Brunch$$
Pagoda Cafe is a brunch room in New Orleans. Outdoor counter and walk-up window only; the breakfast tortilla with house granola is the cult order.
Why locals love it: The Seventh Ward breakfast and lunch boutique on N Dorgenois near Bayou Road, in a small pagoda-roof building locals love and visitors south of Esplanade rarely reach.
Tip: Outdoor counter and walk-up window only; the breakfast tortilla with house granola is the cult order.
Vietnamese$$
Open-air Saturday market in New Orleans East beside Mary Queen of Vietnam church and Ly's Supermarket; Vietnamese elders sell garden herbs from 5am to 9am.
Why locals love it: The 06:00-09:00 Saturday-only Vietnamese church-parking-lot market in New Orleans East that locals know and most tourists miss because it ends before brunch.
Tip: Bring cash in small bills and arrive before 08:00; vendors pack up at 09:00 sharp.
Cafe$$
Algiers Point cafe-roaster on Pelican Ave from Eliot Guthrie (2015); seasonal single-origins, year-round blends, breakfast pastries Thursday to Monday.
Why locals love it: The Algiers Point cafe ten minutes across the river by ferry from Jackson Square, with single-origin pour-overs and a quiet patio that almost no tourist crosses to reach.
Tip: Take the Algiers Ferry from Canal Street; ten minutes across and Congregation is two blocks from the dock.
N7 ★ 4.4
Wine bar$$Mon-Thu 17:30-22:00, Fri-Sat 17:30-23:00
N7 is a wine bar room in New Orleans. Look for the unsigned wooden fence on Montegut between Royal and Dauphine; the garden seats open at 17:00.
Why locals love it: The unmarked French wine bar in a Bywater garden on Montegut Street, behind a tall fence with no street sign; you walk past the front three times before you see it.
Tip: Look for the unsigned wooden fence on Montegut between Royal and Dauphine; the garden seats open at 17:00.
French fine dining$$
French Quarter patisserie on Ursulines in the historic Brocato ice-cream parlour; from-scratch viennoiseries with sweet, savory and Creole sausage fillings.
Why locals love it: The French Quarter patisserie courtyard most tourists walk past on the way to Cafe du Monde, a 1913 Brocato's space with classic French pastry and a hidden Old World garden.
Tip: Walk through the front cafe to the back courtyard, the prettiest seat in the Quarter for a pastry and espresso.
Mediterranean$$Tue-Sat 11:00-21:00
Bayou St John Mediterranean kitchen on Ponce de Leon, spun out of the Fat Falafel truck; Israeli-leaning falafel, hummus and kebabs Monday to Saturday.
Why locals love it: The Esplanade Ridge Mediterranean room on Ponce de Leon behind the Fair Grounds, with falafel and a daily-changing mezze plate locals know but tourists rarely find.
Tip: The falafel plate and the seasonal mezze board are the canonical orders; cash and card both accepted, no reservations.