New Orleans, Louisiana
Drinking Hurricanes at Pat O’Brien’s
New Orleans is a great city, with its own very distinct personality. Having spent a summer living in the French Quarter for work about 25 years ago, and having visited a few times since, I can say that, in spite of a few hurricanes, not much has changed in the intervening decades. The historic architecture, iconic family-run restaurants and bars (including the very same LGBT+ bars that were here in 1995), and most of the same hotels and landmarks give both the French Quarter and the Garden District of New Orleans a timeless feel. The Warehouse District, which was just starting to bloom back in1995 as an artsy enclave has likely seen the most change with new restaurants, hotels and art galleries.
We’ve never visited during Mardi Gras (which I’m sure is an entirely different type of experience and insanity, given New Orleans’ penchant for a party and a strong cocktail), though we did make it to the kooky Mardi Gras World Museum this time around. So we were able to enjoy looking at the floats and costumes in the relative peace of a guided tour around the warehouse where old ones are stored and new ones made.
Mostly though, it’s just about getting out: walking the streets of the Quarter (all of them, not just Bourbon!) or the Garden District and admiring the architecture (take the streetcar between the two), waiting in line for a squishy delicious beignet at Cafe Du Monde, visiting a live music club over on Frenchman Street or in the quarter, having a strong cocktail or three (“Go Cups” are allowed, though we prefer drinking our gimlets indoors out of a proper martini glass LOL), and eating amazing, rich, food at any number of fabulous restaurants throughout the city. There is never a shortage of options for food and drink here. My favorite restaurant which had just opened in 1995, chef Susan Spicer’s Bayona, was still there and flourishing during our visit in 2018 — as romantic and civilized as ever.
Most of all, everyone should let loose and just have a great time in New Orleans, where moderation is most definitely not in style.
The Gimlet Traveler Rundown:
All ratings are based on our experience and are on a 5-star rating system (see Site Info for more details). For mapped locations and links to the places listed here (and more) visit Google Map at bottom of page.
Gimlets: *****
While neither of us drinks Bourbon (the name of New Orleans’ most famous tourist street) or Beer (which is consumed in enormous quantities on said street and environs), there are plenty of sophisticated, upscale lounges and restaurants at which to obtain a well-made cocktail of any type. Or just drop into a dive bar, a jazz bar, or one of the many LGBT+ bars in the Quarter and have a couple of Vodka-Sodas to tide you over (though my husband prefers a Madras). We missed having a stylish bar in our hotel (there was a bar, but it was nothing special; certainly not stylish), but you can walk a couple of blocks in any direction and solve that problem. From the whimsical and yet elegant Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone (yes, it spins, slowly, with the bartenders in the middle) to the art-deco Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel to an endless list of restaurants with excellent cocktail bars, you’ll never be without a drink in hand (which is pretty much New Orleans’ motto, right?). If you want a live music venue, head down to Frenchmen Street just outside of the quarter and take your pick. We stopped in midday at The Spotted Music Club, a cute, small spot that had live music even in the late afternoon, and there are a handful of others right around there. We even played tourists and went to the huge, boisterous Pat O’Briens for their famous Hurricanes on our last day just to say we had. Was kinda fun, I have to say.Restaurants: *****
New Orleans has too many excellent restaurants to list comprehensively here or in our map below, but on this most recent visit we loved our two fancy dinners: R’evolution Restaurant (which is a big, snazzy spot, with lovely design and an excellent bar) and old standby Bayona (which has been tucked away in the French Quarter for about 25 years with the same chef, Susan Spicer — and it’s still a great, intimate, and sophisticated restaurant for a romantic dinner). Also new to us was Cafe Amelie, which is great for brunch outdoors in their gorgeous courtyard garden (depending on the weather of course). And make sure to wait in line at least once for the legendary beignets at Cafe Du Monde in the center of the Quarter.Sights: ****
The French Quarter is the center of the action here. But try to get off of the central part of Bourbon Street for a thorough walk-around to see all of the beautiful architecture and explore the various nooks and crannies. Dive Bars, upscale hotel bars, LGBT+ bars and clubs, fancy restaurants, beer halls and divey jazz bars co-exist here — there’s really something for everyone. If you tire of the crowds, take a streetcar from the Quarter to the Garden District and enjoy a walking tour of the gorgeous houses and cemeteries in that area. If you’re not there during Mardi Gras, be sure to visit Mardi Gras World — a giant warehouse museum filled with floats and other memorabilia from past Mardi Gras Parades, and you can see the workshop in action creating giant pieces for the events to come. It’s a wacky, fun hour or two — especially if you’ve got kids (that may be the only time we will mention kids on this entire website!)Shopping: ***
There are lots of tourist-oriented shops in the French Quarter, as well as a good number of antique shops. We found that the shopping on (and just off) Magazine Street in the Garden District area (and even further down towards the Audubon District) were better for the more contemporary-stylish home decor places that we prefer; see Hazelnut (co-owned by Broadway actor Bryan Batt) or Sunday Shop in the map at bottom as two fab examples.
Review of Hyatt Centric French Quarter New Orleans Rating: ****
We chose the Hyatt Centric because it was in the French Quarter, reasonably priced, and had an outdoor pool (two of the four stars are for the location and the pool). Our room was very spacious (if a little dark) and comfortable — though nothing particularly exciting in the design department. The restaurant was more of a casual cafe with a breakfast/lunch feel (both of which we ate at once or twice and it was fine) and the large bar never seemed busy (but why would it be with all the great places to drink just up the block?). All that said, it was very conveniently located, clean, comfortable, had a nice pool and pool deck (though the pool bar was not yet open in March) and the price was more affordable than other locations we looked at in the Quarter. All in all, a solid choice for a few days stay.
Date of stay: March 2018
Other Hotel Choices:
• Maison De La Luz from Atelier Ace (part of Ace Hotels), a stylish luxury guesthouse with access to the amenities at the nearby Ace Hotel. Located between downtown New Orleans and the Warehouse District.
• The stylishly renovated Pontchartrain Hotel. Located in The Garden District with a trendy restaurant and bar.
• The Henry Howard Hotel, a refined hotel in a grand 1867 building in the Garden District offering luxe rooms, plus a stylish lounge with a bar.
• The Chloe, a sexy, trendy re-do on St. Charles in the Uptown neighborhood, with a sweet pool and cozy bar.
• The Ritz Carlton, big old grande dame on the Canal Street edge of the Quarter.
Below is a map of hotels, restaurants, bars, shopping and sights found during our research. We didn’t have time to visit all of them during our trip, but all were of interest. Click on the icon at top left of the map to view the legend. Or you can click on the full-screen icon at top right to expand, which will also bring up the legend.
