A marching group arrives at Canal Street as it marches ahead of the Krewe of Zulu on Mardi Gras Day in New Orleans, Tuesday, March 8, 2011. — Nothing better than a “girls weekend” in New Orleans. Love everything about this city. Never have enough time to eat (drink, yes!) so added some of Eater, Thrillist, and others favorites to mine.

Restaurants

Restaurant August

301 Tchoupitoulas St, 504-299-9777

We really love this restaurant and return on every visit. Brunch in the bar room (or anytime in the bar room) is truly heaven. Great food, friendly service, and cozy atmosphere. The restaurant is in an attractive, historic French-Creole building, The dining room has grand French doors, exposed brick walls and elegant chandeliers, and was once a former warehouse space. The menu features chef John Besh’s contemporary Creole cuisine. Try his creative B.L.T.–buster crabs, lettuce and heirloom tomatoes or the Louisiana rabbit with morels served with sage grits. And the lasagna of rabbit, veal sweetbreads and grilled lobster was as rich as it sounds but mighty tasty. There is also a Chef’s Tasting Room which can seat 12 and features a customized Chef’s Tasting Menu.

Crispy Pompano, Swiss Chard, Royal Red Shrimp, Brown Butter, and Worchershire

Compère Lapin

535 Tchoupitoulas St., 504-599-2119

My friend Denise found this place, and we really enjoyed the small plates, that went so well with the innovative drinks the beverage director, Ricky Gomez, turns out. Compere Lapin, “brother rabbit,” a reference to a mischievous rabbit featured in the Caribbean folk tales chef Nina Compton read as a kid. Drawing on the story’s themes of exploration and play, Compton designed a restaurant that features a mix of inventive flavors drawn from a combo of New Orleans, her Caribbean roots and French culinary training and deep experience with Italian cuisine. And you can taste her island influence in every bite. Must tries are the conch croquettes with pickled pineapple tartar sauce and roasted jerk corn with a citrus aioli. Flavors are exotic, tropical and tinged with just the right amount of heat.

Angeline

1032 Chartes St, 504-308-3106

Chef Alex Harrell opened this casual restaurant where he can feature his creative, favorable dishes. The Southern fried quail, Georgia clams with wild boar sausage, and creamy oyster pan roast are the best starters, but save room for the Mississippi rabbit milanese and blue crab linguini with Florida bottarga!

Seaworthy

630 Carondelet St, 504-930-3071

Serving oysters from the East Coast, West Coast, and Gulf Coast from when it opens at 4 PM for happy hour and then for dinner. And it is worth staying to have dinner as they also serve some wonderful dishes from the sea. Try the chilled lobster tail, smoked sturgeon brandade, or steamed littleneck clams. Any if you were dragged here by fish lovers and you only eat meat, not to worry, as there are non-pescetarian options as well. Partying a little too hard in the Big Easy, well no problem, as Seaworthy is open until 2 AM.

Trinity

1173 Decatur St

Near the French Market, Trinity is a beautiful space with food to match the decor by chef Michael Isolani. The cocktails, by Adam Orzechowski, should not be missed. Oysters are available in a variety of ways (the smoked deviled egg preparation is particularly unique), and the rest of the menu is divided into “Fingers,” “Forks,” and “Knives.” From duck fat hush puppies to the Gulf Coast frutti di mare, you won’t regret the hardening of your arteries!

Petit Lion

1111 Gravier St, (504) 518-5500

Chef Phillip Lopez’s modestly sized menu is full of knockouts among the 15-item list at this charming little bistro in The Troubadour. Fried chicken, deviled eggs, and a burger that leaves patrons guessing about the secret sauce that sits atop the two patties and Gracious Bakery challah bun. This is a cocktail town, and Cole Newto’s are among the best.

Maypop

611 Okeefe Ave, (504) 518-6345

Chef Michael Gulotta’s restaurant serves sophisticated dishes in a fun, modern environment. He mixes flavors from Southeast Asian, Creole, Cajun and even Sicilian cuisines‒ try the crispy pompano in grapefruit curry and tapioca starch noodles. They have a full bar (negronis on tap!) and comfortable enough to make you want to camp out for awhile.

Meril

424 Girod St, (504) 526-3745

This is Emeril Lagasse’s first new New Orleans restaurant in 18 years where you’ll find small plates with international influence. Shown in his fried turkey necks to Korean short ribs to gnochetti. The casual environment, affordable prices, and lots of fun elements (including a Pacojet for ice cream and a Japanese-style robata grill) make it a great place to dine. He also has a great bar with 10+ local beers.

Central City BBQ

1201 Rampart St., (504) 558-4276

Rob Bechtold and Aaron Burgau team up at this large BBQ house equipped with an army of hybrid smokers. Perfect for anyone who loves classic barbecue done well. Serving what you would expect, burnt ends, ribs, chicken, and brisket, they get a wee bit creative with the sides; umami pickles and remoulade potato salad.

Toups South

1504 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd, (504) 304 2147

Chef Isaac Toups brings his expertise with wonderful meaty dishes to this all Southern spot in Central City. Here the foie gras and lamb legs get smoked in the backyard, while biscuits with crab fat butter and huge stacks of fried pork chops pass you by as they are served to the diners near by. They also have a happy hour you shouldn’t miss. hour.

new-orleans-crawfish

Freret Beer Room

5018 Freret St, (504) 298-7468

Local beer and cheese pro Eli Gay, serves small and large plates from chef Charles Vincent. All created with a wide range of beer pairings in mind. So grab a beer and order some of the bar snacks – PEI mussels, grilled red snapper collar, house-made chorizo sandwich topped with a fried egg, crispy chicken confit . Sooo good!

Neyow’s Creole Café

3340 Bienville St, (504) 827-5474

This Creole and soul food standard in Mid City is the perfect place if you are craving comfort food: charbroiled oysters, gumbo, smothered pork chops and fried chicken, a red drink called Bow Wow Punch and a outdoor dining area with its own bar and televisions for the game.

Turkey & The Wolf

739 Jackson Ave

Chef Mason Hereford opened this graffiti-adorned, punk rock sandwich joint to great acclaim and long lines in August. Ingredients like “Dorito dust” and fried baloney are scattered through the menu and specials. In addition to sandwiches, there’s a non-sandwich menu with a much-loved wedge salad topped with everything bagel seasonings and a chicken-fried wagyu steak sandwich. Don’t forget to try the deviled eggs with chicken skin cracklins. Save room for dessert — vanilla soft serve ice cream with an ever-changing variety of toppings.

new-orleans-poor-boy

Frey Smoked Meat Co.

4141 Bienville Street

Rue 127 chef Ray Gruezke gets smoking right with his barbecue-and-then-some eatery. For meat lovers, it’s hard to go wrong here, with killer smoked sausage, brisket, burgers, gumbo and fried chicken on the menu. Over the top milkshakes look like they’ll cause a coronary, but its actually the cornbread that’s to die for.

Bars (courtesy of Conde Nast)

The Sazerac Bar

This bar has been operational since 1914 in an old building dating back to the early 1800s. An Old World ambiance prevails: tiled floors, a traditional wooden bar, dozens of portraits and paintings of Napoleon and Napoleonic battle scenes, and Beethoven’s Eroiqua, composed for Napoleon, often playing on a loop. The bar is locally famous enough to draw a steady line of tourists, but lifelong New Orleanians also frequent the spot with regularity, mostly French Quarter professionals taking lunch meetings or having a post-work cocktail just because it’s Wednesday.

Arnaud’s French 75

Formerly the gentlemen’s bar of the legendary Arnaud’s Restaurant, this bijoux annex has the feel of a high-class French brasserie, with its polished mahogany, tiled floors, and exotically-covered armchairs around small tables. The staff wear white tuxedos and the sense of refinement is palpable. A fair number of people are here for their signature drink, the eponymous French 75, a mix of cognac and champagne that has a couple of solid variations here.

The Carousel Bar & Lounge

Part hotel lobby bar, part fairground ride, there’s no mistaking the singular design of this old school New Orleans institution. The city’s only revolving bar is a century old, the centerpiece being a fully illuminated, gold and red, 25-seat circus merry-go-round with a 360-degree bar carved into the middle of it. A bit tacky for my taste but it is a novelty aspect, you might try visiting on a slow afternoon without the evening and weekend crowds. The historic and cultural aspects, as well as the great drinks makes up somewhat for the gimmickry.

Napoleon House

This bar has been operational since 1914, though the building dates back to the early 1800s. An Old World ambiance prevails: tiled floors, a traditional wooden bar, dozens of portraits and paintings of Napoleon and Napoleonic battle scenes, and Beethoven’s Eroiqua, composed for Napoleon, often playing on a loop. The bar is locally famous enough to draw a steady line of tourists, but lifelong New Orleanians also frequent the spot with regularity, mostly French Quarter professionals taking lunch meetings or having a post-work cocktail just because it’s Wednesday.

Seaworthy

Located inside the Ace hotel, this cocktail and oyster bar lives up to its name with a strong maritime theme, and looks like it could host a crowd of rowdy seamen quite comfortably. Prussian blues and dark woods frame the oyster baskets and shucking area and scenes from sea life decorate the walls. The constantly-rotating selection of Gulf Coast oysters work seamlessly with seasonal drink selections—the heavy brine content cut through by citrus and sugars, allowing you to navigate the various nooks of Louisiana sea life.

Twelve Mile Limit

If you just happened by 12 Mile Limit, you’d assume from the nondescript exterior and ordinary interior (low ceilings, pool table) that you’re at a regular New Orleans neighborhood bar. But the owner, one T Cole Newton, is a very respected alumnus of the city’s craft cocktail scene, credited with bringing mixology to the masses in one of the new waves of lower-key cocktail bars that have popped up in New Orleans. The cocktail menu coaxes you in with drinks made from only a few ingredients, but with weird unexpected twists that elevate the selection.

Hot Tin

As the elevator doors open onto the rooftop of the recently-refurbished Pontchartrain Hotel, two things hit you almost immediately: the buzz of conversation and the eclectic décor, with weird and wonderful artefacts and posters lining the way to the bar. The main room itself feels like a colonial, post-war loft, festooned with sepia photographs, vintage typewriters, and even old letters and postcards. The cocktail menu deviates from the classics (though you can order those, too) but not in too pretentious a way. Rums and gins blend with recognizable ingredients and are accessibly renamed: The Skyliner, The Seersucker.

Kermit’s Treme Mother in Law Lounge

Local music fans, neighborhood drinkers, and curious tourists all come to see one of the city’s favorite sons, Kermit Ruffins, in action at his namesake bar. Inside has the feeling of a tricked-out family home basement, but with Mardi Gras colored tiling. The drinks are cheap, the food is (often) free, and the music flows like the lifeblood of this neighborhood.

Cure

This upscale cocktail bar is housed in a former fire station that dates back to 1903. The long, narrow room has striking arched windows at one end, casting light onto the bar, which frames a truly awe-inspiring wall of spirits and liqueurs. Most people come here for the ever-evolving menu of house cocktails. Some are twists on old favorites, some are true originals, and you can always just put your flavor preferences and faith in the bartenders and see what they whip up.

Barrel Proof

The local Lower Garden District doyens have taken to this whiskey bar in droves. There aren’t many dedicated whiskey bars in New Orleans, so if you’re into brown liquor, this low-ceilinged, windowless room—with nearly 300 whiskies, bourbons, ryes, and scotches—is the place to be. You could keep coming for a whole year and never get bored: Selections range from the usual barroom suspects to rare Japanese imports. And if you’re not sure where you stand on whiskey, there are affordable flights to steer your palate.

Cane & Table

Set amid a row of dive bars on a vaguely insalubrious block of Lower Decatur is the anonymous bar and restaurant that started the city’s mini-Tiki trend. There’s a sense of Old Havana as you enter, though you have to imagine the cigar smoke. Up front is a colonial-looking bar with high ceilings and chandeliers, then out back there’s the kind of tropical courtyard that NOLA does best, all leafy greenery and convivial seclusion. The Tiki-skewed drink menu ranges from familiar Piña Coladas to less-known creations such as Bombos and Bellowstops.

Tonique

The line between dive bar and cocktail bar isn’t an easy one to navigate, but this cosy Rampart Street joint manages it with aplomb. A simple, square room with a central bar so that everyone can see each other, high ceilings, traditional wooden décor and a wealth of booze on the walls. The big draw is their menu of happy hour cocktails for $5 during the week. The cheapest Aviations and Old Fashioneds in town, and made well. When you find yourself staying into the night, you can meander through an extensive list of local classics such as sazeracs and juleps.

Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop

Despite its tourist-heavy clientele, the bar has a few things going for it: It’s 300 years old (you don’t get to drink in a bar this historic every day); it’s one of the few bars on Bourbon Street that locals would recommend; and despite the town’s musical reputation, it’s one of very few piano bars. The drinks are limited to the standard stuff, plus pre-mixed daiquiri-type cocktails, which can be fun if you’re into colorful, sugary booze, but you’re here for the atmosphere.

The Victorian Lounge

This striking Garden District mansion—the palatial former home of a 19th-century cigar magnate—exudes Victorian grandeur from the get-go, its expansive veranda and eponymous neoclassical columns hinting at the levels of Southern sophistication inside. The Victorian Bar itself, secreted beyond 12-foot high mahogany doors, is a symphony in dark wooden fixtures, with crystal chandeliers and elegant cabinets framing the very traditional bar. The place is marinated in its own tradition; don’t expect it venture too far into the modern cocktail scene. People are here for the atmosphere—and classics like a sazerac rye or a whiskey sour—not cutting-edge deconstructions of gin and tonics.

Molly’s at the Market

Lower Decatur Street is where the historic French Quarter gets weird, and Molly’s is the perfect decompression chamber, at once a mix of die-hard local regulars and remedially adventurous tourists who have strayed beyond Bourbon Street. It’s one big, open bar room (with a small backyard bar which opens up at busy times) with hints of Irish pub and the layout of a classic saloon, albeit decked out with the most esoteric memorabilia in the city. It’s a simple drinks menu and a beer and a shot is likely the tipple of choice, and there’s usually at least one person doing the crossword with a pint of Guinness.

Bacchanal Wine

A bottle shop that happens to host the city’s best backyard parties in NOLA’s Bywater neighborhood. And guess what? Everyone’s invited! The backyard patio pulses nightly with live music and a sea of heads bobbing along to it. The vibe here is truly unique; it rattles and hums like the rest of NOLA’s great jazz clubs, but it’s much more laid-back due to its location and sprawling, moonlit layout. It feels like best friend’s backyard—if your best friend had one hell of a wine cellar.

Hotels

Ace Hotel

600 Carondelet St., (504) 900-1180 – Located in the CBD/Arts/Warehouse District, this attractive, hip chain, brings urban glam to NOLA. In-room amenities include record turntables and acoustic guitars, which certainly set it apart, as do the city-specific bedding, window seats, and high-end French Deco furnishings. Rooftop gardens are a rarity in NOLA, so Alto being open to the public is already a big draw, combining as it does a menu of Italian small plates and a top-notch pool.

Hotel Maison de Ville

727 Rue Toulouse, (504) 324-4888 – Historic, 18th-century French Quarter property was an exclusive retreat in the 1950s and 1960s, with Liz Taylor among the A-list patrons. After a period of neglect, it’s back at the top of its game, reopening in 2012 with refurbished period rooms in the main building and modern cottages around the beautiful courtyard. Each room has its own character, with a couple of balconies over Toulouse Street, or the spacious luxury of the Tennessee Williams (also a regular guest back in the day) Suite. The owners have tastefully bought back the heady days of the hotel’s celebrity heyday with accessible flair.

Hotel Mazarin

730 Bienville St., (504) 581-7300 – The 102 rooms of this charismatic French Quarter property surround an impressive modern courtyard, regularly abuzz with a function or wedding. Sandwiched between buzzing Bourbon Street and relaxed Royal Street, you’re well placed for exploration by foot and ducking out of the action to recharge. Black marble features heavily in most guest rooms, with a wealth of free amenities, including Wi-Fi, water, and breakfast. The hotel has two attractive gateways into the city’s nightlife via the well-loved Patrick’s Bar Vin and the cocktail-focused 21^st Amendment Bar. One of the Quarter’s lower-profile hotels, which plays to its advantage in many ways.

Hotel Monteleone

214 Royal St., (504) 523-3341 – The romance of NOLA’s bygone eras prevails in the historic Hotel Montelone’s white marble lobby, where the chimes of a 1909 hand-carved mahogany grandfather clock have kept time for a litany of prestigious guests. The Beaux Arts-inspired building’s gold-tinged rooms offer a touch of Southern hospitality with antique furniture, gilded mirrors, and ornamental moldings. Literary aficionados and cocktail lovers will feel at home ordering a Sazerac at the revolving Carousel Bar—a 25-seat den that has hosted the likes of Ernest Hemingway and Truman Capote. Five generations of upscale, unpretentious hospitality shine through on every level.

International House

221 Camp St., (504) 553-9550 – Designed in a style more reminiscent of New York boutique hotels, the International House Hotel lies ideally between the French Quarter and the Central Business District/Warehouse District. The lobby sets the tone well for the property, with large art pieces looming over the space—a heavy but tasteful hand with style that reaches into the trendy rooms: guests can expect over-sized lamps and sleek armchairs as well as striking local art. The lobby bar, LOA, is a shadowy, discreetly voodoo-themed cocktail lounge that’s perfect to linger around before heading out for the night.

The Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery

535 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 527-5271 – This renovated 19th-century warehouse has been transformed with creative aplomb, opening in 2015 and showcasing local artists amid the rustic original details. The 167 rooms continue the artistic theme and boast wooden floors and exposed brickwork. There’s a classy coffee shop in the lobby, just next to the rotating exhibitions, and the in-house dining of Compere Lapin Restaurant has been garnering local acclaim since opening, complemented by its world-class cocktail program. This new addition to the Central Business/Arts District is certainly helping to tempt guests out of their beloved French Quarter.

New Orleans – Eating and Drinking in Cajun Heaven

Restaurants

Restaurant August

Compère Lapin

Angeline

Seaworthy

Trinity

Petit Lion

Maypop

Meril

Central City BBQ

Toups South

Freret Beer Room

Neyow’s Creole Café

Turkey & The Wolf

Frey Smoked Meat Co.

Bars (courtesy of Conde Nast)

The Sazerac Bar

Arnaud’s French 75

Napoleon House

Hot Tin

Kermit’s Treme Mother in Law Lounge

Barrel Proof

Cane & Table

Tonique

Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop

The Victorian Lounge

Molly’s at the Market

Bacchanal Wine

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Restaurants

Restaurant August

Compère Lapin

Angeline

Seaworthy

Trinity

Petit Lion

Maypop

Meril

Central City BBQ

Toups South

Freret Beer Room

Neyow’s Creole Café

Turkey & The Wolf

Frey Smoked Meat Co.

Bars (courtesy of Conde Nast)

The Sazerac Bar

Arnaud’s French 75

Hot Tin

Kermit’s Treme Mother in Law Lounge

Cane & Table

Tonique

Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop

The Victorian Lounge

Molly’s at the Market

Bacchanal Wine

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