Best Coffee Shops and Cafes in Lower Garden District

"This historic hideaway, named of Monaco’s first American princess, this totally romantic wedding venue in the French Quarter will steal your heart away; it’s just a sheer spacious 150-year-old courtyard featuring fountains, and lush landscaping with romantic French doors to carry you into your wedded live together forever – unforgettable memories!"

"Slightly toward the pricey side, Cafe Amelie serves up classic New Orleans cuisine in a romantic, elegant atmosphere. The food is said to be wonderful, as is the simple experience of eating in their courtyard on a pretty day."

"My friend considers the pork chops the best food she had in NOLA so far. Everything we had was delicious and the drinks tasty."

"When in New Orleans, Alton Brown wakes up and strolls over to Cafe Beignet on Royal Street for — you guessed it — the namesake beignets. The chefs here prepare a perfect rendition of New Orleans’ take on a doughnut. The dough is made fresh daily, then allowed a longer-than-standard rise time of three hours, which is the key to its light and airy texture."

"It’s impossible to talk about coffee houses without mentioning beignets, a New Orleans tradition that’s paired with a café au lait. At Café Beignet, you can partake in this tasty tradition and enjoy the magic of the “hole-less donut,” and sip on a classic espresso beverage. They also have chicory coffee at Café Beignet, another timeless NOLA tradition."

"The flavors of Southeast Asia, West Africa, the Caribbean, and South America come together at Carmo, a tropical café and bar serving innovative, vegan-friendly fare with tropical flavors. This NOLA-based open-kitchen eatery, founded in 2010, prides itself on its “commitment to providing vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike with healthy and affordable” dining options in a laid-back atmosphere. Menu favorites include the Carmo Salad, the Rico Sandwich and any of the appetizers featuring avocado, of course."

"This worldly café serves cuisine from Southeast Asia, West Africa, the Caribbean, and South America. Vegan delights include the Broken Noodle Salad and the Caribbean Banana Cake."

"For delicious, healthy food with a Brazilian twist, head to Carmo. Their menu is packed with yummy salads, appetizer, entrees, and desserts. I love their namesake Carmo Salad."

"Cafe du Monde and their famous beignets are just a few steps away, on the same side as the river. Whether you’ve got a 3 day trip to New Orleans planned or are just making a quick visit, you don’t want to miss out on the sweet doughy goodness of this signature New Orleans treat!"

"Located in the French Market, Meals from the Heart Café is a quaint back-alley French Quarter café that serves a healthy variety of gluten-free and vegan dishes. Focused on serving delicious and tasty cuisine prepared from only the freshest, locally sourced ingredients and produce from artisanal farms, Meals from the Heart Café is a popular breakfast spot with food-lovers, vegetarians, vegans, and health-nuts. The menu features dishes such as crab cake passion, egg white omelets with a variety of sumptuous vegetarian and meat fillings, egg scrambles, breakfast sandwiches and wraps, freshly prepared salads and quinoa bowls, and homemade granola, yogurt, and fresh fruit bowls."

"This French Quarter hole-in-the-wall is a vegan and gluten-free delight. The health-conscious menu packs tons of flavour into New Orleans dishes like po-boys, gumbo and more. Order the vegan crab cake po-boy with a side of red beans and rice."

"1502 Lapalco Blvd., Harvey, (504) 366-1073; www.brotherscafe.net. A fried shrimp po-boy is topped with lettuce, tomato and pickles and served with fries. Reservations accepted."

"The Bean Gallery is a longtime Mid City favorite serving Turkish coffee and specialty teas, outlasting many of the shops that have come and gone and over the years. It’s open early and closes late, and there’s lots of seating indoor and out to enjoy drinks and the relatively large food menu of paninis, bagel sandwiches, avocado toast, and sweets."

"I just love sitting on the patio under the tree by the entrance...No matter how hot the days are, it's always cool there. It doesn't beat Jamai..."

"Serving Turkish coffee and an awesome selection of teas that you can enjoy inside or out!. The latte art is always on point at The Bean Gallery."

"Try the stuffed grape leaves or the kabobs at Lebanon's Café and you will be transported to the Middle East!. The falafel and hummus are also not to be missed. Visit Lebanon's on a nice day and you might be rewarded with a street-side table, where you can watch the pedestrians running to catch the trolley."

"Lebanon’s is another Middle Eastern option in New Orleans, featuring flavorful dishes such as musaha—an appetizer consisting of sautéed eggplant with roasted garlic, jalapeño peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and celery marinated with olive oil and vinegar."

"The National World War II Museum is a humongous cultural center that can take nearly the whole day to explore. The museum tells the story of why the war was fought, how it was won and its significance today."

"The National WWII Museum, previously known as The National D-Day Museum, is a history museum delving in the historical events of World War 2."

"Louisiana's Civil War Museum, formerly known as the Confederate Museum, is one of the largest repositories of Confederacy-related artifacts and memorabilia in the United States. Housed in a stone Romanesque-style building, this is the oldest museum in Louisiana. The Confederate Memorial Hall Museum opened to the public in 1891 and today houses the second largest Civil War collection in the world."

"What kind of ammunition and instruments did they use against one another?. The Confederate Memorial Hall commemorates the American Civil War by keeping a preserved exhibition of all the materials involved. Here you will get a chance to learn about all of the battles, trials, and about each person that played a vital role in the Civil War."

"Louisiana’s Civil War Museum opened in 1891, making it the oldest operating museum in Louisiana. It is also known as the Confederate Memorial Hall Museum. Here, you’ll find a large collection of historical artifacts from the Civil War."

"Named for the beloved New Orleanean gospel singer, the jewel of Armstrong Park was decimated in Katrina and subsequently refurbished into a state-of-the-art facility. The inaugural performance of Giuseppe Verdi's Messa di Requiem established a roster a of stellar lineups, ranging from Broadway shows and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra to the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and the New Orleans Ballet Association. Catch programmes such as Shostakovich, La Bohème and comedian Aziz Ansari this spring."

"The Mahalia Jackson Theater of the Performing Arts is a theater located in Louis Armstrong Park and named after gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, who was born in New Orleans. It originally opened in 1973 as the New Orleans Theater of the Performing Arts and then was renamed after Jackson in 1993. The theater was badly damaged during Hurricane Katrina but reopened in January 2009."

"Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré is one of the longest-running local theaters in the United States (founded in 1916). As the name indicates, it’s a more intimate theatre setting with a seating capacity of just over 300 seats. Located just off of Jackson Square, this venue is primarily used for the performing arts, including dramas, musicals, comedies, and children’s productions."

"On a rainy afternoon in New Orleans, there's no better place to be than the balcony of the historic Prytania Theatre, cooking up some honest to goodness Hollywood romance with your real-life love interest. Opened in 1915, this charming theater is the oldest in the city and the only single-screen left in Louisiana. Couples can share gelato or a freshly made cappuccino during daytime favorites like Citizen Kane or Some Like It Hot or cuddle up for midnight screenings of cult classics like Rocky Horror Picture Show."

"At more than 100 years old, the single-screen theater in Uptown is a step back in time, with red velvet ropes, balcony seating and family-friendly screenings of hand-picked classic films."

"Local music fans, neighborhood drinkers, and curious tourists all come to see one of the city's favorite sons, Kermit Ruffins, in action at his namesake bar. Inside has the feeling of a tricked-out family basement, but with Mardi Gras colored tiling. The drinks are cheap, the food is (often) free, and the music flows like the lifeblood of the Seventh Ward."

"Before visiting New Orleans for the third time last fall, I binge-watched the HBO series Treme on Amazon Prime. The show is named after the neighborhood north of the French Quarter, where jazz music was born in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Several of the lead characters are musicians; viewers are treated to a lot of terrific music."

"Are you looking for a great place to watch live entertainment around New Orleans, Louisiana?. If so, you should head on over to Kermit's Treme Mother in Law..."

"French QuarterFounded in 1966, THNOC is a museum, and also a research center that aims to preserve and celebrate the artistic and cultural history of NOLA and the Gulf South. It occupies several beautiful and historic buildings in the French Quarter, making it easy to tour if you’re visiting NOLA, staying downtown, and hoping to stay classy between Hurricanes. Best of all, it’s totally free to one and all (though you might be sucked into purchasing something cool at their gift shop)."

"This collection will see it’s new home, designed by Waggoner and Ball, open in the fall of 2018. The design includes a restoration of 200-year-old Spanish Colonial structure, the Seignouret-Brulatour House, with an addition to provide gallery space. With a careful eye towards renovation and education, the team used conservators and archaeologists to simultaneously preserve and exhibit the treasured French Quarter building."

"The Historic New Orleans Collection was founded in 1966 with the goal of preserving the French Quarter area. There are eight different buildings that have been restored and are a part of the Royal Street Complex. The organization has put together eight different themed walking tours that will explore different aspects of the French Quarter depending on what is most interesting to you."

"The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden is technically a part of the New Orleans Museum of Art, but it’s one of those places to visit that deserves its very own part of this listing since many come by just to visit the garden on its own. Right near the main NOMA building, an 11-acre expanse of garden stretches out, decorated with over 90 different sculptures. The gardens first opened in 2003 and have grown in size ever since it made its home in the rear of the Louisiana museum."

"The NOMA Sculpture Garden is another great part of City Park. It is a a free portion of the NOMA Museum and, as with everything in City Park, is surprisingly large, with a ton of sculptures placed among beautiful trees and small ponds. There are plenty of fun statues that make for great Instagram shots."