New Orleans Travel Forum

We are going to New Orleans for the first time in mid June to accompany a family member while she has major surgery. We will be there for a total of 8 nights so we will have limited time for sight seeing in between our hanging out at the hospital. So I wanted to know from those of you that have been to NOLA what your TOP 5 FAVORITE RESTAURANTS and TOP 5 FAVORITE THINGS TO DO OR SEE would be!! I would really appreciate your feedback! Thanks so much!!!

Hey Sharigail. I've lived in NOLA for 6 years and have to say that narrowing this food-centric city to 5 top restaurants would be difficult. Check out my page as I've listed several restaurants. As a self-proclaimed foodie, I've made it clear when the place is worth a visit. What are you interests? I've never been interested in haunted tours. Are you? What about music? Art? Shopping? E-mail me if you have any questions.

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/fdd26/c19b6/

i have to agree that it is impossible to narrow it down! i do love to go to the court of two sisters for the jazz brunch whenever i am in new orleans. it gives a really great assortment of foods to pick from and sitting in the courtyard while the band plays is lovely. i think it is something everyone going to new orleans should check out at least once. i also really enjoyed the napoleon house. great ambiance. i can't really narrow anything down more than that for restaurants. every place i have eaten in new orleans has been a real treat.

as for things to do if you are going to be there for a full week i suggest getting out of the quarter. there are many tours to plantations out of the city and i found those to be worthwhile. even if you don't book a tour - just take a drive out into the country and soak it in. riding the streetcar into the garden district is always something i enjoy as well.

have a great trip :)!

ooooooooo..Jazz Brunch at COTS. Good call!

my tummy is rumbling just thinking about it :)!

My favorite New Orleans restaurant is Stella. Its PRICEY.. but its well worth it. I would be so bold as it say its the best restaurant in the city.

I was back during Memorial Day weekend and took my husband on a whirlwind tour of my old haunts in 1 day, which included antique shopping on Royal in the morning...the New Orleans Food and Wine experience for lunch.. a LONG nap to digest the food... evening drinks at the Columns bar in the Garden district, some drive-by sightseeing of Riverbend and the Tulane/Garden District area, dinner (at Eleven79, an old favorite of mine), dessert and coffee at Cafe du Mond, a night stroll through the quarter and drinks at the Blacksmith Shop (at the far end of Bourbon), ending up at the roulette table at Harrahs for a moment (ha.. $50 was gone in an instant. literally). We drove back to Houston with stops in Ponchatoula for fresh strawberries and had crawfish for lunch in Lake Charles.

If we would have had more time, I would have liked to have taken him to the Audubon Zoo, which is probably my favorite thing to do in New Orleans, besides eat. You can take a steamboat down the river to the zoo, which is fun.

I think that you have plenty of time to really absorb the sites of the city in 8 days.

If you want something light-hearted and fun with good food, go to Bubba Gumps, especially if you've ever been a fan of the Forrest Gump movie.