Cafe Du Monde

For the next stop on our tour, we take the time to visit the renowned Café Du Monde, New Orleans most prestigious and delectable coffee shop. Open 24/7 and filled with an assortment of dark, roasted Coffee, Chicory, Beignets, White, and Chocolate milk, and freshly squeezed Orange Juice daily, it remains one of the premiere stops on any tour for a relaxing time with friends and family.

Established in 1862 as a way to introduce all citizens of New Orleans’ French Quarter to the Creole-developed, chicory-blended style of coffee, Café Du Monde’s menu and its motto of “keeping things the way they’ve always been” has remained unchanged even to this day. This dedication, dating back to mid-1700s, when the French brought coffee to North America as they explored and settled along the Mississippi River, lies primarily in Café Du Monde’s commitment to the history of those coffee techniques (originating due to a coffee shortage at the time) in which they café chooses only to serve its coffee in two ways: Black or Au Lait. And, as chicory adds a chocolate-like flavor coffee, the taste itself has become a staple of the region itself.

Yet while the Café Du Monde is known primarily for its coffee, it also remains a place of fine treats as well, most especially its beignets, a hole-less, French style of doughnut cut into large squares and covered in heaps of powdered sugar. Served three at a time with a characterized sweetness, the beignets are usually paired with café au lait, as residents and other tourists often claim they offer the perfect counter-balance to the chicory-flavored coffee’s signature bitterness. To top things off, the beignet was even declared Louisiana’s official state doughnut in 1986, further solidifying its place in the cultural flavor of the region as a whole.

Due in large part to these signature tastes, Café Du Monde has remained both a staple of New Orleans culture and one of popular culture as well. Featured in novels, TV series, and even movie screens over the years, its signature green and white color scheme, along with its French Quarter architecture can be seen prominently in nearly all forms of entertainment.

Photo “Café Du Monde” by Barry Solow is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo “Cafe du Monde at Night” by Michael Bentley is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Photo “Cafe du Monde Beignets” by chuckyeager is licensed under CC BY 2.0