Best Places, Restaurants and Lodging Options In New Orleans For Couples (2024)
New Orleans is frequently regarded as one of the most romantic towns in the United States, and it’s easy to see why, given the splendor of the architecture, candlelit restaurants, and breathtaking vistas throughout the city. The Big Easy is a diverse city full of romantic spots where you may sneak a kiss, rekindle a romance, or celebrate new relationships. And, of course, if having a good time while traveling is your idea of romance, there’s enough of that for you and your other half, as well!
The summers can be uncomfortable in the South, but if you want to save money, now is a wonderful time to get hotel discounts and get the most out of their COOLinary month in August. A couple may go on a long weekend trip with these reasonable prices starting at about $1,000. Many visitors who come from colder winter locations find that the mild winters are the ideal time to visit to avoid the Southern summer heat.
You’ve come to the correct place if you’re looking for exciting activities to do in New Orleans with your significant other.
Best Places in New Orleans for Couples
This article includes a list of some of the most lovey-dovey restaurants and lodging options and some of the best things to do in New Orleans for couples.
1. Ride a Streetcar
Take a lovely ride through the Garden District on one of these charming streetcars while cuddling up in the mahogany and brass seats. You can hop on a streetcar at St. Charles Ave. for just $1.25 per person and travel through one of the city’s many historic neighborhoods while admiring vistas of imposing houses and immaculate lawns!
2. Take A Riverboat Cruise In The Mississippi River
Steamboats, transporting people and cargo down the Mississippi River a hundred years ago, were at the center of the region’s economic growth.
On the last remaining authentic steamboat, Steamboat Natchez claims to transport you back in time while providing an excellent musical and culinary experience.
Additionally, a steam engine that is 100 years old can be seen in operation in the engine room. Since then, they have also acquired a sister ship, the Riverboat City of New Orleans.
3. Heat Things Up on the Natchez
Join a romantic dinner cruise on the Steamboat Natchez as its steam-powered paddle wheel swirls down the Mississippi River. Dancing under the stars while listening to the onboard band can be had after dinner, or you can ascend to the higher deck to see the city’s shimmering lights.
4. In a Carriage, Explore the French Quarter
You can experience the authenticity and spirit of New Orleans by taking a mule-drawn carriage tour through the French Quarter. Since the 1940s, Royal Carriage has operated these trips but has moved from using horse-drawn carriages to mule-drawn carriages. Mules put forth more effort, consume less food, and—most importantly—handle heat better.
The tour operator provides a variety of tours so that customers can explore the French Quarter in various ways.
During the hour-long French Quarter & Marigny Carriage Tour, visitors will be able to know more about the history, architecture, cuisine, drinks, jazz, and other aspects of New Orleans while traveling amidst the notable French Quarter and the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood.
5. Explore Jackson Square With Your Lover
Jackson Square, located in the heart of the French Quarter, is a National Historic Landmark that was named after the russet statue of Andrew Jackson at the square’s center. Although it may not seem romantic in the first glance, Jackson Square is one of the best areas in New Orleans where couples can enjoy various entertaining activities.
An outdoor artist community with work displays is located in Jackson Square and is surrounded by an iron gate. For a special keepsake of your trip to New Orleans, you can hire one of them to sketch your pictures and a couple’s portrait!
6. Take A Tour Of The City By Helicopter
Aerial New Orleans is very different from street-level New Orleans, and Heli Co. allows you to see it from this unique point of view.
Choose between three tours that give a different perspective of the city: 15 miles, 30 miles, and 60 miles. Include a romance package to get champagne and chocolate for a memorable trip. You can get a keepsake photo as an add-on to a photo package to remember your trip.
7. Spend Leisurely Time at Bayou St. John
In the well-liked recreation area— Bayou St. John, also known as a “Historic and Scenic River,” you can take a stroll down the bayou and find the ideal spot along its grassy banks for a lovely picnic.
In addition, Bayou Saint John provides a variety of enjoyable water sports, including kayaking, paddle boarding, and canoeing. People who want to explore the river can rent canoes, paddleboards, and kayaks from various stores. You can paddle towards Lake Pontchartrain while taking in views of City Park and the French Quarter.
You can enjoy the tree-lined routes with many joggers along the 4.7-mile Wisner Bike Path that runs along the western bank of Bayou St. John!
8. Stroll Through City Park
City Park is an outdoor paradise as charming as the city, dotted with lakes, old oak trees, and vast green spaces.
In addition to renting paddle boats at Big Lake, couples can walk around the Botanical Gardens, unwind on a gondola ride, or indulge their inner kids by riding the wooden carousel.
9. Shop in the French Market
The French Market, which has been established for a few hundred years, is where you can find a wide range of unique and exciting products, including local vegetables, handmade goods, crafts, art, street cuisine, and a flea market.
10. Enjoy at Jazz Clubs
If you didn’t experience an evening of live jazz music mesmerizing you, did you even go to New Orleans? Allow the alluring melodies of jazz to lull you from day into night.
Grab a side booth in one of the city’s numerous live music venues and dance closely to one another all night!
11. Enjoy Thrilling Rides At Carousel Gardens Amusement Park
A great venue to bond as lovers and bring out each other’s inner child is an amusement park. Don’t miss this amusement park if you can make it to New Orleans in the summer or early autumn, especially the carousel gardens, which is just one of a thousand of its kind and is on the National Register of Historic Places. If you go during the winter, you may participate in “Celebration in the Oaks”, which features unlimited rides, light displays, and hot chocolate!
12. Take a Magical Yet Mysterious Journey
The New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum is a great place for couples to immerse themselves in the folklore of this mysterious practice, even though there aren’t many active followers of the voodoo faith left today. Voodoo history, folklore, and its influence on contemporary culture are all cataloged at the museum. You might even find a love potion among the locally manufactured voodoo dolls, gris-gris bags, and candles!
13. Dress Up With Your Partner At Mardi Gras
In New Orleans, there is a functional studio and museum called Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World. It exhibits thousands of priceless floats, decorations, and costumes for the renowned Mardi Gras celebration, which occurs at the beginning of spring.
A 300,000-square-foot warehouse in the Port of New Orleans houses this kid-friendly attraction a mile southeast of the Louisiana Children’s Museum. It has been a well-known icon in New Orleans since 1947.
A dragon-shaped float and enormous Disney character statues are just two of its many peculiar creations. Even better, while you’re there, you may browse the clothing trunks and don your preferred Mardi Gras costume with your partner!
14. Go On An Adventure in the Louisiana Swamps
Adventuresome couples can check out ToursbyLocals, where actual locals provide a personalized tour of the Louisiana wetlands. You will be picked up from your hotel and taken on a short drive to Honey Island, where you will board a private boat for a two-hour tour of the marsh’s ecosystem and history. Nature lovers will enjoy the flora of one of the nation’s most pristine swamplands, while wildlife enthusiasts will want to keep an eye out for alligators, bald eagles, wild boars, bears, and more.
15. Create Glittering Artwork At Magazine Street
Is anything more romantic than trying to make something damaged into something wonderful? The Shard Shop on Magazine Street is known for its distinctive ShardWorx glass-on-canvas artwork. They hold workshops where kids and adults can learn how to create glass art. The regular workshops cover the fundamentals, but the Oyster and Glass Cascade workshop goes a step further by showing you how to combine acrylics, mica powder, gold leaf, and glitter to create a stunning work of art.
Best Restaurants for Couples in New Orleans
Brennan’s
Brennan’s, located in the famous pink building in the middle of the French Quarter, takes pleasure in offering classic Creole and French meals as well as conventional New Orleans cuisine.
Since the 1950s, having breakfast at Brennan’s has become a ritual in the area. Consider ordering the Eggs Hussarde, which are flawlessly poached eggs served on top of homemade English muffins with Canadian bacon, marchand de vin sauce and hollandaise.
To fully appreciate this custom, drink a brandy milk punch afterward.
Bananas Foster is a well-known Big Easy dessert that is prepared with bananas that have been sautéed in sugar, butter, and cinnamon before being doused in rum and flambé! Brennan’s is one of the most fantastic spots to find it.
La Crêpe Nanou
Uptown New Orleans has a charming small French creperie known for its delectable main dishes as well as its dessert and entrée crepes! With a couple of glasses of rosé champagne, order the Moules Marinière, which are PEI mussels that have been cooked in white wine, garlic, and cream.
Café Degas
Café Degas, a welcoming French café with competitively priced and French-inspired dishes with a touch of Creole, is named after the 19th-century painter Edgar Degas. It’s undoubtedly the ideal way to end a romantic vacation because this was named the “Most Romantic Restaurant in New Orleans.” Not to be missed is the La Gratinée d’Oignons, a French onion soup with crunchy croutons and bubbling Swiss cheese.
Sylvain
The interior of Sylvain’s setting is a carriage house constructed in the 1700s that has been maintained with a classic atmosphere. They provide traditional Southern bistro dishes with a chic, contemporary touch.
Lilette
Lilette, a stylish restaurant with French and Italian influences, has long been a go-to spot for special occasions and is frequently rated as one of New Orleans’ best restaurants. Roasted Breast of the Grand Duchy of Moscow served with sautéed spinach, cauliflower polonaise, and roasted shallot sauce is one of their most well-known entrees.
Café du Monde
One of New Orleans’s oldest coffee establishments, Café du Monde, has been around since 1862. Take a seat outside to take in views of the Cabildo, St. Louis Cathedral, and Jackson Square.
As far as food goes, the square-shaped doughnuts known as beignets, which are dusted with powdered sugar, are highly recommended by most people who have already been there! Consider going early in the morning or after 9 o’clock if you want to avoid a long queue and wait for a long time at Café du Monde.
Best Lodging Options for Couples in New Orleans
These are some of the most exciting and romantic spots for couples to stay in New Orleans.
Canal Street Inn
The Canal Street Inn’s distinctive style reflects the dichotomy between the European and American parts of New Orleans, which was once divided along Canal Street. It still runs along with New Orleans’ most luxurious bed & breakfasts today, and the gardens on the property add to the gorgeous environment.
Private bathrooms and showers, plush bed sheets, and central temperature control are all amenities that you will experience. Couples looking for a peaceful retreat from the bustle of the core city should choose this hotel in New Orleans.
Grand Victorian Bed and Breakfast
The 7,600-square-foot inn was constructed in 1893, and its historical significance is evident in everything from its towering ceilings to its decor. However, the Grand Victorian offers a variety of contemporary facilities in its rooms, including wireless internet, private bathrooms and showers, central temperature controls, and custom-made beds.
If you reserve one of the suites, you can intensify your romantic get-away with a private balcony and a jacuzzi bathtub!
Hotel Le Marais
Having the coziness of a boutique hotel, Hotel le Marais is a three-star, award-winning luxury hotel. Luxury mattresses, bed linens, granite-floored private bathrooms, and climate control are just a few room amenities. The hotel also has a restaurant with a good variety, a heated saltwater pool, and a gym.
It is only a few steps away from this vibrant neighborhood’s incredible sights and sounds because it is situated on Bourbon Street, in the center of the historic French Quarter!
It’s the ideal hotel in New Orleans for trendy and hip couples who want to be in the company of other people.
Conclusion
The romantic potential of New Orleans has long been underestimated, but hopefully, this article has convinced you that it is a city with lots of enjoyable activities for couples.
