The complete Cafe Du Monde menu for 2026 — beignets, chicory cafe au lait and every item on the short, iconic list. Open 24/7 in New Orleans since 1862. Below: the full menu, what makes it iconic, how to order, visiting tips, and answers to the most common questions.
Signature items
The four questions first-time visitors most commonly ask about Cafe Du Monde, answered at a glance.
Hot fried dough squares buried in powdered sugar. Non-negotiable on a first visit.
Half chicory-blend coffee, half steamed milk. The classic pairing with beignets.
Open 24/7 — early morning before the tourist crowds, or late night after dinner.
Black coffee and orange juice are vegan. Beignets and cafe au lait contain dairy or wheat.
Cafe Du Monde's menu has two categories. It has been this short for most of its 160-year history.
Cafe Du Monde has not survived 160 years by changing. The two things that made it famous in 1862 are still the two things on the menu today.
Three squares of fried dough, piping hot from the fryer and covered — completely covered — in powdered sugar. Light and airy inside, slightly crisp outside. There is no way to eat them without getting powdered sugar everywhere. That is expected and accepted.
Cafe au lait made with a dark-roasted coffee blended with chicory root. The chicory adds an earthy, slightly woody note that takes the edge off the roast bitterness. Half coffee, half steamed milk. The tradition of chicory coffee in New Orleans dates to the Civil War era.
With one exception — Christmas Day — Cafe Du Monde has been open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for most of its history. The French Quarter never sleeps, and neither does Cafe Du Monde. The open-air pavilion is part of the experience.
The powdered sugar on beignets is extreme by design. It floats into the air and settles on everything nearby. Wearing a dark shirt is a minor decision that pays dividends.
Cafe Du Monde is 24/7. Early morning (before 9 AM) and late night (after 10 PM) are the quietest windows. Midday and weekend afternoons can have long lines, especially in peak tourist season.
The French Quarter location accepts both cash and credit cards. Service is at the table — sit down, a server will come to you. Tipping is customary and appreciated.
The original location is an open-air structure adjacent to Jackson Square with a view of the Mississippi River levee. Weather is part of the experience — New Orleans summers are hot and humid, but the location draws crowds year-round.
Cafe Du Monde sells its beignet mix and chicory coffee blend as packaged retail products at the location and online. A reliable way to recreate the experience at home, or a practical souvenir.
The French Quarter is best accessed on foot, by streetcar, or by rideshare. Street parking in the Quarter is extremely limited. Paid lots are available nearby. The location at 800 Decatur St is walkable from many French Quarter hotels.
Cafe Du Monde was established in 1862 at the French Market in New Orleans — a public market that itself dates to 1791, making it one of the oldest in North America. The concept has remained nearly unchanged for over 160 years: beignets, cafe au lait, and a small list of drinks, served around the clock in an open-air pavilion steps from the Mississippi River.
The French Market location at 800 Decatur Street, New Orleans, is the original and most famous. Additional locations operate in the New Orleans metro area. Retail products — beignet mix and the chicory coffee blend — are sold at the location and through the official website, allowing visitors to take a piece of the experience home.
Cafe Du Monde closes only once a year, on Christmas Day. It is considered one of the essential New Orleans experiences alongside jazz, Mardi Gras and the French Quarter itself.
If you enjoyed Cafe Du Monde, these Menupedia pages cover other iconic and distinctive dining experiences.
Quick answers to the most common questions about the Cafe Du Monde menu, history, hours, and beignets.
Cafe Du Monde is world-famous for two things: beignets and cafe au lait. Beignets are hot squares of fried dough buried under a mountain of powdered sugar. Cafe au lait is a half-coffee, half-steamed-milk drink made with a dark chicory-blend coffee unique to New Orleans. The stand has been serving both since 1862 from its original location in the French Quarter.
Beignets (pronounced ben-YAYS) are a classic New Orleans pastry: squares of fried dough — light and airy inside, slightly crispy outside — served hot and buried under a thick coating of powdered sugar. At Cafe Du Monde they come in orders of three. They are best eaten immediately while hot; the powdered sugar is so generous that eating them without getting it on your clothes is considered nearly impossible.
Yes. Cafe Du Monde is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year — with one exception: it closes on Christmas Day. It has maintained 24-hour service at its original French Market location for most of its history, making it one of the few true around-the-clock dining landmarks in the United States.
The original and most famous Cafe Du Monde is at 800 Decatur Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, on the edge of Jackson Square in the French Quarter. It has been in this spot since 1862. There are also a handful of additional locations in the New Orleans metro area and a retail operation selling the chicory coffee blend and beignet mix for home preparation.
Chicory coffee is made by blending roasted and ground chicory root with regular coffee. Chicory root adds a slightly woody, earthy, and faintly sweet flavor and reduces the bitterness of the coffee. The tradition of adding chicory to coffee in New Orleans dates back to the Civil War era, when coffee was scarce and chicory was used to stretch the supply. Cafe Du Monde's signature blend has remained consistent since the 1800s.
Cafe Du Monde does not publish prices online. The menu is deliberately simple — an order of three beignets and a cafe au lait are the core offerings — and pricing is best confirmed at the counter or by calling the location directly. Given its location in a high-tourism area, expect pricing in line with French Quarter coffee stands. Cash and credit cards are accepted.
Yes. Cafe Du Monde sells its signature chicory coffee blend and beignet mix as packaged retail products. Both are available at the French Quarter location, at select New Orleans grocery stores, and through the official website at cafedumonde.com. The beignet mix allows you to make a close approximation of the fried dough at home.
Beignets and cafe au lait are vegetarian. Cafe au lait is not vegan because it contains steamed milk. Black coffee and orange juice are vegan. The menu is very short, so options are limited, but for vegetarians the full menu is accessible. Those with gluten sensitivities should note that beignets are made with wheat flour.
Cafe Du Monde was established in 1862, making it one of the oldest continuously operating food businesses in the United States. It has occupied its original location at the French Market in New Orleans for over 160 years. The French Market itself dates to 1791, making the site one of the oldest public markets in North America.
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