New Orleans · For couples
Romantic Things to Do in New Orleans for Couples
New Orleans was built for two: gas lamps and balconies, a brass band drifting round a corner, a long lunch that turns into dinner. Leave Bourbon Street to the bachelor parties and plan your trip around these.
- Sunset
- Steamboat Natchez evening jazz cruise
- The classic meal
- Jazz brunch at Commander's Palace (weekends)
- Nightcap
- Carousel Bar or Arnaud's French 75 Bar
- Best base
- French Quarter, away from Bourbon Street
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Sunset on the river
The Steamboat Natchez evening cruise is two hours on a paddle-wheeler with the Dukes of Dixieland playing and an optional Creole buffet. It is corny in the best way, and on a clear evening the sunset over the Mississippi is the most romantic thing in town. For a drink with a view instead, Hot Tin on the 11th floor of the Pontchartrain Hotel looks over downtown and the river.
Steamboat Natchez evening jazz cruise
Toulouse Street Wharf, French Quarter
A two-hour evening cruise on a paddle-wheeler, with live jazz from the Dukes of Dixieland and an optional Creole buffet dinner. Corny in the best way, and lovely at sunset.
Hot Tin
Pontchartrain Hotel, St. Charles Ave
A rooftop bar on the Pontchartrain Hotel's 11th floor, styled like a 1940s artist's loft, with a wide view of downtown and the river. First come, first served from 2 p.m.
Dinner (and brunch) for two
The weekend jazz brunch at Commander's Palace, with a trio strolling between tables, is the classic grown-up New Orleans meal; book well ahead. Galatoire's is the mirrored, paddle-fanned French Creole dining room that has barely changed in a century, calmer at dinner than at its famous Friday lunch. Compère Lapin is the relaxed, modern choice.
Commander's Palace
1403 Washington Ave, Garden District
The turquoise Victorian landmark of Creole fine dining. The weekend jazz brunch, with a trio strolling between tables, is the classic grown-up New Orleans meal.
Tip: Jazz brunch runs Saturday and Sunday; book well ahead.
Dress: Business attire; jackets preferred for men, no shorts ever
Galatoire's
209 Bourbon St, French Quarter
French Creole cooking in a mirrored, paddle-fanned dining room that has barely changed in a century. Friday lunch is a long, lively local ritual; dinner is calmer.
Tip: Upstairs rooms take reservations; the first-floor room is still first come, first served.
Dress: Gentlemen need jackets after 5 p.m. and all day Sunday (loaners available)
Compère Lapin
Old No. 77 Hotel, Warehouse District
Chef Nina Compton's Caribbean-meets-New Orleans cooking in a brick-walled former coffee warehouse. A MICHELIN-recognised dinner that still feels relaxed.
Cocktails in beautiful rooms
New Orleans' old bars are made for a slow drink together. The Carousel Bar turns once every 15 minutes in the hotel where Faulkner and Tennessee Williams drank. Arnaud's French 75 Bar is wood-panelled and hushed. Jewel of the South pours classic New Orleans cocktails in an 1830s Creole cottage.
Carousel Bar & Lounge
Hotel Monteleone, Royal St
The city's only revolving bar: a 25-seat carousel that turns once every 15 minutes, in the hotel where Faulkner, Capote and Tennessee Williams drank. Live music plays in the lounge nightly.
Tip: Seats on the carousel are first come; the lounge tables are easier and closer to the music.
Arnaud's French 75 Bar
813 Bienville St, French Quarter
A wood-panelled bar from the late 1800s inside Arnaud's, home to a James Beard Award-winning bar program. Order the namesake French 75, made with cognac here.
Jewel of the South
1026 St. Louis St, French Quarter
A tavern in an 1830s Creole cottage from bartender Chris Hannah, ranked #6 on North America's 50 Best Bars 2026. Classic New Orleans cocktails such as the Brandy Crusta, with a serious food menu to match.
Jazz for two
Pick a seated room rather than a crush. Preservation Hall runs short, intimate sets of traditional jazz every evening. On Frenchmen Street, Snug Harbor is a proper listening room; afterwards, Bacchanal Wine in the Bywater lets you pick a bottle and sit in the garden while a band plays.
Preservation Hall
726 St. Peter St, French Quarter
The small, plain room that has kept traditional New Orleans jazz alive since the 1960s. Several short concerts run each evening with a rotating line-up of the Preservation All Stars and other house bands.
Tip: A limited number of seats can be reserved online; the rest are sold at the box office in the afternoon.
Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro
Frenchmen St
Frenchmen Street's seated listening room: modern and traditional jazz sets in a proper concert setting, with Creole cooking in the restaurant downstairs. Come to listen, not to talk.
Bacchanal Wine
600 Poland Ave, Bywater
A wine shop with a big backyard: pick a bottle, add cheese or small plates and settle in under the lights while a band plays. Live music every night.
By day
- Beignets at Café Du Monde early in the morning, before the line.
- A slow lunch and a Pimm's Cup at Napoleon House.
- The Garden District's streets and, from October 1, 2026, small guided tours of Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, across from Commander's Palace.
- A quiet morning on the boardwalks of the Barataria Preserve, about 30 minutes south, for herons and alligators without a speedboat.
Café Du Monde
French Market, Decatur St
The 1862 coffee stand for beignets and café au lait with chicory. Touristy, yes, and still worth it early in the morning or late in the evening when the line is short.
Napoleon House
Chartres St, French Quarter
A crumbling-beautiful 1797 building with classical music playing, famous for its Pimm's Cup and warm muffuletta. A good slow lunch between French Quarter walks.
Barataria Preserve (Jean Lafitte National Park)
About 30 minutes south
Boardwalk trails through swamp, marsh and cypress forest run by the National Park Service. A calm way to see alligators and herons without a speedboat.
Everything here was checked in September 2026. Music line-ups, hours and prices change often in New Orleans, so confirm before you go and bring cash for the bands.
Questions people ask
What is the most romantic thing to do in New Orleans?
A sunset jazz cruise on the Steamboat Natchez, followed by a nightcap at the revolving Carousel Bar or Arnaud's French 75 Bar.
What is the most romantic restaurant in New Orleans?
Commander's Palace for its weekend jazz brunch, or Galatoire's for a classic French Creole dinner in a mirrored dining room.
Where can couples hear jazz without the crowds?
Preservation Hall's short seated sets, or Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro on Frenchmen Street, which is a listening room rather than a bar.