NOLA Day 1: Hotel Review, Neyow's & Compère Lapin
Lots of rain, meh lunch, and fangirling over a celebrity chef. Plus: How much I spent. 😅
Happy Monday!
Just got back from my New Orleans solo getaway!
This trip was my 34th birthday (10/7) gift to myself and a reward for some of the recent successes I’ve experienced as a baby influencer—hitting 100K TikTok followers, a dream paid partnership, finally gaining some traction on Instagram and another piece of earned media coverage. I deserve!
The focus of this trip:
Explore the city’s fine dining scene
Engage with as much Black history as possible
Engage with as many Black-owned businesses as possible
So...a typical vacation for Talia.
Don’t forget: I’m sharing a full, downloadable itinerary with newsletter subscribers on Friday. I need time it pretty for y’all!
Despite the rain (which the city desperately needed amid the threat of saltwater intrusion), my first day in NOLA was lovely.
I wasn’t able to get to my hotel and settled in time for the first item on my itinerary, but that’s OK.
Watch the companion day 1 vlog on TikTok or Reels.
Lunch at Neyow’s Creole Café
When you talk about New Orleans’ Black-owned restaurants, Neyow’s is part of that conversation.
I wanted to go to Neyow’s when I was in NOLA for the first time back in 2019, but Essence Fest is a chaotic time to check places off your list. You’ve got to experience the city outside of big events for bucket-listing.
My friend, who was in town from D.C. for a conference, and I got to the Mid-City restaurant just in time for its 2-for-1 happy hour.
We didn’t have a reservation, and it wasn’t busy for a rainy Wednesday. We got lemon drops ($9 for two) and split a crawfish balls appetizer ($12). Both were standard. The music was great! All the R&B jams. I know Neyow’s is definitely a cute vibe when it’s busier.
I was dead set on having chargrilled oysters, so I ordered a dozen (market price at $30) for my meal. Chargrilled oysters are my favorite thing, so that’s all I needed. Ironically, this was the same day 48 Oysters Girl went viral. Her oysters were raw and just a starter though. That’s madness.
I must say I was a little disappointed in these chargrilled oysters though. Salt overpowered the dish. I just had chargrilled oysters in D.C. a month ago from Who Want Smoke, a DMV-based Black-owned food truck and pop-up. Those were better, even though a half dozen cost $25.
I had a bite of my friend’s fried pork chop…delicious.
I can’t decide if our service was average or lacking. I don’t think our waiter was intentionally rude and dismissive. I’m convinced he’s a little scattered as a person. It was hard to keep his attention to ask questions.
Overall, go to Neyow’s for the vibes, affordable happy hour, and opportunity to support a Black-owned business.
Hotel Stay at Renaissance New Orleans Pere Marquette French Quarter Area Hotel
No, but why is this hotel’s name so long?!
I wanted to stay somewhere centrally-located, but not smack dab in the middle of the French Quarter. I like to turn up, but not that much.
My stay at this Marriott property was great. My queen room was a little small, but the hotel is beautiful and clean with great service. My room was ready almost three hours early. Both the St. Charles Street and Canal Street streetcar lines and quite a few of my French Quarter and CBD destinations were within walking distance (for me, walking distance is 0-17 minutes).
I booked my hotel in mid-July for about $205/night after taxes and fees.
Pro tip: Book Marriott properties with your Bonvoy rewards account for free Wi-Fi and late checkout!
Dinner at Compère Lapin
Top Chef is one of my favorite TV shows, so I had to try one of Saint Lucian Chef Nina Compton’s restaurants during this trip. Compton was runner-up in season 11 and won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: South in 2018.
Her other New Orleans restaurant, Bywater American Bistro, was just named one of the 25 Best Restaurants in New Orleans Right Now by The New York Times!
This Caribbean-Creole upscale restaurant, located inside The Old 77 Hotel & Chandlery in the Warehouse District, wasn’t super busy for a wet weeknight in October. I made a reservation five weeks in advance. Very dimply lit with an industrial aesthetic. Not super dressy. Compère Lapin is a cute date spot. My waitress Tory was great.
For drinks, I got the Earthly Delights and Cancùn Housewife. I liked the latter more because I prefer my cocktails fruity and/or sweet. Everyone goes to Compère Lapin for the biscuits, but my favorite appetizer was the deviled eggs topped with caviar. The jerk pork belly with crispy black-eyed peas and plantain puree was THEE BEST thing I ate day one. I had the curry goat with sweet potato gnocchi for my entree.
The perk of going to Compère Lapin on a slow weeknight is that you might see Chef Nina come out onto the dining room floor. She was like, “Hi, I’m Nina.” Girl! Stop playing with me. We know you!
I got the bread pudding to go.
My meal came to about $150 after tipping. This is why I don’t argue with men on X about how much to spend on dates because look at how I treat myself!
Tomorrow for NOLA Day 2: Black-owned palooza and the best dining experience of my life.
-T