Hôtel Peter and Paul

Worth getting out of bed for

Like the warmth of its Southern hospitality, the flavours captured in its cuisine and the meaning hidden deep within its music, there’s a whole lot more to New Orleans than surface-level Bourbon Street may suggest.

Nestled in the Marigny, a former plantation developed into housing by politician Bernard de Marigny in the 19th century, Hôtel Peter and Paul is at the epicentre of the true New Orleans, if there ever was or is such a thing. Initially home to Creole settlers, it’s a charming ex-working-class neighbourhood that has undergone its fair share of gentrification yet retains a strong sense of community. You’re just as likely to bump into your restaurant server at their favourite joint as you are another tourist. With its swaying palm trees and photogenic pastel hues, the Marigny makes for an intriguing wander as you hop its numerous coffee shops and bars. You’ll want to earmark a night in the buzzing jazz clubs of nearby Frenchmen Street, where the improv spills out onto the pavement until the early morning light begins to show. 

Even in the daytime, New Orleans is really about the nighttime, so head to Vintage Voyage to ensure your wardrobe is ready. Here you’ll find wigs, costumes and profusions of sequinned clothing, perfect for an off-the-sparkly-cuff drag show or your Mardi Gras debut, should you be in town in February.

Studio Be is a warehouse space turned gallery that showcases the best of New Orleans street art, graffiti and performance art, and the Louisiana Music Factory is an old-school record store stacked with vinyl to keep the New Orleans beat flowing long after you depart.

Local restaurants

If there’s one thing the Marigny isn’t short of, it’s bangin’ food, so you’ll have no trouble finding something memorable to savour over every meal. Hôtel Peter and Paul collaborated with the proprietors of their own personal favourite dive, Bacchanal Wine Bar, on their in-house Elysian Bar restaurant, so you can bet it’s worth your time too. Bacchanal is self-billed as ‘Nola’s Backyard Party’ – you get patio furniture and string lighting over gravel floors in a big backyard, but with live music, a Med-inspired tapas and pintxos menu and a well-stocked wine shop, it’s a good time guaranteed. For a communal multi-course tasting menu that nods to the history of bayou cuisine, pre-book a seating at Mosquito Supper Club. Set in a creaking old weatherboard house, there’s a great sense of true Southern hospitality and service as chef Melissa Martin serves the fast-disappearing traditional Cajun cuisine learnt from her grandmother. With such a rich Creole heritage in the Marigny, head to Neyow’s to indulge in their chargrilled gulf shrimp, served with a trademark Big Easy attitude. 

Local cafés

The Orange Couch Coffee is your go-to for humidity-busting cold brew and sweet Vietnamese iced coffee. Pond Coffee serves its espresso exclusively with oat milk, and can be found inside the offbeat vegetarian Small Mart Café.

Local bars

If there’s one thing in ample supply in New Orleans, it’s nightlife. It feels like every New Orleanian has their own preferred bar, but if you’re asking us, we’d head for cocktails at Jewel of the South. Their ‘cocktail hour’ is the consummate way to kick-start an evening, and there’s a menu of small plates and truffle chicken if you’d prefer to settle in. Housed in a 19th-century bank building, Anna’s has a dive-bar feel, and its no-nonsense drinks list differs depending on which floor you’re on. Downstairs is punctuated by a listing of beer and shot pairings, upstairs offers an extensive vermouth menu, in addition to cocktails, wines and beers on both.