Louisiana: New Orleans – National World War II Museum

February 11, 2021
Louisiana
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🏛️ A Museum for a War the World is Forgetting

We are fast approaching one of those quietly uncomfortable moments in history. The generation who actually lived through the Second World War — whether they served in uniform or were just small children cowering under the kitchen table during the Blitz — is leaving us. Every year there are fewer of them, and within perhaps another decade or so, they will all be gone. Which does rather prompt the question: what is the point of a museum dedicated to a conflict that no living person will soon remember first-hand?

Well, the standard answer — and it happens to be the right one — is that history exists to teach us things. Lessons about what went catastrophically wrong, what went surprisingly right, and why the whole ghastly business happened in the first place. The uncomfortable truth, of course, is that humanity has shown a quite remarkable talent for ignoring those lessons entirely. One glance at the state of the world today suggests that we have the collective memory of a goldfish. The mistakes of the past are being repeated with what can only be described as enthusiastic commitment.

Still, museums persist in trying, and good on them for that.

🎒 Why I Ended Up There in the First Place

My own reasons for visiting the National World War II Museum were rather more personal and considerably less grand. I went because I like history. Simple as that. I’ve been fascinated by it since I was a schoolboy back in England in the 1970s, sitting in draughty classrooms whilst some underpaid teacher attempted to make the trenches of the Somme sound relevant to a twelve-year-old eating crisps. It didn’t always work, but it stuck.

We spent a good many months at school studying the wars of the twentieth century — particularly the First and Second World Wars. The sheer scale of both conflicts, the political bungling that preceded them, the industrial horror of the fighting itself, and the extraordinary human stories that emerged from the wreckage — all of it lodged itself somewhere in my brain and never quite left. The First World War, which began in August 1914 following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, consumed the lives of somewhere between 17 and 20 million people over four years of almost unimaginable misery. And then, barely two decades later, the world managed to do it again — only bigger and considerably worse — when the Second World War broke out in September 1939 and proceeded to kill somewhere in the region of 70 to 85 million people before it finally ended in 1945.

So I knew a reasonable amount going in. And that, if I’m honest, was precisely what made me slightly apprehensive.

🤔 Would This Just Be an American Victory Lap?

Here is the thing that crosses your mind when you’re a British visitor walking into an American museum about the Second World War: will this be, essentially, a very long and expensive way of saying “you’re welcome”?

It’s not an entirely unfair concern. American popular culture has, over the decades, developed a certain narrative about the war — one in which the United States arrived, sorted everything out, and sent Hitler packing. Films, television series, and indeed a great many museums have occasionally given the impression that the conflict began sometime around December 1941, when Japan attacked Pearl Harbour, and that everything before that was merely a warm-up act featuring some foreigners.

The British, naturally, have a slightly different perspective. We’d been at it since September 1939. The RAF had fought the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940, defending the skies against the Luftwaffe with a relatively small number of pilots — many of whom weren’t even British, incidentally, but Polish, Czech, Canadian, New Zealander, and others. The Soviet Union, for its part, had absorbed losses so catastrophic that they beggar belief — somewhere between 26 and 27 million Soviet citizens died during the war, a figure so enormous that it is almost impossible to process. None of this, historically speaking, always gets the prominence it deserves in American retellings.

So I was curious. Very curious, actually. Would this museum rise to the full complexity of the subject, or would it settle for something more comfortable and congratulatory?

Once we’d handed over our entry money — and tried not to wince too visibly at the price — we were each given a dog tag and ushered onto what looked for all the world like an actual train carriage. Before you get excited and start wondering where we were headed, I should tell you straight away: nowhere. The carriage didn’t move so much as a millimetre. It just sat there, perfectly still, doing a very convincing impression of something that was about to go somewhere but had clearly thought better of it. That said, the designers had put some thought into the whole affair — the seats, the fittings, the general atmosphere of going-somewhere-ness — and for a moment or two, you almost bought into it. Almost.

Once we’d settled in, a short film started up on the screen mounted on the back of the seat in front. Think of it as the in-flight safety video, except without the brace position instructions and with considerably more historical gravitas. The film introduced us to the museum and, more importantly, explained what that dog tag hanging round our necks was actually for. Because it wasn’t just a bit of memorabilia to take home and lose in a kitchen drawer. Each tag was linked to a real person — a soldier, an ordinary bloke or woman — who had actually lived through whatever the museum was about to show us.

Throughout the exhibits there were several dedicated stations where we could scan our tags and follow our person’s story as it unfolded in stages. Instead of wandering round staring blankly at display cases full of old kit and thinking “yes, that’s a tin hat,” we had an actual human being to follow. Someone whose name was on the tag round our necks. Someone whose fate we were, in a small and slightly uncomfortable way, genuinely invested in.

The National WWII Museum isn’t just one building — it’s a whole sprawling complex of them, which, frankly, we weren’t expecting. We’d rocked up thinking it would be a couple of rooms, a few mannequins in tin helmets, and a gift shop flogging fridge magnets. We were wrong.

The first building sets the scene with considerable ambition. It covers the long, grinding build-up to America’s entry into the war, the extraordinary feat of mobilising an entire nation that, until December 1941, had been doing its level best to stay out of the whole ghastly business, and then the D-Day landings of 6th June 1944 — quite possibly the most consequential 24 hours in modern history. By the end of it, we were exhausted just from looking at it all. Quite something.

There was one display that really stopped us in our tracks. It covered the role of minority servicemen and women who had fought bravely for the United States — people who’d willingly put on the uniform and gone off to face genuine horror on the front lines — despite being treated as firmly second-class citizens the moment they stepped back onto American soil. Which, when you think about it for more than half a second, is a fairly jaw-dropping piece of hypocrisy. Fighting for a country that didn’t really want to sit next to you on the bus.

And then there was the deeply uncomfortable matter of Japanese Americans — many of them born and raised in California, Oregon, Washington, loyal to the core — who, following the attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941, were rounded up by the US government and thrown into internment camps. Over 120,000 of them. Not enemy combatants. Not spies. Just ordinary people whose great misfortune was having the wrong heritage at the wrong moment in history. The exhibition didn’t shy away from calling these places what they were: concentration camps. Good. Because that’s exactly what they were.

To get to the rest of the halls, we had to cross the street via a sky bridge — which, I have to say, felt rather more dramatic than it sounds, though perhaps that’s just me getting overexcited about elevated walkways at my age.

On the other side sat two major exhibitions: one covering the war in the Pacific, and one covering the war in Europe. Both were extremely well done, leaning heavily into multimedia displays and carefully constructed tableaux — recreated scenes from each theatre of war that actually made you stop and look rather than shuffle past reading a wall of text, which, let’s be honest, is what most of us do in museums.

I loved it. I genuinely did. And I particularly loved the journey through the war in the Pacific.

Now, here’s the thing. When I was at school in the UK — back in the days when history lessons meant Europe, Europe, and then a bit more Europe — the Pacific theatre barely got a look-in. We did Dunkirk, D-Day, the Blitz, Churchill doing his V-sign. The fact that there was an entire, colossal war happening simultaneously across thousands of miles of ocean and jungle and island chains? Largely glossed over, I’m afraid. I’d read a few books since then, seen the films — Midway, The Thin Red Line, that sort of thing — but there’s only so much a film can convey when it’s also trying to fit in a love story and somebody looking meaningful on a beach.

This exhibition, though, genuinely filled in the gaps. It walked us through the whole arc of how the conflict developed in that region — from Japan’s expansionist campaign across South-East Asia and the Pacific islands in the early 1940s, through the desperate American naval battles at Midway in June 1942 and Guadalcanal later that year, and then the grinding, island-by-island advance that the Americans called “island hopping” — taking Tarawa, Iwo Jima, Okinawa — slowly, bloodily, clawing their way towards the Japanese home islands. And then, inevitably, to where it all ended: the devastating nuclear attacks on Hiroshima on the 6th of August 1945 and Nagasaki three days later, on the 9th. Events that killed somewhere between 130,000 and 220,000 people, depending on whose estimates you trust, and changed the world in ways we’re still arguing about.

Seeing it laid out like that — the chronology, the scale, the human cost — made everything click into place in a way that reading about it in a book simply hadn’t. Which is either a great advertisement for this exhibition, or a fairly damning indictment of my ability to retain information from books. Probably both.

✈️ The Boeing Aviation Gallery

Well, that was all rather intense. We needed a moment to decompose after those two behemoths of exhibits, so we pressed on to the gallery sponsored by Boeing — which, as you might reasonably expect, is mostly about aircraft. Although, in a move that had us scratching our heads somewhat, there is also a submarine lurking in there. Quite what a submarine is doing in an aviation gallery is anybody’s guess. Perhaps it got lost. Perhaps Boeing fancied a change. We didn’t ask.

The gallery itself is a grand, hangar-like space that doubles as a venue for functions and corporate events — which is rather fitting, come to think of it, because when we visited the staff were already busy setting up for one. Chairs and tables were appearing from nowhere like a military operation, and half the floor space was cordoned off with the polite but firm authority of someone who really doesn’t want you near the vol-au-vents.

The practical consequence of all this is that most of the aircraft exhibits are suspended high up in the air above you. Which, when you think about it, is actually exactly where aircraft ought to be. So no complaints there.

What’s rather good, though — and this is the bit that saves it from being just a case of craning your neck until something gives way — is that there are two levels of elevated walkways running through the gallery. These let you get up close and personal with the planes, viewing them at eye level and, in some cases, from above. Marvellous, assuming you don’t suffer from vertigo. If you do, perhaps give the upper level a miss and stay safely on the ground, which is, after all, where most of us prefer to spend our time.

Planning your visit to the World War II Museum

📍 Location

The National World War II Museum is situated in New Orleans’ Historic Warehouse District, on Andrew Higgins Drive between Magazine Street and Camp Street. The full address is:

945 Magazine Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130, USA.

🚗 How to Get There

The museum is located approximately one mile from the French Quarter and is easily accessible by several means of transport.

By bus, routes 11, 100, and 114 all stop directly at the corner of Magazine and Poeyfarre Streets, right in front of the museum campus. The city’s streetcar line has a stop approximately two blocks away.

For those arriving by car, paid parking is available in the museum’s own garage, situated directly across the street from the main entrance on Magazine Street. Several additional paid parking garages can be found throughout the surrounding neighbourhood.

Visitors may also be dropped off directly in front of the Louisiana Memorial Pavilion, the museum’s main entrance building.

🌐 Website

www.nationalww2museum.org

📞 Contact Phone Number

+1 (504) 528-1944

📧 Email

info@nationalww2museum.org

🎟️ Entry Fees

General admission prices range from $26.00 to $36.00, with the following breakdown:

Adults: $36.00 Students and children aged 5 to 12: $26.00 Seniors (aged 65 and over): $33.00 Visitors with disabilities: $33.00 Children under 5: Free World War II veterans: Free

General admission includes access to all permanent exhibition buildings, current special exhibits, and the USS Tang Submarine Experience.

Additional charges apply for the Solomon Victory Theatre (Beyond All Boundaries) and certain premium experiences, each priced at $7.00.

🕘 Opening Times

The museum is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

It is closed on the following days:

Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Mardi Gras Day (Fat Tuesday).

Museum staff office hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Standard Time.

Planning Your Visit to New Orleans

🗺️ Planning Your Visit to New Orleans

New Orleans — known affectionately as the Big Easy, or NOLA — is one of the most singular cities in the United States. Sitting on the banks of the Mississippi River in Louisiana, it is a place that defies easy description: part French colonial, part Spanish Baroque, part African, part Caribbean, entirely itself. The culture is rich, the food is extraordinary, the music is inescapable, and the sense of celebration is baked into the city’s very bones. Few places on earth feel quite like it.

📍 Location

New Orleans sits in south-eastern Louisiana, cradled in a crescent-shaped bend of the Mississippi River — hence its nickname, the Crescent City. The city lies below sea level in many areas, buffered by a network of levees, and is flanked by Lake Pontchartrain to the north and the Gulf of Mexico not far to the south. The surrounding region is a mosaic of bayous, wetlands, and cypress swamps that give Louisiana its unique ecological character. The city itself is relatively compact and largely flat, which makes it unusually easy to navigate on foot or by bicycle.

✈️ Getting There

The main gateway is Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), located in Kenner, approximately 15 miles west of the city centre. It receives direct flights from many major American cities, and increasingly from international destinations including Europe and South America. Those arriving from elsewhere in the country may also consider travelling by rail — Amtrak’s City of New Orleans and Sunset Limited services connect the city to Chicago and Los Angeles respectively, with the journey forming part of the experience for those inclined towards a more leisurely arrival.

From the airport into the city, options include the Airport Express bus (Route 202), which is the most economical choice and runs to Downtown New Orleans for a flat fare of $1.25. Taxis charge a standard flat rate of around $36 to the Central Business District and French Quarter. Rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft are widely used and convenient. Airport shuttle minibuses also run to major hotels and the French Quarter, though these require advance reservation for the return journey.

🚋 Getting Around

New Orleans does not require a car — in fact, hiring one is more of a burden than a help in most cases, given parking limitations and the city’s walkability. The most charming and practical way to move between neighbourhoods is aboard the historic streetcars, operated by the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). The St Charles Avenue line runs through Uptown and past the Garden District; the Canal Street line connects the Central Business District to Mid-City; and the Riverfront line traces the edge of the Mississippi. A single fare is just $1.25, and a 31-day unlimited pass costs $55. The streetcars themselves are a delight — some of the oldest continuously operating street railway cars in the world.

Buses supplement the streetcar network and reach parts of the city the trams do not, though frequency can be variable. The city is also extremely bikeable given its flatness, with over 100 miles of bike lanes; several hire companies operate across the city. Rideshare apps are ubiquitous and inexpensive for short hops, particularly useful after dark or when venturing beyond the main tourist neighbourhoods.

Walking remains the best way to explore individual neighbourhoods, particularly the French Quarter, Marigny, and the Garden District, which reward slow and unplanned strolling. The Canal Street/Algiers Ferry crosses the Mississippi every 30 minutes and is free for pedestrians, offering a scenic perspective of the city from the water.

🏘️ The Neighbourhoods

The French Quarter (Vieux Carré) is the oldest part of the city and its most famous neighbourhood. Despite the name, much of the architecture is actually Spanish Colonial in style — the result of two catastrophic fires in the late 18th century that razed the original French buildings. It is a dense grid of ornate ironwork balconies, courtyard fountains, jazz clubs, and restaurants. Bourbon Street is its most raucous artery, best experienced at night and ideally with a certain spirit of surrender. Royal Street and Chartres Street offer a more refined pace, lined with antique dealers, galleries, and some of the finest restaurants in the city. Jackson Square, with its iconic St Louis Cathedral, is the neighbourhood’s grand centrepiece.

Faubourg Marigny, immediately downriver from the French Quarter, offers a more authentic and less tourist-saturated experience of the city’s musical soul. Frenchmen Street is widely regarded as the best street in America for live jazz, with multiple clubs operating simultaneously every night of the week, and impromptu dancing frequently spilling onto the pavement. The neighbourhood is characterised by colourful Creole cottages and a bohemian, artsy energy.

The Garden District, reached most pleasantly by the St Charles streetcar, is a neighbourhood of extraordinary antebellum mansions shaded by ancient live oaks. Developed in the early 19th century by wealthy Anglo-American newcomers who wished to distinguish themselves from the Creole families of the French Quarter, it represents one of the best-preserved collections of historic architecture in the American South. Lafayette Cemetery, with its above-ground tombs, is a haunting and beautiful landmark within the neighbourhood. Magazine Street runs nearby, offering six miles of boutiques, cafés, antique shops, and restaurants.

The Warehouse District, adjacent to the Central Business District, has transformed in recent decades into an arts and cultural hub. It is home to the National WWII Museum — one of the finest museums in the country — and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, among others.

Tremé, just inland from the French Quarter, is widely regarded as the oldest African American neighbourhood in the United States and the cradle of jazz culture. It is home to Congo Square, a historically significant gathering place within Louis Armstrong Park where enslaved Africans once maintained their cultural traditions. Sunday second line parades frequently move through Tremé; WWOZ 90.7 FM publishes weekly schedules online each Thursday.

Bywater and the Lower Ninth Ward sit further downriver and offer a more local, lived-in feel, with vibrantly painted shotgun houses and Crescent Park running along the riverfront. This is a neighbourhood for wandering without a checklist.

Best time to visit New Orleans

🌸 Spring (March – May)

Spring is the most vibrant and celebrated time to visit New Orleans. The city bursts to life with some of its most iconic events, including Mardi Gras (late February to early March), the French Quarter Festival in April, and the legendary New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival spanning the last two weekends of April and first weekend of May. Temperatures are warm and pleasant, typically ranging from 18°C to 27°C, making it ideal for exploring the French Quarter on foot, strolling along Magazine Street, or lingering on the many outdoor terraces. The air is perfumed with magnolia and jasmine, and the city’s legendary hospitality feels especially alive during this festive period.

The downside is that Spring brings the highest crowds and hotel prices of the year. Book accommodation and festival tickets well in advance — sometimes six months or more ahead — particularly if your visit coincides with Jazz Fest. Rainfall is moderate, with the occasional shower, so a compact umbrella or light rain jacket is wise. Despite the costs and congestion, for those who want to experience the full soul of New Orleans, Spring is unmatched.

What to pack: Light, breathable layers for warm days and cool evenings, a packable rain jacket, comfortable walking shoes (cobblestones are hard on feet), sunscreen, a wide-brimmed hat, and a small crossbody bag for festival days.

☀️ Summer (June – August)

Summer in New Orleans is not for the faint-hearted. The heat is intense and relentless, with temperatures regularly hitting 32–35°C and humidity making it feel even hotter. Afternoon thunderstorms roll in frequently, providing brief — if dramatic — relief. June officially begins the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs through to November, though major storms affecting the city are relatively rare.

That said, Summer has its rewards. Crowds thin considerably compared to Spring, and hotels and flights drop in price noticeably. The city’s famous culinary scene continues unabated, and many of the best live music venues — from Frenchmen Street to the Spotted Cat — operate year-round regardless of the mercury. Outdoor sightseeing is best tackled in the morning before the heat builds, with afternoons reserved for air-conditioned museums, galleries, and restaurants. The Essence Festival, one of the largest African American music and culture events in the world, takes place over the Fourth of July weekend and draws enormous crowds.

What to pack: Ultra-lightweight and moisture-wicking fabrics, a hat with a brim, high-factor sunscreen, insect repellent (mosquitoes are fierce in the heat), a reusable water bottle, sandals with support for daytime, and a light layer for heavily air-conditioned restaurants and venues.

🍂 Autumn (September – November)

Autumn is widely regarded as one of the sweetest times to visit New Orleans. The suffocating summer heat begins to ease from late September onwards, with temperatures settling into a far more agreeable 18–27°C range by October and November. The humidity drops, the skies clear, and the city takes on a golden, languid quality that suits its character perfectly. Rainfall is lower than in summer, though early September can still see the occasional tropical storm passing through.

Crowds are moderate — noticeably lighter than Spring — which means shorter queues at popular restaurants, better availability at hotels, and a more relaxed atmosphere overall. October brings the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience, a major three-day festival held in City Park, as well as the city’s enthusiastic celebration of Hallowe’en, which in New Orleans becomes a week-long affair of costume parties, ghost tours, and theatrical revelry. November is particularly peaceful, with the added bonus of Thanksgiving week bringing some festive warmth before the holiday rush sets in.

What to pack: Light layers that can be added or removed throughout the day, a light jacket or cardigan for evenings, comfortable walking shoes, a small umbrella for early-season visits, and smart-casual attire if you plan to dine at the city’s finer restaurants.

❄️ Winter (December – February)

Winter is New Orleans’ quietest and most affordable season, with the exception of the Christmas period and New Year’s Eve, when the city celebrates with characteristic excess. Temperatures range from around 10°C to 18°C — rarely freezing, but cool enough to require a proper jacket in the evenings. Rain is infrequent, and the winter light gives the historic architecture of the Garden District and French Quarter a beautiful, clean quality.

Outside of the festive holidays, January is arguably the most peaceful month in the entire calendar. Hotel rates drop to their annual lows, restaurants are easier to book, and the city — though never truly quiet — has a more local, unhurried feel. It is an excellent time for food lovers, history enthusiasts, and jazz devotees who want to explore the city at a slower pace without fighting festival crowds. The Sugar Bowl American football game takes place on New Year’s Day and brings a significant influx of visitors. Mardi Gras season technically begins on Twelfth Night (6th January), so late January and February sees the city gradually rev up again with parades and celebrations building toward the main event.

What to pack: Warm layers including a wool or fleece mid-layer, a waterproof outer jacket, a scarf, comfortable closed-toe shoes, and smart-casual clothes for evenings out, as New Orleans’ restaurant culture skews dressier than many American cities.

🗓️ Overall Best Time to Visit

If pressed to name a single best time to visit New Orleans, late October to early November stands out as the sweet spot. The heat and humidity of summer have fully retreated, the hurricane season is winding down, crowds are manageable, and prices are reasonable without being rock-bottom. The city is alive with festivals and events, the outdoor dining terraces are open and comfortable, and the streets of the French Quarter and Garden District are at their most inviting. That said, those who want to witness New Orleans at its most theatrical and exuberant should aim for the days around Mardi Gras or Jazz Fest in spring — accepting the crowds and costs as part of the experience. New Orleans is a city that rewards visitors in every season; it simply offers different versions of itself throughout the year.

Vegan dining in New Orleans

New Orleans may be best known for its rich, indulgent Creole and Cajun cuisine, but the city has developed a thriving plant-based food scene that gives vegans every reason to celebrate. From veganised takes on gumbo and po’boys to Afro-vegan food trucks and beloved organic bakeries, NOLA’s vegan offerings are bold, flavourful, and deeply rooted in the city’s culinary soul.

🍃 I-tal Garden

I-tal Garden — as in vi-tal for the body — is a family-owned vegan institution in the Tremé neighbourhood, beloved for its plant-based spin on New Orleans soul cuisine. The menu features cauliflower “wings”, jackfruit BBQ ribs, coconut pasta, quinoa jambalaya, and vegan crab cakes, all crafted with organic ingredients. Just a short walk from the French Quarter through Louis Armstrong Park, it offers a calm, welcoming escape from the bustle of the tourist trail. A firm favourite with locals and visitors alike.

Location: 810 N Claiborne Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116 (Tremé)
Website: italgardennola.com
Phone: (504) 515-7321
Opening Hours:
- Wednesday – Friday: 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Saturday – Tuesday: Closed

🌱 Breads on Oak Café & Bakery

New Orleans’ first fully vegan café and bakery, Breads on Oak went entirely plant-based in 2018 and has never looked back. Named the Best Bakery in Louisiana by Yelp, it specialises in organic, Old World–style sourdough breads baked in a stone hearth oven. The menu spans breakfast and lunch — think stuffed brioche, cinnamon rolls, vegan quiches and tarts, cheesy grits, soups, and sandwiches — alongside organic, fair-trade coffees and espressos. VegNews named its Boston Cream Stuffed Brioche one of the 50 best vegan desserts in the United States.

Location: 8640 Oak St, New Orleans, LA 70118 (Uptown / River Bend)
Website: breadsonoak.com
Phone: (504) 324-8271
Opening Hours:
- Monday – Sunday: 7:30 am – 3:00 pm

🫘 Sweet Soulfood

Sweet Soulfood is a much-loved, all-vegan cafeteria-style restaurant serving hearty, organic Creole and soul food classics. The daily rotating menu includes okra gumbo, mac ‘n’ cheese, collard greens, dirty rice, sweet spicy cauliflower, BBQ cauliflower, loaded potatoes, jambalaya, and vegan bread pudding — all soy-free and dairy-free. Portions are famously generous, and the friendly staff and warm atmosphere make it a go-to for both dedicated vegans and curious omnivores. There is also an ice cream and smoothie bar on site.

Location: 1025 N Broad St, New Orleans, LA 70119 (Mid-City)
Website: sweetvegansoulfood.com
Phone: (504) 821-2669
Opening Hours:
- Monday – Saturday: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Sunday: Closed

🌮 Meals from the Heart Café

Tucked inside the historic French Market, this beloved café has been serving vegan, gluten-free, and traditional versions of New Orleans classics since it opened. Chef Marilyn Doucette hand-selects nearly every ingredient herself, and the results speak for themselves: vegan gumbo, plant-based crab cakes (made with artichokes and chickpeas), gluten-free beignets, red beans and rice, po’boys, and Creole-spiced soups. Voted one of Travel & Leisure’s “25 Best Places to Eat Pancakes”, it’s a standout choice for breakfast or lunch in the Quarter.

Location: 1100 N Peters St, Suite 13, French Market, New Orleans, LA 70116 (French Quarter)
Website: mealsfromtheheartcafe.com
Phone: (504) 525-1953
Opening Hours:
- Monday – Friday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Saturday – Sunday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

🌍 Tanjariné Kitchen (Food Truck)

Tanjariné Kitchen is a pioneering Afro-vegan food truck inspired by culinary traditions from across the African continent — from the Horn of Africa to the Cape. The menu features dishes such as the signature Mandela Burger (soy-free, high-protein, made with organic beans), African-inspired herbed rice with fried plantains and seasoned tofu, savoury steamed bean pudding, vegan shawarma, coconut milk rice, spicy vegan jerky, and fresh salads with nutritional yeast dressing. The truck’s brick-and-mortar at 3801 Washington Ave is currently under renovation; in the meantime, follow their social media for current locations and event appearances.

Location: Food truck – locations vary; follow @tanjarinenola for updates. Future home: 3801 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70125 (Garden District)
Website: tanjarinekitchen.com
Phone: (504) 301-6954
Opening Hours:
- Variable – check social media (@tanjarinenola) for current schedule and locations

🥖 2 Phat Vegans

With two locations — one in the Algiers neighbourhood and one in the French Quarter — 2 Phat Vegans is a lively, all-vegan deli-style spot known for its bold flavours and generous portions. The menu centres on veganised New Orleans classics: hot sausage po’boys, jerk chick’n wraps, black bean burgers, mac ‘n’ cheese, gumbo, pizza, crabby patties, and tropical smoothies. The French Quarter outpost runs until 1:00 am, making it one of the rare vegan late-night options in the city. Board games, good vibes, and island-inspired décor complete the experience.

Location:
- 1303 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116 (French Quarter)
- 3613 General Meyer Ave, New Orleans, LA 70114 (Algiers)
Website: 2phatvegans.com
Phone: (504) 239-7801
Opening Hours (French Quarter):
- Monday – Sunday: 11:00 am – 1:00 am
Opening Hours (Algiers):
- Monday – Sunday: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm

Where to stay in New Orleans

1. Inn at the Old Jail

The Inn at the Old Jail sits in the Tremé neighbourhood of New Orleans, a short walk from the French Quarter. The building dates to 1902, when it was constructed as a Queen Anne-style police jail and patrol station for the NOPD. Over the following century it served as a library and community centre before falling into disrepair after Hurricane Katrina. Bought in 2013 and carefully restored, it now operates as a nine-room boutique guesthouse and event venue on the National Register of Historic Places. The rooms are furnished with local art, antiques, and reclaimed architectural pieces, and the property includes a rooftop terrace, a courtyard, a piano lounge, and a shared kitchen. It is run by brothers Todd and Nick Schwartz.

2. Oliver House Hotel

Located in the heart of the French Quarter and just one-minute away from lively Bourbon Street, Olivier House Hotel is a charming two-and-a-half-pearl, boutique-style property with 42 guest rooms. This old courtyard mansion has oodles of Old World charm. Guest rooms are arranged around two delightful inner courtyards filled with plants and trees; while the balconies provide views of the greenery and swimming pool below. Rooms and suites are decorated in an old-fashioned style with antique furniture, fireplaces, and oil paintings. Downsides include noise and lack of a restaurant or breakfast service. A similar historic property in the French Quarter worth considering as an alternative is the mid-range Hotel Provincial.

3. La Belle Esplanade

La Belle Esplanade is a bed and breakfast at 2216 Esplanade Avenue, sitting on one of New Orleans’ most handsome streets midway between the French Quarter and the New Orleans Museum of Art. The property occupies a classic Creole townhouse and offers a small number of individually styled suites, each with 12-foot ceilings, a private bathroom, and balcony access. Rooms are furnished with a mix of antiques and contemporary pieces, and original artwork is displayed throughout. Breakfast draws on local suppliers and changes regularly, featuring things like crawfish pie, buttermilk drops, and house-made preserves. Hosts Matthew and Melanie are well known for their knowledge of the city and their willingness to point guests towards places well off the standard tourist circuit. Bicycles are available for guests free of charge, and off-street parking is provided.

Louisiana: New Orleans – National World War II Museum

🏛️ A Museum for a War the World is Forgetting

🎒 Why I Ended Up There in the First Place