From Wikitravel

The French Quarter is the oldest and most famous and visited neighborhood of New Orleans. It was laid out in French and Spanish colonial times in the 18th century. While it has many hotels, restaurants, and businesses catering to visitors, it is best appreciated when you recall that it is still a functioning mixed-use residential/commercial neighborhood where locals live.

Contents 1 Understand 2 Get in 3 See 3.1 House Museums 4 Do 5 Buy 6 Eat 6.1 Budget 6.1.1 Breakfast & Snacks 6.2 Mid-range 6.3 Splurge 7 Drink 8 Live Music 9 Sleep 10 Get out

Understand

The French Quarter or "Vieux Carre" ("old square" in French) stretches along the Mississippi River from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue (14 blocks long) and back from the Mississippi to Rampart Street (7 blocks wide).

"The Quarter" is compact. One can spend an enjoyable vacation here without leaving it for several days. If the French Quarter is your headquarters, consider leaving your car behind and not bothering to rent one if your health permits a few blocks walk. Parking is difficult, expensive, or both. Occasional trips to other parts of town can be made by streetcar or cab. The neighborhood is pedestrian friendly. Take care walking at night, particularly on dark or deserted streets. If you've been drinking, a cab is advisable.

The "Upper Quarter" (between Canal Street and Jackson Square) is the area most patronized by visitors, but the "Lower Quarter" (between Jackson Square and Esplanade Avenue) also has shops and restaurants sprinkled amongst the residences.

Get in

See

• Bourbon Street - some 8 blocks of Bourbon from Canal Street down are given over to catering to the hard drinking tourists. If getting drunk with other tourists is the goal of your vacation, this is the place for you. Even if not, this notorious strip of tourist traps is worth at least a quick look for its colorful sleaziness.
• Royal Street - strolling Royal Street by day is as essential a New Orleans experience as Bourbon Street by night. 1 block away in distance, a world in attitude. There are art galleries, upscale antique stores, and interesting specialty shops, Lots of temptations for those with money, but is also fun window shopping for those not spending a dime.
• Jackson Square - the old town square, often live music is going on here, as well as streetcorner painters and tarot readers. Around the square are:
  • Cabildo - colonial city hall, now a museum; Louisiana Purchase agreements transferring the city from France to the USA were signed here
  • Presbytere - old church offices, another museum, including a New Orleans Mardi Gras display
  • St. Louis Cathedral - a symbol of New Orleans, this is the oldest Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States
  • Pontalba Buildings - 4 story brick apartment buildings have specialty shops, restaurants, and a tourist information office on the ground floors
• Moon Walk is a brick walking path along the Mississippi River across Decatur Street from Jackson Square. The curious name comes from its dedication to former New Orleans mayor Moon Landrieu.
• Old French Market, [1]. While souvenirs for visitors have taken over a good bit of the space at this 250+ year old market, there are still vendors selling fresh produce as in days of old. On weekends a much larger number of vendors set up here, with handicrafts and flee-market type goods.
• Lower Decatur Street, [2]. Right around the corner from the historic US Mint, and the French Market. A French Quarter neighborhood with shops, dining, and entertainment.
• New Orleans Jazz Park, Visitor's Center & Headquarters at 916 N. Peters, [3]. Often has live music, lectures, and gives music history related walking tours. Many events are free; those that aren't are a bargain.
• Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve, 419 Decatur Street, [4]. Headquarters for National Park that includes several historic sites in and near New Orleans. Has a small museum and visitor's center. Show up by 9am to get a place on the informative free walking tour of the French Quarter.
• Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal Street, [5]. Free museum with changing exhibits of local history. Also has a research center nearby on Charters Street.
• Old U.S. Mint, 400 Esplanade, by the French Market. Coins haven't been minted in New Orleans for decades, so the building is now a museum, with the minting process downstairs and the world's top exhibit on New Orleans jazz upstairs.
• Old Ursuline Convent, 1100 Chartres St. Completed in 1752, open for tours
• Pharmacy Museum, 514 Chartres St. See and learn about medical practices of the mid 19th century.

House Museums

Some elegant old homes which are now museums:

• 1850s House, 523 St. Ann in the lower Pontalba Building.
• Beauregard-Keyes House, 1113 Chartres Street, [6].
• Hermann-Grima House, 820 St. Louis Street, [7]. 1830s mansion.
• Gallier House, 1132 Royal Street. Home of famous local 19th century architect.
• Madame John's Legacy, 632 Dumaine. 18th century Creole home

Do

Stroll the streets, look at the architecture, shops, and people. Hear music in the street.

• Buggy Rides: Horse (and sometimes Mule) drawn carriages have driven tourists around the Quarter since the gasoline rationing of the 1940s. Buggy drivers are known to give riders a running commentary consisting of a mix of tall tales and plugs for local businesses that pay them. Don't expect to learn any real New Orleans history; buggy driver stories are for entertainment value only.
• Street entertainers: perform for tips from tourists, and vary greatly in talent. There are excellent musicians who enjoy keeping up their chops out of doors. There are also hacks with little talent other than scamming money. Beware of the Got-yo-shoes-ers; these are scammers who go up to tourists saying "I bet you I know whe' you got yo' shoes!". If they succeed in getting the tourist to take the bet, the answer is "You got yo' shoes on yo' feet!" They usually have a large and threatening looking friend near by to make sure bets are paid.
• Walking tours: are plentiful but can be pricy. Most cost between $10-$20 per person, but there are a couple of good, free walking tours.
  • Jean Lafitte National Park: [8]Park rangers offer a free walking tour of the French Quarter that is very informative. Space is very limited, and spots on the tour are only given out on the day of the tour at 9AM. You should try to show up at least half an hour early to reserve a spot. You'll learn the real history of New Orleans, which is often as colorful as the tall stories.
  • Geogad Mobile Tours: [9] Geogad has a free MP3 walking tour that can be downloaded directly from the Geogad website. The tour can be uploaded to any MP3 device and works best on MP3 players that can display the tour photos and maps.

Buy

• Art or high-end antiques on Royal Street.
• Tacky t-shirts and souvenirs on Bourbon Street.
• There are several good used book stores on Charters, Royal, Pirates' Alley, and elsewhere in the Quarter.
• Louisiana Music Factory, 210 Decatur, [10]. Specializes in local music, with a wide selection new and used CDs, plus vintage vinyl upstairs. Local musicians often play free sets here for promotion when they come out with a new record. The staff here usually know their stuff and can make good recommendations.

Eat

Budget

• Acme Oyster House, 724 Iberville St. No ambiance, but good, cheap oysters and other southern delights.
• Angeli, on Decatur at Governor Nicholls, open long hours
• Cafe EnVie Espresso Bar & Cafe, 1241 Decatur, 232-6530. 7AM-11PM. Sandwiches, salads, omelets, quiches. Wireless internet access.
• Benachin 1212 Royal. African food. Good lunch specials.
• Central Grocery, 923 Decatur. Old Italian-American grocery sandwich shop, famous for their enormous muffuletta sandwiches (one is enough to feed two hungry people).
• Clover Grill, 900 Bourbon, [11]. Good eggs, burgers, and such 24 hours a day. Heavily (though not exclusively) gay clientele. (No longer 24 hours- Katrina)
• Coop's Place, 1109 Decatur (near Ursulines), [12]. You can get good Cajun food at a really good price here.
• Felix's Oyster House, 739 Iberville. The Acme's traditional competition.
• Fiorella's, 1136 Decatur St (second entrance at 45 French Market Place). Noon - 9PM Thurs - Mon. Good cheap eats to some; a bit much of a greasy spoon for others.
• Jimani, 141 Chartres. when you want a great roast beef sandwich at 2 in the morning
• Mama Rosa's, 616 N. Rampart. old style French Quarter Pizza.
• Mona Lisa's, 1212 Royal. Italian and Pizza.
• Port of Call, 838 Esplanade. If you crave a bronto burger and a baked potato, dock here. Warning: Bring big appetite!
• Sarafina's, 81 French Maret Place. Coffee, sandwiches, salads, and made from scratch deserts.
• Verti Marte, 1201 Royal. Will deliver po-boys and similar cheap but yummy grub to your place in the Quarter. It's also a small neighborhood grocery with wine & beer.
• Yo Mama's Bar & Grill, 727 St. Peter (between Royal & Bourbon). limited but high quality grill menu, including 14 types of burgers.

Breakfast & Snacks

• Cafe du Monde, 1039 Decatur Street, [13]. Serves coffee and beignets, 24 hours a day, across Decatur from Jackson Square. A local landmark since the 19th century.
• CC's, Royal at St. Philip. The French Quarter branch of a small local chain. Great iced coffee drinks for hot days.
• Croissant d'Or, Ursuline Street. French pastries and light breakfasts & lunch.
• Cafe EnVie see entry in section above.

Mid-range

• Bacco, 310 Charters, [14]. Tuscan.
• Bayona, 430 Dauphine. Inventive Mediterranean-ish food in pretty setting.
• Bistro at Maison de Ville, 727 Rue Toulouse, [15]. Award-winning French Creole cuisine and legendary wine list.
• Gumbo Shop, 630 St. Peter, [16]. An institution for gumbos and similar traditional Louisiana dishes.
• Louisiana Pizza Kitchen, upscale custom pizza, by the French Market
• Margaritaville Cafe, Decatur St. near the French Market, [17]. Don't waste away, Jimmy Buffett fans! OK this place isn't so great, but it had to be mentioned. The great ironies of Margaritaville are this: 1) It is downriver on Decatur where, thankfully, fewer tourists venture even though the place is mostly designed for the tourist trade and 2) Some of the finest musicians in New Orleans that don't play stereotypical New Orleans music (dixieland jazz or R&B covers) play there and they don't play Jimmy Buffett covers.
• Mr. B's Bistro, 201 Royal, [18].
• Petunia's, 817 St. Louis, [19]. French crêpes, breakfast, lunch or dinner.
• Ralph & Kakoo's, 519 Toulouse St. Seafood.
• Stanley, Decatur Street. Breakfast and lunch. Good quality food.
• Tujague's, 823 Decatur (just down from Jackson Square), [20]. Pronounced "Two Jacks" Despite the weird spelling, it's been here since 1856 so they must be doing something right. The locals swear by it.

Splurge

• Antoine's, 713 St. Louis St., Phone: (504) 581-4422. French Creole restaurant that's the oldest in the U.S., under continuous family ownership.
• Arnaud's, 813 Bienville St., Phone: (504) 523-5433, [21]. Another of the great old French Quarter classics.
• Bella Luna, 914 N. Peters, Phone: (504) 529-1583, [22]. Grand view of the mighty Mississippi; Not the *-est anything in town (which so many places claim) but its good. Southwest/Italian-ese.
• Brennan's, 417 Royal St., Phone: (504) 525-9711, [23]. One of the famous local traditions; fine Creole cuisine, known for their gourmet breakfasts. Ask to sit in the courtyard, on the balcony, or in one of the upstairs rooms. Be sure to try the Bananas Foster, which was invented here.
• Court of Two Sisters, 613 Royal St., Phone: (504) 522-7261, [24]. A place for daily brunch (with a live jazz combo) and post-night out hangover cures; beautiful courtyard.
• Galatoire's, 209 Bourbon St., Phone: (504) 525-2021, [25]. Classic Creole on Bourbon Street. Despite being in the tourist strip of Bourbon Street, locals do eat here. For the true experience, wait in line for the downstairs dining room (reservations can be made for the upstairs room, but locals don't eat there), and refuse the menu when you're seated. Let your waiter know your tastes and let him feed you.
• K-Paul's, 416 Chartres Street, Phone: (504) 524-7394, [26]. Chef Paul Prudhomme's place; this is the restaurant that taught New Orleans and the world not to sneer at the Cajun food of rural Southwest Louisiana. Does not take reservations. Not a major dress code kind of place.
• Louis XVI, 730 Bienville St., in the St. Louis Hotel, Toll free: 888-535-9116, [27]. Elegant French & Creole.
• NOLA, 534 St. Louis St, Phone: (504) 522-6652, [28]. Very good, run by chef Emeril Lagasse, not quite as pricey as his namesake restaurant in the Central Business District, and not as severe a dress code.
• Peristyle, 1041 Dumaine, Phone: (504) 593-9535. Perfect for Friday lunches. Very southern and sophisticated!

Drink

• The Bombay Club Restaurant and Martini Bistro, 830 Conti Street, [29]. High end cocktails with a dress code.
• Cafe Lafitte in Exile, 901 Bourbon St. Claims to be the USA's oldest gay bar; "in exile" since the original Lafitte's (see below) went straight some 50 + years ago. Everyone welcome.
• Crescent City Brewhouse, 527 Decatur St. Microbrewery, also serves food.
• The Dungeon, 734 Toulouse, [30]. Dark gothic bar opens at midnight.
• Johnny White's. Down home bar. There are two, one on Bourbon Street and the other on St. Peter near Bourbon. The first has a restaurant, the second just booze. Open 24/7.
• Kerry Irish Pub, 331 Decatur St.
• Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, Bourbon & St. Philip: Piano bar towards the end of the touristy part of Bourbon Street. Supposedly once the in-town headquarters of pirate & smuggler Jean Laffitte, many colorful stories are told about this location. They pour great Hurricanes.
• Le Roundup, St. Louis St. between Bourbon and Dauphine. The ultimate dive bar, home to transsexuals, hookers, transsexual hookers, cowboys, and Quarter eccentrics.
• Molly's at the Market, lower Decatur Street. A great Irish/Quarterpunk bar, long a favorite of bohemian locals.
• Napoleon House, Chartres St. at St. Louis St. The place to go if you like the thought of good drinks in a 200+ year old building whose owners are proud that the interior hasn't been repainted since World War I, with classical music playing over the sound system. Napoleon never made it here, as he died before the local plan to rescue him from exile and start his empire afresh in Louisiana could be carried out. Napoleon House also serves good sandwiches and a limited food menu, with service at a speed somewhere between leisurely and glacial-- don't stop here if you're in a hurry to be somewhere else.
• Oz, 800 Bourbon St. Loud hip gay disco.
• Pat O'Brien's, 718 St. Peter St. (between Bourbon and Royal). Famous for strong Hurricanes, Mint Juleps, TNTs, Purple People Eaters; Popular tourist hangout for a reason. Has been trendy for generations. Has an impressive fire/water fountain and patio.

Live Music

• Bourbon Street — upper Bourbon has been given over to catering to hard drinking out of towners, and this part of the street has a number of music venues (not named here) whose owners make their money off them, with loud mediocre bands hired cheaply. None the less, despite what some say it is still possible to find New Orleans jazz on Bourbon Street.
  • Jazz Parlor Storyville, 125 Bourbon St., (504) 410-1000.
  • Maison Bourbon, 641 Bourbon St., [31]. Sometimes does (though as often doesn't) have decent bands, as many good local dixieland players for the moment lacking a better gig often wind up here. As the doors are open to the street, you can listen a bit from outside, judge for yourself whether they have a band you'd enjoy on a given day, and walk on by or go on in as appropriate.
  • Fritzels at 733 Bourbon St., (504)561-0432, has good house bands in the evenings, and is often the venue for out of town and out of country musicians versed in the New Orleans style to play.
• Donna's Bar & Grill, 800 N. Rampart (at the corner of St. Ann, on the edge of the Quarter), [32]. Donna's is a center of the modern New Orleans Brass Band style that combines the old jazz with such influences as funk and hip hop, producing a style that's up to date while still distinctively and uniquely New Orleans. Donna's attracts a mixed clientele of downtown New Orleanians, college students, and in-the-know visitors.
• House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., [33]. The New Orleans branch of the corporate chain presents national talent and a gospel brunch on Sundays.
• Margaritaville, 1104 Decatur St. see mention above in Eat.
• New Orleans Jazz Park, 916 N. Peters, [34]. Often has free live music Weekend afternoons and sometimes other times.
• Preservation Hall, 726 St. Peter St. (between Bourbon & Royal), [35]. Traditional Dixie jazz that you'll pay $40 a concert anywhere else. Here for only $8. Talk about atmosphere! Listen to real jazz and nothing else (no booze, no bathrooms). You'll have to stand in line, and it's cheap. Music starts at 8pm and runs until midnight. The band plays several 30 minute sets and your ticket is valid all night.
• Palm Court Cafe, 1204 Decatur St., [36]. Those who prefer their old style New Orleans jazz in a somewhat more upscale atmosphere where dinner and drinks are served should be sure to visit this place in the lower Quarter. Some of the same musicians who play Preservation Hall play here on other nights, along with other top local classic style jazz greats. The owner's husband runs the Jazzology record company, featuring the world's largest independent label catalogue of trad jazz, so you can pick up cds by your favorites from Bunk Johnson to current Dixielanders while you're here.
• Tipitinas. The older more famous one is uptown, but the French Quarter branch presents fine music as well

Sleep

Places within the French Quarter or just outside of it on Canal Street are the most centrally located, and also cost more than rooms in other parts of town. Those wishing a fuller immersion in the city may wish to go ahead and pay extra for a location from which they can find many days of things to do with no need of a car or transit.

A few of the better hotels with good locations in the Quarter:

• Bourbon Orleans - A Wyndham Historic New Orleans Hotel, 717 Orleans St., just off Bourbon St., Phone: (504) 523-2222, [37]. Built in 1817 in the heart of the French Quarter.
• Corn Stalk Fence Hotel, 915 Royal St.
• Holiday Inn Chateau Le Moyne New Orleans Hotel, 301 Rue Dauphine, Phone: (504) 581-1303, [38]. An historical hotel one block from Bourbon Street.
• Holiday Inn New Orleans Hotel French Quarter, 124 Royal Street, just off Canal Street, Phone: (504) 529-7211, [39].
• Hotel Maison de Ville and Audubon Cottages, 727 Rue Toulouse St., (just off of Royal Street, and Jackson Square), Phone: (504)561-5858, [40]. (re-opened on Feb. 18, 2006) Is one of the most historic hotels in the Quarter, everyone from Tennessee Williams to Audobon has spent time there. For the best deals try Summer and Winter -- especially mid-week. The hotel's website offers some great deals that you can't find on any of the major travel sites.
• Monteleone, 214 Royal St., in an elegant early-20th century sky-scraper (the only one within the confines of the Quarter itself, just constructed just before large new constructions were prohibited here) has long been one of the top upscale Quarter hotels.
• Omni Royal Orleans, 621 St. Louis Street, Toll free: (888) 444-6664, [41]. The Omni Royal Orleans is a recipient of the AAA four-diamond award for the past 27 years. The Omni Royal Orleans offers luxury hotel accommodations on the fashionable corner of St. Louis and Royal Streets.

Other places include:

• Biscuit Palace, 730 Dumaine St., Phone: (504) 525-9949, [42]. (between Bourbon and Royal streets) gay-friendly bed and breakfast in the center of the Quarter.

Get out

Walk across Canal Street and you're in the Central Business District. Take the red Canal Streetcar line to the attractions of Mid-City, or the green St. Charles Streetcar line to Uptown and Carrollton. The ferry at the foot of Canal Street (free for pedestrians, $1 for cars) will take you across the Mississippi to the Algiers neighborhood, and give you a scenic budget mini-cruise of the River in the process.

Just "below" (down river) from the French Quarter is the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood, across Esplanade Avenue, with hip music joints and restaurants.

Inland or "back" (away from the Mississippi River) from the Quarter is the Treme neighborhood.