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Here’s where to eat the best.

Evan Bloom of Wise Sons in San Francisco eats and drinks his way through NOLA.

There’s way more to the Big Easy than oysters and Sazeracs

When travel is stressful enough, skip cooking and feast at one of these hotels instead.

With options ranging from fine French cuisine served in white-cloth dining rooms to local joints dishing out classic muffulettas or po’boys, and pouring perfect Sazeracs, New Orleans offers your mouth the makings of a great vacation.

If you only have a day in New Orleans, here’s how to make it perfect. Explore New Orleans’ architecturally rich French Quarter and take in the spontaneous sounds of street music. Take a mid-day stop in at the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, feast on a po’ boy at Killer PoBoys, and tour Mardi Gras World. Then, take a break in your perfect day to relax at the Sazerac Bar. Complete your day in the Big Easy with a sublime dinner at Brennan’s.

What a trippy and unique experience. Tourists and locals alike are crowded shoulder to shoulder on this revolving carnival ride, ordering drinks with exotic names like Vieux Carré, London Fairy, and Corpse Reviver. And Sazeracs, of course. Installed way back in 1949 inside New Orleans’ famous 5-star Monteleone Hotel in the heart of the French Quarter, the carousel revolves at a slow enough pace to prevent anyone from getting dizzy. The powerful cocktails are meant to do that! If you’re lucky enough to find a seat at the carousel, the novelty just doesn’t wear off. The bartenders are attentive and focused. The carousel is beautiful and lovingly maintained, certain to make you feel like a kid again. Just make sure you have your ID!

It’s sunsets galore at the roof of Albuquerque’s newly renovated Hotel Parq Central. Soak in the stunning views as the city lights shine atop the Apothecary Lounge. There’s a hearty sampling of jazz-age and prohibition cocktails a la the Sazerac and Pink Lady and a wide array of bitters at your disposal,

Maison Premiere’s French influence invites you into another era around its marble horseshoe bar. If you come early, you can take your time here. We were lured by the $1 oyster special during happy hour. It all washed down well with a boozy sazerac and a sweet Pimm’s cup (as pictured). If your liver is craving more, MP has the largest collection of premium absinthe in New York City, centered around “the world’s most accurate working replica of an absinthe fountain,” according to their site. It’s a great place for your day drinking needs.

Our favorite D.C. cocktail is the rye-based Maiden Voyage at the Dram & Grain. At first, it drinks like a Sazerac. As the ice melts, the bitters emerge and it’s like a whole new drink. —Sarah Baird

This appeared in the March/April 2015 issue. Dram & Grain is a reservations-only cocktail bar in the basement of Jack Rose Dining Saloon. It’s slated to move to an expanded space within The Imperial (a new dining and nightlife concept from the owners of Jack Rose) in late 2018.

The cure for the inevitable Bourbon Street hangover may be a hurricane at Pat O’Briens, but if you decide to forego the hair of the dog in favor of something a bit more civilized, consider a soak—technically the 5-Sense Hydrotherapy—at the Guerlain Spa at the Roosevelt Hotel. The half-hour long service takes place in a candlelit enclave with a massive bathtub with a series of jets that pummel your muscles into heavenly relaxation. A well-placed bucket with icy towels and cold bottles of water ensures you’ll sweat out your toxins without overheating. And should you decide the hair of the dog really is the best remedy, the Sazerac Bar is just upstairs.

One of my favorite experiences on a recent NOLA visit was a booze fueled ‘workshop’ at the Drink Lab, where a small group of us learned to make two local classics; the Hurricane and of course, a perfect Sazerac.

Daniel Victory, one of New Orleans most charming craft cocktail ambassadors, was our teacher for the afternoon. We learned to muddle, mix, shake and stirr, we laughed (a lot), and got to drink the results of our labor. Is there a better way to spend an afternoon in New Orleans? Me thinks not.

Drink Lab is located a few minutes from NOPSI Hotel. A two hour session led by one of Drink Lab’s master Bartenders sets you back $65 – but don’t forget: the price includes 2 awesome cocktails ; ) Reservations are required.

>>>A huge thank you to NOPSI Hotel and its fantastic team (you know who you are!) for hosting an unforgettable 3 days in The Big Easy. @NopsiHotel #NOPSIHotel #SalamanderExperience

First opened in 1893 as Grunewald Hotel, this historic building stretches an entire city block and has a storied past that’s equally expansive. The Roosevelt has played host to presidents and senators, duchesses and dignitaries, actors and actresses. Huey Long kept a suite here in the 1930s and could often be found propped up at the Sazerac Bar (where his go-to cocktail was the Ramos Gin Fizz). Entertainers from Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra to Tina Turner and Ray Charles have performed in the Blue Room.

A $145 million rehab, completed in 2009, restored the hotel to its former glory. Now part of the Waldorf Astoria Collection, the property combines the grandeur of yesteryear with all the trappings of a modern luxury hotel—including a lavish Waldorf Astoria Spa and a hip Italian eatery.

At this speakeasy-inspired cocktail bar near Chiesa Nuova, hipster bartenders pour and shake American classics like Manhattans, Sazeracs and Old-Fashioneds in a smoky lounge. To gain admittance, make a booking and come armed with the secret password, a clue to which can be found on the venue’s website. Once you enter, you’ll be shown to a table or barstool, handed a menu, and asked to fill out a membership card. Service can be slow and snarky, but drinks are worth the wait. Cash only.

The amazing music and cool vibe on Frenchman Street is irresistible. Some of the world’s best musicians are playing there every night of the week—just one of the many extraordinary things about New Orleans. While you are feeding your soul, don’t forget to feed your body, too. This is a foodie town, and Frenchman Street offers some delightful choices for dinner as well as dancing. Three Muses café (pictured above) serves up delicious small plates: Tapas, New Orleans style. A table at Three Muses promises to push all your buttons: food, drink, music & fun!