[OUTFIT LINKED HERE]
My friend Kelsie & I just spent a fabulous weekend in New Orleans catching up and getting into the holiday spirit! We wanted to do all the girly and festive things that we could possibly fit into 48 hours.
I get asked for New Orleans recs quite a bit (including hotel recs) so I thought this would be the perfect trip to write up on the blog! So, here is my short & sweet guide to Christmas Time in New Orleans….
[OUTFIT LINKED HERE]
[photo source: Westin New Orleans]
Stay at the Westin
A few years back, my grandparents (who have excellent taste) stayed at The Westin and really loved it. Since then, the hotel has undergone a $30 million renovation so I knew that meant it only got better! Since our goal was to experience Christmas in the city, we needed to stay at a hotel with close proximity to the French Quarter and really great shopping. Cue: The Westin
The Westin is literally located above the Shops at Canal Place. That means Saks Fifth Avenue, Louis Vuitton, Lululemon, and so much more are all just an elevator ride away! Can’t think of a better place to stay, especially during the holidays when you have lots of gift shopping to do.
Our room overlooked the Mississippi River and Jackson Square! We had a perfect view of the cathedral, which is one of my favorite New Orleans landmarks. There’s also a glamorous lobby bar with great views of the River. We were able to walk to a lot of places on our list, and everything else was a quick ride away.
And this is a weird personal preference, but I literally loved that there was a parking structure attached to the hotel! I’ve stayed at many hotels in New Orleans and I actually really dislike valet and off-site parking. When I’m ready to go, I’m ready to GO… not wait 15+ minutes to get my car. So I loved just hopping on the elevator to go to my car. So convenient!
And perhaps most important, the customer service was EXCELLENT. Customer service is the most important thing to me, and their hotel staff treated us so kindly and were lovely to work with. They even greeted us with a cheese board, which is definitely the way to our heart!
I would 100% stay at the Westin again, and I definitely recommend it to anyone visiting New Orleans!
Dinner at Justine
We wanted to kick off the weekend with an ultra girly dinner, so Justine was a must. I had been dying to try this place because I’d seen it all over Instagram. And let me tell ya, it lived up to the hype! The decor is so fabulous and photo-worthy. But it’s not all about the aesthetics, I LOVED the food. For an appetizer, I did whipped goat cheese and WOW so good. (Tip: also order bread because it only comes with veggies.) For my entree I did the steak frites, which I’m seriously craving now just thinking about them. And the Elysian Spritz was a yummy & refreshing cocktail. 1000000% recommend dining here!
Brunch at Tableau
Tableau is one of my go-to recommendations for anyone visiting NOLA! It’s a restaurant located in the French Quarter, and I love dining on their balcony because it overlooks Jackson Square. It always feels like quintessential New Orleans with a mimosa in hand and jazz music floating up from a street performer down below.
Stroll Jackson Square
After brunch, we took a quick stroll around Jackson Square and snapped a pic in front of St. Louis Cathedral for memories! It was lovely seeing the square with all the Christmas decorations up. And as always, I loved checking out the local artists’ paintings lined up along the square.
[OUTFIT LINKED HERE]
See the Lights at the Roosevelt
The Roosevelt completely decks out their lobby every season in the most beautiful twinkling lights and Christmas trees. It’s one of the most popular destinations for New Orleanians this time of year! We went on a Saturday when they had the Teddy Bear Tea, which meant hundreds of kids dressed in the most adorable outfits you’ve ever seen. Just be warned: these mamas will fight you for a good photo spot! It’s crazy crowded, but still worth it in my opinion because it’s just so magical. (PS the fact that I got a photo with no one in the background is a literal Christmas miracle!)
[MY OUTFIT LINKED HERE] & [KELSIE’S OUTFIT HERE]
Shop Magazine Street
Magazine Street is one of my year-round favorite destinations for chic boutiques and restaurants! One store Kelsie and I specifically had our eye on was Stoney Clover Lane. They make the cutest customized pieces, but even more importantly, their storefront was PINK and decorated so cute for Christmas! So we knew we had to snap an outfit pic on their porch 😉 Another favorite stop on Magazine Street is this adorable little bakery called Sucre. I love getting a box of macarons from there as a special treat!
[KELSIE’S OUTFIT LINKED HERE]
Dinner at Jack Rose
Kels and I knew we had to have dinner at Jack Rose because we went here on one of our first trips together back in 2019. (Fun fact: Kelsie and I have now gone on 8 trips together!) The vibes at Jack Rose are immaculate. Think Alice in Wonderland meets NOLA, complete with florals, disco balls and a giant painting of Lil Wayne. The menu is somewhat small, but the fried chicken parmesan is so good that I have no problem getting it every time!
Hot Tin
Honesty hour: we were so dang tired from our nonstop day that we ended up not making it to Hot Tin. However, I’ve been many times before and it’s great! It’s a rooftop bar located in the same building as Jack Rose. So it’s a one-stop shop for dinner and drinks! It also has a really cool vibe and great view of the city.
We had less than 48 hours in New Orleans so that’s all we could squeeze in, but there’s so many other great things to do in NOLA this time of year! Definitely check out City Park for dazzling lights and the Garden District to see the stunning homes all decked out for Christmas!
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