Fun and entertainment The United States Of America

Drinking a chicory latte with beignets is an old Louisiana tradition and the Cafe du Monde is a true institution. Whether your stay is short or long, it is a must. You could stand there for hours watching the people and the army of employees go by. The Cafe du Monde has been open since 1862, when it was established in the French Market, and it's always a pleasure to sit there. Note that this branch is usually open 24 hours a day, a schedule that should be reinstated soon.

Formerly known as the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, it is the stadium of the Saints, New Orleans' beloved American soccer team and member of the NFL. The Superdome, which welcomed the population after Katrina and whose images went around the world, is the largest stadium in the world with such a dome. The venue hosts a huge number of artistic and sports performances. Unfortunately, if you don't go to see one of them, you won't be able to go back just to visit it.

The Rock Bottom Brewery chain has set up shop in Milwaukee just like in Chicago. People come here mainly for the huge outdoor patio overlooking the river and the variety of beers. The location is unbeatable, as it's within walking distance of many of the city's hotels and landmarks. It's a favorite spot for Milwaukeeans to spend some quality time on a sunny patio. The house also serves as a restaurant, and the menu offers fairly decent American specialties.

A slightly chic but pleasant atmosphere for dining to the sound of jazz music, in subdued blue light. If you want to chat, opt for the bar or the mezzanine, where you can see the stage without being too close to the music. In fact, the musicians are so close that a warm, friendly exchange takes place even from the stage. It's all in good spirit, and there's plenty to savor the moment with a glass of wine in hand. On the other hand, the food and cocktails are nothing extraordinary, and somewhat disappointing for the price.

One of the most popular bars on the Lower East Side. All you have to do is see the line to enter the establishment on weekends. Once in the bar, you can drink your beers quietly towards the entrance or walk to the back of the room to attend concerts where DJs and young New York bands, who mainly play alternative rock, perform. If you're single, dress up: an evening at Piano's is an opportunity to meet your soul mate, the place is famous for attracting New York singles!

Installed in these walls since 1875, this club is one of the most appreciated by jazz fans. In this intimate room nestled in the basement, excellent acoustics and an eclectic program. Monday evenings are dedicated to the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. On the walls, photos of Coltrane or Miles Davis show the great musicians who played there. An evening in this comfortable club remains a little luxury, but you will not regret it. Plan to arrive early as the most pleasant seats are at the tables at the front, near the stage.

A legend of black American music, this burlesque theatre built in 1913 was initially reserved for whites. In the 1930s, the Apollo became the performance centre for artists and black audiences. Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Dizzie Gillespy, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, etc.: all the greats have followed one another. The "amateur nights", reserved for beginner artists, saw the debut of James Brown or the Jackson Five. The principle is simple: at the end of each performance, the audience applauds or bows according to their appreciation.

Fred's Mexican Cafe is a chain that offers specialties at the crossroads of Mexican, Hawaiian and American cuisine (also present in San Diego and Huntington Beach). A good plan with hearty and delicious dishes! Among the classics are quesadillas, burritos, enchiladas and tacos with Hawaiian ingredients like Kalua Pork or pulled pork. Another specialty of the chain: margaritas, with more than ten different recipes, but also sangria and cerveza. A refreshing little Latino break.

This famous musical is a satire of the widespread corruption that prevailed in Chicago during prohibition. All this to very jazzy music. Certainly one of the most erotic Broadways shows. Filmmaker Rob Marshall adapted it in 2002 with Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renée Zellweger and Richard Gere in the lead roles and six Oscars! After Phantom of the Opera, Chicago is the most performed play on Broadway - knowing that it was even inaugurated earlier, in 1977, before being interrupted for nearly 20 years.

Conveniently located on the waterfront in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Mai Tai Bar raises its game at sunset. Comfortably seated on the terrace in front of a band of local musicians who play there every night from 6 to 10 pm, order one of their fruity cocktails. Vanilla, pineapple, ginger, champagne or coconut, the drinks have as many flavors as exotic colors. Glass in hand, turn towards the sea to enjoy the orange glow of the sun disappearing behind the horizon. Impeccable service.

A guaranteed atmosphere at the Barefoot Bar, the Duke's bar, a real institution for night trips to Waikiki. Local and international clientele. Live Hawaiian music from 16 am to 18 pm and from 22 pm to midnight. Also a restaurant on the floor.

A small tea room with an old-fashioned charm, where you come to enjoy scones and mini-sandwiches while sipping a good cup of tea. The tea card is as long as your arm. For those who like their drinks a little stronger, the establishment offers tea-based cocktails. If the downstairs room is full, which is often the case, especially on weekends, given the size of the place, there is a second space upstairs, just as cute.

Opened in 2017, this very cozy little vegetarian cafe offers quality natural products from the local market. The atmosphere is peaceful, with a brick and wood interior bathed in light thanks to a large bay window overlooking the street. One feels at home and in harmony in this small haven of peace. Fruit juices, organic tea, coffee, smoothie bowls made with fresh fruit and almonds, quinoa salad and much more to make you feel great and ready to walk the streets of the Mission district.

Just a stone's throw from the Walker Art Center, this café is part of a local chain with more than 70 locations in Minnesota. The Dunn brothers opened their first café in 1987 in St. Paul, and it was an immediate success thanks to the warm atmosphere and excellent coffee. Set up on two floors, this address has a multitude of tables, some armchairs and a terrace for the nice days. The coffee is roasted on the spot, not to spoil anything. A good little address, where you can stop before or after visiting the museum.

It is the largest Art Deco theatre in the world - opened in 1932 - with a capacity of nearly six thousand seats, and is located within Rockefeller Center. A true New York icon, Radio City Hall, recognizable by its red neon lights, almost disappeared. Saved by the skin of its teeth, it now hosts music-hall shows, some important premieres and sometimes great rock concerts. Not to be missed: the magical show of the Rockettes. The Grammy Awards and the Tony Awards were also recorded here.

This bar has fifteen screens for sports coverage. And just as well, because Las Vegas never ceases to shine with its various teams. The Golden Knights won the championship in 2023, while the Raiders (US soccer) and the Aces (women's basketball) continue to progress. The city is also the world capital of combat sports, from boxing to MMA, not to mention the arrival of a Formula 1 race in 2024... And you'll find it all at Tailgate Social!

This is one of the coziest addresses in Las Vegas. This cigar bar welcomes you in a luxurious setting with leather sofas and marble tables, as well as a very pleasant patio. Serving excellent whisky and bourbon cocktails, it also boasts a cigar cellar featuring over 150 different models from countries such as Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Honduras... And you can smoke on the premises - a rarity in the USA, as the Eight Lounge boasts the best ventilation system in the country!

This little speakeasy is a bar hidden behind a donut store in the Aria casino, which we recommend you discover at the end of the evening. Imagine a small cabaret room plunged into darkness, hosting intimate jazz concerts. Caviar, wine, champagne, cocktails and smoke shows - a mysterious little box containing a cocktail and chocolates bathed in a cloud of smoke from dry ice - are served late into the night. A typical '20s atmosphere for romantic evenings out!

The Greenwich Village neighborhood has no shortage of bars, but this one is a bit special as it is the first café in Manhattan dedicated to games. A block away from Washington Square Park, The Uncommons is mostly frequented by students from New York University, whose campus is just a stone's throw away. While classic board games like Monopoly are obviously present, the café also offers hundreds of strategy, card and creative games for customers to discover over a good beer or hot chocolate.

From the outset of the project in 2007, the Smith Center was envisioned as an international arts center, designed to showcase the most brilliant programming of the day. This ambition led its designers to study some of the world's finest opera houses, concert halls and performance spaces. Opened in late 2012, the venue hosts numerous concerts, ballets, musicals and plays making the facility a benchmark.

In Peninsula State Park, the entrance is via Fish Creek or Ephraim. Each year during the summer months (late June to mid-October), the professional Peninsula Players troupe presents theatrical performances in the wilderness, in the middle of a clearing, in the nature park north of Fish Creek. The program is available at the tourist offices in the region, and tickets are sold either on site or at the tourist office. Founded in 1938, this summer theatre is a great success and attracts people from the surrounding counties.

The best bowling alley in town! In fact, it's much more than just a bowling alley, it's an institution in its own right: thirty-six lanes, a high-tech system of baffles, smoking machines... Groups come here to throw the balls along the gutters and hit the strike, and to enjoy the overexcited atmosphere of the crowd. On Friday and Saturday nights, the place is full, but you can reserve your place by phone (but you'll be charged extra). Don't forget that Diversey River Bowl's other name is "Rock'n Bowl"!

The Gene Siskel Film Center is part of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and as such has been presenting a nonprofit program of independent and international films since 1972. Recognized as the best independent cinema in Chicago, it often screens French films. Note that to the right of the Gene Siskel Film Center are the ABC Chicago studios. You can see, through the glass windows, the set of the newspaper. Stop by during news time if you want to catch a glimpse of the Windy City's star anchors.

A large dark room and a large stage for the musicians, a beautiful bar, a space to dance, a calm and relaxed crowd, there is everything you need to spend a good evening at Martyr's. Bands can play rockabilly, blues, swing, funk or rock... Opening onto the street, bay windows create a neighbourhood bar atmosphere. Martyr's is also a restaurant, where sandwiches, pizzas, salads, etc. are served on tables decorated in memory of great musicians like Jim Morrison. A very good address to discover.

Still relatively unknown to tourists, Rosa's Lounge is reputed to be one of the most pleasant places to listen to good music, played by local artists. This small venue was opened by Tony Mangiullo, an Italian who dreamed of opening his own blues club, until his mother, Mama Rosa, who runs the bar, moved to Chicago. You have to come as soon as it opens if you want to get seats opposite the musicians. In our opinion, this is one of the best places to hear real blues.

Pops for Champagne is one of Chicago's newest and most elegant jazz clubs. It is located in the heart of the city, which does not spoil anything. The first floor with its bar in the centre and its large windows become the place of meeting "after work" where you start with a champagne cup or a glass of wine. A little later (five times a week), we go to the basement from 21 h to attend a jazz concert. The room is rather intimate and is in the spirit of the old clubs of Saint-Germain-des-Près.

This independent cinema, which opened its doors in 1929, presents foreign and independent films, silent films as well as great films from the 1980s. The place: an old theatre that has undergone few changes since its creation. It is framed by red velvet curtains in accordance with tradition. Its dark blue ceiling and its eight hundred seat hall are worth the detour... It is also famous for its organ that resounds on weekends. It is said that this cinema is haunted by Whitey, the first owner of the place...

Founded in 1903, the Minnesota Orchestra is one of the most renowned symphony orchestras in the United States. The hall (Orchestra Hall), rather small for an orchestra of this size (two thousand four hundred seats), has one of the best acoustics in the country. At the far end, behind the stage and up to the ceiling, cubes appear in relief. If they were installed for acoustic reasons, the visual effect is also striking! Good to know: two hours before the show, it is possible to buy tickets at a reduced price.

The Orpheum is the favorite theater of Minneapolis residents! From the outside, we are charmed by its pretty lighted facade. It opened in 1921 as the Hennepin Theatre, and was owned by Bob Dylan between 1979 and 1988. Restored in the 1990s, like three other theaters on the avenue, the Orpheum Theatre has been restored to its original elegance and now hosts Broadway blockbusters. The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera and Mamma Mia! were among the hit shows that were performed there.

Built in 1895 by beer magnate Frederick Pabst, whose house can be visited on Wisconsin Avenue, the Pabst Theater hosts concerts, film screenings and artistic performances in its late 19th century decor: grand staircases, magnificent chandeliers, draperies and carved wooden balconies are the pride of the city. Designed in the image of the greatest German opera houses, it is equipped with a superb organ and has incredible acoustics. We go there from all the surrounding towns to attend performances.

This outdoor theatre is located in Lincoln Park, a stone's throw from Lake Michigan. It presents, at affordable prices, shows as varied as musicals, one-man shows... Most events take place in the summer. The Chicago Summer Theatre is organized there and, in 2019, all performances were free. You can also dine there, all year round! The site celebrated its sixty-third season in 2015. Built in 1913 in the Prairie style, it offers a unique setting with majestic views of Lake Michigan.

More than the establishments in the Loop district, it's Steppenwolf that gives Chicago its reputation as a city of theaters. Founded in 1974 by actors Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry and Gary Sinise in a Highland Park church basement, the group has welcomed newcomers from the University of Illinois to become today a company of thirty-six actors, directors, scriptwriters and adapters. John Malkovich is one of the theater's permanent members and has directed many of the plays performed there.

Students gather here to study or chat over a good coffee or a vegetarian sandwich. With its (almost) neighbor the Fair Trade Café, it is the best place on the street to drink a decent coffee, not too diluted. On the walls of the first big room, local artists exhibit photos or paintings; if you're interested, talk to the staff, they're there for that. The back room is lined with shelves of books. In short, a nice place, where we support fair trade, to spend a relaxing and studious afternoon.

An independent café with character, where the coffee is ground on the spot. Its smell jumps out at you as soon as you walk through the door. Besides, everything here is homemade, not only the coffee, but also the sandwiches, the pastries, the Mexican salsas, the pizzas... We appreciate the warm atmosphere and the large communal tables, which make the place friendly. An authentic, genuine place to try for one of your lunch breaks.

In a lounge bar in the alternative district of Brady Street, you can expect a rather trendy scene, with cocktails, DJs, deep canapés. Well, that's exactly what the Hi Hat Garage on Brady offers. Super-strong Martinis and gin cocktails, DJ nights without admission at the entrance, a very different atmosphere from the beer bars in the city centre, although just as friendly. You can also eat unpretentious American food there.

If you're looking for ambiances like in good death, maybe you'll be happy with Buck Bradley's: here is the longest bar east of the Mississippi. Only crachoir is missing. Certainly, no one enters the door door, with a cowboy hat screwed on the skull, but the atmosphere is there. A little dark, very friendly, perfect for a drink in the evening. Possibility to eat on the thumb.

The Wicked Hop is housed in the oldest building in the historic Third Ward, a beautifully restored warehouse. With its rough brick walls and high ceilings, it's a Milwaukee favorite, and its happy hours are probably no small part of it. Not a day goes by without at least one discount on the menu! Tacos, fried fish, burgers... The place also serves one of the best Bloody Mary in town. During the nice days, the pleasant terrace is invaded every evening and weekend with their iconic brunch.

Situated at the foot of the hill, this café is popular with the locals all year round and especially in summer, when the terrace opens its parasols. The café occupies the structures of the former Lake Michigan water pumping station, once used to clean the Milwaukee River of its polluting residues. The setting has been redesigned to accommodate the small tables on several levels, and the building can be visited from top to bottom. Free concerts are held regularly during the summer. A very beautiful place.

Hopleaf is known throughout Chicago for its wide selection of beers: nearly seventy varieties of local or international, blond or brown, strong or light beers. Belgian beers are the best represented on the international map, and in particular the famous Chimay in small blue bottles. And for a beer bar, their dishes, especially sandwiches, are excellent, such as the one with duck, or the plate of mussels for two or the steak and chips. On sunny days, the terrace is particularly pleasant.

Cubby Bear is the fan bar for the Chicago Cubs baseball team, which plays at Wrigley Field across the street. A large tableless room on the ground floor has rows of flat screens where all matches are broadcast live. As soon as the crowd screams or roars in the stadium, the sound comes in stereo, from the TV and directly from the stands through the windows. A first and second floor welcome thirsty people before, during and after the match, who share their impressions of the day's possible home runs.

Just as the Michelangelo's a little lower on the street, the Fair Trade Café, as its name indicates, supports fair trade. The small terrace on the bottom is the right place to relax with a day of sightseeing.

Capital Brewery is a brewery that has already won numerous national and international awards (over two hundred, after all!). You can come and have a tasting session during the brewery's opening hours. Try the Maibock, the best-known of its beers, and the lightest. Afterwards, you'll have a choice of several seasonal beers, all very aromatic. The Capital Brewery hosts live concerts every Friday evening. Great atmosphere. For beer lovers, the brewery can also be visited from Friday to Sunday.

"Place your bets... nothing goes wrong", the wheel spinning, the fever rising... You can go and try your luck at the Potawatomi casino, with its rows of slot machines, poker, craps and roulette tables, there is everything you want. The casino is located in the not-so-pretty Menominee Valley industrial area, but you can tell that efforts are being made to spruce up the surroundings. On the other hand, the casino building is gleaming and its decoration is themed on the Potawatomi Indians, who own it.

Every evening, this establishment plays host to rock and reggae bands, attracting locals of all ages. The atmosphere is relaxed, even exhilarating on some nights on the dance floor. The decor is very American, with walls and a long wooden bar serving drinks and burgers for between US$8 and US$10. One of the best places for music lovers. If you're here for the music, there's no need to rush in before 9.30pm, as the bands rarely start on time.

Here, each room is inspired by a theme from the newspaper and the walls are covered with giant articles and editorials. In the Variety Room there is an article with the headline "Lennon in Love". In the sports hall, in addition to articles about the players, there are about ten televisions broadcasting matches. At the entrance, in the centre of the bar, a huge boat symbolises travel. There's even a wine bar at the back of the room. As you will have understood, it is not a particularly romantic place, but the atmosphere is pleasant.