No matter where you're staying in New Orleans, there are tons of ways to spend your stay getting closer with your bae. Celebrating its Tricentennial this year, New Orleans offers couples tons of unique ways to indulge in a little Crescent City romance.
Feel the love with these four New Orleans dates.
DATE 1: Picture Perfect Park Day
For the outdoorsmen in your life, find some refuge from the hustle and bustle of city life to take a relaxing stroll through City Park. The 1,300-acre urban oasis is fifty percent larger than New York's Central Park and features the world's largest collection of mature oak trees.
Share some fresh-air with your beau by bike or boat with rentals from Wheel Fun in the park. Tackle the trails on a tandem bike or surrey bike with canopy. Take your pick from a pedal boat, kayak or canoe to float merrily along the bayous and lagoons. Or you can let someone else handle the paddling with a Venetian-style gondola tour aboard the Bella Mae.
When you're done taking in Mother Nature's display, enjoy some man-made art at the New Orleans Museum of Art, also located in City Park. The permanent collection includes nearly 40,000 objects, many more than it started with when it opened in 1911 with only nine pieces of art. Admission is only $12 for adults, but you can save some cash by touring the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden instead. The five-acre sculpture garden boasts more than 60 sculptures and is free to visit.
Assuming all those romantic walks through the park will work up an appetite, sit down for dinner at nearby Brown Butter. The contemporary take on Southern cuisine features seasonal, contemporary twists on classics, as well as house-cured charcuterie, homemade sodas and delicious cocktails.
DATE 2: Classically Chic
Keeping it classy in New Orleans doesn't always mean breaking the bank. Start a romantic day off right with lunch at Commander's Palace, one of the most revered institutions in the city. Toast your partner with 25-cent martinis — yes, just one quarter — as you chow down on the daily two-course lunch special.
Save room for dessert. Anyone would be happy splitting the iconic bread pudding souffle at Commander's Palace, but you could also grab some dessert to go from the nearby sweets specialty shop, Sucré. Peruse the selection of cookies, chocolates and macarons, picking up a couple of treats to snack on while riding the streetcar to your next destination.
Take a short ride to catch a flick at the Prytania Theatre. The oldest theater in the city is also the only single-screen theater in Louisiana. Selections include critical darlings, foreign films, arthouse cinema and cult favorites.
DATE 3: Take It Easy In Bywater
Nothing kills the mood faster than plans that are too fussy, so take it easy with a day in the Bywater neighborhood. Start off with a relaxing swim and sauna at The Country Club. This local favorite is home to a popular saltwater pool, hot tub, poolside bar and restaurant. Take your honey with you into the sauna house and sweat out any stress together.
Since you've already seen each other's swimsuit bods, you might as well indulge in some
quality pizza. Snag a slice at Pizza Delicious, also known as Pizza D to the locals. The New York-style pizzeria has been named the best in town and also features healthier options like a pickled apple salad and vegan roasted bolognese.
End your evening with a perfect pairing at Bacchanal Wine. Pick your own bottle from the extensive collection, choose a few cheeses, then head to the back patio. They'll cut up your cheese with some complimentary fixings and bring it out while you enjoy live music on one the most beloved patios around.
DATE 4: A Quintessential Experience In the Quarter
The French Quarter is the most popular destination in New Orleans for visitors, but that doesn't mean it's a sterile tourist trap. There's plenty of authentic New Orleans experiences to be shared in the Quarter for you and your partner.
Start by grabbing a famous muffuletta sandwich for a late lunch from Central Grocery. Each of these Sicilian sandwiches is enough to share for a filling lunch, so order one to split. Take it with you down to the Mississippi River to watch boats and people pass by.
Get your toes tapping at Preservation Hall for any of the nightly jazz concerts. For more than half a century, Preservation Hall has been keeping New Orleans jazz alive. Veteran and young musicians delight crowds across multiple performances each evening, but be prepared: Lines usually start forming 30 minutes before the show kicks off.
There's no shortage of great restaurant options in the French Quarter, but Sylvain avoids the crush of crowds thanks to a nondescript entrance. Chef Martha Wiggins puts creative twists on dishes like the buffalo-style veal sweetbreads and “chick-syl-vain” buttermilk fried chicken sandwich.
End the night with a sugary sweet beignet and cafe au lait at the world famous Cafe Du Monde. The 24-hour cafe is known for its simple menu, chicory coffee and beignets covered in an avalanche of powdered sugar.
