AARP’s City Guide to New Orleans

​Where to eat in New Orleans

​From dive bars to the fanciest of fine dining establishments, it’s tough to find a place in New Orleans without good food and drink. Seafood is the star of the show here and all over the city you can find it deep fried, pan fried, broiled, blackened and stuffed with more of its kind. In addition to the region’s Cajun and Creole delights like gumbo, jambalaya, redfish court bouillon and grillades and grits, this is a foodie city where you’ll also find excellent vegan and vegetarian options as well as cuisine from the Caribbean, Vietnam, Thailand, Lebanon, Ethiopia, France and Italy. 

​For authentic New Orleans cuisine where the locals eat, take the streetcar up Canal Street, away from the hustle and bustle of the French Quarter, and try the moderately priced Mandinas in mid-city. The dining area is a big, loud, open room with a happy atmosphere. Order the crispy eggplant sticks sprinkled with Parmesan to start and then the fresh gulf fish almandine (or soft-shell crab when it’s in season).

​The Bywater is a cute, artsy residential neighborhood not far from the French Quarter with several really nice places to eat. Bywater American Bistro has a romantic atmosphere and dishes that include blackened octopus in a sweet potato coconut puree to start, and entrees like roasted gulf fish with celery root puree or the Wagyu beef lasagna with a fontina fonduta. 

​For a funky experience, try the tiny Suis Generis, a Bywater restaurant that primarily serves the neighborhood’s residents. The menu here has changed every week for the past decade. Seasonal items come from the restaurant’s farm in Mississippi.

The Parkway Bakery & Tavern is one of the oldest po’boy shops in the city.

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​For some of the best po’boy sandwiches in town, head to the casual Parkway Bakery & Tavern in Bayou St. John, one of the oldest po’boy shops in the city. Parkway is set up like a luncheonette, but with a bar that serves craft cocktails and a big covered patio; the folks there say their food will “knock the tongue out yo mouth,” and it will. Try the deep-fried pickles with the Parkway Signature po’boy made with slow-roasted beef soaked in gravy or the deep-fried oyster po’boy. Your doctor will not approve. 

​What to do in New Orleans

Mardi Gras takes over the city with parades and parties from early January through late February or early March. ​​

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​​Festivals. In fall you might catch the New Orleans Film Festival ($15 general admission per film) or Hell Yes Fest, the Gulf South’s largest comedy festival. In winter, there’s Celebration in the Oaks, a twinkling display of more than a million lights throughout City Park that typically runs from Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day ($35 per walking tour; $40 per car for a driving tour). Of course, Mardi Gras is a season unto itself, rife with parades and parties from early January through late February or early March. In spring there’s the epic New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (single-day ticket is $95), which showcases not only jazz, but also rock, folk, Cajun, reggae and other types of music played by locals and international legends alike; French Quarter Fest, a free smaller and beloved neighborhood music and food festival that lasts four days; and the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival, which brings renowned authors and playwrights to the city for five days of readings, panels, performances, food and hobnobbing with the literati.

​If you’re willing to brave the steamy New Orleans summertime, there’s Essence Festival, which began as a one-time celebration of Essence magazine and grew into an annual extravaganza celebrating Black and African American musicians, community and culture. One-day tickets start at $80. There’s also White Linen Night, when everyone dresses in white and gallery hops in the Arts District; and a month of prix fixe meals at dozens of New Orleans restaurants during Coolinary New Orleans. 

​Museums. New Orleans isn’t just a place to party; the museums have a wide range of interesting collections to check out on a rainy day or when you’ve had enough sun. In the New Orleans Jazz Museum, you’ll learn about the history of jazz from its cradle. There are musical instruments, a recording studio, listening stations, films and a dance floor. And there’s usually live music. 

The Ogden Museum of Southern Art in the Warehouse Arts District houses one of the most comprehensive collections of Southern art encompassing paintings, prints, sculptures and immersive video artworks. Its permanent collection has a range of works from 19th-century Bayou School landscapes to vernacular art, including by painters Benny Andrews and Clementine Hunter (adults $13.50; $11 for age 65 and older). In 2021, the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience opened, also in the Warehouse Arts District. Among other interesting things, the museum explores the many ways Jews adapted to life in the South (adults $15; $13 age 65 and over).

Kayak tours. Want to get out on the swamp and see some gorgeous migratory birds and baby alligators? Just about 20 minutes outside of the French Quarter, you can rent a kayak at NOLA Kayak Swamp Tours and do a self-guided swamp tour. You’ll grab your one- or two-seater kayak and enjoy easy access into Bayou Bienvenue, a lush wetland. Self-guided tours are $40 to rent a single kayak; guided tours start at $55.

​Antiquing. For everything from eclectic thrift shops (The Funky Monkey) to vintage designer clothing (Century Girl Vintage), Magazine Street is the place to go. There’s even a mall dedicated to vintage finds (Magazine Antique Mall, 3017 Magazine St.; no official website). Start out in the Lower Garden District around St. Andrew Street and make your way to Napoleon Street. If all the shopping makes you parched, walk up Napoleon to St. Charles Avenue for a frozen French 75 at Superior Seafood. Afterward, you can hop on the streetcar to ride past all of the beautiful Garden District mansions. The track ends in front of the city’s beloved landmark diner, Camellia Grill.