Travelers who’ve visited New Orleans in the past may recall a bar called the 700 Club; that venue has been reborn as Betty’s Bar and Bistro (700 Burgundy St. Tel. 504-354-1222. www.bettysbar.com) and it features an extensive menu and both indoor and outdoor seating.
Dance clubs to put on your must visit list include Bourbon Pub & Parade (801 Bourbon St. Tel. 504-529-2107. www.bourbonpub.com), and the popular dance club Oz (800 Bourbon St. Tel. 504-593-9491. www.ozneworleans.com).
Exploring the French Quarter
Photo: Keaton by Mark Edward Studio @bakerakeaton
Culinary experiences in New Orleans run the gamut from hole-in-the-wall venues (which are often just as good as pricey places) to stylish upscale restaurants. Among the newest choices, two popular pop-up restaurants, Rosalita’s Backyard Tacos (3304 St. Claude Ave. Tel. 504-354-2468. www.rosalitas-nola.com) and Budsi’s Authentic Thai (1760 N. Rampart St. Tel. 504-381-4636. www.budsisthai.com) recently opened full-service restaurant locations in the Bywater and Marigny neighborhoods.
For a taste of tradition, consider a visit to Brennan’s (417 Royal St. Tel. 504-525-9711. www.brennansneworleans.com), a French Quarter favorite that’s celebrating its 75th anniversary. For live music and great oysters, check out MRB Bar & Kitchen (515 St. Philip St. Tel. 504-524-2558. www.mrbnola.com) a reliable, casual venue that often hosts live musical performances in the courtyard.
If you’re in the mood for French cuisine, head to the nearby Warehouse Arts District, where Yvonnes (412 Girod St. Tel. 504- 518-6007. www.yvoone.com), hosts a “French happy hour” on Thursdays and Fridays from 3 P.M. to 5 P.M., with champagne and other French drinks complementing the culinary delights.
The Garden District is another neighborhood with lots of great dining options. Gris Gris (1800 Magazine St. Tel. 504-272-0241. www.grisgrisnola.com), for example, serves sophisticated southern cuisine in a stylish venue, with a first-floor chef’s table and bar and indoor/outdoor balcony seating on the second floor. And, of course, no first-time visitor should miss the opportunity to sit down at Commander’s Palace (1403 Washington Ave. Tel. 504-899-8221. www.commanderspalace.com), which has a rich history dating to 1893 and a menu of delectable “haute Creole” cuisine.
The Big Easy is welcoming an array of new hotel options. One of the newest, the Higgins Hotel, a Curio Collection by Hilton property (1000 Magazine St. Tel. 504-528-1941. www.higginshotelnola.com), offers a luxurious step back in time. While the building is a new construction, the décor is inspired by the 1930s and 1940s, tying in with the hotel’s location across the street from the National World War II Museum. Unique, custom-designed furnishings and décor create an inviting and memorable setting, and it’s also well located for exploring the galleries and restaurants in the trendy Warehouse Arts District.
French Quarter Architecture
Photo: Mark Chesnut
For a fresh take on a French Quarter stay, consider the One11 Hotel (111 Iberville St. Tel. 855-652-0141. www.one11hotel.com), which is billed as the first new hotel to open in the French Quarter in 50 years. This elegant, 83-room property has a rooftop bar, a Creole-inspired restaurant, and sumptuous suites.
In the Garden District, travelers can check into a beautifully reimagined former home at Columns (3811 St. Charles Ave. Tel. 504-899-9308. www.thecolumns.com), a boutique hotel that reopened this year. The stylish property, which is under new ownership, also has a bar and restaurant that are popular with travelers and locals alike, thanks to its picturesque location on St. Charles Avenue, right on the streetcar line.
Other hotels on the way include the 225-room Virgin Hotel New Orleans (550 Baronne St. Tel. TBD. www.virgin hotels.com/coming-soon), which debuted this summer with a rooftop pool and bar; and the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences New Orleans (2 Canal St. Tel. 504-434-5100. www.fourseasons.com/neworleans) which will assume a prestigious address in a landmark highrise designed by Edward Durell Stone, complete with a 34th-floor observation deck, a spa, and fifth-floor rooftop pool.
Not to be outdone, a number of existing hotels in New Orleans are upping their offerings. The W New Orleans – French Quarter (316 Chartres St. Tel. 504-581-1200. www.marriott.com, for example, recently reopened its SoBou restaurant with a new chef and a relaunch of its popular Legs and Eggs “burlesque brunch” on Sundays.
