Where to Eat and Stay in New Orleans 1st in our New Orleans series.

Hello Pretty Ladies,

The Chit Chat chic girls just got back from a fun Galentine’s trip to New Orleans, as many of you know. So today, all the girls are sharing Where to eat and stay in New Orleans, and we will share where to shop, fun things to do and what we wore in a couple of other posts. So think of it as our New Orleans Series.

Where to Eat and Stay in New Orleans. What comes to mind when you say New Orleans? Jazz, Mardi gras, The French Quarter, Beignets,(recipe here) Pralines, (recipe here) Craw Fish, Beads, and Hurricane Drinks? (recipe here) That’s what I think of when I think of New Orleans, and this trip did not disappoint. We stayed at the Royal Sonesta in the heart of the French Quater (one of NOLA’s most historic neighborhoods) on the corner of the famous Bourbon Street, where gaslights flicker on every street, and Old charm meets new.

The Hotel couldn’t have been more charming with the ornate Iron grillwork details of french architecture, pretty fountains and quart yards, Hotel Suites with french doors opening to overlook the pool. Beautiful details throughout the Hotel. The staff was so welcoming and friendly. They went above and beyond to make your stay a pleasant one.

Not only is the Royal Sonesta located in a convenient location, but The French Quater also has all the restaurants, bars, and shopping you could want. But you can easily walk to Canel street, Cafe DuMond, take a cruise down the Mississippi river, catch the trolly to the Garden District, or Magazine street for boutique shopping. 

The Royal Sonesta conveniently has several restaurants on the property and The Jazz Play House for entertainment. Desire Oyster Bar, Bar R’evolution, and Pj’s Coffee

New Orleans is known for its good food. The taste of Nole is cajun driven with a lot of seafood, award-winning seafood gumbo, shrimp remoulade, po’boys, Beignets, Oysters, and a lot of flavors. So if you’re a foodie, you will enjoy your time in New Orleans. 

View from the courtyard

Would you like to stay here and receive a discount?

 15% off best available rates on stays Sunday-Thursday

Book by: February 28, 2021  Stay by: September 30, 2021

Promo code: RNOPR  Use this link:

The Jazz Play House, located on the property, has the sounds of the New Orleans embrace and charm. A vibrant nightlife with authentic jazz, serving drinks and bites. Michelle and I had the Elle Fitzgerald Martinis, and Cindy Had the French 45. The table shared a blue cheese wedge and crab cakes (Cammi needed to try out crabcakes at every restaurant!) Then finished off with a shared chocolate cheesecake. 

NOTE: The Jazz Play House is a place to enjoy the music. It is not somewhere to go if you want to chat.

Desire Oyster Bar is located on the Hotels property. Oyster Bar offers diners one of the most authentic dining experiences in New Orleans. 

The menu features

• Fresh Gulf Seafood
• Award-winning Gumbo
• Variety of Po’boys
• Shrimp Omelet Etoufee
• Biscuits and Gravy

• Oysters: fried, chargrilled, or on the half shell
• Fried Chicken & Waffles
• Louisiana Crab Cakes
• Blackened Catfish Lafitte
• Shrimp Remoulade

Cammi, Had the crab cakes, and she would say these were in the running for Best along with Francois. The table had the Fries with Etoufee & shrimp (they decided they were not Etoufee fans). Cindy & I Had a chopped salad with grilled chicken, blue cheese crumbles, and a side of fries. (All very good) (Cindy and I had a salad with chicken almost everywhere we went)

(Now… the Host,  let’s say they need a new one! He was the only rude/ no personable person in NOLA!) Thank goodness we only had a few minutes of him! The waitress made up for it. She was so sweet and very Happy!

Cheers

Bar R’evolution, also located on the property, is a beautiful mix of Old world & contemporary, serving chef-driven dishes and seasonal cocktails. Most of the produce and herbs are grown on a plantation farm in Baton Rouge. This bar is chic, hip, and packed. A reservation is recommended. Note: dress up…this was the only time we were underdressed!

PJ’s Coffee Start the morning off right with a Coffee poolside or, better yet, on your private balcony. Pj’s Coffee is located right off the lobby and serves various coffee drinks and pastries. A local New Orleans, Louisiana staple coffee house with several lotions throughout NOLA. 

Francois Grill & Bourbon Street Blues in Baton Rough

This restaurant is worth the drive to Baton Rouge from New Orleans. Located in the Perkins Rowe shopping district. (cute outdoor mall experience) Francois Grill is a cultural mix of Sicilian, French, and Cajun cuisine.

The onion rings were so good as a starter along with, You guessed it, Crab cakes:) The girls voted these the BEST crab cakes. I had the veggie omelet with a side of steamed veggies (cooked perfectly and with so much flavor) along with pan potatoes. A savory meal we all enjoyed. They have a full bar and live jazz music. 

Bistro 77 is another excellent restaurant at Perkins Rowe in Baton Rouge. They are known for great drinks, charcuterie boards, and shared plates. Also serving delicious salads, known for gourmet flatbreads, and a great assortment of sandwiches and lobster mac and cheese. View the menu here

You guessed it, I had a salad, but not just any salad, a Spiced Pear and grilled chicken salad with an  Apple vinaigrette and spiced candied nuts. It was so good. Cindy chose the same salad with steak, and everyone else chose a different flatbread and enjoyed their picks.  

Cafe Beignet 

Outfits here are all Avara… We will talk about what we wore in the next series.

Cafe’ Beignet A quaint coffee and Beignet stand sits in the middle of Music legends Park. They are located right across the street from the Hotel, on bourbon street. With iron tables and chairs set all around the park and a small live Jazz band center stage. Statues of Jazz legends cast in Bronze cover the grounds. (the Beignets were good, But nothing is like a Cafe de Monde Beignet) 

Curio

An American Cuisine with a creole soul, right around the corner from the Hotel. Recommended by the concierge at the Hotel. Had a fun Bar cafe vibe, with charming staff and great food. I had the Crispy Chicken salad with a balsamic dressing. The chicken was so yummy. I drank Ice tea by the gallon everywhere we went (unsweeten). Not a bad tea anywhere, all fresh, strong, and had free refills. The average price of every meal we had was about $18-20 for entree, Appetizers $10-15, Cocktail $7-15 with a tab for one, including a 20% tip of around $35 a meal. 

Let’s talk Pralines for just a minute. Cammi and I were hunting to find the BEST Praline (Cammi had never had one). We hunted, tested, and tried out all of them, just for you! (hehe) and I am going to share our favorites and flops on another blog post…. so you’ll have to wait! 

Ladies, it’s getting late, and I could even share more with you, but it’s just going to have to wait for another day.

Joining me in Sharing “Their review of NOLA” The Chit Chat Chic girls. Cammi, Lisa, Michelle, and Cindy. You’ll want to pop over to their blogs and see what they’ve shared.

Cindy= LuLuloves7

Lisa’s= Coast2coast

Michelle= Poised Petite 

Cammi=Cammie’s Happy Place

Photography provided by the talented Shey Allen @ Sheyallenfilms

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and read my blog post. I would love it if you left a few of your favorite Picks below in the comments. You can also find me on Instagram, Pinterest, Liketoknowit, Amazon shops, and Facebook.

Have a beautiful day, pretty ladies,

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