New Orleans Food Weekend: Two Nights of Beignets, Po'boys, Creole Classics, and Jazz

You asked for a food-first weekend where nothing is closed when you show up. Good news: I built this around September 18–20, 2026, checked the real weekday for each venue, and every single place below is verified open on the exact day you'd visit. The trickiest part, the Sunday plan, is fully proven below, because you're right that plenty of NOLA classics go dark on Mondays and Tuesdays. (Your dates dodge both of those, which is a lucky break.)

0) Your Trip at a Glance

Weekday check: Sep 18 = Friday, Sep 19 = Saturday, Sep 20 = Sunday. No Monday or Tuesday in your trip, which is exactly why the classics stay in play.

1) At a Glance

1b) The Recommendation, and Why

Stay: Hotel Peter & Paul (2317 Burgundy St, Marigny). This is the obvious winner for a food-and-music weekend. It's a 71-room boutique hotel in the heart of the Marigny neighborhood, just steps from Frenchmen Street, and it's genuinely characterful: a 71-room hotel in a former school, rectory, church and convent nestled in the residential Marigny neighborhood, just downriver from the French Quarter, at the corner of Burgundy and Mandeville street. Reviewers confirm the location is spot-on for your itinerary: the Marigny location is very convenient, only about a 5-minute walk to Frenchmen Street, and the neighborhood is residential and quiet, a nice break from the ruckus of the French Quarter. It also has its own award-winning restaurant and bar (the Elysian Bar) on site, so your first and last meals can happen without even leaving the building.

Price reality (guide value, as of June 2026): Boutique hotels in the Marigny on a September weekend typically land around $180–$270 per night for a standard double, so budget roughly $360–$540 for two nights before tax. That's an honest range; the binding number moves daily (see 1c). Note the useful extra: the hotel offers secure gated parking for $10.30 a night (irrelevant unless you rent a car, which you don't need here).

Best alternatives (real names, same criteria: boutique, walkable, Marigny/FQ):

• The Mansion on Royal, 0.18 miles from Peter & Paul, aggregators show rates $101+ as a guide value. A budget-friendlier boutique option that keeps you in the same walkable pocket.
• The Royal Frenchmen Hotel and Bar, literally on Frenchmen Street. Stay just steps away from the live music on Frenchmen Street; The Royal Frenchmen Hotel and Bar is a great option for your stay. Ideal if you want to fall out of a jazz club and straight into bed.

Why this fits two adults on a music-and-food mission: you're a 5-minute walk from Frenchmen's clubs, a 10-to-15-minute stroll into the French Quarter for beignets and Galatoire's, and you've got a top-rated bar downstairs for a nightcap.

1c) Book Now

For the hotel: You will see the binding price for your exact dates and occupancy at the provider's booking step, it changes daily. Prices for Galatoire's, Compère Lapin, and beignets below are exact menu/posted figures and don't move like the hotel rate does.

2) Day by Day

Distances noted in miles with walking time. Everything is verified open on the specific day.

Friday, September 18, Arrive, Settle, First Bites

• Afternoon: Fly into MSY, taxi to the Marigny. Grab a cab at the stand outside Door 7. Taxi rides cost $36.00 from the airport to the Central Business District or French Quarter for up to two passengers; for three or more passengers the fare is $15.00 per passenger, and taxis are required to accept credit card payments. The hotel is 12.1 miles from New Orleans Louis Armstrong, about a 25–35 minute drive. Note check-in timing: check-in time is 3:00 PM and check-out time is 11:30 AM.
• Evening: Dinner at the Elysian Bar (on-site). Mediterranean-leaning small plates with a New Orleans soul, and you don't have to walk a step. Open Friday for both service windows: from Wednesday to Monday, food is served from 5pm to 10pm; brunch is served Friday to Sunday from 11am to 3pm. (Yelp lists dinner service 3:00–10:00 PM Fri.) Address: 2317 Burgundy St. Phone: (504) 356-6769.
• Late: First jazz at The Spotted Cat, a 5-minute walk to 623 Frenchmen St. Open Friday: opened 7 days a week, 2 PM–2 AM. Expect a small door/cover and a one drink minimum, 21 years old and over only. Bring a physical ID: valid US photo ID and foreign passports required for entry; photos of identification not accepted.

💡 Tip: Fridays draw swing dancers to the Spotted Cat, so grab a spot along the wall early and let the couples put on a show. Cash tips for the band go over well (they pass a bucket between songs).

🌧️ Plan B (rain): Skip the Frenchmen stroll and stay in; the Elysian Bar's cocktail program was recently included in Esquire's 2021 shortlist of America's best bars. A St. Charles Punch under the stained glass is a fine rainy-night substitute.

Saturday, September 19, Beignets, Po'boys, Modern Dinner, More Music

• Morning: Beignets at Café du Monde, 800 Decatur St, ~1.1 miles / ~22-minute walk (or a quick cab). Open Saturday, essentially around the clock: the Cafe is open from 7:15 AM–11 PM Sunday through Thursday and 7:15 AM–12 AM Friday and Saturday, and it closes only on Christmas Day and on the day an occasional Hurricane passes too close to New Orleans. Exact menu prices (posted): beignets $4.53 (3 pieces to an order with powdered sugar); hot café au lait regular $3.60. So two orders of beignets plus two café au laits is about $16 plus tax. It's cash-friendly and gloriously simple.
• Midday: Modern po'boys at Killer PoBoys, 219 Dauphine St in the Quarter. Open Saturday. The Dauphine location runs 11:00 AM–8:00 PM most days (closed Tuesday). This is your "modern po'boy" box ticked: it started as a pop-up and grew so popular they opened this space off Dauphine Street; it's in the heart of the French Quarter but offers a contemporary take on the classic po'boy, beginning with bread sourced from Dong Phuong bakery, with seared (not fried) shrimp, creamy sriracha aioli and a pickled vegetable slaw. Roughly $30–$40 for two with drinks. Phone: (504) 439-7445.
• Afternoon: Walk it off. Wander Royal Street's galleries and Jackson Square, then loop back along the river.
• Evening: Modern dinner at Compère Lapin, 535 Tchoupitoulas St (Warehouse District, ~1.5 miles from the Quarter). Open Saturday for dinner: dinner Monday–Thursday and Sunday 5:30 PM–9:00 PM; Friday and Saturday 5:30 PM–10:00 PM. This is a marquee "modern spot": Chef Nina Compton's Compère Lapin has been welcoming guests for more than a decade; the concise menu weaves together her Caribbean heritage with the flavors of New Orleans, with dishes like jalapeño hushpuppies, jerk-honey-butter fried chicken with coconut grits, and curried goat with sweet potato gnocchi. Reserve ahead: it's often busy, especially on weekends, so reservations are recommended and arriving a bit early can help. Budget ~$90–$140 for two before tip. Phone: (504) 599-2119.
• Late: Frenchmen Street crawl. Beyond the Spotted Cat, the strip is stacked: Frenchmen Street is home to the highest concentration of live music venues in New Orleans; jazz clubs like Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro, the Spotted Cat and Blue Nile anchor the strip, offering everything from traditional jazz and brass to funk, soul and R&B most nights of the week.

💡 Tip: Get to Killer PoBoys a touch before or after the noon rush. Be prepared for a wait at lunchtime on most days and opt for your po'boy to-go if seating is tight. A to-go sandwich eaten on a Quarter stoop is peak New Orleans.

🌧️ Plan B (rain): Compère Lapin sits inside The Old No. 77 Hotel, so dinner is dry regardless. For the evening, swap the outdoor Frenchmen crawl for a single indoor club: the Spotted Cat is small, covered, and (per a regular) has that rare Frenchmen luxury, air conditioning; very cool place.

Sunday, September 20, Proven Sunday Plan, Then the Classic Creole Dinner

This is the day you were worried about. Here's the proof each stop is open on Sunday:

• Brunch: Compère Lapin OR Elysian Bar. Compère Lapin does a proper Sunday brunch: Compère Lapin is open brunch Sunday 10:30 AM–2:00 PM. If you'd rather not leave the neighborhood, the Elysian Bar is open Sunday: brunch is served Friday to Sunday from 11am to 3pm.
• Late morning: One more round of beignets at Café du Monde if you can't resist. Open Sunday from 7:15 AM (as cited above, Sun–Thu until 11 PM).
• Afternoon: Killer PoBoys for a farewell po'boy. Open Sunday. The 219 Dauphine St shop runs 11:00 AM–8:00 PM (closed Tuesday, not your day); the 811 Conti St location inside Erin Rose Bar is also open 10am–10pm Sun.
• Afternoon jazz: The Spotted Cat. Open Sunday, per its own site, 7 days a week, 2 PM–2 AM. Sunday afternoon sets are a mellow, local-heavy delight.
• Evening: The classic Creole dinner at Galatoire's, 209 Bourbon St. This is the headline "prove Sunday works" moment, and it does. From Galatoire's own FAQ: the dining rooms are open from 11:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday with Bar 33 open at 11 a.m.; on Sundays, the dining rooms are open from 12 p.m.–9 p.m. with Bar 33 open at 11:30 a.m. Critically, the dining room is closed Monday. Since your dinner is Sunday, you're clear. It's the real deal: a French restaurant at 209 Bourbon Street in the French Quarter that specializes in French Creole cooking. Budget ~$150–$220 for two before tip. Phone: 504.525.2021.

💡 Tip: Galatoire's has a Sunday dress code you must plan for. In the Main and Second floor dining rooms, gentlemen are required to wear jackets after 5 pm and all day on Sunday; they also have some complimentary loaner jackets for guests to borrow. Pack a jacket, or borrow one at the door. If you'd rather stay casual, the Galatoire's 33 Dining Room can accommodate guests without jackets, and Bar 33 is available for walk-ins.

🌧️ Plan B (rain): Every Sunday stop above is indoors or has indoor seating, so weather barely dents this day. If the afternoon is a washout, replace the Frenchmen stroll with a longer, leisurely Galatoire's dinner (they've served century-old Sunday crowds through every kind of weather).

Note on timing: Galatoire's Sunday service ends at 9 PM, so aim for a 6:00–6:30 PM reservation to enjoy it unhurried before your Monday departure.

3) Practical Notes, Checklist & Cost Overview

Checklist

• Book Hotel Peter & Paul (or an alternative from 1b) for Sep 18–20.
• Reserve Galatoire's for Sunday dinner (Resy) and confirm the jacket plan for the gentleman in your party.
• Reserve Compère Lapin (Sat dinner and/or Sun brunch).
• Reserve Elysian Bar for Friday arrival dinner.
• Pack one jacket for Galatoire's Sunday.
• Bring a physical photo ID for the Spotted Cat (photos of IDs not accepted).
• Bring some cash (Café du Monde, band tips, small cover charges).
• No rental car needed; everything is walkable or a short cab.

Estimated Cost Overview (2 adults)

Budget honesty: at the low-to-middle end you land comfortably under $1,200. At the top end (peak-priced hotel room plus generous ordering and tipping) you could nudge just over. Two easy levers keep you safely inside $1,200: pick the lower hotel rate (or The Mansion on Royal), and treat one of the two big dinners as the splurge while keeping the other meal casual. Note that all restaurant prices here are food only; New Orleans sales tax and your 15–20% tip are added at the table.

Good-to-know

• Getting around: You won't need a car. Frenchmen Street is ~5 minutes on foot from the hotel; the French Quarter core (Café du Monde, Killer PoBoys, Galatoire's) is a 10–20 minute walk or a short cab. Compère Lapin in the Warehouse District is a quick rideshare.
• September weather: Warm and humid with pop-up showers likely, hence the indoor-friendly Plan Bs. Light, breathable clothes plus the one required jacket for Galatoire's.
• Reservations culture: The two standout dinners (Galatoire's, Compère Lapin) fill on weekends; book early. Galatoire's first-floor main room is historically walk-in/first-come, so reserve the second floor or Galatoire's 33 for a guaranteed table.

4) Sources

All pages checked June 2026.

Lodging

• Hotel Peter & Paul (official): https://ash.world/hotels/peter-and-paul/
• Hotel Peter & Paul (Mr & Mrs Smith / Hyatt, parking + check-in): https://www.hyatt.com/mr-and-mrs-smith/en-US/m1734-hotel-peter-and-paul
• Hotel Peter & Paul details (Kayak, distances/check-out, alternatives): https://www.kayak.com/New-Orleans-Hotels-Hotel-Peter-and-Paul.4570275.ksp
• Elysian Bar (official dining): https://ash.world/dining/the-elysian-bar/
• Elysian Bar hours (Yelp): https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-elysian-bar-new-orleans-3

Food

• Café du Monde menu & prices (official shop): https://shop.cafedumonde.com/cafe/
• Café du Monde hours (Tripadvisor listing): https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60864-d492060-Reviews-Cafe_Du_Monde-New_Orleans_Louisiana.html
• Killer PoBoys locations & hours (official): https://www.killerpoboys.com/locations
• Killer PoBoys (Michelin Guide): https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/louisiana/new-orleans_2906000/restaurant/killer-poboys
• Galatoire's FAQ / dress code / hours (official): https://www.galatoires.com/faq
• Galatoire's contact & hours (official): https://www.galatoires.com/contact_us
• Compère Lapin reservations & hours (official): http://comperelapin.com/reservations
• Compère Lapin hours (OpenTable): https://www.opentable.com/r/compere-lapin

Live Music

• The Spotted Cat Music Club (official, hours & policies): https://www.spottedcatmusicclub.com/
• Frenchmen Street guide (New Orleans & Co.): https://www.neworleans.com/plan/streets/frenchmen-street/

Transport

• MSY taxi flat rate (official airport, flymsy): https://enmassemedia.wpengine.com/taxis-2/
• MSY to French Quarter transport overview: https://tourismattractions.net/usa/new-orleans-airport-to-french-quarter-transport

Enjoy the beignet sugar all over your shirt, the trout amandine at Galatoire's, and the jazz spilling out of the Spotted Cat. You've got a weekend where the only thing that closes early is you, after night two. 🎷