50+ Best New Orleans Date Ideas for Every Couple

Open 24 hours in the French Market since 1862. An order of three beignets is $4.63, and the cafe au lait is $3.47. Go late at night to skip the tourist lines. Powdered sugar will cover your clothes, your face, and possibly your date. That is part of the charm. Sit outside and watch the Jackson Square street performers.

This Garden District institution has been serving haute Creole cuisine since 1893. The weekend jazz brunch ($45-65 per person) is a New Orleans tradition. Their 25-cent martini lunch is legendary (limit three per person). Jacket required for dinner. Reservations are essential, so book at least a week out. The turtle soup and bread pudding souffle are must-orders.

Several companies run walking food tours through the French Quarter, with stops at 5-6 restaurants over about 3 hours. You will try gumbo, po'boys, pralines, and more while learning the history behind each dish. Doctor Gumbo Tours and Tastebud Tours both get strong reviews. Tours typically cost $50-80 per person and include all the food. Come hungry.

Magazine Street runs 6 miles through the Garden District and Uptown, and it is packed with restaurants, boutiques, and galleries. Start at Dat Dog for gourmet sausages ($8-12), stop at Stein's Market for a deli sandwich, and end at Coquette for seasonal small plates. The street is walkable in sections, and you can hop on the Magazine Street bus ($1.25) between neighborhoods.

Chef Donald Link's Cajun-focused restaurant in the Warehouse District serves whole-hog cooking at its finest. The cochon (smoked pork) with turnip greens and cracklins is the signature dish. Their rabbit and dumplings are outstanding. Dinner for two runs $80-120 with drinks. If the wait is long, pop next door to Cochon Butcher for a muffuletta sandwich ($14) at the counter.

The New Orleans School of Cooking on St. Louis Street runs 2.5-hour demonstration classes ($35 per person) where you watch a local chef make gumbo, pralines, and jambalaya while cracking jokes and sharing stories. You eat everything at the end. For a hands-on experience, Langlois Culinary Crossroads in the Bywater offers smaller classes ($85-95) where you cook the meal yourself.

Split po'boys from three different spots in one afternoon. Parkway Bakery in Mid-City makes a roast beef po'boy ($12-16) that locals swear by. Domilise's Uptown has been around since 1918 and does a killer fried shrimp version. Verti Marte in the French Quarter is a tiny corner store with a legendary "All That Jazz" po'boy. Half portions keep the budget down and leave room for more stops.

Eat dinner on Frenchmen Street before the music starts. The Maison serves Cajun dishes alongside live jazz. Three Muses pairs small plates with acoustic sets (try the duck confit flatbread). Adolfo's upstairs on the corner does incredible Italian-Creole fusion at reasonable prices. Arrive by 6pm for dinner, then walk into any of the clubs afterward for live music. Most have no cover charge.

This is where locals go for live music. The three-block stretch between Decatur and Dauphine has a dozen clubs, most with no cover charge. Start at d.b.a. for jazz and blues, then wander into the Blue Nile for funk and brass bands. Music starts around 9-10pm and runs past midnight. Walk the street and let the sound pull you into whichever club hits right. Drinks run $8-15 each.

This tiny, no-frills venue on St. Peter Street has been keeping traditional New Orleans jazz alive since 1961. No food, no drinks, no AC, just incredible music in an intimate room that holds about 40 seated and 50 standing. Shows run nightly at 5pm, 6pm, and 8pm. Tickets are $25 online or $30 at the door. Get in line 30-45 minutes early for seats. It is one of the most romantic date spots in the city.

Named after Professor Longhair's famous song, Tipitina's Uptown has been a cornerstone of New Orleans music since 1977. The venue books everything from brass bands to Cajun fiddlers to national touring acts. The dance floor is always packed, and the crowd skews more local than tourist. Check their calendar for Sunday afternoon brass band shows, which are a more relaxed vibe. Cover varies by show.

The best free live music on Frenchmen Street. This cash-only dive bar has jazz and swing music every night with no cover. The tiny space means you are standing right next to the musicians, and couples are always dancing in whatever open space they can find. Get there by 9pm for a spot near the band. Bring cash for drinks ($5-10 each) and tip the musicians.

Let's be real: Bourbon Street is loud, sticky, and overpriced. But it is also an experience you should have at least once. Walk the neon-lit blocks between Canal and St. Ann, grab a Hand Grenade or Hurricane from one of the to-go windows, and people-watch. For actual good music on Bourbon, try Fritzel's European Jazz Pub or the Funky Pirate. Best on a Friday or Saturday night. Pace yourselves.

Hot Tin at the Pontchartrain Hotel has panoramic views of the city and St. Charles Avenue streetcars rolling by below. Cocktails run $14-18. Alto at the Ace Hotel has a pool and DJ sets on weekends. The Catahoula Hotel rooftop pisco bar serves South American-inspired cocktails in the French Quarter. All three are walkable from each other if you start Uptown and work your way in.

On Oak Street in the Carrollton neighborhood, Maple Leaf is where locals go for funk, blues, and brass bands away from the tourist crowds. Rebirth Brass Band plays here every Tuesday night, and it is one of the best weekly shows in the city. The back patio is great for cooling off between sets. Cover is usually $10-20 depending on the act. Doors open at 10pm most nights.

You will hear brass bands playing on corners throughout the French Quarter and Marigny, especially on weekend afternoons. Jackson Square, Royal Street, and the Frenchmen Street Art Market are reliable spots. These musicians are seriously talented, and watching them play is one of the most genuine New Orleans experiences you can have. Tip generously. If you are lucky, you might stumble into a second line parade winding through the streets.

Free Tours by Foot runs tip-based walking tours of the French Quarter that cover 300 years of history in about 2 hours. You will see Jackson Square, the Cabildo, Pirates Alley, and the Lalaurie Mansion (yes, that one). Licensed guides from Two Chicks Walking Tours ($25) go deeper into architecture and Creole culture. Morning tours are best to beat the heat and the crowds.

Walk the tree-lined streets of the Garden District and gawk at antebellum mansions built by American merchants in the 1800s. Prytania, First, and Coliseum Streets have the most impressive homes. The Buckner Mansion (famous from American Horror Story) is on Jackson Avenue. This is a free, self-guided walk that pairs perfectly with a stop at Commander's Palace or Lafayette Cemetery afterward.

The oldest cemetery in the city (opened 1789), and you need a licensed tour guide to enter. Save Our Cemeteries runs 45-minute tours for $25. You will see the alleged tomb of voodoo queen Marie Laveau, the pyramid tomb actor Nicolas Cage built for himself, and rows of ornate above-ground crypts. The guides explain why New Orleans buries its dead above ground (hint: it involves the water table).

Ranked the No. 1 museum in the country by TripAdvisor multiple years running. General admission is $32 per adult. Add the "Beyond All Boundaries" 4D film ($8) narrated by Tom Hanks. Plan for at least 3-4 hours because this place is massive. The personal stories and immersive exhibits are genuinely moving. The on-site restaurant, The American Sector, serves excellent lunch with a 1940s vibe.

The New Orleans Museum of Art sits in City Park and has a solid collection of French and American art. Admission is $15 per adult, free on Wednesdays for Louisiana residents. The real star is the adjacent Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, which is always free and features 90+ sculptures set among live oaks and lagoons. Walk the garden at sunset for some of the most beautiful light in the city.

Skip the cheesy tourist shops and take a real voodoo history tour instead. Bloody Mary's Tours ($25-35) is run by an actual voodoo practitioner and covers the African spiritual traditions that shaped New Orleans culture. You will visit the Historic Voodoo Museum ($7 self-guided), Congo Square where enslaved Africans gathered on Sundays, and sites connected to Marie Laveau. Evening tours add a spooky atmosphere.

The St. Charles streetcar line has been running since 1835, making it the oldest continuously operating streetcar in the world. A one-way ride is $1.25 (exact change or a Jazzy Pass). Board at Canal Street and ride the full 7-mile route through the Garden District and Uptown. The olive-green cars have wooden seats and open windows. Sit on the right side heading Uptown for the best views of the mansions and live oak canopy.

At 1,300 acres, City Park is 50% larger than Central Park. The live oak collection is one of the oldest in the world, with some trees over 800 years old. Rent a paddleboat on Big Lake ($15 per half hour), visit the Botanical Garden ($10), or just spread a blanket under the Singing Oak. The Carousel Gardens Amusement Park ($4 entry, $5 per ride) has a 1906 wooden carousel. Morning visits are best for avoiding heat.

This 350-acre park in Uptown has a 1.8-mile paved loop perfect for a morning walk or jog together. The centuries-old live oaks draped in Spanish moss create a canopy over the trail. Stop by the Audubon Zoo ($29 per adult) on the park's south end, or stick to the free areas with lagoons, golf course, and bird-watching spots. The park connects directly to the St. Charles streetcar line.

The Steamboat Natchez offers daytime harbor cruises ($36 per adult) and evening jazz dinner cruises ($49-89). The Creole Queen runs a similar route with a stop at the Chalmette Battlefield. Both depart from the French Quarter. The daytime cruise is a good option if you want river views and live jazz without the dinner price tag. Spring and fall have the most comfortable weather on the water.

Get out of the city and into the bayou. Cajun Encounters runs small-group boat tours through Honey Island Swamp ($30-55 per person, about 45 minutes from downtown). You will see alligators, egrets, turtles, and cypress trees draped in Spanish moss. Airboat tours are faster and louder ($50-65), while flat-bottom boats offer a quieter experience. Morning tours have the best wildlife sightings. Bring bug spray.

This 2.6-mile paved trail connects the French Quarter to City Park through the Treme and Mid-City neighborhoods. Rent bikes from Blue Bikes NOLA ($8 per 30 min) and pedal the full route, or walk a section and stop at Hey! Cafe or Bayou Beer Garden along the way. The trail has public art installations, fitness stations, and community gardens. It is flat, shaded in spots, and one of the best ways to see local neighborhoods.

Bayou St. John is a calm, shallow waterway that runs through one of the city's most beautiful neighborhoods. Kayak-Iti-Yat rents single and tandem kayaks ($25-40 per hour) right on the bayou near City Park. The water is flat and easy to paddle, with herons, turtles, and fish visible from the surface. Afterward, walk to Parkway Bakery for po'boys or grab drinks at Bayou Beer Garden. Late afternoon is the best time for light and cooler temps.

This 1.4-mile linear park runs along the Mississippi River in the Bywater and Marigny. The dramatic steel Piety Street Bridge entrance is a popular photo spot. Walk or bike the paved path with views of the river, the French Quarter skyline, and passing barges. It is quiet, uncrowded, and one of the best sunset spots in the city. Free entry. Bring a blanket and watch the cargo ships go by.