Our Go-To New Orleans Guide To Live Like a Local

City of New Orleans Visitors Guide

Our New Orleans Home

You don’t just visit New Orleans, you embrace it, you breathe it in, you soak it up. It’s the only place that lights up all 5 senses and it changes you forever.

New Orleans, the Big Easy, the city that care forgot, NOLA...in every way this city comes alive in so many different ways from the 100 year old live oaks that thrust through the sidewalks to the night blooming jasmine that overwhelm your nose, from the people genuinely greeting one another to the music seeping from clubs and street corners, New Orleans is a living, breathing, cultural experience and we invite you to soak it all in.

A few general tips…

  • Tune into WWOZ at 90.7 or online this is the soundtrack and heartbeat of our city and is appropriate at any time of day and will put you in the exact right mood for what lies ahead.

  • Slow down, New Orleans is called the Big Easy for a reason, take a breath, choose to walk, be willing to wait. Some of the best times of our lives have happened while we were waiting on a streetcar or a table at a restaurant.

  • In that same vein, pace yourself. It’s hot, it’s humid, and you might be imbibing and eating more than usual. It’s a beautifully overwhelming place but be sure to stay hydrated, listen to your body and take it easy when you feel like you might need to.

  • Transportation: Getting around is pretty easy and you really don’t need to rent a car unless you plan to venture outside the city. We love to use public transport both the bus and the streetcar, the RTA has a great app for your phone called LE PASS (Andriod or Apple) where you can map your destination and it’ll give specific instructions to get there then you can buy your tickets right on the app.

    • The Bus Route 11 is 3 blocks from the condo (Bordeaux and Magazine) and brings you to Canal Street.

    • The Bus Route 9 (Laurel and Napoleon) is 5 blocks bringing you to Mid-City.

    • The St. Charles Streetcar to Uptown/Downtown is 12 min. walk. Riding the St. Charles Streetcar is a sheer delight and the best $1.25 you’ll spend your entire trip.

    • There’s also Uber, Lyft and taxis, we recommend United Cab they are the most reliable and safe.

  • Wear closed toed shoes in the Quarter, don’t ask why. Elsewhere, we’re a generally casual city so unless you’re planning to go to a “Grand Dame” restaurant like Commanders Palace you won’t need a suit or fancy dress and heels.

  • Talk to strangers - I know, you were always told not to, but in New Orleans we’re a very friendly, open culture, the Southern Hospitality runs deep. We chat to someone in line at the grocery, discuss life with our bartenders and servers and greet the patron next to us at the bar. Keep your head up while walking around and you’ll be greeted with a genuine smile and a “How y’all doing?” It’s OK and encouraged to respond.

  • Walk Bourbon Street once (we like to go before 9/10pm) if you’ve never been, then go see the real city—us locals barely ever visit Bourbon Street but if we do we make our way to Pat O’Briens or Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop.

  • Be careful walking - in general our old city sidewalks can be treacherous so you have to pay attention - no head down looking at your phone, again, keep your head up!

  • Big city, use common sense. Do not walk alone at night, couples and bigger groups are better. Try and know where you’re going instead of standing on a corner looking at your phone, or tuck into a bar and get your bearings. Stay aware when you’re walking anywhere at night, especially in the Quarter. If someone walks up behind you, cross the street. Mind your purse/wallet. Stay smart and (semi) sober and don’t fall for anyone trying to sell you anything or bet you they can tell you where you got your shoes. And avoid the beads from the fake monks!

  • Donning Mardi Gras beads outside of parades is cheesy and will immediately mark you as a tourist, of course it’s also a lot fun - so go for it, but maybe just remove them when Uptown ;).

  • Carry cash, not a ton, but some of our favorite bars are cash only and you’ll want to throw some cash in the hat for the buskers on Royal Street or any/all musicians you enjoy.

  • TIP THE BAND! TIP YOUR BARTENDERS! TIP YOUR SERVERS! We love our culture, we love our musicians, we love our city and we are proud to share it with all visitors, be sure to thank them all for all they do to make your vacation awesome.

  • Great roundup from NewOrleans.com about the Arts Scene.

    • New Orleans Jazz Museum, 400 Esplanade Ave. - such a great spot to dive into the music that put New Orleans on the map.

    • The WWII Museum (945 Magazine St.) is truly remarkable and can take more than 2 days to take it all in, HIGHLY recommend a visit.

    • Wander the French Market. 1008 N. Peters St., down by the river in the French Quarter. Best place to buy inexpensive New Orleans souvenirs, spices, and cooking supplies and the oyster bar is next level!

    • JAMNOLA, 940 Frenchmen St., is such a cool immersive art experience that showcases all the bright, joyful part of New Orleans culture.

    • Art Galleries - Julia Street and Warehouse District is the Arts District. Check out See Arts New Orleans for info on locations/events like White Linen Night and First Thursday.

    • Free People of Color Museum, 2336 Esplanade Avenue, one of the country’s few attractions dedicated exclusively to preserving the material culture of and telling the story of free people of color.

    • Backstreet Cultural Museum, 1531 St. Phillip St., in the famous Treme (pronounced “treh-may”) neighborhood.

    • Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal St. 504-523-4662 is a museum, research center, and publisher dedicated to preserving the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South. They have rotating exhibits and sometimes live music in the courtyard.

    • Studio Be is an almost indescribable art space in the Marigny, the brainchild of genius local artist Brandon BMike Odums. Check the website for current exhibits

    • Ogden Museum of Southern Art, 925 Camp St. Explores all the art of the American south.

    • New Orleans Museum of Art and Sculpture Garden, 1 Collins Diboll Cir., City Park, fantastic city museum full of galleries and visiting exhibits.

    • New Orleans has blue bikes or an independent bike rental is a great way to explore the city. Just keep your head up to avoid potholes! Our fave spot to ride bikes is Crescent Park along the river in the Bywater, or the Lafitte Greenway in Midcity as well as the loop in Audubon Park or meandering in City Park plus you can stop for beignets at Cafe du Monde.

    • Tree of Life - in Audubon Park next to the giraffes! This is our favorite spot to sit and while away the day with a picnic and book. The walk through the trees is humbling and centering.

    • Riverview Park aka “The Fly” along the river Uptown, big open space with plenty of space to spread out and picnic and feel the breeze off the river. We love to bring folding chairs and book and some sandwiches from Picnic or takeout daiquiris and crawfish.

    • The Lakefront/West End Lakeshore Dr., A part of New Orleans that many visitors never see is our gorgeous Lakefront. It’s a wonderful area to walk along the waterfront, sit and watch the boats and birds or enjoy some fun bars and restaurants with great food and great views. Our favorites are Blue Crab for live music on weekends, JBs Fuel Dock for chilling and pizza and Felix’s for chargrilled oysters.

  • We are HUGE live music fans, it’s the whole reason we moved to New Orleans. There’s a variety of different ways to take in music across the city from more ticketed events to free club shows and everything in between. The best way to figure out what’s going on is to listen to WWOZ at the top of every odd hour or go their online music listings. Remember to ALWAYS TIP THE BAND! Here are our favorite spots to catch music - we’ve listed the ones closest to us first.

    • Dos Jefes Cigar Bar, 5535 Tchoupitoulas St. (10 min. from our house, Uptown) Awesome jazz club with free music nightly. It is smokey so be prepared for that there’s also a great patio.

    • Tipitina’s, 501 Napoleon Ave., (8 min from our house, Uptown) Legendary music club since the 70’s that hosts both local and nationally touring acts. Get tickets online for popular shows.

    • Bayou Bar at the Pontchartrain, 2031 St. Charles Ave., Uptown (10 min. from our house). Lively, cozy, classic jazz bar along the Avenue with music nightly. It’s recommended to make reservations for a table to ensure you have a spot.

    • Le Bons Temps Roule, 4801 Magazine St., (10 min from our house, Uptown) Classic Uptown dive bar with an iconic music room in the back. The Grammy-winning Soul Rebels play most Thursdays at 11 pm. Check the schedule — they host music most nights. Cover charge applies.

    • Maple Leaf Bar, 8316 Oak St., way Uptown (15 min. from our house), ICONIC. MUST VISIT. LEGENDARY. Our absolute favorite spot in the city to see music. Great back patio, locals scene and live music 7 nights a week. Go see George Porter Jr., on Mondays, you’ll be SO glad you did. Tickets can be bought online or in person at the door.

    • The Broadside, 600 N. Borad Ave., Mid-City. Fantastic venue with intimate indoor space, large outdoor space/garden/bar, fantastic Japanese restaurant and always hosting awesome music and events. Tickets can be bought online or at the door.

    • Chickie Wah Wah, 2828 Canal St., Mid-City. Locals spot for intimate listening room type shows. Great drinks. Tickets online or at the door.

    French Quarter/Marigny/Bywater

    • Preservation Hall, 726 St. Peter St., French Quarter, MUST DO! Promise you will go! The most iconic New Orleans music experience and the thing you’ll always remember. Music nightly at 5, 6:15, 7:30, 8:45. You can buy tickets online or if there’s room you can buy them at the door. We always just do the standing room tickets. They now serve drinks in the courtyard and have A/C!

    • Mahogany Jazz Hall, 125 Chartres St., French Quarter, awesome, classic NOLA jazz club with excellent cocktails including absinthe service. Free music nightly so tip your band!

    • MRB, 515 St. Philip St., French Quarter. Our hidden Quarter secret, so shhhh! Amazing back courtyard bar serving up chargrilled oysters and free music nightly.

    • Fritzel’s European Jazz Pub, 733 Bourbon St., French Quarter. Tiny, cozy spot for free jazz all day and night been doing it since 1969!

    • Clubs on Frenchmen Street, a strip of tons of music clubs just outside the French Quarter in the Marigny. Our favorite is Spotted Cat and Apple Barrel as well as Three Muses and Snug Harbor. The night Arts Market is a feast for the eyes too!

    • Back Room at Buffa’s, 1001 Esplanade Ave., Marigny/edge of the Quarter local neighborhood place with great food and always awesome music.

    • BJs Lounge, 4301 Burgundy St. Bywater. Neighborhood locals bar that hosts live music, open mic and more nightly. The “Bywater’s living room” with a great back garden.

  • New Orleans has a bar culture like nowhere else. Many are just neighborhood spots where locals meet friends, hear music, and unwind. Hanging out at one of these spots is truly the best way to get to meet locals and feel like a local. Some are cash only so bring some dollars. Many often have pop-up food vendors which might be some of the best food you’ll have, no lie. As you can imagine NOLA has A LOT of bars but here are go-to’s and favorites:

    Uptown, Garden District & Irish Channel

    • The Batture, 25 Walnut St., Uptown along the river. Incredibly cool new open space along the River with food trucks, bar trucks and tons of space to spread out and enjoy the sunset. They also offer yoga and the Farmers Market is there every Tuesday!

    • St. Joe’s Bar, 5535 Magazine St., Uptown, (20 min walk from our house) Relaxing courtyard lit by Chinese lanterns. Great cocktails.

    • The Kingpin, 1307 Lyons St., Uptown (15 min walk from our house). Mellow, neighborhood vibe with live music on most Saturday afternoons.

    • The Columns Hotel, 3811 St. Charles Ave. Uptown. Gorgeous uptown mansion with fantastic porch for cocktails and small bites. Such southern decadence to sip a French 75 while watching the streetcars go by.

    • Brothers Three, 4520 Magazine St., Uptown (8 min walk from our house) Dive bar, locals bar, pool table, great jukebox, cash only. Don’t be afraid of the yellow bunker, you’ll make fast friends.

    • NOLA Brewing and NOLA Pizza, 3033 Tchoupitoulas St., Uptown. GREAT pizza, good beer and free live music Friday/Saturday/Sundays.

    • Miel Brewery, 405 Sixth St., Uptown. Delicious beers, awesome patio, great food pop-ups.

    • Parasol’s Bar, 2533 Constance St., Irish Channel. Longtime Irish corner bar with outside tables and delicious po-boys.

    • Pete’s Out in the Cold, 701 Sixth St., Irish Channel. HIDDEN SECRET so shhhh. Locals bar. Gotta press the doorbell to be let in as it’s an old Prohibition Bar. You’re bound to make friends.

    • The Tchoup Yard, 405 Third St., Irish Channel. The spot to watch sports. Huge outdoor bar and inside space and delicious pop up.

    French Quarter

    • Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone, 214 Royal St. MUST DO! A rotating carousel bar and classic hotel.

    • Jewel of the South, 1026 St. Louis St., Michelin winning cocktail and small bites spot. Reservations can’t hurt.

    • Pine and Palm, 308 N. Rampart. Mexican/Caribbean themed cocktails and small bites.

    • Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29, 321 N. Peters St., The inventor of the tiki bar! Tiki gastropub with insane delicious cocktails.

    • French 75 Bar at Arnauds, 813 Bienville, Award-winning, old, moody bar in the heart of the Quarter.

    • B Mac’s, 819 St. Louis St., HIDDEN GEM, our go-to spot to escape Bourbon St. Locals bar, great courtyard. Cash Only.

    • Erin Rose, 811 Conti St., Longtime Irish pub with delicious frozen Irish coffee. They have some of the best po boys in the city served out the back.

    • Mollys at the Market, 1107 Decatur St., Locals Irish favorite since 1974. Frozen Irish Coffee.

    Marigny/Bywater

    • Nightbloom, 3100 St. Claude. Fantastic cocktails in a vibey, cool space. Hot new spot!

    • The Elysian Bar, Hotel Peter & Paul, 2317 Burgundy St. Incredible drinks and small bites in a historical space.

    • Bacchanal Fine Wine & Spirits, 600 Poland Ave. OUR FAVORITE SPOT! While away the day in the wine garden enjoying a bottle of wine and delicious cheese/meat/treats and live music daily.

    • Parleaux Beer Lab, 634 Lesseps St., awesome local brewery with a fantastic, lush beer garden often have delicious pop-ups for food.

  • New Orleans has one of the best food cultures in the world. Michelin Guide came through the city in late 2025 and we were greatly honored as a food town. There are SO many restaurants to choose from and it’s commonplace to talk about where you’re going to dinner while you’re out for breakfast! We love to refer to EATER for their 38 Essential list.

    Typically anything around Jackson Square isn’t going to be good and will be overpriced with the exception being Muriel’s and of course Cafe Du Monde. You’ll find the best spots in the Quarter on the side streets or hit up one of the Classics.

    Below is our list of our favorites most are in our neighborhood but there are SO many more depending on what you’re looking for for food, vibe and neighborhood so reach out and we’ve probably got a spot.

    Our favorites for dinner right now (2026):

    Compère Lapin, 535 Tchoupitoulas St., Caribbean/Creole, creative and utterly delicious.

    G.W. Fins, 808 Bienville St., our go-to higher end seafood spot. The biscuits! Also they do a super unique dry aged fish program which is amazing!

    Jacques-imo’s, 8324 Oak St., amazing New Orleans food in a bright, art filled, funky cozy old house. Been my go-to for over 25 years. You have to get the alligator sausage cheesecake!

    Frankie & Johnny’s, 321 Arabella St., Close to our house, classic NOLA food - poboys, red beans, gumbo and boiled crawfish in season.

    Clancy’s, 6100 Annunciation St., upscale, classic Creole food in a beautiful Uptown setting. Sitting at the bar is a locals delight! Brie + Oyster, trust!

    Magasin Vietnamese Cafe, 4226 Magazine St. (6 min walk from our house) Incredibly delicious phó, spring rolls and vermicelli. Great for takeout.

    Shaya, 4213 Magazine St., Insanely delicious Israeli food, homemade pita, dips and hummus. Perfect lunch spot.

    Paladar 511, 511 Marigny St., Awesome food in an airy, industrial space. Menu always changes and it’s always delicious.

    N7, 1117 Montegut St., Beautiful french inspired with gorgeous courtyards and greenhouses.

    Joey K’s, 3001 Magazine St., Causal. locals spot for great NOLA food.

    Miss Shirleys Chinese, 3009 Magazine St., Truly the BEST Chinese food you’ll ever have, and when you’re tired of NOLA food, this is THE SPOT.

    Napoleon House, 500 Chartres St., Brennan’s owned and serving up delicious, reliable NOLA food in the heart of the Quarter.

    Porgy’s Seafood Market & Restaurant, 236 N. Carrollton Ave. Mid-City. Unbelievably fresh and creative seafood, local secret. You can also buy fresh seafood to cook at home!

    Coffee/Breakfast/Bakery

    Cherry Coffee Roasters, 4875 Laurel St., (6 min. walk from the house). Modern, comfy cafe for delicious coffee drinks and light bites. Great spot to work if you need to!

    La Boulangerie, 4600 Magazine St., (10 min walk from the house). Chef driven French bakery with decadent pastries, brunch and lunch. Quite popular spot so you could order pickup online or just wait in line.

    Molly’s Rise and Shine, 2368 Magazine St. Creative and laid-back spot for breakfast sandwiches, brunch meals and vibes! Get the carrot yogurt for the table - trust us! Can be a long line but worth the wait or order online.

    Satsuma, 7901 Maple St., delightfully sunny cafe serving delicious breakfast sandwiches and plates and great coffee. They also have a spot in the Bywater at 3218 Dauphine St.

    Lunch/Po-Boys

    Domilise’s Po-Boys & Bar, 5240 Annunciation St., (10 min. walk from the house). Local institution since 1924 with counter served po-boys. We love their fried shrimp.

    Francolini’s, 3987 Tchoupitoulas St., (15 min walk from the house). Incredibly creative sandwiches for takeout or dine in - great for lunch. Order online ahead.

    Stein’s Deli, 2207 Magazine St., Awesome NYC style deli with great sandwiches, we love their muffuletta best!

    Dooky Chase, 2301 Orleans Ave. the city’s premier restaurant for Creole cuisine, and a civil rights landmark. Reservations are best and Fridays are great lunch vibes!

    Lil Dizzy’s, 1500 Esplanade Ave., local, neighborhood favorite with real deal New Orleans soul food.

    Picnic Provisions & Whisky, 741 State St., Great fried chicken and it’s awesome for take-out for park picnics!

    The High Hat Cafe, 4500 Freret St., Great southern food, po-boys and more in a bright, buzzy space. Local's Favorite!


    Sno-balls

    There’s only one we’ll ever recommend and it’s across the street from our house, Hansen’s Sno-Bliz! Homemade syrups and the best ICE in the city. They close during the coldest months (Dec-March) but reopen in Mid-March.

    Crawfish

    Lots of breweries and pubs will have a pop up boil and they’re all good, we especially like Buggin Out Boils. Our favorite restaurant is Clesi’s Seafood Restaurant, 4323 Bienville St. in Mid City.

    Oysters - Raw and Chargrilled

    Pascale’s Manale, 1838 Napoleon Ave. Been serving them raw since 1913. Their BBQ shrimp is the best in the city!

    Felix’s, 739 Iberville St. (Quarter) and 7400 Lakeshore Dr. (Lakefront). Chargrilled are so good!

    Drago’s, inside Hilton, 2 Poydras St., (CBD). The original chargrilled oysters and still the best!

  • Groceries

    Rouse’s at 4500 Tchoupitoulas is the big supermarket.

    Bookstores

    We are so lucky to have great independent bookstores in New Orleans.

    • Octavia, Garden District Books, and Blue Cypress (Uptown)

    • Baldwin & Company, Frenchmen Art & Books (Marigny)

    • Parlour Books (Bywater)

    • Faulkner House (French Quarter)

    • Community Book Center (7th Ward)

    Clothing

    Magazine Street boutiques and vintage shops over 6 miles to explore! We love Muse, Vegas, Funky Monkey and Buffalo Exchange.

    Antiques

    Royal Street is incredibly special to shop or just look.

    Art/Souvenirs

    The art markets are awesome to explore! They pop up all over the city and there’s one permanent one on Frenchmen Street. Plus artists set up around Jackson Square.

    Souvenirs

    Dirty Coast, Fluerty Girl, Miette, Lionheart Press, Scriptura, Hazlenut all on Magazine St.

    Music/Vinyl

    • Peaches Records (Uptown)

    • Louisiana Music Factory (Frenchmen Street)

    • Euclid Records (Bywater)

    • Domino Sound Record Shack (Mid-City)

  • Southeast Louisiana has so much to offer beyond just the City of New Orleans and we do encourage you to explore. There’s so much culture, music, food and adventure that is so uniquely Louisiana. 64 Parishes is a lovely exploration of all the different parishes (counties) of Louisiana. It’s said that some of the best food you’ll ever have is at gas stations in Cajun Country.

    • Swamp Tours - we recommend the Beyond the Bayou tours as they are “eco-friendly” and do not feed the animals and use smaller, quiet boats.

    • Plantation Tours - We highly recommend paying a visit to the Whitney Plantation. The tour books and sites will have plenty of info on the other plantation tours. Most of them gloss over the shameful history of slavery in Louisiana and focus on the beautiful architecture and stories of the masters, told by women in reproduction hoop skirts. The Whitney was built from the perspective of the enslaved people who lived on the plantation. It’s a powerful, moving, and educational way to spend part of your time here. It’s about an hour’s ride out there, and you should buy tickets for a specific tour time in advance on their website.

    • Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve - hiking boardwalk and different sites that showcase the bayou and history of the region.

    • Northshore - Driving across the 23.8 mile Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is super cool and on the other side is a lovely, more rural area of the quaint towns of Covington, Madisonville, Mandeville and more. Explore the norths shore when you need some open space there’s trail hiking, breweries, great restaurants, boutiques and camping. We love to spend time biking in Fontainebleau State Park.

    • Gulf Coast Beaches - the beaches along the Mississippi and Alabama coast are beautiful and worthy of exploration. We always go and decompress on the Gulf Coast after Mardi Gras so we have recommendations if you’d like to add a visit to your trip.

A few helpful tips to make you feel like a local…

Pronunciations. Many things are not pronounced the way you'd think. A lot of street names are anglicized, e.g. Carondelet is "Ka-ron-da-lette," Milan is "My-lin," Calliope is "Ka-lee-ope."

Directions. There is no "north-south-east-west" here. You're on the "lake side" or "river side" of the street (or the Neutral Ground, i.e. median side of a Mardi Gras float). Upriver or downriver. Look at a map and you'll see why the West Bank is not really "west."

Parking. If you are renting a car or driving, you may want to download the ParkMobile app and link your credit card to an account, which will cover almost all street parking. Most surface lots use Premium Parking, which you can also download.

Pralines (pronounced “prah-leens”). Local pecan confection. Eat them right away—they don’t travel very well.

Andouille (pronounced “an-doo-ee”) Sausage. A Cajun spiced and smoked sausage.

Beignet (pronounced “ben-ñay”) Fried dough served with powdered sugar on top. Don't wear black pants to Cafe du Monde.

Boudin (pronounced “boo-dan”). A ground Cajun sausage made with spices, one main meat ingredient and always mixed with rice.

Creole vs. Cajun. Two different, important groups of people in Louisiana. Learn more here. "Creole" are generally urban people, descended from African/Caribbean/French/Spanish heritage. Cajuns are generally more rural people, descended from the French Acadians colonists who got kicked out of Canada and re-settled in Louisiana. There's also a difference between Cajun and Zydeco music, more-or-less along Black/white lines. Here's a good article on the roots of Zydeco music.

File. (pronounced “fee-lay”) Dried, finely ground leaves of the sassafras tree. Used as a thickener in gumbo.

Po-boy. A sandwich, kind of like a sub, grinder, or hero but way better. You may be asked if you want it “dressed”, which means with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise.

Muffuletta. (pronounced “muff-uh-LOT-uh." The proprietors of Central Grocery pronounce it "moo-foo-LET-ta”) A Sicilian meat, cheese, and olive spread sandwich on a giant sesame seed bun.

Tchoupitoulas is pronounced “chop-ih-toolas” (basically, the first “T” is silent). It’s the street where Tipitina’s is, at the corner of Napoleon.

Esplanade is pronounced to rhyme with “lemonade” (not like the Esplanade in Boston)

It’s a streetcar, not a trolley.

Lagniapppe (pronounced “lan-yap”). It means “a little something extra.”

New Orleans (pronounced “New Orlins” or sometimes “New Or-lee-ins” but not “N’awlins”). Try not to sound like a tourist. Or like this.

Clap on the two and four.