N7 in New Orleans is the Bywater French wine bar behind an unmarked fence on Montegut Street from Aaron Walker and Yuki Yamaguchi, with French bistro plates and a Japanese accent.
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.
Address: 1117 Montegut St, New Orleans, LA 70117
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.
Why locals love it: The Carrollton Polish-French pastry counter on Maple Street that the Tulane crowd queues for at lunchtime, but visitors south of Uptown never reach.
Tip: The kremowka Polish vanilla custard square is the cult order; arrive before 11:00 on weekends.
Why locals love it: The Mid-City corner cocktail bar on South Telemachus, named for Prohibition-era rum running, with a serious cocktail list and a backyard smoker that locals know and tourists miss.
Tip: The backyard barbecue smoker runs Thursday to Sunday; ask the bar what's plated on the smoker that night.
Why locals love it: The Bywater nano-brewery on Lesseps Street with Belgian ales and a dog-friendly back garden, off most tourist itineraries because it sits past the main Bywater food row.
Tip: Dogs are welcome on the back patio; the pizza pop-up runs Friday and Saturday evenings most weeks.
Why locals love it: The Uptown levain bakery just off Magazine Street at 9th, with sourdough loaves, kouign-amann and a Cuban pastelito programme that runs off the main Magazine browse path.
Tip: Bread sells out by 11:00 Saturday; pastries hold longer. Cash discount at the register.
Why locals love it: The 1957 Treme fried chicken counter on St Ann Street that the world knows in name but most visitors skip because it sits in a residential block off the Quarter food map.
Tip: Lines are real; arrive 11:00 open. The three-piece plate with red beans is the canonical order.
