Traveling to New Orleans with your significant other? Check out this New Orleans travel guide for couples!
Traveling is such a fun and life-changing thing for you to do for and by yourself, but traveling with a significant other can do so much to strengthen your relationship and bond with one another. Some of my favorite memories that I’ve shared with Kyle took place outside of the city we met in. I feel so lucky to have traveled to a number of cities with him in order to get out the hustle and bustle of every day life while also helping us grow even closer together, including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Baton Rouge.
You can find out so much about your significant other when you’re on a trip together. If you’re anything like me, you’ll put out a list of questions to ask each other on a road trip or while you’re waiting at the airport terminal. There’s just something about traveling to new places with someone you love and creating memories that only the two of you share.
New Orleans is a city known for many things, but a romantic getaway may not be one of them. There’s so much to love about New Orleans from the incredible architecture to the rich history, proud people and delicious food. If you and your significant other are thinking about taking a trip to the Big Easy, use this New Orleans travel guide for couples to help you plan an unforgettable trip.
For more suggestions, you can check out my New Orleans Travel Guide.
EAT
There’s no shortage of good food in New Orleans. I can honestly say that I’ve never had a bad meal in New Orleans, and there are so many restaurants to choose from. Even the locals find it hard to pick favorites because there are so many options. Even if you don’t eat at any of the restaurants on this list, you’re sure to have a delicious meal.
ST. ROCH MARKET
If we didn’t have a whole list of places we wanted to eat, Kyle and I could have easily eaten nearly every meal here. St. Roch Market is an upscale food court with lots of different food choices. If you’re trying to appeal to a number of different pallets, St. Roch is a good start. Some suggestions of where to eat:
>>> Elysian Oyster Bar: If you’re a fan of oysters, you’ll want to take advantage of their oyster happy hour, which takes place Monday through Friday from 4-6 pm and every night from 9 pm to close. They have a 6 oysters for $6 special on their raw oysters, and they’re so tasty.
>>> Fete au Fete: Even in a food court, we got some great service from Fete au Fete. Usually when you order your food, they shout out your name when it’s ready. The woman working when we were visiting brought us our food along with a complimentary bottle of water. When she realized we didn’t have silverware, she went back and grabbed some. We had the Crawfish Poutine from Fete au Fete, and it was so, so good.
>>> Fritai: If you’re looking for something unique, Fritai serves Haitian soul food. Kyle had some Haitian Smothered Greens. I’m not a fan of beans, but I tried the rest of the dish with the greens, pork and rice, and it was pretty tasty.
COCHON
Cochon is a restaurant in the Warehouse Arts District that specializes in Cajun and Southern foods. We visited Cochon after a long visit to the World War II Museum, and we were not disappointed. We took a seat at the bar, which has unique, wooden stools. The reason I wanted to visit was because I wanted one last order of oysters before we headed back home.
We enjoyed a couple drinks and a few apps at the bar. To drink, I had a cocktail called Rum the Mules. We, of course, shared the Wood-Fired Oysters with Chili Garlic Butter along with a small plate of a pork dish special that was served on an iron skillet with a poached egg and also a Chanterelle Mushroom Pie, which was so freakin’ good.
ST. JAMES CHEESE COMPANY
You should know by now that I’m unhealthily obsessed with cheese plates. While looking for things to do in New Orleans, I stumbled upon the St. James Cheese Company and immediately added it to our list of things to do. We visited their Uptown location, which has happy hour Thursday-Saturday from 5-8 pm, and you can get a 3-item cheese board for just $10. Between the two of us, Kyle and I shared a cheese board and a bottle of wine, and it cost us less than $20.
HORN’S
The AirBnB that Kyle and I stayed at was located in the Marigny District, so Horn’s was a skip, hop and a jump down the road. It’s a quaint little restaurant with a small bar, and it’s the perfect spot for a delicious and intimate brunch, which is only served on Saturdays and Sundays. If you order a hot beverage, it’s served in a pottery mug made by the owner of the restaurant, and on the tables, the containers for sugar, cream and other small condiments and seasonings are also pottery made by the owner. If you like your mug, you can actually purchase it.
For brunch, I had the Crabby Wife, and Kyle had the Jewish Coonass. Both were so good, and tasted a little similar because they were both made with their crawfish etouffee.
TWO CHICKS CAFE
When Kyle and I were looking for a breakfast spot that was near the World War II Museum, Two Chicks Cafe was one that came highly recommended. The look of the restaurant is so quaint and cute. The booth I sat on was made from wooden pallets, and the decor was colorful and adorable.
For breakfast, I had the Crab Cake Benedict. I love a good eggs benedict, and seafood is probably my favorite food group. Kyle had the Barnyard Eggwich, which was made with smoked turkey. I’m usually not a fan of turkey, but that sandwich was so good.
DAT DOG
If you’re looking for a late night eat on Frenchmen Street, Dat Dog is a must stop. Forget Lucky Dogs on Bourbon Street; Dat Dogs is where it’s at. They have a diverse menu of crazy, insane hot dogs and sausages, and the two we had were so delicious. You can customize your order or get something from the menu. Kyle and I shared that night’s special, which was made with duck sausage, and I wish I could tell you what was in it, but I honestly have no idea, and the Crawfish Etouffee Dog. If you’re not ready to stop drinking, they also have a bar with a nightly drink special.
ORIGINAL PIERRE MASPERO’S
Full disclaimer: We did not eat here. We wandered into Pierre Maspero’s while we were exploring the French Quarter because 1) I needed to use the restroom and public restrooms are few and far between, and 2) we wanted to escape the heat for a little bit because New Orleans is hot AF in July. I wanted to include it in the “Eat” section because it has super high reviews on TripAdvisor and Google.
Even though we didn’t eat at Pierre Maspero’s, we did grab a drink at the bar while we attempted to cool off. I had one of the specials, which was called The Creole Queen. It was pretty and refreshing.
The next four restaurants are all places that Kyle and I visited on our culinary bike tour. You can read more about our bike tour in the “See & Do” section below.
BENNICHIN
If you’re looking for some unique eats in New Orleans, you have to visit Bennichin. They serve West African foods and they’re vegan- and vegetarian-friendly. This was the first stop on our culinary bike tour, and I can honestly say that I wouldn’t have visited this restaurant if it weren’t part of the tour. I’m so glad we did though because everything we ate was delicious. We shared some plantains, fried black-eyed pea balls and some incredible sauteed spinach. The plantains and black-eyed peas were served with this red sauce that was so, so good. There’s also habanero sauce on the table. Use it.
LORETTA’S AUTHENTIC PRALINES
Forget what you think you know about beignets. You’re wrong. Cafe du Monde and Cafe Beignet aren’t worth the stop after you’ve had Loretta’s. On our bike tour, we had two different kinds of pralines, a traditional and rum one. They were both really good. The showstopper was the beignet though. We had the Sweet Praline Beignets, and holy cow! They were freakin’ delicious. Don’t leave New Orleans without getting a praline beignet from Loretta’s.
THE JOINT
If you’re looking for some good New Orleans BBQ, the Joint is where it’s at. On our visit, we had ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket and a sausage link along with mac and cheese and baked beans. Every single thing was so good (minus the beans because I don’t eat beans). They also have three different kinds of BBQ sauces on the table. Use all them on everything.
ELIZABETH’S
By the time we got to Elizabeth’s, I was stuffed. I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to eat much, but I prevailed since this was the seafood stop. To eat, we had Blue Cheese Oysters, Fried Green Tomatoes with Shrimp Remoulade and some Fried Catfish. I’m not really a huge fan of fried oysters, but I could have eaten my weight in those Blue Cheese Oysters. They were so good, and if you visit Elizabeth’s, I 10/10 recommend getting them for an appetizer.
DRINK
If you love a good cocktail, New Orleans may turn out to be your new favorite city. While they’re famous for their hand grenades and hurricanes, nearly every bar and restaurant has their own menu of unique cocktails to choose from.
R BAR
Kyle and I are all about the cheap eats, so when our bike tour guide told us about the free seafood boil R Bar has every Friday night, we were all about it. On our visit, we were hoping to get in on the free shrimp boil, but there was a huge convention in town that crowded the bar, and we left before they started serving the shrimp.
Lack of free shrimp aside, R Bar has a really fun vibe with some interesting decorations along with a full bar, including some frozen drinks. I had the Pineapple Mojito, which was a bit sour, but still good. They also have a pool table and slot machines along with a pretty diverse crowd.
LE BON TEMPS ROULE
Le Bon Temps Roule is located in Uptown, and the only reason we ended up here is because they have free, yes, free, oysters on Fridays. If you’re a fan of oysters and good drinks, you definitely have to make the trip to Uptown to go to Le Bon Temps Roule. On Fridays, they also have a live piano player. For a drink, they make their own version of a mule, and I definitely recommend it.
CURE
After enjoying some free oysters at Le Bon Temps Roule, we walked to Cure, which is also located in Uptown. They have a diverse cocktail menu along with a pretty decent food menu. We, of course, ordered a cheese plate, which went quickly, and then we enjoyed some of their meatballs. To drink, I had a Moscow Mule. The bar has a very interesting vibe with the lights being down super low and the room being lit by lots of candles.
MAISON
Maison is a restaurant, bar and live music venue with three levels. We went late on a Thursday night, and it was packed, but for good reason. Dysfunktional Bone was playing, and they were so freaking good. When we were walking down Frenchmen Street, Kyle said he wanted to hear some upbeat jazz music, and as soon as we heard the music coming from Maison, we had to stop in. They played covers of songs that just somehow sound better with brass instruments, and overall it was just a fun time.
At Maison, they have a variety of infused vodkas. The flavors rotate in and out, but I highly recommend trying a cocktail with some of their infused vodka.
D.B.A.
d.b.a is a bar on Frenchmen Street. They have a full bar with some specials, and they have live music every night. On our visit, we saw Little Freddie King, which was so awesome, but I was stressing out about the harmonica player. He was so good, and there were no signs of struggle, but my mind couldn’t wrap itself around how well he was doing because I thought he was going to pass out from lack of breath.
JACK ROSE
Okay, Lil Wayne fans. If you’re looking for the famous portrait of Lil Wayne, you’ll find it in the lounge at Jack Rose, located in the Ponchatrain Hotel in the Garden District. Kyle and I snagged a seat across from the portrait, so we watched lots of people come and go as they took photos (lots and lots and lots of photos) in front of the painting.
We also enjoyed a drink and some apps. To drink, I had a refreshing cocktail called Ruby Slipper, and we shared the mushroom grilled cheese and fries with aioli appetizers.
ST. ROCH MARKET
Not only does St. Roch Market have a variety of different places to eat, they also have a full bar called The Mayhaw Bar with an entire list of unique cocktails. I enjoyed a drink called Da Mule after we had our happy hour oysters. Kyle had a drink called Adult Breakfast. It was made with Fruity Pebble-infused bourbon. He said it tasted like the milk at the bottom of a cereal bowl.
SEE & DO
It’s nearly impossible to be bored on a visit to New Orleans. Whether you’re a history buff, a lover of music, a cocktail enthusiast, a foodie, a fitness junkie or someone who just likes to go with the flow, you’re sure to find a number of things to do in New Orleans to keep you entertained during your entire visit.
THE NATIONAL WORLD WAR II MUSEUM
I’ve written about the World War II Museum before, and even after a second visit that lasted several hours, I still feel like I could go back and enjoy myself. It’s just such a huge museum with so much to see that one visit, or even two, just isn’t enough, especially when a few of the exhibits rotate.
During this visit, there was a temporary Bob Hope exhibit that I was very interested in because I went to Bob Hope Primary School when I lived in Okinawa, Japan. I honestly knew very little about him, and after learning about the things he did for the troops during the war, I’m proud to say that I attended a school named after him.
On my last visit to the WWII Museum, I spent a lot of time following the exhibits that centered around Tokyo. This time, Kyle and I decided to learn more about what happened in Berlin. What I love about the WWII Museum is that at the beginning of your visit, they give you a dog tag and assign a person for you to follow. I changed the person they originally assigned to me because I wanted to follow a female. I chose a woman named Geri Nyman who was part of the first class of 25 Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP), and I loved learning more about her and her story as I made my way through the Berlin exhibits.
I can’t say enough about how well done the World War II Museum is. It’s ranked the second best museum in the United States and in the world, and for good reason. It’s definitely a must visit if you’re visiting New Orleans. It’s the perfect activity for the last day before you head back home.
TAKE A BIKE TOUR
I had gone on a bike tour during a previous visit to New Orleans, and Kyle and I decided that we should do one on this trip as well. I found a culinary bike tour with a company called Confederacy of Cruisers. Yes, we were crazy and decided to do a bike tour in the middle of July, but if you’re planning a summer trip to New Orleans, the culinary bike tour is perfect because you get to stop into restaurants to eat and enjoy some A/C.
We were lucky to have a small group with just Kyle and I and another couple. It made it easier to visit restaurants and not have to wait for an extremely long time. The couple we were with was celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary, and it was their first time going to New Orleans. They were visiting from Michigan, which gave Kyle and them a lot to talk about since that’s where Kyle is originally from.
Bike tours are such a fun way to explore the city because you get to see and experience the history. The culinary bike tour is extra awesome because you get to eat some delicious food at restaurants that you may not have heard of otherwise. Our tour guide was named Derek, and he asked everyone in the group where they had eaten already or where they planned to eat so we could be sure to not go to those places. You could go on a culinary bike tour every time you visit New Orleans and it would be different every time. In addition to eating lots of good food and getting personalized service, you’ll also get to learn about the city and explore it via bike. The food will fill you up, and biking between meals is actually helpful so you can burn all the calories that you take in.
If a culinary bike tour isn’t your thing, there are tons of options for a variety of different tours with everything from exploring different neighborhoods or certain wards to taking haunted tours or even drinking tours.
Also, shout-out to our incredible guide, Derek, who handed out his business card and said we could contact him if we needed anything. I took him up on this and sent him a text the next day to ask for some suggestions for breakfast. He definitely came through by suggesting Horn’s.
PRESERVATION HALL
If you’re looking for an authentic jazz experience, you can’t miss Preservation Hall. It’s $20 for an incredible jazz show. Just a heads-up, there’s no bar, bathroom or air conditioning in the building, and if you don’t reserve a “Big Shot” seat or get there early enough to snag a seat or a cushion on the floor in the front, you’ll likely be in the back standing, but trust me when I say it’s worth it. It’s a 45-minute show that goes by super quick, and you’ll hear some of the best music the city has to offer. They also don’t allow you to take photos or videos during the show, so basically, what happens at Preservation Hall, stays at Preservation Hall.
GO TO FRENCHMEN STREET
When I go to New Orleans, I usually end up on Bourbon Street for one reason or another, and I’m immediately flustered and remember why I don’t like going to Bourbon Street. Frenchmen Street is so much better for many reasons:
>>> It’s cleaner, but I mean, it’s still New Orleans, so it’s not clean. At all. But it’s much better than Bourbon Street.
>>> It’s usually a much more chill crowd with people who want to drink and have a good time, but there’s no need to act out and be the drunkest person on the street.
>>> There’s live music at almost every bar, where as on Bourbon, it’s more DJs than bands. And the live music is actually really good. There’s so much talent in New Orleans.
On our latest visit, I went to Frenchmen Street for the first time, and it was one of the best nighttime experiences I’ve had in New Orleans. We went to d.b.a and Maison then ended the night with some hotdogs and sausage links at Dat Dog (all mentioned above).
WANDER THE FRENCH QUARTER
The French Quarter is hella touristy, but there’s a reason it’s so popular. There’s so much to see and do. In addition to the things I listed below, there are tons of shops, restaurants and bars to check out. It’s impossible to give a thorough list of things to do in the French Quarter because there’s honestly so much.
>>> Jackson Square: There’s so much to be seen at Jackson Square. It’s home to many historical buildings, including the St. Louis Cathedral. During the day, many artists display and sell their work along the fence. You can often find street musicians sharing their talents along with fortune tellers and other merchants.
>>> St. Louis Cathedral: When mass isn’t in session or there isn’t an event going on (such as a wedding), you can walk around inside of the St. Louis Cathedral. It’s an absolutely beautiful place, and you’ll often find people praying or lighting candles. There’s also a gift shop for you to purchase some memorabilia.
>>> French Market: At the French Market, you’ll find a selection of food, both ones you can eat on the spot and some that you can take home with you, along with several different vendors selling everything from t-shirts, clothes, accessories, books, voodoo dolls and so much more.
>>> The Pharmacy Museum: For a $5 fee, you can check out the Pharmacy Museum where they have exhibits of some strange practices from the mid-19th century.
>>> Art galleries on Royal Street: New Orleans has such an eclectic art scene, and a lot of that can be seen on Royal Street. There are so many small galleries that you can wander in and out of while you’re visiting the French Quarter.
OGDEN MUSEUM OF SOUTHERN ART
The Ogden Museum is home to the largest and most comprehensive collection of Southern art. On Thursdays, they have an event called Ogden After Hours where you can enjoy a drink and watch some live music. The night we visited, the Asylum Chorus was performing, and they were so talented. You also have access to the entire museum, which is nice because many people visit the museum during the day, so you can enjoy the art without the crowds.
For more suggestions, you can check out my New Orleans Travel Guide.
Have you ever been to New Orleans?
