A Night Out in Historic Downtown Alexandria

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    We recently had the opportunity to spend one night in the historic section of Alexandria, Louisiana.  Yes, this is sort of a forgotten gem--full of southern elegance.  We decided to make the most out of this one night stay.

The Hotel Bentley



    The historic Hotel Bentley in downtown Alexandria is one of those incredible places where the saying, "they don't make 'em like that anymore" applies.  The grand hotel lobby and front "porch" complete with rocking chairs says it all.  There is even a "Titanic" style grand staircase.  Now, don't get me wrong, this hotel has seen better days.  The corridors could use a little sprucing up and this is probably due to a lackluster economy.  But, for me, I thoroughly enjoyed every nook and cranny of this place.  

The Mirror Room


    After check in, we began our night out with a stop at the hotel bar, The Mirror Room.  This dark basement bar has some cool features including murals and live music.  It wasn't long before the place was packed with regulars.


    The Diamond Grill

    We met up with a couple of local old friends who know everyone and every place in town, took us to their favorite restaurant.  The Diamond Grill, the former Schnack's Pharmacy, is also rich in history.  The restaurant has an Art Deco style with unique features like the staircase up to the bar and the wine room made from an old safe. 

    The Diamond is renowned in the area for its steaks and seafood.  


We got the Tuna Napoleon which was stacked with avocado, Napa cabbage and sesame oil.  

We couldn't pass up the ribeye which comes with one side.  We chose the sautéed Brussel sprouts.  After much conversation and a few bottles of wine, we retired to our room which was a standard king with an antique style bed.

Check out this Hotel Bentley room tour

Breakfast

    On the following morning, we made a quick stop at an eclectic coffee shop, Tamp and Grind, a 5 minute walk from the hotel, is a great way to kick off your morning with a jolt of java.  


        We could have eaten at the hotel restaurant, but since we were continuing on a journey, we opted for a place on the way out of town.  Le Bistreaux is a breakfast/coffee shop, which specializes in out of this world waffles.  They also offer bene's and lunch items.


       Breakfast was a perfect end to our little adventure in "Alec" as the locals call it.

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Mary deSilva is an artist, world traveler and travel writer.

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