Craving The Perfect Beignet? Discover Where To Find One Of New Orleans' Most Iconic Treats

The French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana, can sometimes seem like a living, breathing time capsule, with a long list of restaurants, bars, and other businesses that have been around for a century or even longer. The French Market, an open-air marketplace, dates back to the 1700s, but it's also a contemporary neighborhood where people live, work, and play. At the nexus of these iterations lies Café du Monde, where you can savor a style of donut with ancient origins while watching the French Quarter's daily life play out. For me, the beignets here represent a link to the past and present — all wrapped up in a crispy, pillowy, and sugar-laden treat that's eternally tied to New Orleans. It's absolutely a regional food you have to try at least once.

For the uninitiated, a beignet (pronounced ben-yay) is a fried yeast fritter that's puffed with air and dusted in powdered sugar. I've been going to Café du Monde since I was a kid, and I eventually learned to make beignets at my first restaurant job in my hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana. I later moved to New Orleans, where I spent the better part of a decade eating my way through the city. Personally speaking, the historic Café du Monde epitomizes this iconic treat. Beignets are best served hot out of the fryer with a heaping amount of powdered sugar, and this coffee spot has survived for over a century by doing just that.

French settlers brought the beignet to New Orleans in the 17th century, but its roots date back to the Ancient Roman fried dough treat called scriblita. As New Orleans grew and changed, the beignet stayed. Today, folks in New Orleans love to argue about food and which spot serves the best version. For beignets, some swear by Morning Call, another old school company started in 1870, or newer places like Café Beignet that began in 1990. These days, you can get beignets with various sweet and savory fillings, including praline and even crab meat.

Still, for me, Café du Monde is hard to beat, especially the original location on Decatur Street across from Jackson Square, which was the city's cultural and civil heart back when Louisiana was still a French colony. Sit outside at a wrought iron table under the green and white awning of Café du Monde, listen to the jazz being played by locals nearby, and see the neighborhood in all its vividness. Bite into a tasty piece of history and sip a steaming café au lait made with chicory coffee, which is a major part of the New Orleans coffee culture. Celebrity chef David Chang believes Galatoire's is the perfect New Orleans restaurant for people watching, but Café du Monde might just offer a cheaper seat to a more dramatic view of the vibrant city scene.