Local Knowledge

Taxis

It’s easy to flag a cab on the street if you’re downtown or in the French Quarter. In less-frequented hoods or to pre-book, call United Cabs Co (+1 504 522 9771; www.unitedcabs.com).

Tipping culture

The standard 20 per cent works; double the tax if you’re in a rush.

Siesta and fiesta

Shops shut around 6pm. Locals head to dinner on the early side, straight after work, meeting up around 6 or 7pm. Most dining dens close around 9pm, so make reservations before 8.45pm. The festivities continue late into the night for partygoers, with bars and clubs closing at 3am or 4am.

Packing tips

Forget the jewellery, you’ll be covered in iridescent purple and green-beaded necklaces caught from a Mardi Gras float, and found throughout the city all year round.

Recommended reads

A tale of family drama, class struggles and city life, Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire is a dark classic. The Pulitzer Prize-winning tome, A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, paints an insider portrait of the city in the early Sixties; Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire will have you looking over your shoulder on a late-night in the French Quarter; Study the class struggles plaguing turn-of-the-century Louisiana in Kate Chopin’s The Awakening.

Cuisine

Days could be dedicated to sampling New Orleans cuisine. Started with a chicken or seafood roux, and laced with vegetables, tomatoes, seafood and sausage, gumbo, a thick stew, is a Creole and Cajun classic. We love Galatoire’s version at 209 Bourbon Street. It’s less liquidy relative, jamblaya blends chicken and Andouille sausage with tomatoes, peppers, onions, celery, and classic Creole spices and rice.

Regional specialities

Piquant spices, creamy butter and rich batters cover seafood and every conceivable carb fashioning it a tastier albeit diet-unfriendly version of itself. Po’ boys, a sandwich made with crisp-fried seafood, shrimp, crawfish or oysters – even crocodile – topped with mayo, lettuce and tomato, is served on Louisiana-style French bread and lashed with Tabasco. Our favourite can be found at the self-proclaimed oldest po’ boy spot in the city, Johnny’s Po-Boys on St Louis Street (www.johnnyspoboy.com).

Currency

US Dollar ($).

Time zone

GMT -6 (Central time US)

Dialling codes

US country code: +1; area code for New Orleans: 504

Do go/don't go

Although this Southern city stays warm throughout the year, the mildest months are February through April and September through November. From June to August be prepared for sticky, humid heat. Keep an eye on weather reports starting in August, when hurricane season begins.