Best Places on a Budget

Our Local Expert Says:

One of the best things about Royal Street is that some blocks are closed to traffic and talented performers entertain you as you window shop. The Spanish and French architecture is beautiful, and Royal Street is the perfect place for a stroll – day or night.

Description:

Royal Street in the French Quarter is the perfect place to go for window shopping and a daytime stroll. On this beautiful and historic street, visitors will find art, antiques, specialty shops, and restaurants, as well as dozens of street performers. On any given day you might hear a jazz ensemble, bluegrass group, brass band, or just a boy and his guitar. Magicians, tap dancers, saxophone players, and men in head-to-toe metallic costumes are also common sights. The art galleries are breathtaking, and the street boasts some of the best restaurants in the city, such as Brennan's and The Court of Two Sisters. Other excellent Royal Street points of interest include Painted Alive Gallery, Cornstalk Bed and Breakfast, and the Carousel Bar, located inside Hotel Montelone.

Description:

Starting at the edge of the French Quarter, the historic St. Charles Streetcar takes you up one of the most beautiful streets in New Orleans. St. Charles Avenue is shaded by live oak trees that still have Mardi Gras beads tangled in their branches, and this stately boulevard is the place to see enormous, breathtaking mansions built around the turn of the 20th century. There are plenty of restaurants and bars along the way, including Voodoo BBQ, Sushi Brothers, and Emeril's Del Monico. You can admire the architecture of the Columns Hotel, or stop there and have a mint julep on their sweeping southern front porch. The streetcar takes you past Audubon Park and Tulane and Loyola Universities. You can get off at the end of St. Charles Avenue and have a daiquiri at New Orleans Original Daiquiris, or keep riding up Carollton Avenue, another beautiful street, until you get to City Park!

Our Local Expert Says:

Magazine Street is where the Uptown locals go to shop and hang out. There are so many fun things to see and do on Magazine Street!

Description:

Magazine Street is a six mile stretch of shops and eateries, beginning at the edge of the French Quarter and ending at Audubon Park. The fun, trendy street is loaded with specialty stores, galleries, restaurants, and bars. Between Canal Boulevard and Jackson Avenue visitors will find many antique stores and art galleries, including the Glassworks and Printmaking Studio. Closer to Jackson Avenue are funky stores, along with great, cheap restaurants such as Juan's Flying Burrito for Mexican fare and J'anita's for breakfast and BBQ. Between Washington and Louisiana are no less than twelve restaurants, three bars and two coffee shops, as well as tons of clothing boutiques, including retro and "recycled" fashions at Funky Monkey and Buffalo Exchange. Past Louisiana, the shopping continues down Magazine Street – antiques, art, books, apparel, and plenty of restaurants and bars along the way for when you need a break. Have a roast beef po-boy at Ignatius, near Napoleon Avenue, or sip a blueberry mojito on the back patio at St. Joe's, near Jefferson Avenue.

Our Local Expert Says:

The t-shirts and other New Orleans souvenirs are cheaper at the French Market than at the other stores in the Quarter.

Description:

Running between Decatur Street and the Mississippi River, the French Market in New Orleans is the oldest city market in the U.S. Located on the same spot since 1791, the market now houses restaurants, shops, bars, and free live music (don't miss the praline samples at Aunt Sally's Praline Shop!). Near the end of the stretch is the farmer's market where visitors will find local produce as well as local delicacies such as alligator jerky, kettle corn, and an enormous collection of hot sauces. The final leg of the French Market is the open-air community flea market where merchants from all over the world sell art, crafts, jewelry, luggage, and much, much more. This is a great place to buy souvenirs, and don't be afraid to bargain!

Description:

It's some steps away from the main action on Bourbon, but you'll know Lafitte's when you see it. Dating from the 1770s, it's the oldest building in the Quarter -- possibly in the Mississippi Valley (though that's not documented) -- and it looks it. Legend has it that the privateer brothers Pierre and Jean Lafitte used the smithy as a "blind" for their lucrative trade in contraband (and, some say, slaves they'd captured on the high seas). Like all legends, that's probably not true.

The owner managed to maintain the exposed brick interior when he rescued the building from deterioration in the 1940s. At night when you step inside and it's entirely lit by candles (Offbeat magazine claims Lafitte's patented the word dank), the past of the Lafitte brothers doesn't seem so distant. (Unfortunately, the owner's penchant for treating good friends such as Tennessee Williams and Lucius Beebe to refreshments was stronger than his business acumen, and he eventually lost the building.) In other towns, this would be a tourist trap. Here, it feels authentic, though a renovation on the outside ended up falsifying the previous genuine plaster-and-exposed-brick look, turning it into something rather plastic in appearance. We still don't understand why. And for some reason, it's almost always easy to get into, even on a crowded Mardi Gras day. Definitely worth swinging by even if you don't drink.

Description:

The hangout for boho and literary locals, who chew over the state of their world and their city, and who will get mad at us for broadcasting the location of their clubhouse. They consider it the best bar in the French Quarter. It's noted especially for being one of the only bars to remain open during Hurricane Katrina. Part eccentric English bar, and yet accessible enough to make it popular with firefighters and policemen, this place has a cool, East Village feel. Molly's also serves as the starting point for the French Quarter Halloween parade, a must-see should you happen to land in New Orleans during what many locals hail as the Second Biggest Party of the year.

Description:

This local pizzeria in the University area serves some of the best pizza in the city. The pizzeria is not much to look at, with a few scattered tables and unadorned walls, but it makes up for it with the food. You can also dine outside on sidewalk as you partake of their specialty pizza. The menu includes pizzas such as the 'Uptowner' and 'Irish Feast' which has new potatoes, fresh tomatoes and chicken as toppings. They also serve baked pasta entrees such as their stuffed shells and manicotti.

Description:

Angeli specializes in both Italian food and Mediterranean food, both considered delectable delights that you would normally find in a first class restaurant. Angeli is instead a bright and electric one-room establishment located in the French Quarter that is always buzzing. The activity here is due to the 24 hours service on Fridays and Saturdays. Angeli is open until 4a on other days of the week. Decor includes flashy disco balls from the 70s and lots of neon lights. It is the perfect place for a party, late night dinner or early breakfast. Menu items include veggie pitas, breakfast pitas and pizzas, hummus, salads, sandwiches and calzones. Delivery service is available to local hotels in the area.

Description:

This neighborhood hot spot is located Uptown and features seafood and po' boys. Walls of this low-ceilinged bar are adorned with football jerseys and memorabilia. A jukebox contributes to the loud atmosphere. Steaming pots of boiled shrimp, crabs and crawfish are ready to be washed down with ice-cold beer. Po'boys here feature a variety of choices including crawfish tails, oysters, meatballs in tomato sauce or roast beef with gravy.

Description:

Dine on fine Mediterranean cuisine at "Byblos." For over a decade this elegant diner is synonymous with healthy and sumptuous Mediterranean meal. The expert chef prepares the finger licking delights using the freshest ingredients and choicest of spices. Savor a Lahem-Bi-Ajeen or gorge on Rotisserie Chicken. The salmon and the shrimp are as fresh as it gets and is cooked in amazing assortment of spices to make it a delectable wonder. It also has non-smoking facility.

Description:

Our first choice for budget travelers or the less-than-picky folks who have spent time in European pensions and aren't looking for the spick-and-span hotel experience. This was the first such accommodations in the Garden District, and it has remained a friendly place to stay for the past 25 years. You can't beat the quiet, pretty location, simply because it gets you out of the engulfing Quarter and into a different part of town. Rooms are plain and vary wildly in size -- from reasonably spacious to "small and spartan" (the management's words) -- and also range from low-end backpacker with no air-conditioning to larger chambers with air-conditioning and private bathrooms. Room no. 5, with twin beds in a separate room, is perfect for a family. A bonus is the banana-tree-lined courtyard with a pool, featuring a daily continental breakfast with a variety of carbs and fresh juices. While it's still a little musty smelling, here you can pay very little for a good-size room with a mix of antiques and new furnishings and humble bathrooms with bright green or yellow tile. It's a little crumbly in places, but it's still one of the best values in town.

Description:

The Park View Guest House is conveniently located on the historic St. Charles Avenue next to Audubon Park and near Tulane and Loyola Universities. The Park View Guest House is an architectural gem with twelve foot high ceilings, hardwood floors, numerous antiques and a beautiful decor. Our courteous staff is always available to help make your visit a splendid, memorable experience. Come stay with us and discover all the charm and beauty of New Orleans.

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