48 hours in new orleans
New Orleans has a way of pulling you in before your bags even hit the floor. The brass, the humidity, the way a second line can just materialize in front of you on a Friday afternoon — it all hits at once and you’re kind of in it. Here’s how we spent 48 hours in one of the most alive cities in the country.
DAY ONE
Where to Stay: The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans
If you’re going to do NOLA, do it right! We stayed at The Ritz-Carlton, right on the edge of the French Quarter. The vibe is classic old-world luxe —grand lobby, elite beignets in the morning, the Davenport Lounge upstairs (more on that in a sec), and an easy walk into the action whenever you want it.
If you lean more boutique, Hotel Saint Vincent in the Lower Garden District is the other move: a former 19th-century orphanage turned jewel- box hotel with patterned tile, velvet banquettes, and a courtyard pool that looks like a film set.
Wheels Down, Straight to the Ritz
We flew in on United and Ubered straight to the hotel — about 20 to 25 minutes from the airport. Dropped bags, freshened up, and kicked off the weekend the right way. Arrival Cocktail: Davenport Lounge If your room isn’t ready (or even if it is), head upstairs at the Ritz. Jeremy Davenport plays here four nights a week, the room is intimate and candlelit, and a martini at 1 PM on a Friday feels deeply correct.
Lunch: Napoleon House
Non-negotiable. Napoleon House is a NOLA rite of passage — candlelit even at noon, the plaster peeling in all the right ways, the building itself half the experience.
What we ordered:
• Pimm’s Cup
• Muffulettas
• Red beans and rice
Get a seat near the open doors and don’t rush lunch.
Afternoon: French Quarter Walk + the Carousel Bar
After lunch, wander the Quarter. Live music finds you, not the other way around. Pop into Royal Street galleries, cut over to Chartres, and make your way to the iconic Carousel Bar inside Hotel Monteleone for a cocktail — yes, the bar actually rotates. Order a Vieux Carré (it was invented here) and let it spin.
Reset at the Hotel
Head back, take a nap, hit the spa, glam up. Trust me, you’re going to want it for the night ahead.
Dinner at Jewel of the South
This was the dinner of the trip. Jewel of the South was just named the #5 Bar in North America, so yes, the cocktails are as good as you’ve heard — but the food is phenomenal. Truly can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.
What we loved:
• Cantabrian anchovy
• Louisiana crawfish raviolo
• The carrots
Go with a reservation and go hungry!
You MUST book a performance at Preservation Hall — one of my fave events in any city, period. It’s a tiny, no-frills room in the French Quarter where some of the best traditional jazz players in the world play nightly sets. No bar, no food, barely any chairs. Just the music and a couple hundred people. Book weeks in advance.
After Jazz: Classic NOLA Bars Keep the night going. A few moves, pick what you’re in the mood for:
• Pat O’Brien’s — split a Hurricane in the courtyard, just to say you did.
• Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop — candlelit, historic, one of the oldest structures in the country.
• Davenport Lounge — head back to the Ritz for one more set.
• Caesars — if a little casino energy is calling.
Then home to the Ritz for the night!
DAY TWO
Start slow. The beignets at the Ritz are seriously good and worth building the morning around. Pair with a café au lait and take your time.
Lunch: Cochon Butcher
Must-have. Cochon Butcher is a counter-service sandwich shop and butcher attached to the more formal Cochon next door, and it slings some of the best pork-forward food in the city.
What we ordered:
• The muffuletta
• The Italian
• The burger — sooooo good
Order for the table and share everything. The burger is the move.
Afternoon: Garden District + Magazine Street
Walk off lunch with a stroll through the Garden District — pastel mansions, spreading oaks, the whole thing. Then cruise Magazine Street for shopping: antique stores, independent boutiques, local designers, and plenty of iced-coffee stops to keep you moving.
Reset at the Hotel
Back to the Ritz for a second costume change. Dinner is a vibe tonight.
Pre-Dinner: Sazerac Bar
Inside The Roosevelt New Orleans, and it’s an Art Deco knockout. Order a Sazerac (yes, it was invented in this city) and take in the Paul Ninas murals. The room alone is worth the trip!
Dinner: Compère Lapin
Chef Nina Compton’s Caribbean-meets-NOLA restaurant and one of the best meals of the trip. The curried goat with sweet potato gnocchi is worth planning your Saturday around. Reservations required.
Depending on how the night is going:
• Caesars — late-night casino energy.
• Black Cat — for a slower nightcap.
• Davenport Lounge — back to the Ritz and close it out with one more set.
DAY THREE
Slow Morning: Breakfast at the Ritz. Sleep in — you earned it. Breakfast at the hotel, no rush.
Final Loop: French Quarter + Jackson Square
Take one last lap through the Quarter. Hit Jackson Square for street
vendors, tarot readers, live music, and that impossibly picturesque view of St. Louis Cathedral. If you’ve still got room, grab beignets and coffee at Café du Monde on your way out — yes, it’s touristy, and yes, it’s worth it.
Headed home full, happy, and already planning the next trip!
Quick Takeaways
• Best pairing: Muffuletta + Pimm’s Cup at Napoleon House.
• Must-book: Preservation Hall — one of my fave events, period.
• Best dinner: Jewel of the South, no question (Compère Lapin right behind it).
• Cocktail highlight: The Carousel Bar. Yes, it rotates.
• Hidden gem: The Davenport Lounge after 9 PM — intimate jazz, minimal tourists.
Cheers, Jordan