Cafe du Monde

Cafe du Monde, at 800 Decatur Street beside the French Market in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, is one of the city's most famous institutions, serving coffee and beignets since 1862. The open-air cafe has green-and-white striped awnings, and its short menu has barely changed in generations. The signature order is a plate of three beignets, square pillows of fried dough buried in powdered sugar, served with a cafe au lait made with coffee blended with chicory, or with hot or iced chocolate and fresh orange juice. Prices are modest, with beignets about $4 to $6 per order and drinks about $4. The cafe is open around the clock on most days, though occasional reduced hours apply, and table service is brisk, with servers who carry trays of drinks and beignets through the crowded tables. Payment methods have varied, so visitors typically carry cash and a card as a backup. A visit takes about 30 to 45 minutes. Lines and waits are longest on weekend mornings and in the high season, while early morning and late evening are far quieter, and the 24-hour schedule makes a late-night beignet a local tradition. Powdered sugar is notorious for covering clothing, so dark colors are often avoided and napkins are essential, and visitors should avoid exhaling near the plate. The cafe is steps from Jackson Square, the Mississippi riverfront and the Decatur Street shops, and the Riverfront streetcar stops at the French Market. For photographs, the cafe frontage and the powdered sugar clouds are popular, and the nearby levee offers river views. Take-out is available for those who prefer to enjoy beignets while strolling Jackson Square. A second location also exists in other parts of the New Orleans area, though the Decatur Street original is the main tourist stop.