New Orleans is a city that is almost defiant about celebration; ask any resident at any given point and they’ll be gearing up for another party. Over 130 festivals take place in New Orleans every year.
This sexy, creative and fun city is serious about one thing – that life should be celebrated. Eat food that soothes your soul, listen to music that makes you want to dance, and don’t forget to smell the sweet magnolia.
In spring, New Orleans is a carpet of shining beads in purple, green and gold. They hang from every available surface, gloriously gaudy strings of cheer that dress the city. They decorate railings, trees, bushes, balconies, street signs and car bumpers. A hangover from Mardi Gras where they’re thrown from the parade floats, they’re never cleared away; they might be removed from the streets, but you can rest assured that no one is climbing up a tree for them. And so they remain, come rain or shine – a reminder that New Orleans will always find life’s levity and joy.
There are many sun-drenched cities that advocate for living life to the fullest, but what makes New Orleans impressive is that it has chosen to let the good times roll in the face of continuing hardship. Celebration has been a necessity that has become integral to its DNA. Historically, New Orleans residents have been forced into tremendous resilience. They have been fantastically brave.
At the city’s inception back in the 1800s, its humid subtropical weather meant that every steamy summer, its earliest inhabitants were swarmed by mosquitos, and over a tenth were killed annually. But those who survived stayed. New Orleans’ ensuing history was equally complicated, peppered with disease, violence, inequality and natural disaster. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 put four fifths of the city under water: residents left, but many returned because there is nowhere quite like New Orleans.
Jazz bars reopened, and musicians played their tubas, saxophones and violins on the streets again. Perhaps one of the few gifts of loss is that we learn what we need for a life to have meaning. This is a city that might shine with beads, but it has serious grit. Couple that with deeply infused multiculturalism and you have one of the most singular, creative and inimitable destinations in the world. Come for the music, but stay for the way you feel when you’re there.
New Orleans knows it’s special which is why there are so many traditions; locals are self aware enough to know that this culture needs to be preserved. Music is the entry point for most visitors, it being the birthplace of jazz. You don’t have to go far to find it; and there is no point in rushing to be anywhere because you will inevitably be distracted by a peerlessly good musicians blasting the sax in the street.
The food is fabulously unhealthy: beignets for breakfast; indulgent po’boy sandwiches for lunch; and hearty bowls of gumbo for dinner. Dining in New Orleans is more than just what we eat; it’s about hospitality and warmth: there is always, always room for one more in the homes of New Orleanians. The architecture is world renowned, a tangle of influences from France, Spain, Africa, the Caribbean and America itself. It’s incredibly diverse, from colourful Creole cottages to expansive plantation-inspired mansions of the affluent Garden District.
It’s a complicated place, but all the best cities are. New Orleans has worked out the small things that are worth getting out of bed for and given them fanfare. It invites you, as its guest, to do the same.
Where to Stay
The Columns
The Columns is a New Orleans landmark in itself, a mansion that dates back to the 1800s. Although it was originally a private home, it has been used as a hotel since 1953 and is currently a part of Mr and Mrs Smith’s thoughtfully curated roster. The Columns has presence – a double-fronted pile flanked by pillars and a front terrace filled with locals and tourists enjoying drinks under parasols. Hotels are rarely destinations for anyone who isn’t staying there, but New Orleanians come for evening cocktails and the renowned weekend brunch menu. If you happen to be staying while the city is full of biblical thunderstorms, there is an undercover deep veranda on the first floor filled with relaxed seating and tables from which to watch the iconic streetcar roll by on St. Charles Avenue below.
The Columns
The rich mahogany indoor bar offers an atmospheric spot to while away an evening, while the roomy lounges are light-filled spaces to kick back. A small coffee bar is a perfect morning pit-stop before heading out for the day, and a pop-up boutique offering eveningwear and accessories to hire is ideal for a city where nightlife is king. Rooms are eclectic and spacious, an homage to New Orleans’ maximalist glamour – think four-poster beds, bathroom chandeliers and fringed bedside lamps. The location on St. Charles Avenue means you’re within walking distance to the well-heeled Garden District and Magazine Street, which offers plenty of restaurants, shops and bars. The Columns offers character and boujee buzz in spades.
Hotel Henrietta
Only five minutes from The Columns sits the newly opened Hotel Henrietta, an entirely different proposition altogether. Owned by the same company, this boutique hotel has a more contemporary feel. Although classic hotel rooms are available, it also offers generously sized suites that include kitchenettes, sitting rooms and private balconies that overlook St. Charles Avenue. As a young family travelling with a toddler, this setup worked brilliantly for us. In the evenings, we would order from the cocktail bar in reception and have drinks on our sofa outside while listening to jazz-playing buskers below. The decor is modern but warm; lightly 70s and mid-century references (terracotta-toned velvet sofa and angular lamps) are blended with luxe contemporary touches, such as Le Labo bath products, linen bedding and Smeg fridges. While there is no restaurant, there is a coffee shop and bar on the ground floor which serves mouthwateringly overstuffed bagels from Flour Moon, a New Orleans’ foodie favourite. We also recommend a stop-off at Delachaise wine bar next-door, a relaxed lunch and evening spot shrouded in fairy-lights.
EAT + DRINK
Soul food is integral to the culture of New Orleans. A unique mix of French, West African and Spanish influences, there’s a reason Anthony Bourdain said everyone should eat in New Orleans. Food is hearty, flavoursome and generously-sized, but it’s not just about what we eat, but how you feel when you’re eating it. Southern hospitality is deeply embedded into the ethos of dining, whether fine dining or low-key. It’s not just about food, it’s about the people, culture and stories that lay behind each dish, where community and warmth are always key ingredients.
Café du Monde
Beignets at Cafe du Monde photographed by Chelsea Audibert
Breakfast at city institution Café du Monde is a must. The original site just off Jackson Square is best for soaking up French Quarter atmosphere, and for indulging in its featherlight, fluffy beignets (a godly donut), covered in lashings of powdered sugar and chicory-infused coffee, another New Orleans signature. If you want to avoid the crowds, try its other lesser-known branch in the green folds of City Park, or for a less sugar-heavy breakfast, try Elizabeths in The Bywater.
Galatoire’s
Image credit: Thomas Hawk / Flickr. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/deed.en
For a high-end local dining experience, Galatoire’s is hard to beat, and enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. One of the city’s oldest dining rooms, Galatoire’s on Bourbon Street still has its original menu with dishes served by tuxedoed waiters almost overburdened with charm and knowledge. A full-on white-tablecloth restaurant, meals can (and should) last for hours. While it’s an elegant setting, you can still expect plenty of atmosphere and conviviality. The fried oysters made with butter and bacon are to die for, as is the Louisiana shrimp with stewed tomatoes and sprinkled with creole seasoning. Make sure you leave room for the pecan pie served with whiskey caramel sauce and whipped cream.
Casamento’s
Bob Burch / https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
Another stalwart of New Orleans’ dining scene, Casamento’s in the Uptown district is an old-school, relaxed green and white tiled restaurant that’s been feeding locals since 1919. Although known for its oysters and sandwiches, it also offers a delicious bowl of gumbo rich in okra and tomatoes. The staff here are inordinately friendly; southern hospitality at its absolute best. A quick note that the bathroom is situated at the end of the kitchen, requiring patrons to duck the chefs and steamy pots of oil to access it, and check the opening hours before you leave.
Other restaurants to visit:
Molly’s at the Market in the French Quarter. Order the signature Frozen Irish milkshake, a deliciously cooling mix of ice cream, milk, brandy, and coffee liqueur.
Barracuda Taco Stand in Algiers Point, for excellent Mexican food in a low-key, relaxed outdoor setting.
TO DO
Music on Frenchmen Street
Bourbon Street might be New Orleans’ most famous spot, but locals go to Frenchmen where many of the best music venues are. Nearly every door on this street will lead to jawdroppingly good music, spanning blues, funk and, of course, jazz. The most we paid for entry was $10 at the legendary Spotted Cat, but many places are free. Blue Nile is also a classic and has a great outdoor balcony, but for a more intimate space head to Apple Barrel Bar. Just walking along Frenchmen is an unforgettable experience where even the buskers sound like Grammy winners.
City Park and The Sculpture Garden
Block a full afternoon for the sprawling City Park, which is also home to New Orleans Museum of Art and The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. Here, art and nature assimilate with over 90 works dotted around 11 acres of lagoons, pines, magnolias and live oaks. It’s a truly peaceful setting and a perfect respite to the city’s bustling pace. The wider park itself is one of the largest in the US, and features a botanical garden, a retro amusement park, playgrounds, fishing lakes, a mini-golf complex, and plenty of eating and drinking options.
Watch a Parade
If you can, time your visit with a parade (this isn’t hard to do given how often New Orleanians love to celebrate). Mardi Gras is the carnival king, but don’t overlook lesser-known events such as Indian Super Sunday, in which culture and couture collide to dazzling effect. Nothing embodies the spirit and heritage of the city quite like a parade; the music, the costumes and atmosphere will leave an indelible impact.
Wander the Neighbourhoods
For a city with such cultural heft, New Orleans is unexpectedly condensed – an Uber from one side to the other will take just 25 minutes. The French Quarter is the best known (and well worth exploring), but the Garden Quarter is full of beautiful mansions and also home to Magazine Street, a six-mile stretch overflowing with genteel restaurants, shops and coffee shops. On the opposite side of the city sits The Bywater, which has been heavily gentrified over the years (both a good and bad thing depending on who you ask). There you’ll find a more hipster clientele and record stores, laidback wine bars, craft breweries and deliciously colourful Creole cottages. For vibrant souvenirs make a beeline for Dr. Bob Folk Art, the warehouse of local artist Dr. Bob who is famed for his ‘Be Nice Or Leave’ signs.
Take a Swamp Tour
The swamps surrounding New Oleans by Morgane Perraud
It might be a tourist favourite, but a swamp tour is such a worthwhile day trip. Cajun Encounters runs multiple coaches every day out to the sticky swamps around 40 minutes outside the city. Your two-hour boat trip will likely feature alligators, turtles and racoons, but also unforgettable views of a very unique ecosystem where cypress trees rise from the water to create a dappled ceiling of greenery and Spanish moss drapes itself over the swamp’s surface.
See the Sun Set on the Mississippi
A paddleboat floats along the Mississippi
You don’t need to book a steamboat to enjoy a sunset on The Mississippi. Crescent Park, which curves round the river bends, offers one of the most spectacular places to watch the sun go down over the city skyline. Take a stroll along the riverbed, hire a bike or just sit on one of the benches and see the paddle boats float into the horizon. When the evening arrives, you’re just a few minutes walk from much-loved wine bar Bacchanal. As I said, New Orleans always delivers.
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