The Café du Monde was established in 1862 and has been a New Orleans landmark ever since. No visit to New Orleans would be complete without a visit (or multiple visits) to Café du Monde for beignets and cafe au lait. The beignets are square, French-style donuts with a liberal sprinkle of powdered sugar served in orders of three. They are definitely not on the healthy foods list, but hey, who comes to New Orleans to eat healthily? Café au lait is a mix of half-strong chicory coffee and half-steamed milk - the perfect complement for the beignets. The café is an open-air restaurant that looks out onto Jackson Square and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week (except Christmas).
The café is crowded at all hours. You will have to wait for your table, but don’t expect to be ushered in at the next empty table. When you reach the front of your line and you see someone getting up, bag the table immediately and then wait to get it cleaned; not the other way round or you’ll lose your table to the more experienced. Beignets and strong chicory coffee make a reliable hangover remedy after a night of revelry on Bourbon Street.
Black is the wrong colour to wear in this casual café. You will invariably be covered with specks of the powdered sugar as you tuck in the delightful beignets. My partner was, unfortunately, put off by the beignets when he became smothered in sugar dust and had an incredibly hard time dusting it off.