you’ll go in the next few years.  It’s a mecca of bachelor/bachelorette parties, weekend getaways, and birthday celebrations. If you haven’t been yet, don’t worry, your time to drink ridiculously sugary, tall, frozen drinks while walking along Bourbon Street next to vomitting bride-to-be’s will come.

As with most big cities, there’s a whole other side to The Big Easy. With a rich history of Spanish, French, Creole, and Cajun influences, you can feel it all through the locals and the food. My most recent trip to Nola was for a bachelorette party, and one of the bridesmaids went to Tulane.  She gave us a huge list of “off the beaten path” options, delicious restaurants to choose from, and insider tips – luckily you can read them in this New Orleans guide now too!

Where to Stay

I really enjoyed staying near Magazine street, it’s a short cab ride to the French Quarter or Frenchman St, and it’s within walking distance to shopping, delicious restaurants, and really fun bars.  I’ve stayed near Fairgrounds, which was nice and quiet, but not my first choice. Of course you can stay in the French Quarter or Frenchman St, but you’ll be going there anyway, so you might as well diversify the areas you see.

What to Do during the Day

• Take the streetcar uptown to the fly, which is an open area on the Mississippi River that’s gorgeous at sunset.  Get crawfish from Big Fisherman’s first, as well as some good ole Abita beer.
• Try some brews at NOLA Brewery on Tchopitoulas street, it’s super relaxing and has really good BBQ.  Also, there’s free beer from 2-3pm every Friday!
• Relax at City Park, bring some St. James Cheese Company sandwiches and head down to mid city to enjoy the park, it’s giant and beautiful.
• Walk around Jackson Square to see beautiful artwork, street performers, and then take a walk along the water.
• Visit a plantation, such as Oak Valley – Louisiana has historic & well preserved plantations to tour and get a bit more history on the state and New Orleans.
• Go on an airboat swamp tour to see some alligators and experience how the locals interact with them
  

• See live music every Thursday at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art
• Experience a graveyard tour
• Head on over to the business district and check out the WWII museum, which has won awards for it’s exhibit
• Visit Aududon Zoo/Park/Aquarium to see all sorts of wildlife
• Stroll around French market for local products
  

Where to Drink

Bourbon Street is the most popular and well known going-out spot in New Orleans, and for a good reason.  It’s similar to Austin’s 6th Street & Nashville’s Broadway Street.

• Bull dog – A fun outdoor/indoor bar on Magazine St, their water fountain is a bunch of beer taps. On Wednesday’s you can bring home their custom glasses with witty sayings on them.
• Lafittes Blacksmith Shop – One of the oldest bars in Nola, located on Bourbon Street in the most Northeastern part of the French Quarter, with a great piano bar
• Oz – A gay bar on Bourbon Street which is fun during all parades
• Napoleon’s itch – A bar on Bourbon Street known for the “Best mojitos on bourbon,” which is true, so grab a mojito here and keep walking
• Cat’s Meow – End your night at this karaoke bar on Bourbon Street Karaoke
• Pat O’briens – A NOLA must, their drinks are terrible though. A hurricane will get you super drunk but tastes like the grossest candy ever
• Hotel Monteleone Carousal Bar – This is in between the CBD (central business district) and the French Quarter, the bar literally turns like a slow carousel

Where to Listen to Live Music

• Piano bars – Lafittes or Pat O’Briens, both on Bourbon Street
• Anywhere on Frenchman Street:
  • Spotted cat
  • Blue Nile- pretty incredible place
  • Maison
  • Rare form- more folky kinda, really great outdoor area
• Maple Street Bar –  Located uptown, Rebirth Brass Band plays here a lot on Tuesdays, they’re one of NOLA’s greatest bands
• Tipitinas – Here you can listen to everything from jazz to electronica; it’s a music venue, you often have to buy tickets (can buy at the door), it’s located in-between uptown and garden district
• House of Blues – This bar’s located downtown, has a fantastic stage, and southern dishes to feast on
• The Howlin’ Wolf – Located downtown, low key concert venue

Where to eat (restaurants)

• Luke – creole/cajun, must try the charbroiled oysters, Downtown $$$$
• Emeril’s – a classic New Orleans place to eat, pretty famous for their chicken and waffles. It’s giant, do split., Downtown $$$
• Patois – Italian meets cajun, my favorite neighborhood restaurant in the city, great service and atmosphere, West Riverside $$$
• Atchafalaya – very good, brunch spot too, Uptown $$$
• La Petite Grocery – Not a grocery store, try blue crab beignet fritters, Magazine Street $$$
• Ba Chi Canteen – BYOB, great vietnamese bacos, Uptown $
• Johnny Sanchez – Latin food, Downtown $$
• Baru – Tapas, Uptown $$
• Lily’s – Vietnamese, great pho & spring rolls, Uptown $
• Origami – Sushi, get the tuna poke salad, Uptown $$

Where to eat (quick bites)

• Big Fisherman’s – Looks like a hole in the wall, has incredible crawfish, located on Magazine St right next to the Bull Dog
  
• Company burger – To quote a local, “best burger anywhere.” They have an entire mayo bar with artisan mayonnaise; located Uptown and in the French Quarter
• Dat dog –  Get the Guinness dog with crawfish etouffe; located Uptown and on Frenchman St
• Port of Call – Great hamburgers & strong drinks
• Central Grocery – Best muffulettas and they’re HUGE
• Mike Serio’s Po-Boys -The go to spot for po’ boys, get it fully dressed
• Mother’s – Get breakfast here, there’s great soul food and good bloody mary’s
• Cafe du Monde – Very popular with long lines, but the beignets are amazing and it’s right in Jackson Square

Where to eat (brunch)

• St. Roch market – An upscale, hipstery, but not expensive, place to get whatever your heart desires. get the fully loaded toast or the Thai cauliflower salad from one of the stalls. Great place if people are in the mood for different things.  Lots of options here – Vietnamese, po’ boys, creole cajun classics (gumbo jambalaya), Mexican, healthy fusion, etc,
• Country Club New Orleans’ Drag Brunch – This has to be booked super duper in advance, and only happens Saturday mornings
• Appolline – Bottomless bloody mary’s and mimosas, along with really good creole
• Toast – Uptown, BYOB, really good savory and sweet crepes and beignet type treats
• Pagoda – Hipster central, and hipsters know good food; located in Mid-city, usually out of the way of tourists
• Surrey’s – Located on Magazine St/Uptown and always has a long line so put down your name and walk around.  Once you’re seated, get the bananas foster french toast.

Do you have anything to add to the list? I’d love to hear in the comments!

Looking for another city for a bachelor/bachelorette party or perhaps just a lively weekend away? I’d recommend Austin, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Nashville, Denver, or Key West!