Five ways to experience New Orleans when the US opens its borders

Inside a scruffy-looking building on St Peter Street in the French Quarter lies the spiritual home of traditional New Orleans jazz. Preservation Hall lives up to its name in preserving the city’s musical legacy. Five times a day, they play to the 100 or so people that can cram inside, and it’s a magical, intimate experience. preservationhall.com

The image of the oldfashioned steamboat is indelibly intertwined with New Orleans, and the Mississippi river influences everything from the city’s commerce to its irregular shape. Steamboats these days are used only for scenic cruises – try Steamboat Natchez (above) – but it’s still a thrill to paddle slowly down the river to the sound of the steam calliope organ. steamboatnatchez.com

Taking place in February or March depending on the calendar, Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, is an explosion of parades, colour, music and over-indulgence. People costume and party across the entire city in a decadent celebration of the city’s many cultures, and anyone is welcome to join in. mardigrasneworleans.com

Red velvet curtains and low-slung partitions create intimate dining areas at La Petite Grocery. Hearing that a chef is putting their own spin on classics can set alarm bells ringing, but chef Justin Devillier’s takes are as hot as a Louisiana summer. The blue crab beignets should be too intriguing to ignore, as should the turtle bolognese, both typical of the innovation here. lapetitegrocery.com

If it weren’t backed up by its historical heft, a rotating bar in the form of a circus merry-go-round might seem gimmicky. This century-old contraption seats 25 around the Carousel Bar, the world revolving almost unnoticeably as you settle in for a brandy milk punch. hotelmonteleone.com

Paul Oswell

Read the full guide to New Orleans at telegraph.co.uk/ tt-neworleans