Café Du Monde

Café Du Monde is New Orleans' most iconic café, operating continuously at the edge of Jackson Square in the French Quarter since 1862. The open-air pavilion — partially enclosed, shaded by a green-and-white striped awning, and facing the Mississippi River — serves an extraordinarily short menu around the clock, every day of the year except Christmas. The signature beignets are deep-fried squares of French-style choux dough, served in orders of three and coated in a blizzard of powdered sugar that inevitably dusts clothing and tablecloths alike. They arrive piping hot from the fryer and are best consumed immediately. The café au lait is made with strong drip coffee blended with chicory root — a New Orleans tradition dating to the Civil War era when chicory extended scarce coffee supplies — and is mixed half-and-half with hot steamed milk. The result is smooth, earthy, and unmistakably Louisianan. The café also serves hot chocolate. Seating is communal at white marble-topped tables packed tightly under the awning, with the sounds of jazz musicians who frequently perform outside on the square drifting in. Wait times can stretch on weekend mornings and evenings; the least-crowded hours are early weekday mornings. No reservations and no table service for food — orders are placed at the counter. Cash is preferred but cards are accepted at some registers. The original French Market location is operated by the Fernandez family, who have owned the café for generations.