Bachelorette guide to New Orleans
New Orleans is the prime spot for debauchery. Not Vegas (though it’s a close second), not LA, not Nashville. NOLA is truly the best spot to be as naughty as possible. This list isn’t exclusive to bachelorette parties, but this is a list of my favorite spots in NOLA that would be great for a bachelorette party or girls weekend. I have always driven to NOLA, but I also get free parking down there because my dad lives there. If you’re going with a group, I recommend taking the train (if you’re from Memphis) and make it a boozy trip on the way down. You can literally bring a cooler of alcohol onto trains and they will not care lol. So kick off your trip right :)
Stay in french quarter at The Roosevelt or Hotel Monteleone. I’ve stayed at The Roosevelt, a Hilton property, and LOVED it. It screams “old money” and is beautiful. It’s not in the French Quarter, but is on Canal St right across from the French Quarter and is 2 blocks to Bourbon. Hotel Monteleone is in the French Quarter off of Royal St, one street over from Bourbon. The Carousel Bar is inside of Hotel Monteleone which is very convenient.
Bourbon St Parfum. This is something all of my sisters and I have discussed doing for our weddings so I’m hesitant to share :) This is a place where you can make your own perfume. Perfume has always been special to me and I wear certain scents for certain events. The idea of having your own “wedding scent” seems so special to me! They will keep track of your scent profile, too, so you can order more or other products (soap, lotion, etc) from them.
Pizza Happy Hour @ Domenica. This place is so good. It’s in the lobby of The Roosevelt hotel and they have a pizza happy hour from 3-5p. Half off pizzas, a build-your-own charcuterie and cheese plate, and a great wine selection. Make reservations in advance though!
Bacchanal. Yall…. This place is dope. You’ll need to Uber there as it’s in Bywater, but it’s only about 10-15 minutes away. You can do a build-your-own charcuterie and cheese board (which are gorgeous), and you walk around the inside restaurant to pick your wine, which is organized by country. Then you can sit outside (similar to Loflin Yard if you’re from Memphis).
Wine room map from Bacchanal’s website
Bourbon St + strip clubs. Need I say more? Bourbon St is the epicenter of the party scene in New Orleans. It is lined with bars and filled with people. The strip clubs are also so much fun… Don’t knock it til ya try it!
Royal Tours. You’ll see tons of tour groups in New Orleans…. and they will all have around 20-30 people in each group walking through the French Quarter. Royal Tours specializes in small, personalized tours. They have SO MANY options for tours. They have cemetary, LGBTQ, Red Light District, and haunted ghost tours with a legit ghost hunter. My sister has done the ghost tour and has a crazy story from it. Full disclosure: my dad owns this company so I’m biased. But it is truly a great tour experience and it is very personal and intimate.
Orleans Grapevine. They have a great happy hour and instead of a bread basket, they have a bacon basket. That’s all I’m going to say on that :)
Jazz brunch at Court of Two Sisters. There are tons of options for a jazz or drag brunch in the French Quarter; however, Court of the Two Sisters is famous for a reason. Make reservations and enjoy the mimosas and jazz. Though I probably wouldn’t go hungover, as it is loud.
Carousel Bar. The Carousel Bar is inside of Hotel Monteleone and it is truly gorgeous. Go early or during the day to have a seat at the carousel. If you can’t get a seat there, there’s plenty of other seating. You should be careful at ANY bar, but I personally was drugged at this bar. So be careful and be aware of your drinks.
Frenchman St. If you’re wanting a fun night that is not Bourbon St, Frenchman is the spot. The secret is getting out though so go soon. It’s where the locals go to hang out and is a great area. They have a gorgeous art walk, some incredible live music, and great bars.
Rooftop Bars. You can’t go wrong with any of these. Whether you want to go to the one closest to you or do a rooftop bar crawl, all of them are great. I mean, how can a rooftop bar be bad?
Monkey Board @ Troubadour Hotel
Alto @ Ace Hotel
La Riviera @ Omni Hotel - views of MS River and FQ
The Roosevelt Hotel
If you have any other tips for a bachelorette party in NOLA, leave them in the comments below :)