Rue de la Course is considered by many to be New Orleans’s original coffee house, a shop founded in 1990 that once boasted eight local locations. Now there’s just the one all the way Uptown on Carrollton Avenue, housed in a soaring, historic former bank building. It’s still teeming with regulars meeting up for a cup of coffee, and the open-air upstairs full of university students. A great place to people-watch, and it’s open well into the evening.

After gaining a following with her pop-up run inside of Stein’s Deli, local barista Lauren Fink opened the Cherry Coffee shop on Laurel in 2016, now an Uptown favorite, and a second shop two years later. She’s also since launched her own local roasting operation, but still sometimes features guest roasters.

This Mid-City joint is easy to spot from the street with its unusual architecture, but it's what's inside that makes it a must-try. Sweet and savory baked goods made in-house accompany a robust coffee menu, with espresso drinks, Chemex and V60 pourovers. Everything's made with high quality products in house, so you can't go wrong. As a bonus, it’s one of few shops in town that makes it’s own chai blend.

Opened in 2021, Undergrowth is one of the city’s newest coffee shops, though you wouldn’t know it from the store’s loyal slew of customers. The friendly, sustainably-minded couple behind the Magazine Street shop serve single-origin roasts from Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Nicaragua; creative, seasonal espresso and matcha drinks; and seriously good food, including the burrito, sweet potato hummus, and whipped honey goat and cheddar grilled cheese.

The Bean Gallery is a longtime Mid-City favorite serving Turkish coffee and specialty teas, outlasting many of the shops that have come and gone over the years. It’s open early and closes late, and there’s lots of seating indoors and out to enjoy drinks and the relatively large food menu of paninis, bagel sandwiches, avocado toast, and sweets.

New Orleans coffee vet Tom Oliver opened Coffee Science on S. Broad near the courthouse at the beginning of 2018, joining a growing number of new businesses in the area. While primarily about world-class coffee, the shop also serves pastries, sandwiches, and salads, as well as a revival of a few of Kaldi’s most popular iced coffee drinks. Coffee Science consistently hosts the best pop-ups in the city on Sundays.

This Uptown shop had to close its Magazine Street shop during the pandemic, but the beloved coffee outlet also has a home on the Lafitte Greenway — and it’s open late (til 8 p.m., a rarity in New Orleans). Hey! expertly roasts and brews coffee manually, boasting a “temperature profiling system,” makes its own chai, and serves bagels, pastries,  and breakfast tacos.  

Park Island Brew is a newer favorite, opened in 2020 on Gentilly Boulevard by Kevin Davis and business partner Chachera Brantley. The lovely corner building has become a neighborhood gathering place for its intricate espresso drinks — like the new rosemary lavender shakerato — and sweet treats.

This LGD coffee shop is a great spot to do work fueled by an array of breakfast/lunch items (including vegan and gluten-free). Everything — drinks and a substantial food menu — is made fresh to order. Plus, it may be the most stylish coffee shop around with its art deco design and mid-century decor.

Treme’s Old Road Coffee always has something new to offer, from kombucha tastings to Honduran breakfasts to art markets showcasing some extremely talented local vendors. Serving coffee from Congregation Roasters and Mojo, Old Road also serves fresh pastries and breakfast sandwiches made by a local mother-daughter team daily.

With a few locations around town plus a successful foray into roasting, this LGD shop is still innovating in the New Orleans coffee world. Check out the coffee cocktails like the espresso gimlet, a double shot of espresso layered on top of a combination of lemon, lime, and simple syrup. Visit any of Mojo’s locations for a wide variety of locally-roasted signature beans, a four-pack of 32-ounce cold brews, and even milked oats. Bonus: the location on Magazine is open late.

Treme Coffeehouse is a gem; bright, cheery, full of local art, free wifi, tasty savories and sweets, excellent java (including cold brew) small and community-minded — all reasons to visit again and again.

French Truck is one of the city’s most well-known brands, thanks in part to the identifiable shops and trucks. The LGD location fronts French Truck’s roasting facility, which provides beans for its own cold and hot coffee drinks as well as a thriving wholesale operation.

A Marigny longtimer beloved by its neighborhood, Orange Couch is a bright, modern spot that attracts a mix of artists, students, retirees, tourists, and writers (it’s a favorite of hometown hero and famed author Maurice Carlos Ruffin). There’s a handful of sidewalk tables and a takeout window on Royal Street, making it a great option for a coffee with friends or grabbing something for a stroll in the pretty Marigny.

This corner shop is a longtime local favorite in the Marigny; fondly heralded for its friendly and funky atmosphere and for serving an excellent hot breakfast in addition to quality coffee and espresso drinks. Sit in one of three cozy rooms inside or on the raised sidewalk seating — all offer a pleasant setting. Love that this shop also serves mimosas and other drinks, if you’re done with coffee for the day.

Pond Coffee is for the real coffee heads —an if-you-know-you-know kind of place. The sweet stand was opened by two baristas in 2020, connected to Small Mart’s beloved corner shop located on the border of the Marigny and Bywater. It’s popular for chai, matcha, lavender lattes, and cappuccinos, made exclusively with oat milk. Small Mart is a must-try for food, even if just a cookie or pastry, but the vegetarian Indian-inspired menu and bagel sandwiches are worth a separate visit.

Formerly called Solo Espresso, Lowpoint on Poland Avenue might just be the Upper Ninth Ward’s favorite coffee shop. A bit of a hidden gem, some would be surprised to learn the grab-and-go spot tucked away on a jungly corner lot is serving some of the city’s best coffee and espresso drinks.