If you ask anyone what to do or see in New Orleans, chances are a visit to Café Du Monde is going to be on their list! Located in the French Market on Decatur, Café Du Monde has been in business since the 1850’s, and is a staple of the French Quarter! With a bag of these and a cup of their Café Au Lait, you can’t have a bad day in New Orleans, but here’s a few tips to make sure you get the most out of your cheat treat!
1. Don’t go during traditional times.
It’s crazy-busy on weekends, and mornings, and while you should always expect to stand in a line, remember that there are 2 lines, one for those wishing to sit down at the café and another to-go. If we are there when it’s crazy-busy, we will grab some to go and walk down to the river or Jackson Square to find a lone trumpeter playing in the square, whose music makes the beignets so much sweeter!
My favorite time is after dark, when it’s a little less busy and you can sit and relax.
Resist the urge to drive there. It’s hard to find parking anywhere in the French Quarter, and walking around is a huge part of the fun!
2. Don’t wear black
The sweet little fried beignets are covered in powdered sugar, and you will be, too!
3. Don’t miss going next door to Aunt Sallie’s Praline Shop to watch as they make pralines.
Her freshly made pralines are made with Louisiana pecans and cane sugar, and while you can order them online, they are so much better right there! Click HERE to visit their website.
Right next door to that is the Voodoo Harley Davidson Shop, so I usually have plenty of time to watch the pralines and order a 2nd batch of beignets while my husband tries to pick one of Voodoo HD shirts!
4. Don’t lick the railing.
I took this random picture of Café Du Monde, and didn’t see the little boy licking the railing until I was home going through the pictures. Even though it’s probably covered in powdered sugar, don’t lick the railing!
5. Don’t ask for anything for your Café Au Lait, it’s just perfect the way it is.
Their café au lait begins with half a cup of chicory roasted coffee. The chicory is the roasted, ground-up root of the endive plant, and adds an almost chocolate flavor to the coffee. They then fill up the cup with warm milk, and while they have sugar available, it’s great just as they serve it.
6. Don’t forget to buy a Frozen Café Au Lait before you leave on a hot summer days!
It’s the perfect drink for shopping along the 6 block French Market! Here’s another tip, don’t buy more than you can carry. I once found an amazing picnic basket at the French Market, and purchased it on a whim! It was HUGE and I had to carry it all day through the French Quarter, in and out of shops and restaurants, and to the Superdome to the Saints/Cowboys Game, where is was so large I had to hold it in my lap through the game and couldn’t see anything! Only to find out it was too large for carry-on, and I ended up leaving it at the airport. True Story.
7. Don’t load up on beignets for later, and eat them warm!
Warm, they are heavenly, but once they sit around a while, not so much! That’s why they are open 24 hrs a day/364 days a year (closed Christmas), because they are best when they are hot!
8. Don’t take credit cards – Cash Only
9. Don’t visit anything but the original on Decatur St.
It’s been open and thriving since 1842, so why even bother going anywhere else.
10. Don’t miss visiting Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral! Take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage around the French Quarter, or get your palm read in the evening, or head over to Muriel’s for dinner then check out the Séance Lounge, where there is always a table with bread and wine reserved for their resident ghost, Pierre Antoine Lepardi Jourdan! Click HERE to read more.
More Things To Do in New Orleans
Play
Just down the Mississippi River from New Orleans are rows of sugar plantations, many open for tours. We love Oak Alley Plantation. Click HERE for more information.
The Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 Tour in the Garden District is really interesting, and you’re in the Garden District, one of the most picturesque areas of New Orleans! Click HERE for more information!
Also in the Garden District is the Audubon Zoo. Click HERE for more information.
Stay
With kids, we love the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, and it’s in walking distance to Jackson Square! Click HERE for more information!
Café Du Monde
800 Decatur St., New Orleans
Click HERE to visit their website.
Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!
Michelle
Having Fun in the TEXAS Sun is on PINTEREST! Use it as a quick resource to find activities in different Texas towns! Click HERE!
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