FRIDAY

Morning

Set yourself up with some classic New Orleans’ fare as soon as you arrive in the city’s historic French Quarter, the ideal base for your weekend’s culinary exploration. Kick off your mouth-watering tour with breakfast at the award-winning Dickie Brennan’s Palace Cafe on Canal Street. Sit out on the terrace for prime people-watching as you fuel up on Gulf shrimp n’ grits or their famous duck hash. Add a frozen bananas Foster cocktail if you’re feeling festive.

One block from the French Quarter, you can drop your bags at The Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and walk to Jackson Square to see St. Louis Cathedral, the Spanish colonial architecture of the Cabildo Museum, tarot card readers and local artists selling their paintings. A quick way to get your bearings and learn some history is to take a mule-drawn carriage ride — the drivers are all qualified tour guides and have great stories to share.

Afternoon

When you’re ready for lunch, visit the 200-year-old Napoleon House on Chartres Street. Step back in time as you enter the dining room, and request a table in the peaceful courtyard.

A post-lunch walk is always a good idea, so head to the greenery of nearby City Park, where you’ll also find the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) and the Louisiana Children’s Museum. If the weather cooperates, then the newly expanded Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden is a delight, with striking works of art in beautifully landscaped surroundings.

Evening

After freshening up at your hotel, head out for dinner at Luke, a seafood restaurant just a short walk away from Hilton New Orleans/St. Charles Avenue. This Creole-inspired brasserie always has a lively, buzzing ambiance and dishes that highlight local purveyors and fresh ingredients. Share a seafood plateau, which comes with Gulf oysters, shrimp, scallops, tuna tartare and a smoked trout dip, or try the seafood gumbo a la Creole — a classic New Orleans staple with andouille sausage and popcorn rice. For a nightcap, head back to The Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel and savor the official cocktail of the Big Easy — the Sazerac — in the hotel bar that shares its name.

SATURDAY

Morning

Start your day with a delicious taste of a local favorite: Eating beignets with a cafe au lait at 160-year-old Cafe du Monde on Decatur Street.

Once you’ve had your morning fill of coffee and beignet, walk along the Mississippi River and see the steamboats, before making your way to the neighboring Central Business District. Julia Street is where most of the city’s independent art galleries are, or head to the World War II Museum, one of New Orleans’ many world-class attractions. Oh, and if you happen to be back in this area around happy hour, make sure to stop in at Drago’s Seafood Restaurant for some of its famed charbroiled oysters.

Afternoon

Donald Link is one of the region’s most admired chefs, and Cochon is one of his signature restaurants. For lunch, try Cajun delicacies from boudin or andouille to alligator, oysters or rabbit and dumplings — not to worry, they also have tempting vegetarian options.

From here, it’s only a short walk to the streetcar line. Streetcars are one of New Orleans’ most recognizable features, and you can ride uptown for just $1.25. It’s secretly one of the best tours in the city, and you can sit back and see the beautiful mansions and university campuses go past as you ride up and down St. Charles Avenue. Hop off to browse the galleries and boutiques on Magazine Street for an added dose of culture. 

Evening

While you’re uptown, stop for dinner at Mukbang Seafood, a seafood restaurant that has incredible crab and shellfish with a Vietnamese-Cajun twist. Here, diners don bibs and grab paper towels as they dive into succulent crab, crawfish and lobster platters. Mukbang’s po’boys and catfish offerings showcase classic New Orleans flavors. Nearby Cure is regarded as one of the hottest craft cocktail spots, so drop in for another local classic, a dessert-like Ramos gin fizz, before heading back downtown for the night.

SUNDAY

Morning

The Marigny and Bywater neighborhoods are both close to the French Quarter and have plenty of culinary spots well-worth exploring. For breakfast, the praline bacon at Elizabeth’s on Gallier Street in the Bywater is legendary, as are their fried grit cakes, bananas Foster French toast and gumbo. They don’t take reservations so once again, an early start is recommended.

Pick up some New Orleans’ jazz on vinyl from neighboring Euclid Records before strolling along the river through Crescent Park, a 1.4-mile (2.2-kilometer), 20-acre (8-hectare) urban linear park that runs along the Mississippi. It’ll take you back to the French Quarter, where you can scour the antique stores on Royal Street or head to Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, found downtown.

Afternoon

For lunch, hop in a cab and try one of the city’s best-known dining institutions, Commander’s Palace.