Where to sit, sip and slow down in New Orleans.
Coffee shops, bakeries with seats and the places New Orleans lingers in over a cortado.
Cafe du Monde in New Orleans is the 1862 French Market coffee stand on Decatur opposite Jackson Square, with beignets and chicory cafe au lait served around the clock.
Signature drink: Cafe au lait with chicory
Tip: The original stand is open 24 hours; visit 04:00 to 07:00 to skip the queue entirely.
Cafe Beignet on Royal Street in New Orleans is the 1990 French Quarter beignet cafe at 334 Royal, with sit-down service, a small courtyard and a Cafe du Monde counterpoint.
Signature drink: Cafe au lait
Tip: The Royal Street courtyard is the most-pleasant of the chain's locations; live jazz on weekends.
HiVolt in New Orleans is the Lower Garden District coffee shop on Sophie Wright Place, with locally-roasted drip, gluten-free breakfast dishes and a quiet upstairs workspace.
Signature drink: Drip filter coffee
Tip: Upstairs has wifi and tables that work for laptops; the front patio runs cooler in the morning.
Mammoth Espresso in New Orleans is the Warehouse District coffee bar on Baronne Street with a long pour-over menu, an espresso flight and laptops welcome through the workday.
Signature drink: Espresso flight
Tip: The pour-over bar takes its time; order at the counter and grab a window seat to wait.
District Donuts on Magazine in New Orleans is the Lower Garden District scratch-doughnut and breakfast counter on Magazine, with rotating flavours and post-11am sliders.
Signature drink: Locally-roasted drip
Tip: Doughnut flavours rotate daily; check Instagram for the day's drop before you go.
Willa Jean in New Orleans is the CBD bakery cafe and bar on O'Keefe Avenue, James Beard pastry chef Kelly Fields's room with cornbread, biscuits and a long brunch service.
Signature drink: Iced coffee with chicory
Tip: The cornbread arrives with cane syrup butter as a starter; order it even at breakfast.
Bywater Bakery in New Orleans is the Dauphine Street corner bakery cafe in Bywater, with king cakes, breakfast plates and the Chantilly cream cake from baker Maggie Scales.
Signature drink: Cortado
Tip: King cakes are seasonal between Twelfth Night and Mardi Gras; the chantilly cream slice runs year-round.
Croissant D'Or in New Orleans is the French Quarter patisserie on Ursulines Avenue, in a 1913 Brocato's ice cream shop space, with classic French pastry and an Old World courtyard.
Signature drink: Cafe au lait
Tip: The almond croissant is the cult order; the back courtyard is the Quarter's most-pleasant hidden cafe seat.
Spitfire Coffee in New Orleans is the small French Quarter pour-over counter on St Peter near Bourbon, a tiny standing-room cafe with single-origin filter and espresso.
Signature drink: Pour-over single origin
Tip: Standing room only; grab a coffee to take along on a Royal Street walk.
Congregation Coffee in New Orleans is the Algiers Point cafe and roaster on Pelican Avenue, ten minutes from Jackson Square via ferry, with single-origin filter and a quiet patio.
Signature drink: House espresso
Tip: Take the Algiers Ferry across the river for the morning; it costs around $2 and runs every 30 minutes.
Stumptown at the Ace Hotel in New Orleans is the Portland-roaster cafe inside the 1928 lobby on Carondelet Street, with a long pour-over bar and a CBD work crowd at the counter.
Signature drink: Cold brew
Tip: The Ace lobby itself is a workspace; order Stumptown and use the long communal table.
French Truck Coffee in New Orleans is the local roaster's Magazine Street flagship in the Lower Garden District, with single-origin pour-overs and a sunny window seat row.
Signature drink: House blend espresso
Tip: The roastery on Dryades Street offers cupping sessions on weekends; book ahead.
Revelator Coffee in New Orleans is the Birmingham roaster cafe on Tchoupitoulas Street in the Warehouse District, with single-origin filter and an airy minimalist concrete room.
Signature drink: Drip filter
Tip: The Tchoupitoulas store has the longest table in the city for laptop sessions; outlets at every seat.
Satsuma Cafe in New Orleans is the Bywater corner cafe on Dauphine Street, with fresh-pressed juice, vegetable plates, biscuits and a small back garden for laptop mornings.
Signature drink: Fresh juice
Tip: The avocado toast and the kale smoothie are the rotating regulars; the back porch is the prime seat.
Merchant in New Orleans is the CBD cafe on Common Street at Carondelet, in the 1899 historic Hibernia building, with sweet and savory crepes, espresso and a long workday crowd.
Signature drink: Crepe with espresso
Tip: The Nutella banana crepe is the cult order; the front-window counter has the best laptop seat.
Peak food season in New Orleans is year-round.
Local dining hours: lunch around 12:30, dinner from 19:30.
service is typically included; small extra is welcome but not expected.
Ask the next local you meet what they would order. New Orleans rewards trust.