Top, Best & Fun Rooftop Bars in French Quarter

"A lot of people think the “three-martini lunch” is part of a bygone era, but in New Orleans it’s still alive and well. In fact, you can complete your boozy trifecta for less than a dollar at the swanky Commander’s Palace (1403 Washington Ave.). Order one of the delicious lunch entrees and you can choose from 3 different martinis that will only set you back $0.25 each!"

"1403 Washington Ave., (504) 899-8221; www.commanderspalace.com. Duck fat-seared bluefin tuna is served with Meyer lemon grilled greens and sweet potato boulangere with miso-lemon grass veal bone jus and foie gras ganache. Reservations recommended."

"Po-boys have always made great outside eats, and Parkway has embraced the alfresco push wholeheartedly by essentially creating an entire outdoor restaurant. Diners can set up at one of Parkway’s plethora of patio tables (tented for rainy days) to down one of the city’s best sandwiches. Hits are too many to count, from exquisitely fried shrimp (make it a surf and turf by adding roast beef and gravy) to hot sausage."

"Parkway is known as a contender for most-loved po’boys in town — especially the always-overflowing shrimp. Pre-pandemic, the line to order wrapped around the entirety of the dining room, but with the addition of a huge outdoor dining area, parking lot pickup, and strict social distancing guidelines, Parkway has worked to establish a comfortable and safe setting for its loyal fans."

"This Mid-City po'boy purveyor has been a favorite for decades, featuring affordable drinks and some of the best po'boys around town. Proudly local and full of characters, the eatery was made extra-famous by a visit from then President Obama, and has been featured on a variety of TV shows. While waiting for your sandwich, peruse the memorabilia and pictures that adorn the walls."

"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."

"A post shared by The Ruby Slipper Cafe (@rubyslippercafe) on Jan 5, 2018 at 11:51am PST. A breakfast hot spot, The Ruby Slipper Café provides a cheery atmosphere with fluffy omelettes and tasty Southern brunch fare. The kid’s menu is small but hearty, offering enticing choices such as French toast sticks tossed in sweet cinnamon sugar, buttermilk or cinnamon swirl pancakes, and even watermelon-flavoured pancakes that’ll blow kids minds!"

"There are around ten locations for the Ruby Slipper Cafe now, with six of them in New Orleans. This is the place to go for a hearty Southern brunch!. Address: 200 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130"

"Like many New Orleans restaurants, Coquette is located inside a handsome, historic townhouse, this one in the peaceful Garden District. With two beautiful, wood- and brick-accented dining rooms and an antique, refinished wood bar, the setting alone will impress your date, and the inventive New American fare from chef Michael Stoltzfus is likely to blow them away. With a daily-changing menu that emphasizes local produce such as lima beans, collards and Gulf oysters, Coquette’s fare is predictably delicious but never predictable, featuring unexpected flourishes such as carrot juice in the cachaza-based Tyler’s Ghost cocktail, whipped honey on the hot chicken appetizer, and french fries and stout served alongside donuts and chocolate ice cream on the Late Night Snack dessert plate."

"Opened by chef Mike Stoltzfus and his wife Lillian Hubbard in December 2008, Coquette is a Garden District stunner, from its gleaming floors and crisp linens to its architectural details and warm exposed brick walls. Chef Stoltzfus proffers innovative southern cuisine with an emphasis on locally sourced product and pastry chef Zak Miller does the same, with an emphasis on unexpected twists that elevate dessert into something ethereal. He uses seasonal fruit, fresh herbs and surprising flavors like smoke and heat to bring something special to the table."

"Enjoy a host of classic Vietnamese dishes in a sleek and trendy setting at Mint Modern. In addition to a number of classic Southeast Asian staples like banh mi, pho and vermicelli bowls, you can also try a number surprisingly satisfying menu items such as Pandan Chicken + Green Waffles, Pork Belly Tacos and Shrimp + Avocado Rolls."

"Located in Mid-City, Mick’s Irish Pub is a laid-back neighborhood bar with pool, ping pong, darts and video games. It’s pet-friendly, and the regulars here rave about the friendly service and original New Orleans vibe. The bar food also can’t be beat, thanks to Rum and the Lash (a tiny kitchen with food from Chef Michael Gulotta of MoPho) that moved here from Finn McCool’s."

"You might not automatically picture burgers and sandwiches when you think of New Orleans, but that’s just because you’ve never been to Faubourg Bistro. The menu is full of well-priced favorites, like a hearty bistro burger and Southern chicken sandwich. They also have more unique offerings like a firecracker cauliflower burger and PB&J chicken wings."

"The Milk Bar is a counter ordering joint featuring great sandwiches, salads and shakes, for which they are most known for. Portion-wise, The Milk Bar gives you crazy bang for your buck, especially in terms of the sandwiches. Depending on if you are in a regular or zany mood, you can sample anything from a Roast Beef Po-Boy to a Caddle Fodder sandwich (a creative vegetable infused sandwich)."

"Carrollton Ave., (504) 309-3310; www.themilkbarneworleans.com. A Psycho chicken sandwich is topped with sun-dried tomatoes, red onion, Kalamata olives, feta and mozzarella cheeses on ciabatta."

"Whether it's late night in the Quarter or it's noon and you're still in the mood for breakfast, Clover Grill always delivers. Perched on the corner of Bourbon and Dumaine and usually open 24 hours a day for the last 81 years, this little diner is a quintessential NOLA spot. "We love to fry and it shows" is the motto, so don't be surprised if there's a little grease on your spoon."

"For over 60 years this coffee shop has been feeding revelers from the nearby clubs and bars. Breakfast is served round-the-clock in case you sleep through the more conventional serving hours. If you are more in the mood for dinner food, try a burger – Clover Grill grills them up great!"

"Clover Grill is a classic greasy spoon that's generally chock-full of stereotypical Bourbon Street denizens. It's noisy and service is brusque, but that's part of the charm. Nothing on the menu will change your life, but it does the trick."

"The Red Dog Diner has a very cool atmosphere and even better food. If you go, make sure you ask to be seated in the back, since they have outdoor/indoor seating inside a redesigned garage. Open daily from 8am to 10pm, this is the brunch spot on Magazine you don’t want to miss."

"Magazine Street is a great place to grab a meal (we loved the Red Dog Diner) and then duck into some shops to check out Mardi Gras costumes, eccentric souvenirs, antiques, and more! Spend the evening on a ghost tour."

"Arcing around the east bank of the Mississippi opposite Algiers Point is a riverside park laid out in the 1980s and 90s on the site of former wharves and warehouses. Woldenberg Park fronts the French Quarter and is bordered to the south by the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and the Entergy Giant Screen Theater. During the French Quarter Festival in early April the main stages are put up in Woldenberg Park."

"Louisiana is a state that is famous for its waterways and bayous, and New Orleans is no exception to the rule. Fronting the French Quarter is one of the best riverside parks in the city – Woldenberg Park. Originally the location of warehouses and wharves on the east bank of the Mississippi, the site was retooled in the 1980s and 1990s into a park."

"For example, at the Woldenberg Riverfront Park is a 16-acre park in front of downtown near everything. Woldenberg Riverfront Park is a wonderful place to go jogging or picnic. You’ll find people playing their music in the park."

"In City Park twirling amongst the Spanish Moss Though all of the above are fantastic options for your New Orleans itinerary, here are a few more:"

"Founded in 1854, this 1,300-acre expanse of moss-draped oaks and 11 miles of gentle lagoons is just 2 miles from the French Quarter,…"

"– Did you know that New Orleans has a Botanical Garden in City Park?. Open all year round, the Botanical Garden covers 10 acres of land and is beautiful in the growing season. On Wednesdays in April and October, there are extended hours in the garden from 5-8 for an evening with musicians."

"At nearly 100 years old, the legendary chef Leah Chase still turns out a mean gumbo and what some consider the best fried chicken in town at her Treme institution, open since 1941 and regarded for its Creole dishes, its place in the Civil Rights movement, and its collection of African-American art. The lunch buffet isn’t a fair description of the spread of glorious dishes that feeds a steady lunch crowd: fried chicken, lima beans, and sausage, among others. One of the most beloved restaurant meals of the year is on Holy Thursday at Dooky Chase, when Chase serves her emblematic gumbo z’herbs."

"Culinary icon Leah Chase was the chef and proprietor of this historic Creole restaurant known for its role in the civil rights movement, among other notable honors. New Orleans food writers sang praises about her fried chicken. From famous fans to regular customers, the legendary Leah Chase captured hearts and stomachs with her down-home cooking until her death in 2019."

"One of the city’s landmarks, Dooky Chase Restaurant is an old school creole joint previously helmed by food industry icon Leah Chase, who passed away in 2019. Dooky Chase is to New Orleans what Sylvia’s is to Harlem. It’s an iconic place to get regional soul food that is not only pioneering and historically important, but reliably tasty."

"Po’boys (alligator sausage, cochon de lait) and burgers may seem the obvious order at this offbeat roadhouse (bring a tacky ashtray and you can swap it for a drink) on the outskirts of the city. But it was chef Mike Baskin’s daily specials—sherried turtle soup, rabbit with spaetzle—that really got Fieri fired up."

"3449 River Road, Jefferson, (504) 834-4938; www.rivershacktavern.com. A cochon de lait po-boy is topped with pepper jack cheese and jalapeno coleslaw on French bread. Reservations accepted."