Written by The Strategy

If you’re not in the mood to spend all your vacation time, or just want a quick weekend getaway, we here at the The Strategy strongly suggest a visit to New Orleans. We’ve done our research and come up with some of our favourite places to eat, sleep and shop. May we present: The Strategy’s Guide to New Orleans.

Eat

Forget calorie counting in New Orleans. Chuck juicing out the window. Indulge in the amazing food NOLA has to offer. There are so many great dining options (crawfish boils, po’boys, etc.), but we narrowed down our 3 favourite stops.

• Cafe Beignet is an obvious start. We suggest starting your mornings here for some mouth watering beignets. 311 Bourbon St. / 600 Decatur St. / 334 Royal St.
• Josephine Estelle…just typing the words has our mouths salivating. This Italian restaurant in the Ace Hotel is like no other and is definitely worth a visit. The homemade pasta’s are delicious and we didn’t try one on the menu that we didn’t like. 600 Carondelet St.
• Cafe Amelie has the best gumbo in the city HANDS DOWN! 🙌🏽. This restaurant is a favourite of Queen Bee Beyonce, and we understand why. The atmosphere here at night in the courtyard is also incredibly romantic.

Sleep

• The Old No. 77 Hotel and Chandlery was recently voted one of New Orleans 10 best hotels. The rooms have a very young vibe, making it the perfect place to stay with friends. The lobby has some great musical acts performing in the evenings, and the hotel restaurant was one of our favourites. 535 Tchoupitoulas St
• Ace Hotel opened up in New Orleans just last year. It’s home to the above mentioned Josephine Estelle, and a music venue that is happening every night. The rooftop pool on hot summer days doesn’t hurt either. 600 Carondelet St.

Shop

• Defend New Orleans is a perfect go-to for your non-touristy New Orleans tees. We also ended up being a few hats, pins and sweatshirts while we were at it. 1101 First St.
• Pilot/Powell had our suitcases overflowing, and definitely exceeding our weight allowance. The luxury lifestyle store opened late last year, and is already topping top 1o NOLA shopping lists. 3901 Magazine St.
• Sunday Shop is a must visit furniture and lifestyle store. Even if you are unable to take the beautiful furniture pieces home with you, it’s definitely a place to stop and look around. Maybe even pick up a few knick knacks. 2025 Magazine St.