Must Eat in San Francisco Foodie Tour

This San Francisco foodie tour was designed by yours truly and inspired by hundreds of restaurant reviews. One of my favorite parts of planning a vacation is researching restaurants and the best places to eat along our travels. San Francisco is known for it’s Chinese food, italian district, and seafood and it did NOT disappoint. Scroll to the bottom for the SF foodie tour!

San Francisco Cable Car

Type of Food San Francisco is Known For

San Francisco is best known for its delicious China Town food, the North Beach neighborhood Italian food, and scrumptious seafood. It’s also known for having some of the best sourdough and for being the home of Ghiradelli chocolate. Can you see why it was at the top of my travel bucketlist? I made a list of areas I wanted to visit as well as specific restaurants. I even made a custom foodie tour of San Francisco that we spent a whole day completing.

Hollywood Cafe San Francisco

Breakfasts in San Francisco

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and there’s no shortage of breakfast and brunch restaurants in San Francisco. Our 3 favorite breakfasts in San Francisco were Boudin Bakery, Hollywood Cafe, and Cafe Buena Vista. Boudin Bakery has the best sourdough bread I’ve ever had and the breakfast sandwiches were out of this world. Hollywood Cafe and Cafe Buena Vista are known for their great breakfast food as well as fun brunch cocktails.

Venice Pizzeria Sausalito California

Best Brunch San Francisco Bay Area

There are lots of great brunch restaurants in the San Francisco Bay area. We had brunch in Sausalito a couple mornings during our 7 day trip and we loved it.

Cafes in Sausalito

Sausalito is a charming town right on the Bay with lots of cute shops and cafes. Venice Cafe in Sausalito has sandwiches and an attached pizzeria you can order from. It’s also located right by the San Francisco Bay so you can watch the boats on the water while you eat.

Chinatown San Francisco

ChinaTown Dining San Francisco

Chinatown in San Francisco is one of the oldest and most well-known in the United States. It’s known for the abundance of Chinese culture and having the best Chinese food around. Chinatown dining in San Francisco is well known for a reason and their Dim Sum might be second to none.

Dim Sum from Palette Tea House San Francisco

Best Dim Sum in San Francisco

There are several well established Dim Sum restaurants in Chinatown San Francisco. We also found some delicious Dim Sum at The Palette Tea House which was actually in Fisherman’s Wharf area where we stayed. Here are some places to find the best Dim Sum in San Francisco:

• Osmanthus Dim Sum Lounge

• New Moon

• Begoni Bistro

• The Palette Tea House

Prosciutto Coccoli from Tonys Pizza Napoletana San Francisco

Northbeach - The Italian District 

The Northbeach area of San Francisco is also known as the Little Italy because of its abundance of Italian restaurants. It was an area originally inhabited by Italian-Americans earlier than 1920 and has remained ever since. They have some amazing Italian bistros and pizza parlours like Tony’s Pizza Napoletana (shown above) that once won “Best Pizza in the World” at a contest held in Italy.

Bucatini Amatriciana from Barbara Pinseria SF

Best North Beach Restaurants

We ate at a few delicious Italian restaurants in North Beach during our 7 day trip to San Francisco. Based off research and personal experience here are some of the best North Beach restaurants in San Francisco:

• Tonys Pizza Napoletana - this pizza place was only about a 10 minute walk from our hotel in Fisherman’s Wharf and it’s the best pizza in San Francisco. We had a great dinner here on our last night in the city.

• Barbara Pinseria & Cocktail Bar

• Capo’s

• Trattoria Contadina

• Il Casaro Pizzeria

• Piccolo Forno

• Lush Gelato for a sweet treat

Fisherman’s Wharf Pier 39

Fisherman’s Wharf

In my opinion Fisherman’s Wharf is the best place to stay while visiting San Francisco. There are some fantastic restaurants in the area plus its super easy to walk to Chinatown, North Beach district, and other areas from here. We stayed at Hotel Zephyr during our action packed 7 day trip and it was perfect. San Francisco was surprisingly walkable despite the hills.

Wipe Out Bar Pier 39 Fisherman’s Wharf SF

Best Restaurants on the Wharf San Francisco

Fisherman’s Wharf has some of the best restaurants in San Francisco, including some great waterfront eateries.

• Here are some of our favorites:

  • The Buena Vista - (get the Famous Irish Coffee) and Hollywood Cafe are both great brunch places near the Fisherman’s Wharf area

  • Boudin Bakery Cafe - Sourdough sandwiches, pizza, and tacos - this place was AMAZING so we went here twice for dinner

  • The Baked Bear - Local cookie and ice cream stand has delicious ice cream sandwiches if you need a sweet treat

  • Wipeout Bar & Grill - Casual California restaurant - this place was surprisingly great and had tasty cocktails

  • Palette Tea House & Dim Sum - Embarrassed to say I tried my first Dim Sum here while on this trip and it was SO GOOD. Will definitely be having more in the future.

  • Tony's Pizza Napoletana -

Boudin Bakery San Francisco

Waterfront San Francisco Restaurants

Here are some great restaurants right by the water in San Francisco:

• Scoma’s Restaurant

• Fog Harbor Fish House

• The Stinking Rose A Garlic Fish House

• Coqueta

Bakers Beach San Francisco

Restaurants near Baker Beach

There aren’t many places to eat near Baker Beach San Francisco but here are some of the closest we found:

• Pearl 6101 Mediterranean Bistro

• Hard Knox Cafe

• El Mansour Restaurant

• Lokma Turkish Restaurant

Cafe Buena Vista San Francisco

San Francisco Walking Food Tour

9 am - Start the day off with breakfast and an Irish Coffee at Cafe Buena Vista San Francisco

10 am - Walk 2 minutes over to Ghiradelli Square for dessert or buy some chocolate for later

11 am - Head down the famous Lombard Street and through the Joe DiMaggio Playground and Washington Park toward the North Beach neighborhood

12 pm - Little Italy for pizza at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana and dessert at Stella Pastry

1 pm - Hike up to Coit Tower to get a 360 degree view of San Francisco and the bay

Coit Tower San Francisco

2 pm - Stop at Lush Gelato and Z Cioccolato for a some sweet treats

3 pm - Walk through Chinatown down to the infamous Dragon Gate (great place for Instagram pics)

4 pm - Stop in Chinatown for Dim Sum at City View Restaurant

6 pm - Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory tour and sample some homemade fortune cookies

7 pm - Vesuvio Cafe (in Jack Kerouac Alley) unique place for an after dinner drink

Jack Kerouac Alley San Francisco

See our full San Francisco itinerary for more things to do and places to go

One Day in Florence

If you’re wondering whether it’s possible to see the best of Florence in a day, I hope this article will convince you. We went on a day trip to Florence during our 10 day trip to Italy because it’s only a short (1.5 hour) train ride from Rome. Florence is a gorgeous Italian city with an immense amount of art to see in several galleries, with Uffizi and Accademia being the main attractions. They also have the fourth largest church in the world - the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. We could have easily found more things to see if we stayed in Florence for a few days but I do think it’s possible to see the main attractions of Florence in one day.

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A Day in Florence one day itinerary - Florence Cathedral

Florence Cathedral

Our first stop after disembarking the train was the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Florence Cathedral). The architecture on this massive church is absolutely stunning from every angle. The details carved into each window and archway are truly awe-inspiring. One thing I love about these gorgeous ancient cities is that they are really compact so it’s only a 10 minute walk from the main train station (Firenze Santa Maria Novella) to the Cathedral. We really only used the train to get between cities then walked everywhere we went in Italy.

A Day in Florence one day itinerary - Florence Cathedral Exterior

Florence Duomo

It’s difficult to describe how massive the Cathedral and its Duomo truly are. It’s definitely one of those landmarks that you have to see in real life to truly appreciate. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Florence Cathedral) is the fourth largest church in the world after Saint Peter's (Rome), Saint Paul's (London), and the Duomo in Milan (Italy). We didn’t do the Duomo climb but we saw the interior of the Cathedral, which is free to the public. The artwork on the interior of the Cathedral and the inside the dome of the Duomo is really beautiful and I highly recommend you see it for yourself.

A Day in Florence one day itinerary - Giotto's Campanile

Giotto’s Campanile

Giotto's Campanile is a gorgeous free standing bell tower immediately adjacent to the Cathedral. You can climb to the top of the Campanile via a steep and narrow staircase but supposedly it’s an easier climb than going to the top of the Duomo. Get a birds-eye view of Florence for only 18 euro (at the time of this writing). It’s recommended to get there early to avoid the crowds and long queue that forms for the stairs to the top.

A Day in Florence one day itinerary - Palazzo Vecchio Florence Italy

Palazzo Vecchio

Palazzo Vecchio is another must see that you really can’t miss when you’re walking through Florence anyway. With it’s giant clock tower and medieval style, the Palazzo Vecchio is the main feature within the Piazza della Signoria. They were actually filming a movie in the Palace and its courtyard while we were visiting so we couldn’t go inside. The Piazza della Signoria also showcases several impressive stone statues like the one pictured below.

A Day in Florence one day itinerary - Giambologna, Abduction of a Sabine Woman, 1581-83, marble

Florence Italy one day itinerary - Michelangelo, David, 1501-04, marble

Accademia and Uffizi Galleries

The infamous David statue by Michelangelo lives at the Accademia Gallery in Florence. We booked a two part guided tour that took us through both the Accademia Gallery and the Uffizi Gallery. Unless you are already an art expert, I highly recommend booking a guided tour because your tour guide will point out so much about the various paintings and sculptures that you may not ever notice otherwise. I am definitely not an expert so I found it really helpful and entertaining.

A Day in Florence one day itinerary - Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge)

Ponte Vecchio Florence

Of course one of the most iconic features of Florence is the Ponte Vecchio, or Old Bridge. There are many restaurants and shops on the bridge as well as along the Arno river near the bridge. We ate lunch after our tour at Golden View Firenze, which despite being a little touristy was really tasty and we loved that we could see everyone kayaking and swimming in the river. It also has a great view of the Ponte Vecchio.

A Day in Florence - Ponte Vecchio bridge

One Day in Florence

I would love to go back to Florence one day but at least I can say that I’ve seen some of the most important sites that this beautiful city has to offer. If you only have one day to spend in Florence I hope this itinerary helped you!

See our 10 Day Italy Itinerary

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Rome

Rome was my favorite stop on our epic ten day trip to Italy. The architecture, history, and food of this amazing city are truly one of a kind. If you’ve never visited Rome, I highly recommend adding it to your bucket list.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that I earn a small commission on if you decide to purchase through my links at no additional cost to you.

Rome is one of the most beautiful and historic cities in the world. I found myself in constant awe of the beauty of the architecture there. The food in Rome is some of the best in the world too. Give me some homemade pasta, a glass of locally grown wine, some gelato and I’m a happy gal. If you are planning a trip to this great city, read on for tips on where to stay, what to do, and where to eat.

How To Get Around in Rome

Public transportation in Italy (and most of Europe) is so much better than here in the U.S. Their train system is very efficient and runs through many of the towns you might want to visit. We used the metro within Rome and booked train tickets on ItaliaRail for our longer day trips to other cities. We only used a taxi once and its more expensive and dangerous than taking public transport because cab drivers around Italy drive like they’re being chased and will even drive on sidewalks to get around other cars. See more day trips from Rome on my Italy 10 Day Itinerary.

Where to Stay in Rome

If you stay in the right area, all of the major attractions in Rome are within walking distance. That’s another thing I love about this city. Back in the day before they had cars, people needed cities to be more compact and Rome is no exception. I highly recommend staying in the Monti neighborhood of Rome, between the Roman Forum and the main train station (Roma Termini) because it’s the most central. They also have some of the best restaurants and shops in this area.

Best Hotels in Rome

We stayed at Hotel Roma dei Borgia during our ten day trip and loved every moment of it. It is a beautiful hotel with all the amenities you need and it’s in the perfect location. They also have a delicious breakfast buffet every morning with fresh fruit and pastries. Every morning we stayed there I had the best chocolate croissant and cappuccino and I’m not exaggerating when I say I still miss it seven years later.

Best Restaurants in Rome

We had so much great food while in Italy that it’s hard to pick favorites but I’ll tell you a couple places that I still think about to this day. These places are ones that I would hunt down when we hopefully return to Rome someday and visit again. The first restaurant that really sticks out in my mind is Ristorante Alessio. This classic Italian restaurant is in an unassuming building just a couple blocks from Roma Termini train station. Walk down a few stairs into the dining room and have one of the best meals of your life. I still remember the fresh pasta, my husband’s delicious steak, and the house red wine that we couldn’t get enough of. The waitstaff here was so helpful and friendly too, even though they wouldn’t let us order the house white since my husband ordered steak (LOL).

When we were in Italy we had gelato pretty much every day. It’s that good. If you think you’ve had high quality ice cream before, just wait till you try this Italian specialty. It’s the creamier, richer, and fresher cousin of our ice cream here in the states. Needless to say, I’m a fan. One of our favorite gelato shoppes in Rome was La Gelateria Frigidarium, near Piazza Navona. L'Arena del Gelato was another favorite located just outside the grounds of Castel Sant'Angelo. I’m a dark chocolate fan myself but my husband always tried one of the fruit flavors and loved those as well.

What To Do in Rome

We saw as much as we could during our Intro to Italy trip and five of the ten days were spent in Rome. Five days may seem like a lot for one city but you could spend months in Rome and still have things to learn, eat, and see. There are a lot of churches on this list but the basilicas of Rome are unlike anywhere else in the world and they have some of the richest history, art, and architecture around. Here are some key attractions in Rome that you don’t want to miss:

The Pantheon - One of my favorites, this former Roman temple is one of the best preserved buildings from ancient Rome and has the most unique architecture.

The Trevi Fountain in Rome is one of the most iconic fountains in the world. Unfortunately it was under construction while we were visiting.

We booked a special tour at St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. Visits to the Tomb of Saint Peter and the Necropolis under the Vatican Basilica are only available with special permission from the Vatican and only done in small groups to preserve the archaeological site. Highly recommend this unique tour underneath the largest religious building in the world. Book a similar tour here which also includes a dome climb in St. Peter’s Basilica.

The Vatican Museums are beautiful but pretty much always crowded, as you can see in this photo. We went through as quickly as possible. I recommend you book tickets to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel well in advance due to the fact that they sell out really early.

Castel Sant'Angelo was a great visit. I have a deep love of castles, probably rooted in my childhood affinity for Disney princesses. The other great thing was the view from the top of the castle. You could see all of Rome!

View from the top of Castel Sant’Angelo.

The Spanish Steps were a little underwhelming if I’m being honest but if you’re passing by on your way to another attraction it’s a good photo op.

Arch of Titus near the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. Another beautiful ancient arch nearby is the Arch of Constantine.

The Colosseum in Rome needs no introduction. Definitely one of the things I was most looking forward to seeing. The inside was not what I was expecting but it was still awe-inspiring and amazing how long it’s been standing. I recommend booking a guided tour of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum so that the ancient ruins can be explained- otherwise it’s hard to tell what you’re looking at sometimes.

Inside the Colosseum they had old remakes of drawings. I was also shocked and disappointed that there were a lot of (mostly American) names scratched into the ancient stones of the Colosseum along the tour route.

The inside of the Colosseum definitely looks worse for wear but it was interesting hearing about the purposes behind the different spaces and tunnels.

I highly recommend booking a guided tour to visit The Roman Forum because without one it’s hard to tell what the ruins used to be. Much of the Roman Forum is just small portions of ruins so it definitely needed to be explained to me. We booked a two part tour that included the Colosseum and Roman Forum in the morning, and a winery tour in the afternoon. More itinerary details can be found here.

The Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano aka The Basilica of St. John Lateran was one of my favorites. This gorgeous 4th century building is the oldest and highest of the four papal basilicas in Rome.

Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano interior - the basilica has been remodeled and restored several times over the past thousand years. Many political and religious leaders have added to the splendor of this grand church and it shows. Definitely one of the most magnificent buildings I’ve ever been in.

Chiesa di Sant’Ignazio di Loyola

If you have time to see more:

• Palazzo Doria Pamphilj

• Diocletian Bath and the Octagonal Hall

• Mercato di Campo de Fiori

• Piazza del Campidoglio

• Capitoline Museums

San Pietro in Vincoli (St. Peter in Chains)

More of The Best Churches in Rome:

• Chiesa del Gesu

• Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi

• Santa Maria d’Aracoeli

• Chiesa di Santa Maria del Popolo (Piazza del Popolo)

• Basilica di San Clemente al Laterano

• Basilica Di Santa Prassede

• Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

• Basilica S. Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri

see the full ten day Italy itinerary

All Inclusive Jamaica Honeymoon

Our all inclusive Jamaica honeymoon was definitely a great choice for us. After planning my own wedding for over a year I wanted a super easy honeymoon to plan. An all inclusive resort is the perfect solution because all your drinks, meals, and activities are included unless you do some off-resort excursions (which we also did). The resort we stayed at was so beautiful I would love to return someday to relax and eat some delicious food on the beach again.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that I earn a small commission on if you decide to purchase through my links at no additional cost to you.

Secrets Wild Orchid Montego Bay Jamaica All Inclusive Honeymoon

Is Jamaica a good honeymoon destination?

Jamaica is a wonderful honeymoon destination because it has great weather, beautiful beaches, and romantic activities. It’s also a short flight from most places in the U.S. and doesn’t have a dramatic time change so no jet lag to deal with. Jamaica has a tropical romance aesthetic that you just can’t find many other places.

Adventure Honeymoon

If you’re looking for an adventure honeymoon, look no further than Jamaica! We did a waterfall climb, a dolphin encounter, and lots of water activities during our stay in Montego Bay Jamaica. There are also zip line courses, ATV tours, river rafting, and more!

What is the best time of year to honeymoon in Jamaica?

The best time of year to honeymoon in Jamaica is late fall or early winter from October to December. Other websites will tell you the worst time of year to visit Jamaica is August through October but we went in early September after our wedding and had fabulous weather. So you might get lucky other times of the year like we did too.

Honeymoon Private Dining at Secrets Wild Orchid Montego Bay

Best All Inclusive Honeymoon Resort in Jamaica

Our honeymoon is a trip I will never forget. Usually I love planning all the details of our travels but since I was planning our wedding during the year prior, I wanted to book a honeymoon that required very little effort. Secrets Wild Orchid at Montego Bay in Jamaica was the perfect choice. From their beautiful spa to their 7 delicious restaurants, we definitely took advantage of all of their amenities. This hotel is the perfect all-inclusive for honeymooners and I highly recommend it.

Food at Secrets Wild Orchid Montego Bay

Things to do in Jamaica

Secrets Wild Orchid made it super simple to book excursions too. We only had the hotel booked before we went but were able to book a dolphin swim excursion while we were there too! The activities desk made the process really easy. My husband and I both loved swimming with the dolphins and visiting the bird sanctuary beforehand (pictured below).

Dolphin Swim in Jamaica

Jamaica Honeymoon Itinerary

Honestly this was the one trip I think I’ve ever been on that I didn’t make an itinerary for and it was really nice. After wedding planning for over a year I needed a planning break. We went on a couple excursions that we booked through our all-inclusive resort but besides those we stayed on property and relaxed. The dolphin encounter in Ocho Rios and Dunn’s River Falls were the two excursions we did in Jamaica. Here are more fun things to do in Jamaica while on your honeymoon:

Dolphin Swim in Jamaica

All Inclusive Jamaica Honeymoon

If you or someone you know is looking for the perfect honeymoon resort, I would highly recommend checking out Secrets Wild Orchid at Montego Bay in Jamaica. It’s so easy and I know from experience that wedding planning can be very stressful and expensive. It can really help knowing the full cost of your hotel, food, and drinks beforehand so there are no surprise costs when you get home.

Montego Bay Jamaica All Inclusive Honeymoon Resort

More of the Best All Inclusive Resorts in Jamaica

• Excellence Oyster Bay - oceanfront beach houses and a variety of international restaurants.

• Moon Palace Jamaica - great for families too and 24 hours room service in Ocho Rios.

• Sandals Royal Caribbean Resort - over the water bungalows in Montego Bay.

• Iberostar Grand Rose Hall - romantic all inclusive resort with swim up suites.

I hope this review of some of the best all inclusive resorts for your Jamaica honeymoon was helpful. We had the most wonderful time during our Jamaican honeymoon and I want everyone to experience that ease and relaxation. Visit my travel blog or check out my travel itineraries for more inspiration!

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Or see my other Itineraries:

• Ireland Road Trip Itinerary

• San Francisco 7 Day Itinerary

• Ultimate Greece 10 Day Itinerary

Las Vegas

Sin City, entertainment capitol of the world, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. There is so much hype and intrigue around Las Vegas, and for good reason. On the outside it’s a trashy theme park for adults but what you might not know is that it also has ten Michelin Star restaurants and several 5-star resorts. Vegas is what you make of it because the options are endless.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that I earn a small commission on if you decide to purchase through my links at no additional cost to you.

Part of “The Strip” in Las Vegas, Nevada

When I went to Las Vegas in 2012 I was in my last year of pharmacy school and went because some of my friends were going to the Midyear Meeting there by ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists). We definitely had our fair share of drinks and fun during our short trip. One thing I was amazed at was how much beauty is in Las Vegas. The resorts especially were what blew me away, from the Venetian to the Bellagio. They had gorgeous artwork, light displays, and stunning decor.

The Venetian Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada

We had some great food in Las Vegas and plenty of cocktails. There are a plethora of fancy buffet restaurants too, which I had never experienced. To me, buffets had been synonymous with “a large amount of mediocre food”, but this is not the case in Vegas. The buffets there are filled with fresh seafood, carving stations, and fancy desserts.

The Fountains of the Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada

I would love to make a return trip to Las Vegas and see more of this fun and exciting city. There are so many restaurants I’d love to visit and if you go when it’s warm some hotels have gorgeous pool areas too. Even though we didn’t stay there on my first visit to Vegas, my personal favorite hotel there is The Venetian Resort, mostly because I love anything that reminds me of Italy. It has gorgeous architecture, fun replicas of some of the most famous buildings in Venice, and the best location within walking distance to all the best Las Vegas restaurants and attractions.

The Venetian Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada

The Venetian Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada

When I go back to Vegas I will be sure to document more of the specific restaurant dishes and drinks I try but for now all I can say is that it is a unique city worth visiting at least once in your life. I don’t think there’s another city in the world quite like it.

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New Orleans

Every year there is a pharmacy convention called Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition by ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) and in 2011 (while I was in pharmacy school) it was in New Orleans. Needless to say we didn’t hesitate to book our tickets to this historic foodie city. My friends and I stayed at the Drury Plaza Hotel in downtown New Orleans, which I would highly recommend. Not only does it have an amazing rooftop pool and hot tub but it was also walking distance to Bourbon Street and most of the city’s main attractions (very important if you’re enjoying all of NOLA’s famous cocktails). Make sure you keep your wallet in your front pocket or have a purse with zippers because pick-pockets are very prevalent here.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that I earn a small commission on if you decide to purchase through my links at no additional cost to you.

Bourbon Street New Orleans

We went out to the bars every night while visiting but during the day we enjoyed viewing the many art studios and historic neighborhoods like the Garden District. There are so many interesting streets and street performers to see while in New Orleans.

Street Performers in New Orleans

In front of one of the many beautiful shops in NOLA

The food and drinks in New Orleans are world famous for a reason- they have some of the best Jambalaya, seafood, and beignets I’ve ever had. I didn’t even know how much I liked Creole food until I visited NOLA. This combination of French, African and American cuisine blended together is its own unique genre of dishes. I wish I had taken better photos of the food while I was there but this trip was taken long before the idea for this website even came about. One restaurant we visited that I’m sure you’ve already heard of is Cafe Du Monde. They are known for their chicory coffee (made from the ground and roasted root of the chicory plant) and their beignets (french donuts). Chicory coffee has a coffee-like taste, but contains no caffeine. Beignets are deep fried pastry dough covered in powdered sugar (highly recommend).

Cafe Du Monde

If you stay at the Drury Plaza Hotel in New Orleans and want to walk to Cafe Du Monde, I recommend stopping at the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum as well as Jackson Square to see the iconic St. Louis Cathedral along the way. I much prefer walking when visiting larger cities and New Orleans is a great walking city. So many fun shoppes and museums and street performers to keep you entertained.

In front of the St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square

Hurricaine from Pat O’Briens

As far as bars go, you’ll find no shortage here in New Orleans. It would take weeks to visit all the bars on Bourbon Street alone. Here are a couple recommendations though. Visit Pat O’Briens and get their signature Hurricaine cocktail then stroll down Bourbon Street and visit Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar. This little old building has been a bar since the 1700s and is reported to be the oldest bar in the United States. The dim lighting and ancient looking walls definitely take you back to a simpler time and I love that feeling of real history.

Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar on Bourbon Street

Everyone knows about New Orleans Mardi Gras but did you know that you can have the Mardi Gras Experience any time of year? There’s a Mardis Gras World Warehouse where you can see all the old parade floats and decor up close. We went at night and it’s a whole other experience. Definitely gives creepy vibes to the parade figurines and clowns in this giant space. Hundreds of photo opportunities are available, although you may want to visit during the day for better lighting.

Mardi Gras World New Orleans

New Orleans at night

In my opinion New Orleans represents what is so great about our country. They are a prime example of what beautiful things can be created when people from different backgrounds come together. From the architecture to the food, New Orleans is a gorgeous city that should definitely be on your list to visit.

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