Wowowow I got back from New Orleans the other month, and I totally left my heart there. You know those places that you feel like could be home even if you’ve never been there before? That’s exactly how New Orleans felt before going. Once I finally made it to NOLA, I felt the same. The food, cocktails, pastel colored buildings, the lush greenery–it’s so perfect I can’t even handle it. TBH I ate some of the best food ever! There’s a whole lot of charm in New Orleans that I can’t quite describe. It’s full of crazy-colored houses on bumpy roads, restaurants that are converted houses that serve the best food you’ve ever had, and some seriously good cocktails. NOLA just can’t do any wrong in the food department. My must-do things would be walking through the Garden District, getting wine and cheese at Bachanaal, and seeing the jazz performance at Preservation Hall. But honestly, nothing was bad! 10/10 will visit again and again.
WHERE TO STAY
I’m a definite hotel hopper, so I saw quite a few hotels while I was there. The one’s I loved were The Ace Hotel, Henry Howard Hotel, Eliza Jane Hotel, and Catahoula Hotel. More deets about those below!
The Henry Howard Hotel
A hidden gem! With an all-white building, the cutest rooms, and some serious historic elements (that’s the original wood flooring!), this spot is full of character and beauty. It’s more low-key, private and boutique, but they do have a small bar in the lobby if you want to hang out around the hotel.
The Ace Hotel
Ya’ll know my love for the Ace goes way back. We’ve pretty much stayed in every Ace Hotel at this point. One of my top locations? New Orleans! The lobby is next level gorgeous, the pool is the perfect spot to chill, and the restaurant in the hotel is an absolute dream. Did I mention the restaurant has happy hour? When we walked into our room (which was huge BTW) it felt like we had arrived in New Orleans in the most perfect way. There was already a local jazz station playing on the radio, we had a guitar in the room, and a record player with lots of NOLA locals to choose from.
Catahoula Hotel
This funky little hotel is super cute! We grabbed drinks in the lobby a few times. It’s small, but uses all of the space so well. There’s an upstairs patio area where you can grab food and drinks too. Will definitely stay there in the future!
Eliza Jane Hotel
We stopped by the Eliza Jane Hotel for cocktails at their bar Couvant, and were happily surprised with what a lovely hotel it was! It opened last year, and is absolutely stunning. It’s a huge space full of beautiful exposed beams and brick, and they actually tore down what was seven warehouses to make the space. I love how it felt so old and new at the same time, with lots of historic elements and sophisticated modern decor.
WHERE TO EAT + DRINK
Bachanaal
Ohhh Bachanaal. It’s the type of place you imagine ultra bohemian expatriates would spend their evenings. It’s a converted house off the beaten path with a huge yard, live music, and delicious food and wine. If I were to describe it I would say imagine you had a good friend who knows great wine, food and cheese and you come over and serve yourself knowing that all of it will be delicious. I’m big on natural wines, and they have a huge selection of great natural wines. Trust me, ordering at Bachanaal will be the easiest DIY ever. We grabbed cheese from the fridge, grabbed a bottle of wine and then they take your cheese selections and make a gorgeous cheese board for you. Head upstairs to order hot food, and enjoy the music out on the patio.
N7
Another one of those off the beaten path, ultra-bohemian spots that you are so pleased to discover. First off, you have to email them to make a reservation, which feels a bit reminiscent of the old days before you could do everything on your phone. Second, it’s basically a house in the middle of a bumpy neighborhood street. Our Lyft driver drove around twice trying to find it, and then wrote down the name of the place because he said “if it’s this hard to find I know it’s going to be good”. It was! Great wine, great food, and even better vibes.
Hivolt
Such a great breakfast spot. Loved that they had healthy options and green smoothies, so that we could start our day off well. We ended up going twice.
Couvant
Okay, these cocktails are next level. Couvant is inside of the Eliza Jane hotel, which is a newly opened hotel that is absolutely gorgeous. Head over for happy hour and grab some drinks and snacks.
Cane & Table
Wowowow the food at Cane & Table is to die for. I wanted to order more of everything we had. Don’t miss this spot.
Stein’s Deli
A super low-key Jewish deli tucked away in the Magazine Street district of Nola. These are the best sandwiches you can get, and the perfect lunch if you’re in the area.
Shaya
Trust me, you’ll want to make a reservation for Shaya. Such good Mediterranean food and cocktails. I’m still dreaming of the fried chicken hummus we ate. So good!
Carousel Bar
The cutest little bar! It was pretty packed, so you might not always get a seat but a really fun quirky bar to grab a drink at.
Tiki Tolteca
A fun hidden little spot above a Mexican restaurant. We got the “tiki shots” that are mini tiki mugs filled with a tiny cocktail. Super fun spot, and you can order food from downstairs and eat while you sip on tropical tiki drinks.
Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29
Another tiki bar that you’ve got to visit if you have the tiki itch. Beachbum Berry is one of the tiki movement revivalists who uncovered most of the original tiki cocktail recipes, and his NOLA tiki bar has some of the best tiki drinks in the world. Get the Pearl Diver–it became my favorite tiki drink.
Willa Jean
Okay, okay. I never knew fried chicken could be THAT good. Don’t miss this one, it’s famous for a reason.
Cafe du Monde
I’m not normally the person to recommend anything touristy, buuuuut when you’re in New Orleans you’ve just got to get some yummy beignets. We specifically chose to go to this spot on a weekday when it would be less crowded, and it was a breeze getting a spot. So delicious.
Mimi’s in the Marigny
Mimi’s is a low-key dive bar in the Marigny with some really fun options. If you’re feeling adventurous, they have “trust me” cocktails and food. You tell them what you like, and they’ll make a unique cocktail or entree just for you! P.S. it’s cash only!
WHAT TO SEE
Walk Around Magazine Street
Forget about Bourbon, Magazine is where it’s at. There are so many cool thrifting spots around this street. Peaches Records is a great record shop, Funky Monkey is a fun thrift store, and honestly you could just wander and find cool stuff for hours.
The Garden District
One of the highlights! I could walk around The Garden District picking out my fave houses all day long. There are so many gorgeous mansions, and of course you have to visit Beyonce’s house. It was definitely my favorite! My dream houses were Buckner Mansion, the Morris-Israel House, and Beyonce’s house on Harmony St.
The Cemeteries
The history behind New Orleans is one of my favorite parts, so I had to visit some of the cemeteries. At this point a lot of them are guided tours only, but I went to Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 and loved it. I heard there are also ghost tours of the cemeteries where you can BYOB which sounds super fun!
Preservation Hall
If you do only one thing in New Orleans, it should be visiting Preservation Hall. It’s right in the heart of Bourbon St, and you have to wait in line to get tickets, but it is so worth it. A truly special experience of live jazz in a dilapidated old building where you can just feel the history surrounding you.
Walk Down Frenchman Street
We didn’t get to do this for long, but Frenchman is full of restaurants that play live music. Catch a live show on Frenchman if you can!
Pop Into Some Boutiques
I checked out so many cute shops in New Orleans. Some favorites were Freda, Friend and DNO next to The Ace Hotel.
Hope this helps you on your next trip to New Orleans! And if you have any other fave spots I missed drop them in the comments! xoxo Erika