New Orleans on my budget

A great B&B located in the Faugbourg Marigny. Craig and Donna were great hosts. We stayed in thier two bedroom unit which consisted of the 2 bedrooms, living room, kitchen, bath and laundry room (an added bonus). I loved this place, the suite was tastefully done and oh, so comfortable. We spent many hours sitting on the porch talking to the neighbors who passed by. The area felt safe to us, three women by ourselves and we walked it day and night. Close to Frenchman Street and the French Quarter. Great value, great place, great hosts = a WONDERFUL stay.

To me, one of the place to stay within the French Quarter. Great two room suites (there are other options) that practically scream New Orleans. Beautiful courtyard and many suites have balconies which are absolutely part of the experience. Close to everything and anything in the French Quarter or the Marigny. Clayton is a wonderful host and be sure to ask for some insider tips on what to do and see.

Beautiful home right beside Audubon Park. Stayed here for a bachelorette weekend getaway back before Katrina. I enjoyed the stay, but to be honest, even though this is a best of list, this was not one of the best places I've stayed. The guesthouse was essentially clean, the staff was great but the rooms and the house itself was a little worn and could use updating. There was plumbing problems but the staff did all they could to overcome any problems we experienced including opening up other rooms for our use at no extra charge. It was right on the street car line (at that time) so was convenient to all the places we wanted to visit. I'm pretty good at overlooking the negative and looking at the positive, so I will say that I did enjoy my stay here, just for the ambience of staying in the Garden District and being able to walk around Audubon Park.

A great little Italian Restaurant recommended to me by some locals on one of my New Orleans trips. This places has become a first stop since I usually arrive in New Orleans right about lunch time. Great food and service, the Freshwater Mozzarella Salad (wonderful) and pasta dish or a shared pizza cooked in a wood burning oven have been a great way to start my trip with a light, not heavy lunch.

Now this has been a favorite of mine since I lived in New Orleans in the 80's. While the restaurant is known for it's half pound hamburgers, they also serve a great Filet Mignon which is what I always order. I've never been disappointed in the food here. I've noticed since originally finding this place (when it was basically a place known only by locals) that it has become quite popular with tourists also, and this sometimes results in a long wait, but rest assured, it is worth it. Don't miss out on getting a Monsoon, Port of Call's answer to the hurricane.

This was a new restaurant I found on my last trip to New Orleans (Mar 07) and while the menu is limited, the food was outstanding. The food here was more authentic than your typical tex-mex type restaurant and I found it to be a refreshing change of pace. Great tangerine margarita's.

I adore this place. Another great place to grab a quick lunch, a mimosa and sit out on the sidewalk enjoying the outdoors. Nothing fancy but good, fresh, filling soups, sandwiches and burgers. Also a nice place for Sunday Brunch without breaking the budget. Though you'll find tourists who've taken the ferry to Algiers, the Dry Dock is primarily a locals place and the people there both staff and guests are very friendly.

GREAT Courtyard. A very nice romantic place to share a bottle of wine and thier cheese board with your significant other for a light snack with just the right atmosphere. This is a place I love to stop and spend an hour or so just enjoying the atmosphere while having the opportunity to get off my feet for a while. If you like warm muffuletta's the ones here are pretty good.

Wonderful food, wonderful courtyard, wonderful service. This was another new find on my last trip to New Orleans. I was actually looking for a place where John Boutte was playing and this was listed. After some research, I found it looked to be a great place to enjoy dinner and a show. The food here is some of the freshest I've tried anywhere. For a special lunch or dinner, I'd highly recommend Cafe Amelie. Look up the Princess of Monaco Courtyard for pics of this lovely and historic place.

Great little place for a good and hearty American style breakfast which is sometimes hard to find in the French Quarter. Be prepared for the crowds, this place is hopping in the a.m.

This is a very nice, quaint restaurant to get a good breakfast. You can enjoy dining inside when the weather is inclement or out in the courtyard when it isn't. I've been going to the Old Coffee Pot for years and have always had a great meal and great service. Great place to pick up a newspaper from across the street at the A&P (soon to change names) and sit and read it while enjoying breakfast. All the breakfast items are delicious and this is one of the few places in the French Quarter where you'll probably see the same waitresses from visit to visit. Almost like visiting family.

A great place to go and sample some good gumbo along with other great dishes. Try Coop's Taste Plate for a variety. Coops is also a great local's bar if you're one of those who enjoy mingling in with the locals. Friendly service and great people.

A wonderful people watching place. I know a lot of people goes to Cafe du Monde in the mornings for breakfast, but we've discovered it is a great way to end a day in New Orleans. The beignets are to die for and that cup of cafe au lait or cup of hot chocolate seem to make the day end especially nice. Cafe du Monde is most assuredly a New Orleans tradition that deserves to be repeated every trip.

Before Katrina and the street car limitations this was a favorite spot of our to go enjoy a muffuletta and cheese fries. Cooter Brown's has tons of sandwiches and side orders to enjoy with them and the atmosphere is fun and festive. If you're a beer drinker and enjoy a variety, here is the place to go. Want to watch some sports, again, head to Cooter Brown's. This is a fun place to go, eat and enjoy being at. Don't forget to have a Barq's rootbeer with that sandwich.

Attitude, plain and simple. A very interesting place to visit. Food is typical greasy spoon, but who really goes here for the food. It's the character and characters that make this place the funky diner it is.

My absolutely favorite place to go in New Orleans to listen to music. A number of years back I read about Donna's in the New York Times and told myself, you have to try that place. Now, a trip to New Orleans is not complete without at least one visit to Donna's. Wonderful music, great crowd, young, old, black, white, long haired, business type. Did I say, wonderful music. Donna's caters to Brass Jazz and also mixes in some good old blues. I guess the best show I ever saw there was when their regular band was out of state playing (and they are great too) and Charlie called in some friends for an impromtu jam session. It started with about 6 or 7 people and as the night wore on, there were about 20 or more people playing. They'd walk in the door, hook up without anyone missing a beat and join right in. I know there are other great music venue's in New Orleans, but this place, if you take the time to talk to and get to know the staff will treat you like you're family. By the way, Charlie serves a great lunch also, just don't salt before you taste because he does know what he's doing, the seasonings are in there already.

What's a trip to New Orleans without a Hurricane. Okay, Pat O's may or may not have the best hurricanes, but they do have an outstanding piano bar that gets the crowd up and jumping. The piano players can play almost any song you request. Want to hear your school fight song, they know it. What about that golden oldie, chances are they know it too. The good ole sing along songs, they know all that you know and then some. Pat O's is always worth a stop, just to enjoy the piano bar. Now, their courtyard is also nice, but with all the other courtyards to enjoy, head into the dark room, with all the beer stiens along the ceiling, order up that hurricane, and send a request to the piano players. You won't regret it.

Looking for a place away from the french quarter, a place where everyone will know your name if you spend some time there, a place where even the dogs know and are friendly to all the patrons, then visit the Old Point Bar. I've read that the Old Point Bar is the West Bank's answer to the Maple Leaf. I don't know, but I do know they have great locals to talk to, great prices on beer, and a great juke box with some of the jazz classics. So when you hop on the Algier's ferry thinking that Mardi Gras World is all Algier's has to offer, think again. Take a walk down the levy, enjoy the view of the New Orleans skyline and when you reach the Old Point Bar, head down off the levy and grab a beer and put some money in the juke box. Great entertainment on weekends also.

Just a neighborhood bar in the French Quarter on Chartres and Dumaine. Want to feel like a local, then head here. Want to watch a football game, let em know, however, don't expect them to change the station off of LSU or the Saints if they are playing. Sit by the window and watch the people walk by. I've spent many hours sitting here enjoying the people that come in and out, talking to them and getting to know what it's like to be a part of New Orleans rather than just a visitor. Be warned though, that sitting by the windows, enjoying a beer looks enticing to little old ladies who are at the end of a wedding parade through the French Quarter, they may waltz right in and sit down with you because you look much more comfortable than they are parading. BTW, if you see this girls from Pensacola, enjoyed your company that day. Also, be sure if you visit here to tell Lucy hello. Great bartender.

Just another neighborhood hangout where you feel at home immediately. Spent a number of hours here too enjoying the conversation of those who live and breath New Orleans. Also away from the French Quarter over in Algiers. But remember, New Orleans is much more than just the French Quarter. Great people, great prices, great atmosphere.

To me, absolutely the best zoo I've been too and I've been to many. Small enough to enjoy in a few hours, but some great exhibits. This zoo offers many different things to attract the kids and the setting is out of this world.

Want to step back in time to where neighborhoods acted like neighborhoods. Where neighbors knew their neighbors. Were walking down the sidewalk talking to those sitting on their porches is a part of daily life. Then take a stoll through this historic neighborhood and enjoy the people and the architecture of an era gone by. Stop in the quaint coffee shops or neighborhood pubs and get to know those who call this great neighborhood home.