New Orleans Recap

My mum and I just came back from the most incredible trip to New Orleans for my 21st birthday, so I wanted to do a recap post to share my favorite spots with all of you. Before we get into it, I wanted to say a quick thank you to my incredible mum for going on this trip with me. She is the most amazing woman in the world, and I will cherish this memory of our trip forever!

I truly believe there is something so unique about New Orleans. It is one of the most interesting and exciting cities I have ever traveled to because there is something for everyone. You can see drunk people dressed up in festive costumes for a bachelorette party as you walk down Bourbon Street, but you can also walk, only a few steps away, into a restaurant behind one of the ornate historical facades and see couples wearing suits and dresses dining at some of the world's best restaurants. You see children dancing to the Jazz music in the streets and adults doing the same. There is something so welcoming about its culture that, I feel, nearly anyone can find their place there.

I have been blessed to visit many cities, but not one like New Orleans. Its European look, mixed with southern flare is so unique that even a couple of Midwesterners can feel at home there.

So, without further ado... Here are some of my favorite spots.

My Favorite Places in New Orleans

1) Gumbo Shop: This is number one because this is truly my favorite place to go in New Orleans. It is centrally located on St. Peter Street in the French Quarter. Their quaint courtyard is the best place to enjoy shrimp creole (so delicious) with a cold honeydew daiquiri to cool you off on a warm day.

2) Café Du Monde: One french word you absolutely cannot, not know (hehe) is beignets. These fluffy, golden pastries are covered in a cloud of powdered sugar and are arguably the best thing in the world to pair with a cup of coffee in the morning. Lines are down the block every morning as people form all of the world want to savor their sweet goodness.

3) The Spotted Cat Music Club: This was a new place my mum and I discovered from recommendations of some of the servers we had during our trip. It lies on Frenchmen Street which is a Jazz music hub about a 15 min walk from Bourbon Street. Fantastic music and art all around this humble bar.

4) Garden District: The Garden District has consistently been one of my favorite places in New Orleans because of it's small town feel. It has stark differences from the rest of the city as it is quite, but will the same character and charm as any area of this city. The tall street side gates hide magnificent homes and gardens with centuries of character built up in them.

5) K-Paul's Restaurant: K-Paul's is a great restaurant for a [fancier] dinner with family and friends. While the city is quite casual the most lovable thing about the culture is its cuisine and this is a fantastic place to try all of its flavors in a more fine dining setting.

6) Frenchmen Art Market: As I mentioned before, Frenchmen's Street was a fantastic find with lots of music clubs and bars. However, one of my favorite parts of our time on Frenchmen Street

7) Coquette Restaurant: This trendy restaurant is located in the Garden District. Its modern use of its historical space creates an incredible atmosphere with exposed brick walls and grand chandeliers. Its the perfect place to taste an innovative spin on Louisiana cuisine.

8) Pat O'Brien's Bar: Hurricanes are no joke my friends! As a right of passage for going to New Orleans on my 21st Birthday, I obviously had to try one, but my mum and I only split one and that was plenty. These tasty southern, rum cocktails are delicious but huge, and it is worth it to go to Pat O'Brien's courtyard to enjoy one.

9) St. Louis Cathedral: The iconic white Cathedral is in the middle of it all in the French Quarter. In front of the church you will find live music, arts, and a beautiful garden. While it is incredible inside and out during the day, I admire its brilliance in the night. With the bright lights on it, it looks gorgeous against the back drop of a dark sky.

10) Reverend Zombie's House of Voodoo: Okay, I know it sounds weird, but New Orleans has such an interesting spiritual culture including ghosts, voodoo, etc. I personally had a tarot card reading here, and it was a very accurate so I would highly recommend trying it out.

Thank you so much for reading. If you have other favorite places to go in New Orleans, comment them below. I would love to hear them! Scroll down for more photos :) & Check out my Instagram for more @just.emma.joy

xo,