FOR the hottest party in New Orleans, hit the street where the music is always pumping and the booties always shaking says ALASTAIR BANGHAM

The famous Bourbon Street is still the beating heart of the city’s nightlife in New Orleans. Running through the French Quarter, it boasts nearly a mile of bars, cafes, restaurants, jazz clubs and cabaret shows.

A regular Friday night here sees folk flock on to the street hell-bent on partying.

Most bars offer live music but the street is where the party is at.

Bar crawling is a way of life here as you are encouraged to walk the street with your “Big-Ass-Beer”, strawberry daiquiri or fishbowl-to-go. You can even take your drinks from bar to bar.

Soon you’ll be in a boozy, happy haze, maybe not the best state to try the bucking bronco at the Bourbon Cowboy. I managed four minutes, which was impressive given my state. But the cowgirl-themed bar staff are the real experts, showing off their talents with a range of riding styles.

For a more civilised evening’s entertainment, step out of the chaos of Bourbon Street and into Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse at the Royal Sonata Hotel.

Plush interiors and mood lighting create a fitting backdrop for the funky jazz acts that grace the stage.

Frenchman Street, on the eastern border of the French Quarter, also provides welcome relief.

This handful of bars and cafes offers an insight to the real New Orleans – dark, intimate venues with a folky vibe. Off the beaten track, it offers great hospitality and musical gems.

Music may feed your soul but don’t neglect the soulful food on offer.

Not far from my hotel, The Hilton on St Charles Street, was Dooky Chase, a famous creole restaurant headed by 87-year-old Leah Chase, below left. Leah’s story was the inspiration behind Princess Tiana, the cartoon star of Disney film The Princess And The Frog.

Leah came to New Orleans in the 1940s with the dream of owning her own restaurant – and it is now one of America’s most famed eateries.

Her restaurant’s modest facade masks a quirky interior crammed with local art, painstakingly restored following its closure for nearly two years after substantial flood damage caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Despite her age Leah is still cooking up a storm. When we arrived she was whipping up some of her famous gumbo for Quincy Jones, producer of Michael Jackson’s Thriller. The King of Pop himself was a fan of her sweet potato pie in his younger years.

FACT FILE
ALASTAIR stayed at the Hilton New Orleans on St Charles Avenue, where prices start at £65 per night. See hilton.com for more information.

Fly from Heathrow to New Orleans with United Airlines, where a return flight in June starts at £657. See united.com or call 0845 8444 777 to book.

The Princess and the Frog is out now on Disney Blu-ray and DVD.