New Orleans Bars Worth Planning Around

New Orleans drinking culture is not limited to Bourbon Street. The bars below range from French Quarter landmarks to neighborhood cocktail rooms and music venues. Addresses and signature drinks are included so you can map a route rather than wander into the first crowded doorway.

French Quarter and Nearby

The Carousel Bar & Lounge at Hotel Monteleone

214 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130

The 25-seat bar rotates slowly through a full circle, giving drinkers a changing view of the Hotel Monteleone lobby. The room leans into old-line New Orleans glamour, and the Vieux Carré was created here. Seats on the carousel turn over slowly, so arrive early or expect to stand with a drink and watch the mechanism work.

Napoleon House

500 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70130

The building was once proposed as a refuge for Napoleon Bonaparte, though he never came. Today it is a casual bar and restaurant with worn walls, exposed brick, and a courtyard. The Pimm’s Cup is the drink to order, especially in warm weather, and live music often fills the courtyard.

Pat O’Brien’s

718 St Peter St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Pat O’Brien’s is touristy, but the Hurricane is part of the city’s cocktail history and the courtyard has flaming fountains and piano players. The main bar gets loud. The courtyard is the better choice if you want to hear the dueling pianos without being packed into the bar.

Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar

941 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Lafitte’s claims to be one of the oldest structures used as a bar in the United States. The interior is dark and cavernous, with a smuggler’s-den reputation that fits the building. Frozen daiquiris, including the purple one, are popular, but the main draw is the sense of age and the quieter end of Bourbon Street.

Uptown, Mid-City, and Bywater

The Sazerac Bar at The Roosevelt

130 Roosevelt Way, New Orleans, LA 70112

The Sazerac Bar is dedicated to the city’s official cocktail. The art deco room has murals of Louisiana life and a formal, hotel-bar polish. The Sazerac is made with rye whiskey, an absinthe rinse, Peychaud’s bitters, and a sugar cube. It is a good pre-dinner stop or a nightcap if you want a classic cocktail in a dressed-up room.

Cure

4905 Freret St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Cure occupies a renovated former fire station on Freret Street. The cocktail menu changes with the season, and the bartenders are used to explaining the drinks rather than just pouring them. It is one of the bars that helped establish New Orleans’ modern craft cocktail scene, and the room is stylish without feeling stiff.

Bacchanal Fine Wine & Spirits

600 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70117

Bacchanal is a wine shop that turns into an outdoor bar and music venue in the evening. You pick a bottle from the shop, order small plates from the kitchen, and find a seat in the fairy-lit backyard. The Bywater setting is relaxed and bohemian, and live music is the reason many people stay for hours.

Port of Call

838 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116

Port of Call is a dark, unpretentious dive known for the Monk Punch and messy cheeseburgers. The French Quarter location on Esplanade is the one to seek out if you want the original dive-bar feel. Drinks are strong, the room is cozy, and it works well as a refueling stop before or after a night out.

Three Muses

536 Frenchmen St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Three Muses is an intimate Frenchmen Street venue for live music, creative cocktails, and small plates. It is quieter than some of the neighboring clubs, so you can actually hear the band and talk between sets. The cocktail list rotates, and the small room makes it a good choice for a date or a relaxed evening.

The Bulldog

3101 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

The Bulldog has a large draft selection that includes local craft beers, plus a patio on Magazine Street that is good for people-watching. It is a beer bar first, with an unpretentious local crowd and enough rotating taps to make repeat visits worthwhile.

Practical Notes

  • New Orleans bars move at their own pace. If a bartender is busy, wait your turn and order when you have their attention.
  • Summer heat and strong drinks make water a practical order. Most bars will give you ice water if you ask.
  • Frenchmen Street is the most reliable area for live music, but schedules change. Check the venue’s listings before you go.
  • Tip $1 to $2 per drink, and more for complex cocktails or table service.
  • Upscale hotel bars such as The Sazerac Bar call for slightly dressier clothes in the evening. Most neighborhood bars are casual.
  • If you are walking late at night, stay on well-lit streets and keep to groups when possible.

New Orleans has bars for different kinds of nights: a rotating carousel seat, a courtyard Pimm’s Cup, a Sazerac in an art deco room, or a backyard bottle of wine with a band. Pick two or three neighborhoods rather than trying to cover the whole city in one night.