Recommendations
Going out to explore is a must, but with a big group it is sometimes better to have the fun come to you. Below is what we tell our guests, the services we call and the neighborhood itineraries we would follow ourselves.
In-house services
Group travel planner
Jet Set Bach is an all-inclusive planning service for bachelorette and bachelor parties, girls’ trips, birthdays, and group travel for all occasions. Our guests have used them for everything from decorating to yoga and makeup.
Crawfish boil
If you’re staying with us between mid-January and the end of June, have a crawfish boil. All of our homes except The Uptown are set up for it, and it’s the quintessential New Orleans spring afternoon.
We walk through how to run one in this post.
Private dinner
Hibachi at the house
A chef sets up in the backyard and cooks for the group. Dinner and the entertainment at once. How it works.
Yoga instructors
Kathleen BarryYoga, meditation, and retreats.
(703) 609-1941
kathleenbarryoga@gmail.com
kathleenbarry.me
Neighborhood itineraries
Full days, planned the way we’d plan them, with where to eat between stops.
City Park & Mid-City
Breakfast at Cafe du Monde in City Park, then walk across the bayou to see some of the oldest live oaks in the city. From there, the New Orleans Museum of Art and its Sculpture Garden for adults, or Storyland, the Children’s Museum, and City Putt with kids. Lunch at Parkway Tavern for some of the best po-boys in the city, or 1000 Figs if you want something lighter.
Drinks in the courtyard at Bayou Beer and Wine Garden, then Ethiopian at Addis NOLA. If you want music after, The Broadside and Bank Street Bar have something on nearly every night.
French Quarter
A drink at Arnaud’s French 75, dinner at Galatoire’s (jackets required) or Antoine’s. After, Pat O’s for the outdoor area and the piano bar in the back, then Caesars if anyone wants to gamble.
Brunch at Brennan’s, then wander the galleries and shops on Royal Street and Jackson Square.
Dinner at Cane and Table, drinks in the courtyard at The Will and the Way, and a nightcap at Chart Room, a proper Quarter dive.
Uptown & Garden District
Late dinner at Osteria Lupo or Pizza Domenica, then Le Bon Temps Roule for Soul Rebels’ weekly set (Thursdays only, around 11pm, $20 at the door). After, Ms. Mae’s or Brothers Three, both 24-hour dives.
Brunch at Atchafalaya, then Magazine Street for shopping and a walk through the Garden District between Magazine and St. Charles to see the houses. A drink outside at The Bulldog, or something grander at The Chloe or The Columns.
Superior Seafood for one of the best happy hours in the city, with $1.25 oysters, 4 to 6:30 daily. Stay for dinner, or continue to Commander’s Palace. Finish at Tchop Yard or Miel, two big outdoor bars off Tchoupitoulas.
Audubon Zoo is worth a couple of hours, with a large section on native animals. After, walk to the levee at Audubon Riverview Park, then eat at Picnic Provisions (casual) or Saba (excellent Israeli).
Bywater & Marigny
A drink at Elysian Bar, dinner outdoors at N7 (they do a prix fixe for parties of ten or more), then Bud Rips or Anna’s.
Brunch at Paladar 511 or Country Club, which is a restaurant, bar, and pool with a drag brunch worth booking months ahead. Then Studio Be for art (opens at 2, reserve first), Parleaux Brewery for the big backyard, and Bacchanal for wine and live music in the garden.
Dinner at Bywater American Bistro, drinks at R Bar, then Frenchmen Street for music. The venues are similar, so pick by who’s playing. The Spotted Cat, DBA, Blue Nile, Maison. You can walk to the Quarter from there; stop at Lafitte’s on the way.
CBD & Warehouse District
Breakfast at Willa Jean, or Bearcat if you don’t mind a thirty-minute wait. Then the National WWII Museum or The Ogden, with the Contemporary Arts Center if you still want more. Mid-day latte at Mr. Wolf Espresso.
Seafood at Pêche or Seaworthy. Next door, The Barnett has live music in the lobby and club room, and High Five upstairs is a rooftop pool bar that closes at 10:30. One more block gets you The Pool Club at the Virgin Hotel.
Tours
There’s no shortage of them in this city. These are the three we send people to.