Village People

If, like me, you live in or are visiting a Louisiana city that is positively taken over by parties and parades during Carnival season, respite from the whirl sounds beyond appealing. Especially if it can be reached in 15 to 20 minutes. I’m talking about Algiers Point, the second oldest neighborhood in the City (established in 1719) with history, architectural charm and unbeatable views of the Mississippi River. This tight-knit riverside community is laid-back, family-friendly, infinitely walkable (and accessible by ferry from the French Quarter) and the place my husband Mark and I flee to when we want to get away from New Orleans — but not too far — for a few hours.

If we are able to get there early enough for breakfast, our first stop is the funky, homie and delicious Tout de Suite Cafe on Verret Street. (The cafe is open Tuesday to Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.​​ and the kitchen closes promptly at 12:40 p.m. so don’t dilly-dally, y’all.) Here you can nosh on Southern, Cajun and Creole breakfast fare, salads and sandwiches. My go-to order is the cinnamon, vanilla and orange zesty almond brioche pain perdu, but the Atchafalaya (crawfish étouffée over grits with two eggs) is unbeatable.

The Drift Inn Diner is a recent addition to the Algiers Point dining scene. Bring the kids for Ice Cream Happy Hour featuring housemade soft serve and come back with your grown friends for craft cocktails and burgers or a boozy weekend brunch.

After stuffing yourself uncomfortable, consider a stroll through the neighborhood and along the river. Due to a devastating fire in 1895 that destroyed more than 200 homes, the majority of the architecture in the neighborhood is Victorian. Colorful cottages and Queen Annes dominate the tree-lined streets with gabled roofs, turrets and gingerbread fretwork as far as the eye can see. Grab a cuppa joe at Congregation Coffee Roasters on Pelican Avenue and hit the riverwalk and bike path via the neighborhoods or near the ferry landing. Your reward will be expansive views of the New Orleans skyline (and an incredible photo opp of the St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter). The Robert E. Nims Jazz Walk of Fame on the riverwalk begins at the Louis Armstrong statue and extends from the ferry landing to De Armas Street. Listen to audio about jazz greats via interactive lamp posts along the walking path.

By now the shops are probably opening their doors. Just off of the walking path is Bargeboard  Mercantile & Millshop. Owned by Kristin Gisleson Palmer, an historic renovation pro, the millshop and architectural salvage business is also a must for vintage and antique lovers. Shop the old stuff, as well as new stuff including locally-made candles, ceramics and bath and body products. If you visit on a weekend, be sure to check Bargeboard’s social media channels for events such as neighborhood garage sales and the Bounyful Green Market farmers market. If you miss the weekend market, get local gourmet goodies at Faubourg Fresh Market on Bermuda Street. Beans from French Truck Coffee, dairy goods from St. James Cheese and New Orleans Ice Cream and local craft beer are all on offer. Be sure to save time to brouse the wares at Electric Lemonade, a vintage boutique and gift shop on Morgan Street.

Have you worked up a hunger for lunch yet? If so, make it tacos at Barracuda. Fun fact: There is a Barracuda location near our neighborhood in Uptown, New Orleans, and yet we venture across the river to this one more often than not. The vibes, as the kids say, are immaculate. The taco stand is located in a renovated Gulf service station (the sign is still there), surrounded by tropical plants and loads of outdoor seating. It’s directly across the street from a playground, so you run the kids plum out of gas then fill ‘em up with tacos (go for the crispy fish), street corn and hibiscus aqua fresca.

Save room for dessert, if possible, and hit the ice cream happy hour at The Drift Inn Diner on Verret (behind the playground). The root beer float, created with house-made soft serve, was so good it prompted me to send a photo to my dad and reminisce about the ice cream floats of my youth. This could also be your dinner destination if you are making a full day of it or staying over night. The lunch counter burger does not disappoint. Nor does the patty melt, if Mark is to be believed, and the BLT impressed the heck out of our friend Nicki. The décor is old school diner nostalgia with a hipster twist and has crowd pleaser written all over it. A thoughtful cocktail menu rounds out the experience for those who imbibe. (Why yes, you can make your ice cream boozy.)

If ice cream sounds a bit much after pain perdu for breakfast, coffee during your walk and lunch tacos, waddle over to The Little House. This charming wine garden, which also serves beer, small plates and appetizers opens at 4 p.m. (and 2 p.m. on Saturday) and is a quaint, hyper-casual neighborhood oasis. 

For those opting to stay over night, the House of the Rising Sun Bed and Breakfast on Pelican Street can’t be beat. Owned by a music-loving couple (the husband is a jazz researcher and involved in the Jazz Walk as well as other similar walking tours), the circa 1896 double shotgun offers three rooms themed after local jazz and blues performers. Guests enjoy daily continental breakfast and use of the pool.

Nightlife is abundant in Algiers Point, if you like cozy British pubs, dive bars and pizza joints. Which Mark and I do, so win-win. No trip to the Point is complete without visits to Crown & Anchor English Pub, on Pelican Avenue, The Old Point Bar, on Patterson Road, and Nighthawk Napoletana, on Delaronde Street. Crown & Anchor opened in 1998 and has all the right trappings of a British pub, including entrance through a blue telephone box. At Old Point Bar, enjoy live music Thursdays through Sundays and the atmosphere that only a bar that has been pouring drinks for at least a century can provide. Neapolitan-style pizza is a personal favorite in our house and Nighthawk, which opened at the end of 2023, scratches the itch — it is wood-fired and fantastic.

There are a few more things you could do in Algiers Point while you’re there, but exploring is half the fun, so I’ll leave you with the above and the rest can be a choose your own adventure. But you really can’t go wrong in a place that has both big city convenience and quaint village vibes.

Location: Algiers

200
Near Algiers Point, the Mississippi River is approximately 60 meters, or 200 feet deep.

1895
In 1895, the Great Fire of Algiers devastated the neighborhood, destroying about 200 structures. The area’s Victorian architecture belies its 1719 founding date.

2,455
According to 2020 census data, the population of Algiers Point is 2,455 people.