Best & Cool Bars in Lake Pontchartrain

"The crown jewel of the Brennan empire, this landmark Garden District restaurant has been a beacon of fine dining since 1880. There’s no resting on laurels here, though: Paul Prudhomme, Emeril Lagasse, Jaime Shannon and now Tory McPhail have nurtured the Creole menu while making their own marks. The iconic Victorian mansion is the perfect setting for an intimate meal, large celebration or relaxed 25-cent martini lunch."

"GQ's Golden Dish Award for Eggs Sardou, Commander’s Palace’s legacy speaks for itself. Located in the Garden District, Commander’s Palace is thought to be the original spot for a jazz brunch and patio dining. For contemporary Louisiana food and alfresco dining, look no further than Commander’s Palace."

"If you’re looking for a place to have an upscale NOLA lunch, the famous Commander’s Palace is just across from Lafayette Cemetery 1 on Washington Avenue. It’s been named one of the best places to eat in the south!"

"A neighborhood bakery dating back to 1911, which added the “poor boy” to the menu when it was invented in the 1920s. While the place closed in 1993, current owner Jay Nix resurrected the landmark Parkway Bakery & Tavern in the early aughts, serving some of the finest po-boys in town."

"A caprese po-boy includes tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Reservations accepted for large parties. Lunch and dinner Wed.-Mon."

"Parkway Bakery & Tavern is the legendary stop -- be sure to try its Thanksgiving po-boy if you're there for the holidays."

"The Ruby Slipper Café is an award-winning café chain with five locations around the country that offer traditional Southern breakfast classics, brunch delights, and fresh lunch dishes with New Orleans flair. The family-owned and operated café serves classic dishes with a quirky twist such as the Festin' Benedict of poached eggs, fried green tomatoes, Louisiana crawfish, and three kinds of cheese on a buttermilk biscuit. The Dirtiest Pancake in the Game features a stack of buttermilk pancakes with Oreo crumbles, chocolate ganache, and cream cheese icing, and BuYa Honey Toast is a crispy French Toast-battered Brioche with a cream cheese filling, whipped cream, honey syrup, seasonal berries, and French toast croutons."

"Click your heels three times, and you’ll end up at the Ruby Slipper Cafe on the edge of the Garden District. Wake up, and rally at this boozy brunch spot, with a little vodka in your iced coffee or a little OJ in your mimosa. Go ahead, and order another round while you snack on pig candy bacon bites – your bananas foster pain perdu and crawfish & grits benedict will help you sober up."

"The family-owned restaurant with four locations around New Orleans spotlights house signature items like Chicken St. Charles, Eggs Cochon and Bananas Foster Pain Perdu. Prices start around the $9 range, topping out around $15. The spot doesn’t take reservations."

"From its 19th century exterior to its glamorous chandeliers, exposed brick walls, and innovative Southern menu, this Garden District bistro is elegant yet never pretentious. Pull up to the long bar for a drink from the extensive list of wine, cocktails, and beers and a snack like onion dip with trout roe or chicken liver mousse. The concise menu also includes vegetable-forward small plates and larger dishes like smoked beef short rib with fresh turmeric, cashew, and puffed rice."

"Peychaud’s is the newest spot from the Cure Co. team — whose portfolio includes acclaimed Freret Street cocktail bar Cure, the French Quarter’s Cane & Table, and the newer Vals, also on Freret Street. Located inside the Hotel Maison de Ville at 727 Toulouse Street, it’s all drinks here — there’s no plan to add food here, so far. It focuses on a concise menu of classic New Orleans cocktails, like the Sazerac, Vieux Carre, and Ramos gin fizz."

"The eggplant beignets, Southwest eggrolls, and fried fish sandwich all ring up under $10. While you might be tempted to spend your whole visit at the dining table, don’t miss all the fun things to do in New Orleans. Grab your chicory coffee and check out these fun, affordable activities:"

"Arguably the best rooftop bar in the city, the Monkey Board is on top of the Troubador Hotel, featuring artist Gabe Flores’ bright, graffiti-style artwork and expansive views of the city from the 17th floor. Fresh bar bites like ceviche, crab cakes, and carne asada tacos are on the menu along with a couple of fun frozen drinks and tropical cocktails, with happy hour specials for house wine and classic cocktails running daily from 4 to 6 p.m. Monkey Board is open Sunday through Thursday from 4 to 11 p.m."

"For al fresco views of the downtown skyline that are worthy of your Instagram feed, Monkey Board is your best bet. With park benches and lounge chairs, graffiti walls and hanging lanterns, The Monkey Board aces the rooftop park vibes. There’s an excellent selection of crafted specialty cocktails, as well as Southern-inspired bites."

"Monkey Board, which sits atop the Troubadour Hotel, boasts an unobstructed, nearly 360-degree view of downtown. The popular hangout open to both hotel guests and locals features happy hour from 4 p.m."

"Built in 1851 by the Jesuits, this breathtaking, Moorish-inspired structure melds Islamic architecture with Christian and Jewish symbolism (including hundreds of Stars of David). Massive bronze doors, soaring Arabesque arches, stunning stained glass (featuring 18 stations of the cross), cast-iron pews and columns are among the church’s many architectural highlights. Of special note is the towering cupola, the marble statue of Mary (originally carved for Marie Amélie, queen of Louis Philippe of France, during the mid 1800s) located above the onion-domed high altar and two Venetian-glass mosaic shrines at the rear of the sanctuary."

"Immaculate Conception church, locally known as Jesuit church, is a Roman Catholic church in the Central Business District of New Orleans. The original church was built on this site in 1857. Immaculate Conception church was built and designed in the Neo-Venetian Gothic style of Gothic Revival architecture, with Moorish Revival and Byzantine Revival elements."

"530 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 833-7121; www.faustosbistro.com. Italian sausage is sauteed with bell peppers, onions, garlic, Italian herbs and marinara sauce and served over angel hair pasta. Reservations recommended."

"Opened in 2017 in the Garden District, Lula is New Orleans’ only Creole/Southern restaurant with an in-house distillery. Partner Jess Bourgeois, formerly of Commander’s Palace, handles the restaurant while co-owner Bear Caffrey, a Baton Rouge ER doctor with a penchant for chemistry, oversees the distillery. To open a combined full service restaurant with a micro-distillery, Bourgeois and Caffrey had to seek approval through House Bill 233, which passed in the summer of 2015, paving the way for future restaurant-distillery concepts in Louisiana."

"This stylish yet rustic micro-distillery produces small-batch, handcrafted vodka made from Louisiana sugar cane. The smooth and clean spirit has the soft finish of a cane vodka. Also available is a molasses- and raw-sugar-based rum that is batch fermented and distilled, and gin steeped with botanicals like juniper, coriander, angelica root and citrus peel."

"Tea-brined, buttermilk battered Cornish hen is served with Creole slaw and fries. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sat.-Sun."

"The Pelican Club is a “new classic” New Orleans restaurant offering a rich variety of fresh fish and seafood and prime beef, inspired by southern tradition and reimagined by chef/owner, Richard Hughes. Diners are welcomed in everything from blue jeans to ball gowns in this 19th-century French Quarter townhouse. MoreCallReserveStart Your ReservationWebsite"

"Louisiana cioppino features Gulf fish, shrimp, mussels and little neck clams in tomato basil sauce served with linguine. Reservations recommended."

"Category: American, Delivery, Happy Hours, Outside Dining, Southwest, and Weekend Brunch. Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar & Restaurant aims to provide a laid-back, beach vibe complete with the coldest drinks and hottest menu around since 1992. Whether you want to belly up Read more..."

"701 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 523-8995; www.lucysretiredsurfers.com/neworleans. A Juicy Lucy burger is an 8-ounce patty topped with tomato, lettuce, onion, pickles and Lucy’s sauce on a Dong Phuong roll."