Festival International Insider's Guide Recommendations

Quick Meal - Ideal if you're in a hurry or have the kids in tow

• CENTRAL Pizza & Bar: Wood-fired pizzas & seasonal cocktails.
• The Flats: Burgers, fries, draft beer, and cocktails with an outdoor patio to boot.
• Pop’s Poboys: Classic Southern po' boys along with modern takes.

Friend/Date Night Feels - Perfect for setting the Festival mood

• Vestal: Welcoming, upbeat environment with open hearth cooking and thoughtfully, deliciously crafted beverages.
• Pamplona: Urban elegance with rustic Spanish simplicity, transporting flavors from traditional Spain fused with international tastes.
• Minami: Authentic Japanese dining experience with sushi, sashimi, ramen, hibachi and other delights.

We're Here for The Cocktails - More drink forward with some snacks

• Spoonbill Watering Hole & Restaurant: Serving a variety of plates ranging from fresh gulf seafood to burgers with patio seating perfect for drinking local beer, cocktails as well as tiki drinks.
• Wild Child Wine Shop: Your friendly neighborhood wine shop and tiny bar, focused on small production wines and conservas.
• Hideaway on Lee: Casual eatery serving comfort food and offering a full bar and live music.

Breakfast

• Dwyer's Cafe: One of the older plate lunch houses in Lafayette with diner style breakfast.
• Five Mile Eatery: Farm to table restaurant serving breakfast and lunch
• T'Coons: Plate lunch house serving diner style breakfast.
• Hub City Diner: 1950's all-American style diner serving breakfast and rotating plate lunches as well we dinner.
• Mel's Diner: 24-hour diner with daily plate lunch options.
• Edie’s Biscuit: Acclaimed breakfast venue whipping up omelets, biscuits and other hearty plates in no-frills digs.
• Black Café: Locally owned cafe with a full-service espresso bar serving breakfast and lunch.
• The French Press: Easygoing spot furnishing breakfast fare, sandwiches at lunch & American French dinners on weekends.
• Ton’s Downtown: Casual restaurant serving American and Creole dishes, including breakfast, burgers, and seafood.
• The Brown Skillet: Restaurant serving comfort food with a particular focus on breakfast, plus cakes and various flavors of lemonade.
• Parish Biscuit Company: Casual restaurant serving up traditional and innovative biscuit-based dishes, along with beer and cocktails.
• Ema’s Café: American restaurant serving dishes such as eggs Benedict and beignets in a cozy atmosphere.

Lunch

• Bayou Teche Brewing: Locally brewery with Neapolitan style pizzeria, tiki bar, and vintage arcade.
• Little Big Cup: Cajun-inspired eatery featuring breakfast, seafood, and po' boy sandwiches, and a full bar.
• Glenda’s Creole Kitchen: Casual, beloved eatery offering sizable servings of traditional Creole fare, including BBQ and stuffed turkey.
• Johnson’s Boucaniere: Down-home Cajun eatery known for homemade boudin served with smoked meats, BBQ, and beer.
• Laura’s II: Soul food restaurant serving turkey wings, ribs, and chicken and waffles, in an informal setting.

Coffee and Sweet Treats

• Carpe Diem Café & Wine Bar: Cozy espresso bar serving coffee, desserts, and cocktails, including gluten-free options.
• Reve Coffee Roaster: Coffee roaster offering brews and light bites in a bright, inviting space with Wi-Fi.
• Borden’s Ice Cream Shoppe: Restored landmark sweet shop offering ice cream, malts, hot dogs & other nostalgic treats.

Boiled Crawfish

• Prejean's: Serving up delicious Cajun flavors for over 75 years.
• The Cajun Table: Serving home-style Cajun cuisine from classic Louisiana dishes to boiled seafood.
• Dwight's: Cajun home-cooked plate lunches.

Swamp Tour

While in St. Martin Parish, a must-see is the Atchafalaya Basin, and there's no better way to explore this waterway than on a swamp tour. Whether you prefer a slow boat tour or a fast-paced airboat tour, you will see some amazing sites. The weather around this time is a little cold for alligators, but you will definitely see some birds and other wildlife, as well as the beauty of moss-draped cypress trees and other flora and fauna.

TABASCO

Head down to Avery Island for the full TABASCO experience. Start with lunch at Cafe 1868 or opt for the Culinary Experience, which is an hour-long exploration of the various foods and TABASCO flavors in the area. After, explore the many stops along the factory tour where you'll learn about the history of the family, how TABASCO is made from plant to bottle, and even taste some TABASCO ice cream and soda in the Country Store on your way out. On your way out, be sure to check out Jungle Gardens, a driving trail through the flora and fauna of the area, including a 100-year-old Budha statue and bird sanctuary.

Cajun Food Tour

Hop on Cajun Food Tour’s cozy customized tour bus to visit five locally owned authentic Cajun eateries over the course of three and a half hours. Discover Lafayette’s unique history, fall in love with the renowned culture, and, best of all, savor the staples that make Cajun cuisine so special.

Vermilionville Living History Museum & Folklife Park

After brunch, there's no better way to get moving than with a trip to Vermilionville Living History Museum. Tour the 23-acre site with historic homes and costumed artisans to discover the living history of the Acadians, Creoles, and Native Americans. You can opt for a self-guided or guided tour of the village. The best part? There's a weekly Sunday dance with Cajun & Zydeco acts in its Performance Center, one of the any historic dancehalls in the area.

Maison Freetown

Located in Lafayette’s historic Freetown neighborhood, Maison Freetown is a museum dedicated to preserving and honoring the untold stories and contributions of the Free People of Color and formerly enslaved individuals who shaped the community.

Lafayette Science Museum

Interactive exhibits exploring paleontology, marine biology & geology, plus a planetarium.

In Lafayette, LA you can stay in luxury, stay in history, or stay in budget. Choose from an assortment of hotels, bed and breakfasts, campgrounds and even houseboats.

The parades may be over, but the live music is just getting started. Explore the many dancehalls and music venues Downtown by checking out Lafayette Weekly. See below for a complete list of who to see and where to go for a fun-filled night of dancing.