This winter, while still in New Orleans, we “hosted” our friends m&g down from Virginia for a week of revelry, or at least of food and drink. Because they’re among our dearest friends, and because we could use an excuse—any excuse—to further our culinary research of the Big Easy, we set forth to design the ideal week of food and beverage for their visit. Inspired by their specific visit, this list will probably not be your list, as the original was designed with them in mind. But if you have some time in the city coming up and want some real-world recs, it’s hard to go wrong with these.
Note there aren’t too many instances of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Because a week of eating out 3 meals a day, along with drinking (day and night 😁), is reserved mostly for those in their 20s with the metabolism and stomaches to handle it. We also put this together in a way where most of the places are in a similar geographical area, fit for exploring.
Sunday
Arrival day! Probably a bit tired from traveling, it’s not the best idea to immediately go hog wild. So let’s pick an easy classic for an early dinner and head to Napoleon House on Chartres in the French Quarter (FQ). You can’t go wrong with many of the typical fare, and enjoy an easy cocktail while you’re at it.
Monday
Breakfast at Willa Jean
Let’s head to the Central Business District (CBD) for brunch at Willa Jean. The biscuit with Benton’s bacon, egg, & pimento cheese is to die for. In fact if you ate them everyday, you probably would die. So don’t do that. They’ve got a fun selection of coffee- (and non-coffee)-based cocktails to boot. Anne’s favorite is one of the Espresso Martini’s w/ sprinkles.
Lunch at Mother's
Get a Ferdi special at Mother’s. While some may scoff at the obvious selection, we’ll counter that both tourists and locals frequent this Poydras Street institution, it’s frequently crowded, and we’ve had dozens of delicious meals there. AND, on one of our visits, the Sam Rockwell was sitting at the table next to us! So go. The Ferdi special is great for splitting and the basket of perfect diner fries is a MUST. Wash it all down with a classic bottle of Barq’s.
Cocktails at Elysian Bar
You can and should also eat dinner at Elysian Bar, but we’ve had only cocktails and a few apps there. Based in the ultra-hipster Hotel Peter & Paul, the decor for this bar/restaurant depends on the setting (you can choose among 3). The Mother Superior, Adding Machine, and Fortunate Isles cocktails are all solid choices.
Dinner at N7
Named for the old north-south French highway where the Michelin Guide also began, N7, a nouveau French spot features one delicious dish after another. Sit outside in their beautiful patio garden if it’s nice out.
Tuesday
Brunch at French Toast
There’s often a wait for a table at French Toast, a FQ spot across from the French Market, but it’s worth it. Much to Bill’s chagrin, we split the incredibly decadent King Cake French Toast and large Breakfast Sandwich (bacon, egg, & cheese on a biscuit) for a breakfast that’s both savory and sweet. But we won’t tell if you want to get the King Cake French Toast all to yourself. What happens in NOLA, stays in NOLA.
Cocktails at Cure
We think the atmosphere at Cure is probably better in the evenings, when it’s more hopping. We were there only for happy hour when it was still light out, but still enjoyed our drinks and apps. If we were feeling flush, we’d hit up the $40 Deluxe Agave Old Fashioned, but for mere mortals the Girl Dinner and Ghosts of my Life #4 were excellent drinks. Bill wanted to enjoy the Changing of the Guard more, but it’s pretty raisin-forward, if that’s your thing.
Dinner at Picnic
While the prior night’s dinner was more on the pricey side, at Picnic Provisons and Whiskey we arrived before 6 to take advantage of their fried chicken and champagne happy hour special (available Tuesday-Friday 2-6pm). Yes, you read that right: Fried chicken and champagne. It is cheap, delicious and highly recommended. Be aware, though, the chicken is somewhat spicy—too spicy for Anne, sadly.
Jazz Night
Since you had an early dinner, take the opportunity to made this one of your nights to hit up one of the many excellent jazz clubs in the city. We’re partial to Fritzel’s since we’ve been going there since 2001(!!), but we really enjoyed new fave, Mahogany Jazz Hall on our last trip. Both will likely have standing room only when you first arrive, but people come and go between sets so seats often open up. If you decide you want to hit Mahogany on a Saturday night, you might even catch one of their mid-night Burlesque Pop-Ups. Not that we’d know from personal experience or anything.
Wednesday
Breakfast at District (Donuts)
Now just called District, they’ve dropped the Donuts part even though they still make these amazing beauts (and brutes—they can be large-ish) in addition to their amazing breakfast biscuit (getting a theme here?). We prefer the original Magazine & Jackson location, mostly for their wider availability of donuts. We especially love the brûléed Cinnamon Roll, as one does.
Lunch at Turkey & the Wolf
There are a lot of quite delicious sandwiches on Turkey & the Wolf’s Jackson Avenue lunch spot, but the king of them all is the Fried Bologna Sandwich. Made with potato chips in it, it’s one of the most delicious sandwiches you’ll ever eat. Even BonAppetit agrees! Also, try their ham sandwich, the deviled eggs, and soft-serve ice cream with sprinkles. Of course they also serve cocktails with your lunch. Beware, they’re only open for lunch and they’re closed on Tuesdays.
Caffeine Fix at French Truck Coffee
There are plenty of non-Starbucks coffee houses in NOLA (thankfully!), but one of ones we find ourselves at over and over again is French Truck Coffee, which as a couple of different locations so you can pick one that’s convenient to you. One of Anne’s favorite drinks is the Blue Eyes iced tea, which is hibiscus tea with orange hip, rose, apples and cornflower petals. Make it a unique and special treat by adding sparkling water or lemonade. Bill is especially fond of their cold brew, perfect on a warm NOLA day.
Dinner at Pêche
Lunch is going to leave you pretty full, so we’re skipping the pre-dinner cocktail today (we’re not complete lushes) and heading straight for dinner at Pêche, an excellent seafood Warehouse district restaurant by Donald Link (equally amazing if you lean toward meat-focused Cajun is Cochon where we held Bill’s 50th Big Birthday celebration for friends and family).
Thursday
Brunch at the Vintage
If you like beignets but wish they were fancier, head no further than Vintage along Magazine Street. You’ll feel like you just walked into the cutest cafe in Paris. The breakfast biscuit’s also quite good, if a bit crumbly, and be sure to try their current Beignet Flight, with a glass of champagne, of course. We didn’t try pressing the button, but definitely think you should!
Cocktails at Jolie
Jolie’s top-notch bar program’s quite good and we found the staff fun and gracious. This was one our newer finds on this trip and found ourselves there, not one, not two, but three times, which is pretty unheard of for us in NOLA. The atmosphere is dark, luxe and sexy so perfect for a date night. We tried the Forbidden Fruit, Gravity Old Fashioned, and Element. Somehow we overlooked the Chocolate City, which looks amazeballs. Overall delicious.
Dinner at Saba
We’d previously had many happy meals at the related Shaya, (sister restaurant to Safta in Denver), but shifted our focus to Shaya founder’s newer joint, Saba. Both are based along Magazine Street and have excellent Middle Eastern dishes with a mix of Israeli and Lebanese, but don’t expect the traditional treatments here. Start your dinner off right with a Noblesse cocktail (a smoky old fashioned with Scotch and rum). Everything has its own unique touch, and definitely do not miss the spicy lamb ragu hummus (B’s fave) or their blue crab hummus (A’s fave). To die for. If you end up back at Shaya, the fried chicken hummus is similarly mind-blowing.
Friday
Brunch at Galatoire's
A NOLA institution since 1955 and very little has changed since then, except the fresh catch of the day. (Many of the incredible staff have been there for decades.) Be sure to come with an appetite and the understanding you won’t do much of anything the rest of the afternoon. This is a spot you’ll want to dress up a bit for (no jeans, shorts or flip flops!) and when making reservations, be sure to ask for downstairs seating. Friday brunch at Galatoire’s along Bourbon Street is an event. It is often quite social. You’ll sing happy birthday a few times, and if you’re lucky, you’ll get a primary line band stroll through the dining room (with birthday celebrants forming the second line). In one visit, two Indian chiefs were celebrating their birthdays, and their crews showed up in full regalia and put on a show for everyone. In another, we wrapped up our meal in a mere three hours, while an adjacent table seated at the same time we were was just then starting to order food (they opted to start with more liquid lunch, if you get our drift). Friday brunch at Galatoire’s is a bucket list-level item. Just go.
Cocktails at the Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleon
The Carousel Bar, like many old-line establishments in New Orleans, is also an institution. It is what the name implies: A circular bar on a giant turntable which rotates slowly counter-clockwise. Never fear, it’s really quite slow. Technically, only the bartop and seats rotate, while the bartenders on the inside are stationary. Don’t worry though, they’ll find you when they finish preparing your cocktails. This is a great spot to try out a Sazerac if you haven’t already done so. Be prepared for a bit of a wait for a seat, and if so, don’t be afraid to chat people up, especially if it looks like they might be wrapping up their drinks. (PS-did you find us in the photo of the bar at the top of this page?)
Dinner at Herbsaint
Another of Donald Link’s venues, Herbsaint is a more traditional, yet contemporary find in New Orleans, and 100% worth a visit. In the summertime, when it’s in season, the watermelon and feta salad is such a great start to your meal. Bill often gets the duck leg confit when there. They have an extensive wine list and are more than happy to pair an excellent wine with your meal. And if it’s nice out, be sure to sit outside where the streetcar goes right by!
Rock n’ Roll at Rock n’ Bowl
We’re not sure any visit to NOLA would be complete, especially if you’re lucky enough to be in town for a week, than Rock n’ Bowl, one of NOLA’s most unique music venues. Make reservations to bowl on one of the nights they feature amazing local bands and you can dance the rest of your night away.
Saturday
Brunch at Copper Vine
Today’s a good day to take it relatively easy and prepare yourself for real life and departure back home tomorrow. (We know, we’re sorry, but your waist line and wallet will thank you.) Start your day off with brunch at Copper Vine (if you’re also in town for one of the Saints’ home games, it’s an excellent choice and walking distance to the Superdome, but be sure to make a reservation as its location makes it a very popular pre-game spot). The Louisiana Crawfish Beignets, Cajun Caviar Deviled Eggs, Fritter French Toast, and Cornflake-fried Chicken Sandwich will make sure you leave with a happy tummy. Copper Vine is also home to one of the cutest and greenery filled patios in NOLA.
Cocktails at Jewel of the South
You may have heard of Jewel of the South if you follow the James Beard awards, as it was awarded best U.S. restaurant bar and it was also named one of the top 50 bars in the world. (It even moved up on the just revealed 2025 list to Number 4 and Cure (see above on Tuesday) just slid in at Number 50!) The menu’s on the adventurous side and not super extensive, so look before you plan for dinner there. Nonetheless, the drinks are, as you would expect, quite delicious. It’s hard to come up with more synonyms for such a common word related to New Orleans bars & restaurants, but there it is. Try the Jewel Sazerack, French 75, and Pouves-vous , but make reservations as this place is tinier than tiny.
Dinner at Jack Rose
Finish up your trip to the Big Easy in style with the divinely-decorated Jack Rose in the Garden District. Our original time there was intended to be a réveillon dinner but their marketing hand wasn’t talking with back of the house so they had only the regular menu when we went. Nonetheless, it was a delicious meal of Fish-in-a-Bag and scallops and we’d very likely go again, although it is on the pricey side.
Honorable Mentions
Just because a place isn’t on the list above doesn’t mean we don’t absolutely love it and wouldn’t recommend it (we do!). In no particular order, here’s a short list of spots you could easily sub for one of the recommendations above.
Bon appétit!
Bonus tip: despite what your most well meaning co-workers or friends told you, do not go to Pat O’s for your only hurricane. We have no idea why they’re so popular and yet so bad. It really should be illegal. Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop, reputedly the oldest bar in North America, is a much better choice.
Despite evidence to the contrary, we are not Nola travel experts, so do your own research and talk to anyone who has been; they’re very likely to have advice on where to go and of course, what to drink. (Just don’t listen to them about Pat O’s!) And we’d love to hear of any of your faves that aren’t on our list. We’re always looking for new places to check out in the Crescent City.
We hope you find this travel guide helpful and if so, want to buy us a chicory coffee or a hurricane? (Just click the donate button at the bottom of this post! And THANK YOU!) Let us know, too if you’d like to see more travel guides from us. They’d can be time consuming to put together, but we’ve always found others’ quite helpful when we’re visiting places with so many options.
We love creating these travel guides! Did you love reading it? If so, please consider dropping a few coins in our tip jar.
Thank you!