bars & restaurants
Hot Tip: It's never a bad idea to make a reservation, as many places do completely book up.
late-night bites close to the reception venue
If you didn't get enough to eat at the reception, or just have the drunchies, we got you. In order from closest to farthest.
Turtle Bay
Cafe du Monde
Beignets and cafe au laits only. Beat the daytime crowds and visit this iconic location after dark. Open til midnight.
Verti Marte
Sandwiches, including the iconic New Orleans muffaletta. Open 24/7.
Dat Dog
Clover Grill
Diner food. Open 24/7.
The Will & The Way
Kitchen's open til midnight. Get the loaded Korean hot fries.
Killer Poboys at Erin Rose
Open til midnight.
French Quarter/Marigny
Brennan's
Known for having one of the best bougie brunches in town with classic New Orleans food. Beautiful courtyard. (Reservation needed)
French Toast
This casual breakfast/brunch restaurant sells crepes and fancy toast at a reasonable price.
Arnaud's Restaurant & French 75 Bar
An upscale, historic, traditional New Orleans restaurant with unparalleled service where Juan formerly worked. The French 75 Bar is a classic and nostalgic cocktail bar with a more subdued feel for those who want a stellar cocktail without the party atmosphere. (Reservation recommended)
MaMou
Upscale French brasserie with caviar and the most incredible steak. (Reservation needed, book a few weeks in advance--this place is HOT)
Palm&Pine
Relatively casual dinner spot with excellent food. (Reservation recommended)
Paladar 511
Modern Italian in a renovated warehouse in the Marigny. (Reservation needed)
Bar Pomona
Adorable cafe in the Marigny with a limited menu but excellent brunch and dinner, as well as soft serve. A great stop after yoga at the Hotel Peter & Paul. (Reservation recommended, especially for groups)
Budsi's Thai
The khao soi soup will change your life.
Manolito
Hole-in-the-wall Cuban cocktail bar with excellent bar bites. Also has a courtyard. We love the jazz daiquiri.
Muriel's
Get a drink at the back bar and take it upstairs to the seance room or the balcony overlooking Jackson Square. They also have good food that is classically New Orleans.
Pat O'Brien's
Dueling piano bar on Bourbon Street that also has a nice courtyard. Share the signature hurricane drink with someone if you value your liver (and not being hungover).
Bar Tonique
Grungy classic cocktail bar with incredible prices (about $10 for a craft cocktail).
Molly's at the Market
Dive bar famous for its frozen Irish coffee.
The Dungeon
Tucked away metal bar. Definite spooky vibes.
Tatlo
Witchy absinthe bar where the menu items are spells. The food leaves something to be desired, but it's worth stopping for a drink.
Good Friends Bar
Gay bar that usually has good music for the girlies and the gays upstairs, as well as a balcony. Part of the "Fruit Loop," which is the queer part of the Quarter. (See also: Bourbon Pub, Oz, and the Golden Lantern.)
R Bar
Dive bar in the Marigny, a frequent hangout for us and our friends.
Anna's
Hip bar in the Marigny with a pool table.
Bacchanal
This is actually in the Bywater neighborhood adjacent to the Marigny, but it's a casual wine bar with live music in the courtyard. It's all about the ambiance, and also has food.
Central Business District
Bearcat CBD
Brunch and lunch restaurant with extensive vegan and non-vegan menus, both equally delicious. The best breakfast potatoes EVER.
Maypop
Southeast Louisianan/Southeast Asian fusion in a modern space. Their food is consistently amazing, we come here a LOT. Pretty easy to get into.
Plates
Upscale tapas restaurant in the Warehouse District suitable for large parties. Also not tough to get into. (Reservation recommended for groups)
Pěche
Upscale seafood restaurant. (Reservation needed)
Cochon Butcher
The casual side of upscale restaurant Cochon with excellent sandwiches. Good for lunch.
The Pool Club at the Virgin Hotel
Rooftop. The whole hotel is gorgeously designed.
https://virginhotels.com/new-orleans/eat-drink/the-pool-club/
The Tell Me Bar
The cutest and coolest natural wine bar EVER. Great DJs and rotating food pop-ups. Julia's favorite--we love the orange wine selection!
Bar Métier
Bougie cocktail bar with a chic library feel. The neon sign outside says "Bar Marilou" as this was the former name. (Reservation needed)
The Lobby Bar & Rooftop at The Barnett
The Lobby Bar has cocktails in a chic space where they frequently have DJs playing. The rooftop is one of the best in the city.
https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/louisiana/jdv-the-barnett/
Uptown
Slim Goodie's Diner
Casual, campy, and great for brunch with a creative menu. Perfect to grab a bite before shopping nearby on Magazine Street.
La Boulangerie
Quaint French bakery, fairly close to Audubon park. Incredible food and coffee.
Camellia Grill
The epitome of a classic mid-century diner with servers that realllly lean into the camp.
Lilly's Cafe
Locals' favorite Vietnamese restaurant.
Turkey and the Wolf
These might be the best sandwiches in the whole world.
Jacques-Imo's Cafe
This restaurant feels like a Louisiana seafood shack with an irreverent vibe, but their food feels upscale. Get the alligator cheesecake. (Reservation needed)
Hungry Eyes
The dinner restaurant by the same chef as Turkey and the Wolf. It has a really fun 80's vibe. (Reservation needed)
Atchafalaya
Modern Louisiana fare. (Reservation needed)
Hot Tin at the Pontchartrain Hotel
Rooftop cocktail bar with the best view of the skyline in town. No vacation to New Orleans is complete without coming here.
Chapel Club & Paradise Lounge at the Hotel St. Vincent
This hotel is to die for. It's in a fun neighborhood to walk around, a part of Uptown called the Lower Garden District. A great stop while shopping around on Magazine Street (check out the funky stores Blue Dream and Miette nearby!).
Columns
Beautiful hotel bar/restaurant in a converted mansion, ALL the vibes. They have a gorgeous dimly lit bar inside and a quaint front patio where you can watch the streetcars roll by. Their menu is limited but the food is also great. (Reservation recommended for groups)
The Delachaise
Wine bar with an adorable, string-light-adorned patio overlooking St. Charles Avenue. They also have decent food.
The Avenue Pub
Divey taproom on St. Charles Avenue frequented by celebrities. They also have bar food.
Cooter Brown's Tavern
Sports bar with greasy bar food and oysters.
Maple Leaf Bar
Live music venue on Oak Street. A perfect stop after dining at Jacques-Imo's.
Midcity/Bayou St. John
Flour Moon
Delicious bagels and tartines off the Greenway (pedestrian path).
Blue Oak BBQ
For the meat lovers, and not far from City Park.
Parkway Tavern
Po boys perfect for picnicking on Bayou St. John across the street.
Angelo Brocato
A classic and iconic gelateria that also has other Italian desserts, like cannolis etc.
Cafe Degas
Quaint neighborhood French bistro with trees growing out of the building; has an indoor/outdoor feel. In an adorable area of Bayou St. John near other bars and restaurants on Esplanade Avenue. They also have brunch on weekends.
Swirl Wine Bar & Market
Casual wine bar in Bayou St. John (across from Cafe Degas). You can order food from the Mediterranean restaurant 1000 Figs next door and they will deliver to you at Swirl.
Rosella
Hip neighborhood bar with great food.
Finn McCool's Irish Pub
THE soccer bar of New Orleans with a super boozy Irish coffee, either frozen or on the rocks.
Bayou Beer Garden/Bayou Wine Garden
With a beer garden and a wine garden that share a courtyard, there's something here for everyone. It's a great place to watch the Saints games, but you need to get there EARLY on game days.
Zasu
Upscale seafood restaurant. (Reservation needed)