/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55643205/Hotel_Peter___Paul__cafe_seating__credit_Hotel_Peter___Paul___1_.6.jpg "NOLA coffeehouses and cafés to admire (1)")
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Photo courtesy Hotel Peter & Paul
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in September 2017 and has been updated.
Because New Orleans has unique architecture, we can only expect that trend to spill over to its coffeeshops. While we’ll leave the review of the actual coffee and treats to our sister site Eater, we’ve found some spaces that boast exceptional design both in and out of the shop.
Here is a list of coffeeshops, bakeries, and cafés with admirable design. Did we miss one of your favorite spaces? Drop a comment below.
Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.
Plant-based food in a light-filled space hung with live moss installations? Yes, please. When Lamara Coffee and Kitchen opened on Broad Street last summer, it scratched an itch many Mid-City residents didn’t know they had. The subway tile-clad spot serves gluten-free, seasonal fare, and it’s also cashless and low-waste...so don’t forget your credit card.
This austere circa-1927 building has a former life in finance, having hosted a succession of banks (the Marine Bank and Trust Company and the Canal Bank and Trust Company). With its arched windows, two-story ceilings, and ponderous chandeliers, it may be the city’s most Instagrammable coffee shop.
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Housed in a circa-1860s Marigny church, Hotel Peter & Paul was named among the country’s top new hotels by Travel + Leisure magazine. Its sunny, plant-hung coffee shop and cafe is housed in the rectory’s former chapel and is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
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This Illy-fueled coffee shop in the CBD is so clean-lined and modern, it’s hard to believe that it actually sits in a circa-1893 building that bears the distinction of being New Orleans’ very first skyscraper.
Local art, geometric light fixtures, utilitarian ductwork, and a black-and-white tile palette combine to give this Lower Garden District hotspot a cool, quirky edge. There’s plenty of sidewalk seating, too.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55179827/Turkey___The_Wolf_3592.0.50.jpg "NOLA coffeehouses and cafés to admire (5)")
With a row of transom-topped double doors that are often thrown open to catch a breeze, this lower Decatur Street hotspot straddles the line between cozy coffee shop and sidewalk cafe. Highlights include stained-glass pendant lights, exposed brick, and a showstopper of a wooden bar where both caffeinated and boozy drinks are served.
Formerly a filling station, this renovated cottage has a unique pitched purple roof. Inside, you’ll find a lovely exposed wood ceiling, concrete floors, and a surprisingly airy layout, thanks to architect Gunner Guidry.
This red coffeehouse resembles a two-story shotgun. Sitting next to this outstanding shotgun on Ponce de Leon Street, this structure has a large gallery that spans from its side to its front. If you’re not a fan of artificial lighting, you’ll love its ambience.
Built in 1862 as a part of the French Market, this cafe is known for its iconic green and white awning (which has several imitations across the French Quarter). We’re fans of its minimalist outdoor seating. This past summer, Cafe du Monde opened a location in the circa-1912 City Park Casino building, styled during the Spanish Mission Revival period. It’s one of the oldest structures in the park.
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One of the more modern designs, this Marigny coffee house has a chic facade that breathes new life into the definition of a corner coffeeshop. Inside, you can work from a table or the eponymous orange couch.
Flat screens may have replaced the chalkboard menu, but this Bywater coffee shop still feels eclectic and artsy. From the exposed brick inside to its attractively worn exterior, this coffeeshop is one of a kind. It also has a shady patio.
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Plant-based food in a light-filled space hung with live moss installations? Yes, please. When Lamara Coffee and Kitchen opened on Broad Street last summer, it scratched an itch many Mid-City residents didn’t know they had. The subway tile-clad spot serves gluten-free, seasonal fare, and it’s also cashless and low-waste...so don’t forget your credit card.
This austere circa-1927 building has a former life in finance, having hosted a succession of banks (the Marine Bank and Trust Company and the Canal Bank and Trust Company). With its arched windows, two-story ceilings, and ponderous chandeliers, it may be the city’s most Instagrammable coffee shop.
Housed in a circa-1860s Marigny church, Hotel Peter & Paul was named among the country’s top new hotels by Travel + Leisure magazine. Its sunny, plant-hung coffee shop and cafe is housed in the rectory’s former chapel and is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
This Illy-fueled coffee shop in the CBD is so clean-lined and modern, it’s hard to believe that it actually sits in a circa-1893 building that bears the distinction of being New Orleans’ very first skyscraper.
Local art, geometric light fixtures, utilitarian ductwork, and a black-and-white tile palette combine to give this Lower Garden District hotspot a cool, quirky edge. There’s plenty of sidewalk seating, too.
With a row of transom-topped double doors that are often thrown open to catch a breeze, this lower Decatur Street hotspot straddles the line between cozy coffee shop and sidewalk cafe. Highlights include stained-glass pendant lights, exposed brick, and a showstopper of a wooden bar where both caffeinated and boozy drinks are served.
Formerly a filling station, this renovated cottage has a unique pitched purple roof. Inside, you’ll find a lovely exposed wood ceiling, concrete floors, and a surprisingly airy layout, thanks to architect Gunner Guidry.
This red coffeehouse resembles a two-story shotgun. Sitting next to this outstanding shotgun on Ponce de Leon Street, this structure has a large gallery that spans from its side to its front. If you’re not a fan of artificial lighting, you’ll love its ambience.
Built in 1862 as a part of the French Market, this cafe is known for its iconic green and white awning (which has several imitations across the French Quarter). We’re fans of its minimalist outdoor seating. This past summer, Cafe du Monde opened a location in the circa-1912 City Park Casino building, styled during the Spanish Mission Revival period. It’s one of the oldest structures in the park.
One of the more modern designs, this Marigny coffee house has a chic facade that breathes new life into the definition of a corner coffeeshop. Inside, you can work from a table or the eponymous orange couch.
Flat screens may have replaced the chalkboard menu, but this Bywater coffee shop still feels eclectic and artsy. From the exposed brick inside to its attractively worn exterior, this coffeeshop is one of a kind. It also has a shady patio.
