We've been to NOLA many times, but this year we'll be there during Mardi Gras season. We're going to catch the Krewe du Vieux at 6:30 and Krewedelusion parade at 7:15. Both run on Royal St in the Quarter. My two questions: where should we go to get the best vantage point and what time should we make dinner reservations for a restaurant in the Quarter (we'll go straight from the end of the last parade, we'll be on foot)?
Thanks!

I'm not a MG fan so I can't answer your first question. What kind of restaurant are you interested in. Go to Murie's for dinner. Have drinks on their balcony overlooking Jackson Square. Leave the parade in time for dinner. Enjoy your visit.

NOLA, Palace and Pelican Club are fun too but Muriel's would be my choice.

Muriel's @ 801 Chartres St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 568 - 1885.

http://www.muriels.com/html/home.html

Nola Restaurant @ 534 Saint Louis St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 522 - 6652.

http://www.emerils.com/restaurant/2/NOLA-Restaurant/

Palace Cafe @ 605 Canal St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 523 - 1661.

http://www.palacecafe.com/reservations.html

Pelican Club @ 312 Exchange Place, New Orleans, Louisiana 504 - 523 - 1504.

http://www.pelicanclub.com/

We plan to dine at EAT that night. Just need to know where to watch parades and what time to make Rez (how long do parades last and how hard is it to get through the city)?

If you're a fan of EAT, you should also consider checking out Vacherie at Hotel St. Marie -- same chef/group that runs eat. Best collard greens I've ever eaten!

There's a downloadable map on Krewe du Vieux's web site.

http://www.kreweduvieux.org/parade.html

I always catch the parade on the Marigny side (on Royal Before it hits Frenchmen St.). The parade starts at 6:30, so if you choose a spot further along the route and near EAT (say, near Royal and Toulouse in the FQ), you could probably have an early dinner (6 ish), then catch the parade on Royal (in the FQ) after. Personally, I'd do dinner BEFORE.

To answer "how long do parades last", you'd need a crystal ball. It depends on the crowd -- it can move fast or slow. Last year, it seemed like the parade lasted about an hour, but that's only if you're standing in one spot, and when it passes your spot will depend on too many factors to tell. Does any of this make sense?

Best advice I can give you is don't overplan or count on any kind of schedule...it's Mardi Gras. The best stuff just...happens.


The FQ will be crowded, for sure -- plan on walking anywhere and everywhere you want to go, as getting a cab is close to impossible and driving yourself around is just...not smart. It's not hard to walk from one end of the FQ to the other in about 15 minutes.

Thanks for the suggestions. We like eating dinner later, around 8, so I think we'll be fine.