Set in a historic 19th-century compound that once consisted of a church, rectory, schoolhouse, and convent, the 71-room hotel has a refreshing grown-up vibe that feels different. Rooms are decorated with gingham fabric in rich hues of red, blue, green, and yellow (a palette of colors derived from 14th-18th century religious paintings); baroque-style wood furnishings; and simple white linens.
2317 Burgundy St.
Marigny
New Orleans, LA 70117
+1-504-356-5200
One of the longest continuing music clubs in New Orleans. Unannounced sit-ins are not uncommon; Bruce Springsteen once dropped in to jam with The Iguanas.
8316 Oak St.
Carrollton Historic District
New Orleans, LA 70118
+1-504-866-9359
Something old, something new: A bowling alley and music club all in one.
3016 S Carrollton Ave.
Holly Grove
New Orleans, LA 70118
A popular Warehouse District club with a high-velocity of rock bands, blues and jazz. Spacious with cold A/C for those hot and steamy NOLA nights.
907 S. St. Peters St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
+1-504-522-9653
A design-y two-bedroom apartment oasis for out-of-towners. Each room is furnished with a mix of antique and contemporary pieces from New Orleans and the living room is a stately scene for an evening Sazerac. It's cozy and tucked away Airbnb-style, which means you won't get the address until you book.
Marigny
New Orleans, LA
Inspired by classic Garden District homes, guest rooms are painted mint green to mimic the Spanish moss-laden oak trees of the South and have homey details like flowered fabrics and layered Moroccan rugs. Plus a rooftop bar and lounge with 270-degree views of the Mississippi River and downtown New Orleans with the look and feel of a 1940s artist's loft.
2031 St Charles Ave.
Garden District
New Orleans, LA 70130
+1-504-941-9000
The indie hotel brand's newest 234-room outpost is designed with New Orleans' romantic history in mind, using a dark and moody palette and bespoke furnishings. Plus a two-level music venue tucked behind the hotel lobby that hosts salon-style gatherings, drag and burlesque shows, and live music and DJ performances.
600 Carondelet St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
+1-504-900-1180
Old-world elegance merges with Southern hospitality and contemporary design at the eighteen-bedroom boutique hotel. Read our full review here.
2041 Prytania St.
Garden District
New Orleans, LA 70130
+1-504-313-1577
A timeless local music institution who's famously hosted The Goo Goo Dolls, Patti Smith, Willie Nelson and many other unforgettable musicians on tour throughout the Big Easy.
501 Napoleon Ave.
East Riverside
New Orleans, LA 70115
Bubbles and bites. An elegant champagne bar in the French Quarter to get the day or night started.
1036 North Rampart St.
French Quarter
New Orleans, LA 70116
+1-504-509-7644
A speakeasy living-room style bar in the 7th ward who's mission is to serve the best whiskey and cigars in the city. Simple as that.
2513 Bayou Rd.
New Orleans, LA 70119
+1-504-444-8454
Local Funky split level bar for different moods: The relaxed downstairs with pool tables and an upstairs for dancing and jazz. Live music seven nights a week plus incredible late-night Spanish tapas to keep you going all night.
2601 Royal St.
Marigny
New Orleans, LA 70117
A required stop for serious cocktail enthusiasts. Every detail in their cocktail crafting process is a work of art and you'll know from the very first sip of their classic French 75, made with cognac instead of gin.
813 Rue Bienville
French Quarter
New Orleans, LA 70112
+1-504-523-5433
Inside the newly opened Peter and Paul Hotel is the talk-of-the-town bar (from the same people behind wine-hang Bacchanal) serving part French, part Southern small plates with an antique decor that you'll want to extend your aperitif-o-clock to all day.
2317 Burgundy St.
Faubourg Marigny
New Orleans, LA 70117
Everyone in New Orleans has a favorite spot for Po' Boys; it's right up there with choosing a favorite sports team. It is your civic duty to sample as many as you can while in town, but just be sure to start at Parkway Tavern. They have been serving their "Poor Boys" since 1929 and are still going strong.
538 Hagan Ave.
Mid City
New Orleans, LA 70119
The mantra: Rosé all day. And this little wine and cheese shop has an extensive selection. Take yours out back to the private courtyard and enjoy live music (seven nights a week).
600 Poland Ave.
Bywater
New Orleans, LA 70117
+1-504-948-9111
There is a carousel — complete with carnival lights on the cresting — rotating ever so slowly in a counter-clockwise fashion around two bartenders and their top-shelf liquors. Stools act as chariots. Sidle up and take a spin. Things really get interesting after a few gin cocktails.
Hotel Monteleone
214 Royal St.
French Quarter
New Orleans, LA 70130
+1-504-523-3341
Teetering on the edge of the French Quarter (on a nondescript street behind a nondescript door) is a fine drinking establishment for modern cocktail enthusiasts. Drinks are made with more than TLC: Fresh juices, homemade tinctures, and rare liquors go into every concoction.
820 N. Rampart St.
French Quarter
New Orleans, LA
+1-504-324-6045
Tiny and old-timey. There's a piano in the ladies room. Often a motley crew playing classic, lo-fi swing and a great medley of spirituals to get the crowd moving.
623 Frenchmen St.
Faubourg Marigny
New Orleans, Louisiana 70116
It's like going to church! A tiny wooden box with a few benches or cushions on the floor. No booze, and you can bring your kids. Praise to Dixieland. These guys are super tight and slay it every set.
726 St Peter St.
French Quarter
New Orleans, LA 70116
+1-504-522-2841
A divey, boozy spot for live music (jazz, Dixieland, zydeco) and real good beer.
618 Frenchmen St.
Faubourg Marigny
New Orleans, LA 70116
+1-504-942-3731
A very classy, Mad Men-style living room setting for polished cocktails and conversation. What's not to love about a snack menu divided into Fried, Sliced Meats, and Sweets?
3641 Magazine St.
Uptown
New Orleans, LA 70115
+1-504-891-1810
The "proto tiki" bar is all about classy daquiris, gin with coconut water, and the Boss Colada. An excellent Caribbean-inspired menu (peas and rice, grilled yardbird) can be served to you at the rustic bar or at tables in the airy courtyard out back.
1113 Decatur St.
French Quarter
New Orleans, LA 70116
+1-504-581-1112
A classic dive bar and headquarters of awesome sandwich operation Killer Poboys. French bread is stuffed with meat and veggies and other stuff that can soak up all the booze.
811 Conti St.
French Quarter
New Orleans, LA 70112
+1-504-522-3573
Familiarize yourself with the house rules (no baseball caps or shorts, boys) before heading over to this schmancy cocktail bar on a happening little strip Uptown. The space, a reclaimed firehouse, is spacious and sharp. Small plates are carefully prepared and served late.
4905 Freret St.
Uptown
New Orleans, LA 70115
The offerings in the bakery up front give king cakes around the city a run for their money. The other baked goods put a modern spin on Southern delicacies: housemade biscuits and Hawaiian rolls, sweet potato casserole, pot pies, buttermilk panna cotta, monkey bread, and more. A full restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner can be found in the back.
611 O'Keefe Ave.
Central Business District
New Orleans, LA 70113
+1-504-509-7334
Pick up a croissant or an iced latte and marvel at the delicious treats on display. Those dessert cases were shipped over straight from France. The lunch menu offers sophisticated bistro classics. The space is bright and white, with pretty French blue chairs that summon the Riviera.
4600 Magazine St.
Uptown
New Orleans, LA 70115
+1-504-269-3777
Look out for a strange-looking building with a blue roof. Mosey inside for French Press, V60, Chemex, or any other fancy coffee drinks you can muster, and do not sleep on the range of beautiful pastries and baked goods (coffee cakes, breakfast kolaches, biscuits, and sausage rolls).
4400 Bienville Ave.
Mid City
New Orleans, LA 70119
+1-504-309-4548
A teenie-weenie Third Wave espresso joint perfect for to-go lattes and post-drinking, pour-over perfection.
627 St. Peter St.
French Quarter
New Orleans, LA 70116
+1-334-444-0532
This corner shop, quietly residing on a residential street, feels like a real find. A diverse crowd settles into the morning with Vietnamese coffees, chai teas, and Japanese mochi sweets. A bright orange couch punctuates the bright white room.
2339 Royal St.
Faubourg Marigny
New Orleans, LA 70117
+1-504-267-7327
Beat the heat with the local treat of choice, an icy snoball drenched in sweet fruit-flavored syrup. Open April through September.
4001 Magazine St.
Uptown
New Orleans, LA 70115
+1-504-899-8758
Step a few feet off Magazine St. for a frothy chai tea latte, vegan muffins, and plenty of seating to spread out with a newspaper or computer.
1829 Sophie Wright Pl.
Lower Garden
New Orleans, LA 70130
+1-504-324-8818
It's a tourist trap, but there's fried dough covered with mounds of powdered sugar, and you are only human. Best bet: Buy a can of chicory coffee and a souvenir box of beignet mix to recreate your own Du Monde at home.
800 Decatur St.
French Quarter
New Orleans, LA 70116
+1-504-525-5455
It's a marketer's dream-come-true: The city's most buzzed about doughnut shop is run by a couple of police officers. It's one big pastry case of delights: red velvet, maple bacon, pb&j, and orange frosted doughnuts are glazed, filled, twisted, and also made into ice cream sandwiches.
4301 Canal St.
Mid City
New Orleans, LA 70119
+1-504-218-4866
Why this, why here? NOLA resident Andrew Higgins invented the Higgins Boat, which turned the tide of the war in the Allies' favor. It's a fantastic museum, so take a few hours (skip the IMAX experience). Stop by The American Sector for a post-museum repast.
945 Magazine St.
New Orleans, 70130
+1-504-528-1944
A fresh-faced neighborhood for the arts: Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Contemporary Arts Center, the excellent World War II Museum, and contemporary art galleries.
Camp St. and Julia St.
New Orleans, LA, 70130
America's first licensed apothecary has two floors crammed with cool old pharmacy tools, tincture bottles, and remedies — great for a few hours of poking around. Don’t miss the wheelchair used in Benjamin Button, the old soda fountain, or the antique eyewear collection.
514 Chartres St.
New Orleans, LA, 70130
+1-504-565-8027
A great way to get your architectural bearings: Hitch a ride on a mahogany trolley car (from 1835) to glimpse grand old homes, the zoological gardens, Tulane and Loyola universities.
Canal St., at Carondelet St.
New Orleans, LA, 70130
Filled with folklore and Southern mystic charm. Curious curios to boot. Take 20 minutes, and you'll have an introduction into the magical history of NOLA.
724 Dumaine St.
New Orleans, LA, 70116
+1-504-680-0128
A meticulously restored version of 18th-century Creole architecture. And the former home of NOLA’s first American mayor post-Louisiana Purchase.
1440 Moss St.
New Orleans, LA, 70119
+1-504-482-0312
A really great example of American Neoclassical architecture and design. On a nice day, tour the eight acres of nine gardens.
7 Bamboo Rd.
New Orleans, LA, 70124
+1-504-488-5488
Pick up an audio guide and stroll the footpaths of the NOMA’s backyard.
1 Collins Diboll Circle
New Orleans, LA, 70124
+1-504-658-4100
A butterfly sanctuary with a koi pond and terrific staff. A great place to take the kids, especially if they like to eat bugs after they learn about them. (Crickets and seasoned waxworms are served in the cafeteria.)
423 Canal St.
New Orleans, LA, 70118
+1-504-524-2847
Could there be a more perfect home for this new institution? Try and time your visit with one of their seminars (like “The Mindful Bartender,” or “The Math of Mixology”).
1504 Oretha C. Haley Blvd.
New Orleans, LA, 70118
+1-504-569-0405
Local celeb chef Donald Link does it again with this handsome temple to the Gulf Shore bounty. Beyond the beautiful raw bar offerings, there are loads of sustainable offerings like whole grilled fish, shrimp toasts, seafood gumbo, and smothered catfish (of course). This is clean eating — well, by NOLA standards — so indulge in that seafood tower and finish off with a Satsuma Shuffle or slice of key lime pie.
800 Magazine St.
New Orleans, 70130
+1-504-522-1744
Local brunch favorite specializing in Central American dishes like migas and huevos rancheros. Absolutely unmissable: fresh-squeezed orange-mango-pineapple juice.
1418 Magazine St.
New Orleans, 70130
+1-504-524-3828
When you've had your fill of po-boys, peruse the 40+ sandwich menu at the traditional Jewish deli run by a recovering attorney from Philadelphia.
2207 Magazine St.
New Orleans, 70130
+1-504-527-0771
Bite-size burgers, waffle fries, a revolving list of fancy donut flavors, and free Wi-Fi.
2209 Magazine St.
New Orleans, 70130
+1-504-570-6945
A grocery store-turned-neighborhood bistro, with delicious blue crab beignets and the tastiest cheeseburger in town.
4238 Magazine St.
New Orleans, 70115
+1-504-891-3377
Wall-to-wall tile covers the interior of this old-school oyster spot dating back to 1919. Try the famous oyster loaf loaded with giant fried oysters. Check the calendar: They're closed from June to August.
4330 Magazine St.
New Orleans, 70115
+1-504-895-9761
The second outpost of John Besh's wood-burning oven pizza restaurant. The daily half-price happy hour means really good pizza at a really good price.
4933 Magazine St.
New Orleans, 70115
+1-504-301-4978
Wake up with a fresh juice from this cafe-juice bar hybrid. Coconut water, green juice, and tropical smoothies are some favorite choices.
4113 Magazine St.
New Orleans, 70115
+1-504-891-7733
A funky, beloved, casual dining spot run by a husband-wife team (hence the moniker). It has a strong legion of followers who dig the solid, seasonal, eclectic menu (which includes fritters, gumbo, and vegetarian pasta).
4501 Tchoupitoulas St.
New Orleans, LA, 70115
+1-504-894-9880
This local coffee spot is small, spacious, and sparse, save for some very cool murals painted by local artists. Charming baristas serve top-notch espresso drinks and locally made pastries. Equally accessible for checking email and striking up conversations with strangers.
2709 St. Claude Ave.
New Orleans, LA, 70117
+1-504-872-9798
You're starving. It's midnight. Move your party to this divey gem that never seems to close. Downstairs looks like a regular old bar, but do not underestimate the late-night tapas menu (yes, tapas). Head upstairs and order patatas bravas, mushroom manchego toast, goat cheese croquettas, and other delicious snacks to soak up the alcohol.
2601 Royal St.
New Orleans, LA, 70117
+1-504-872-9868
It's a marketer's dream-come-true: The city's most buzzed about doughnut shop is run by a couple of police officers. It's one big pastry case of delights: red velvet, maple bacon, PB&J, and orange frosted doughnuts are glazed, filled, twisted, and also made into ice cream sandwiches.
4301 Canal St.
New Orleans, LA, 70119
+1-504-218-4866
This corner shop, quietly residing on a residential street, feels like a real find. A diverse crowd settles into the morning with Vietnamese coffees, chai teas, and Japanese mochi sweets. A bright orange couch punctuates the bright white room.
2339 Royal St.
New Orleans, LA, 70117
+1-504-267-7327
A wildly popular doghouse serves a variety of sausages (andouille, crawfish, alligator) with condiments like wasabi, kraut, and homemade chili.
5031 Freret St.
New Orleans, LA, 70115
+1-504-899-6883
This John Besh restaurant, part of the historic Roosevelt Hotel, is modern and masculine. The food is homemade Italian: shareable, rustic meat plates, pizza, and antipasti make the perfect excuse for family style dining.
123 Baronne St.
New Orleans, LA , 70112
+1-504-648-6020
Make room for lunch: gravy-drenched roast beef po-boys, just one of 25 varieties.
538 Hagan Ave.
New Orleans, LA, 70119
+1-504-482-3047
Take the long, scenic route by street car (it’s about 40 minutes from the French Quarter) and prepare to wait during the brunch rush. The Creole townhouse has an old-fashioned diner feel and a wide Formica bar where you should sit and order a chili omelette and an ice cream freeze. Or a pecan pie heated up in the fryer. Note: There's a French Quarter location open for business at 540 Chartres Street.
626 S Carrollton Ave.
New Orleans, 70118
+1-504-309-2679
This is the city’s best-kept foodie secret. The elegant dining room, tucked away on a residential street Uptown (drive slow, or you’ll miss it) feels like a very special club house. The chef, James Beard rising star Sue Zemanick, keeps Louisiana cuisine fresh and inventive (if there are pierogis on the menu, order them and don’t ask questions).
1728 Soniat St.
New Orleans, LA, 70115
+1-504-899-7397
The foodie hangout and local chef depot pays homage to the Cajun meat boucherie (meat market). Yes, you just ate some gator. Lunch-time meat hankerings are taken care of in the adjacent Butcher (where you can get the high-end version of a mufaletta).
930 Tchoupitoulas St.
New Orleans, 70130
+504-588-2123
It's a tourist trap, but there's fried dough covered with mounds of powdered sugar, and you are only human. Best bet: Buy a can of chicory coffee and a souvenir box of beignet mix to recreate your own Du Monde at home.
800 Decatur St.
New Orleans, LA, 70116
+1-504-525-4544
Sophisticated farm-to-table fare, excellent (laid-back) service, and mellow lunch crowd. Take the folks. Linger with wine.
701 St. Charles Ave.
New Orleans, LA, 70130
+1-504-524-4114
James Beard notable and Top Chef Susan Spicer has a long list of excellent NOLA restaurants under her belt, but this New American — no, New Louisianan — spot consistently delivers top-notch food and service on a beautiful patio (when weather permits). Everyone talks about the duck sandwich.
430 Dauphine St.
New Orleans, LA, 70112
+1-504-525-4455
Old-fashioned Italian grocer serving one of the best renditions of the famed mufaletta, a football-shaped sandwich stuffed with cured meets, cheese, crushed olives, and pickled veggies. They are eaten by the quarter and sold by the half, but order a whole — this is not the time to be shy about your appetite.
923 Decatur St.
New Orleans, LA, 70116
+1-504-523-1620
Local-yocal oyster bar. Stand at the counter (it's more fun than sitting), order a dozen, and shoot the breeze with the affable shuckers. They’ll crack jokes as you whip together your own spicy cocktail sauce (lemon, ketchup, horseradish, Saltine crackers) on the spot.
739 Iberville St.
New Orleans, 70130
+1-504-522-4440
An easy and stylish newcomer in the Central Business District that's not trying too hard, but hits certain notes — room comfort, dining options, rooftop views — just right.
1111 Gravier St.
New Orleans, LA 70112
+1-504-518-5800
The NOLA landmark hotel has old-fashioned appeal (big marble lobby, over-stuffed furniture) and a few modern updates, including a huge post-Katrina renovation and chef John Besh's Domenica restaurant (a somewhat boring dining room turning out fantastically un-boring dishes).
130 Roosevelt Way
New Orleans, LA, 70112
+1-504-648-1200
Imaginatively designed boutique hotel, where each of the eighteen rooms is airy, spacious, and decorated like an artsy urban loft. Bonus points for the huge bathrooms and personal hotel assistants (who cater to your whims).
523 Gravier St.
New Orleans, LA, 70130
+1-504-200-6523
For those craving a nostalgic, genteel Nawlins setting, there's this charming wrought-iron townhouse triplet filled with French antiques, Frette linens, and quiet courtyards.
1133 Chartres St.
New Orleans, LA, 70116
+1-504-522-0570
Oversize Beaux-Art building with oversized furniture, flecked gold, and lots of damask fabric. Business travelers looking for extra pizazz should book here.
221 Camp St.
New Orleans, LA, 70130
+1-504-553-9550
Old-fashioned rooms for let are cute, kitschy, and close to Frenchmen Street. Which means you can make a quick stumble home after a night of heavy jazz.
547 Esplanade Ave.
New Orleans, 70116
+1-504-330-2826
This French Quarter mansion stands back a bit from Royal Street, which makes for prime veiwing beyond the iron cornstalk fence. Inside, hallways and guest rooms have high ceilings, chandeliers, fabric wallpaper, and stately Victorian furnishings to match.
915 Royal St.
New Orleans, LA, 70116
+1-504-523-1515
A stylish men's shop straight outta Brooklyn. Brands include APC, Saturday Surf NYC, and Soludos. Check out the magazine rack for a hard-to-find indie titles.
600 Carondelet St.
New Orleans, 70130
+1-504-342-2162
Skip the touristy T-shirt shops in the Quarter and pick up a locally designed tees instead. Proceeds from sales are donated to post-Katrina recovery efforts.
1101 First St.
New Orleans, 70130
+1-504-941-7010
Half shop, half spa, it's just as easy to lose yourself in the Dead Sea mud treatment as in the rows of serums and shampoos.
5501 Magazine St.
New Orleans, 70115
+1-504-899-8555
Run by a pair of cousins who set up a manual printing press in a little shed in Louisiana. Now it's a full-blown shop selling mighty nice greeting cards, prints, and "life's little, yet abundant joys."
521 Saint Joseph St.
New Orleans, 70130
+1-504-281-4575
A favorite spot for bookworms with a special selection of local literature and city-centric titles.
513 Octavia St.
New Orleans, 70115
+1-504-899-7323
Where you can pick up Oysteria's gorgeous, handmade oyster plates, an excellent gift or keepsake from your time down south.
4843 Magazine St.
New Orleans, 70115
+1-504-899-4843
Stocked with stationery, journals, and fashion periodicals that are cool, edgy, and chic. This is not your grandma's notecard shop.
3900 Magazine St.
New Orleans, 70115
+1-504-891-4664
Meet with Sally Ann Glassman, New Orleans' Voodoo Priestess, and have your own gris gris bag made "to keep the haters shufflin'." Stock up on money candles and chicken feet for protection.
2372 St Claude Ave. #100
New Orleans, 70117
+1-504-948-9961
Pop artist Ashley Longshore's studio showroom is a glittery jewel box of eccentric, colorful paintings of fashion figures and famous artists.
4848 Magazine St.
New Orleans, 70115
+1-504-333-6951
A sunlit shop — filled with salvaged woods, metals, and mirrors — stands alone on this quiet street in the gallery district. A small collection of very special, hard-to-find French perfumes and artisanal colognes are available for the spritzing (onto feathers), sniffing, wafting, and collecting.
527 St. Joseph St.
New Orleans, LA, 70130
+1-504-522-7102
A home design shop with vintage and contemporary furniture, art, antiques, and awesome tabletop pieces.
2844 Magazine St.
New Orleans, LA, 70115
+1-504-899-2122
The place to go for a sparkly slice of king cake and delicious chocolate bars flavored with exotic ingredients like Sicilian pistachios and rose petals.
3025 Magazine St.
New Orleans, LA, 70115
+1-504-520-8311
A rotating cast of the city's best local artisans and contemporary artists display their work (drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media) at this pioneering gallery.
432 Julia St.
New Orleans, LA, 70130
+1-504-522-1999
A beautifully curated collection of rustic housewares, shabby chic antiques, and 19th-century furniture.
Gents can shop for fancy razors, toiletries, and bow ties while waiting for a hot-towel shave and haircut in the old school barbershop chairs at the back of the shop.
2026 Magazine St.
New Orleans, LA, 70130
+1-504-587-9090
Rare first editions of Southern literature along with a nice selection of contemporary fiction are stacked floor-to-15-foot ceiling. Pick up a little Tennessee Williams or Walker Percy for the ride home.
624 Pirate’s Alley
New Orleans, LA, 70116
+1-504-524-2940