Drink
| Bar Guide |  |
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| - prepared through many hours of intensive liquid research by Brian Huddleston of Loyola University School of Law Library and Brent Hightower, Director of Library Services, Adams and Reese LLP, with assistance from Miriam Childs, Jennifer Creevy, and Greg Duhé of the Law Library of Louisiana. | ||
| Things to know before you head out: | ||
| 1. Hours of operations for many of the bars are not available because they never close. Most New Orleans bars are open (and serve alcohol) 24 hours/day, although some have limited hours now thanks to the Big Storm (don't say the K word). | ||
| 2. Don't freak out if you see people with open containers drinking on the street. Both perfectly legal in New Orleans. One caveat: glass containers are not allowed on the sidewalks. Most bars use plastic, but, should you find yourself holding a glass cup or bottle, grab a “go cup” before heading outside. |  |
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Examples of "Go Cups" |
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3. While some of the bars below are marked as especially appropriate for the Gen X/Gen Y set (or those young at heart), people of widely varying ages are often seen mingling at the same club. After all, people come to New Orleans to blow off steam and we are the original "what is done here, stays here" city. Also, various musical guests attract crowds of all ages. To find out if a club is right for you, check out the comments section first and/or check out the club's website. |
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| Alphabetical List of Bars/Clubs | ||
| Bars by Neighborhood | ||
| * = especially appropriate for the Genx/Gen Y set | ||
| Alphabetical List of Bars/Clubs | ||
*Apple Barrel |
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*Blue Nile |
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Bourbon St. Blues Co. |
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*Cafe Brazil |
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Carousel Bar |
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Chart Room |
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*Checkpoint Charlie |
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Circle Bar |
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*D.B.A. |
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Ernst Café |
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Fritzel's Jazz Pub |
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*Gold Mine Saloon |
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*Hip Stix |
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*Hookah Cafe |
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House of Blues |
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*Howlin' Wolf |
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Johnny White’s Sports Bar |
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Kerry Irish Pub |
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LOA Candlelight Bar |
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| Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop 941 Bourbon Street Occupying one of the oldest buildings in the city, dating back at least to 1772 and featuring very little in the decor that seems to have been updated since then, Lafitte’s is always included on lists of must-visit bars in the French Quarter, and is one of the few that is definitely deserving of that suggestion. |
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Le Bon Temp Roule |
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Lucy's Retired Surfers bar |
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Maple Leaf Bar |
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| Molly’s at the Market Neighborhood: French Quarter Type of Establishment: Bar 1107 Decatur St. (504) 525-5169 The best Irish pub in the Quarter. The decorative wooden urn behind the bar contains the ashes of the bar’s late owner and founder. |
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| Napoleon House Neighborhood: French Quarter 500 Chartres Street The perfect place to have a refreshing Pimm’s Cup after walking around the Quarter on a hot summer day. The café menu has an excellent cheese plate and their muffaletta - a classic New Orleans sandwich of salami, ham, and Provolone topped with olive salad - is one of the best in the city. |
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| Post-Katrina limited hours : CAFE: FRI-WED 11:30 am - 5pm (Limited Menu) BAR (no food served): TUES-WED & FRI-SAT: 11:30 am - Midnight; THURS: 6:00 pm - Midnight |
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Old Absinthe House | ||
One Eyed Jacks |
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| Pat O’Brien’s Neighborhood: French Quarter 718 St. Peter Street Famous since the 1940s for one of New Orleans’ signature drinks, The Hurricane, which is just rum added to an overly sweet fruit juice mix that tastes like Hawaiian Punch (which may help explain why Pat O’s is the #1 bar in the world for customers who only order one drink, though for various reasons). Its definitely a great looking place, with a huge courtyard and four separate bars, so if you order something besides the Hurricane it can be worth a visit. |
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| Peristyle Neighborhood: French Quarter 1041 Dumaine Street A little too far to walk to, but this is one of the city’s best restaurants, so if you make a reservation for dinner and take a cab, get there early and sit at their gorgeous and very well-stocked bar for a pre-dinner drink or two. The two large murals of New Orleans’ City Park are the inspiration for the restaurant’s name. |
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Pirate’s Alley Café |
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Port Of Call |
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*Republic Club |
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*Spotted Cat |
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Tipitina's |
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| *Tropical Isle Neighborhood: French Quarter Type of Establishment: Bar 721 Bourbon St. (504) 529-4109 Home of the Hand Grenade, a melon-flavored alcoholic beverage purported to be the Most Powerful Drink in New Orleans. |
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Whiskey Blue |
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Zydeque |
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| Bars by Neighborhood | ||
| French Quarter | ||
| Bourbon St. Blues Co. Neighborhood: French Quarter/Bourbon St. Type of Establishment: Bar 441 Bourbon (504) 566-1507 Bourbon Street bar with live music most nights of the week. |
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| Carousel Bar Neighborhood: French Quarter Type of Establishment: Piano Bar/Lounge 214 Royal St. (in Hotel Monteleone) (504) 523-3341 Just off the lobby of the Monteleone Hotel is the Carousel Bar, the centerpiece of which is the circular main bar decorated like a carousel and which revolves in a full circle every fifteen minutes. The Monteleone is one of only three hotels in the country to be designated as a literary landmark, and it and the Carousel were a New Orleans favorite for writers such as William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, and Truman Capote. The hotel is reputedly haunted. |
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| Chart Room Neighborhood: French Quarter Type of Establishment: Bar 300 Chartres St. 504-522-1708 |
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| *Checkpoint Charlie Neighborhood: French Quarter Type of Establishment: Bar/Music venue 501 Esplanade (504) 949-7012 Free music & washing machines, lots of local flavor |
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| Fritzel's Jazz Pub Neighborhood: French Quarter Type of Establishment: Bar 733 Bourbon St. (504) 561-0432 Good bar for Dixieland jazz. Come early though because the club is small and the jazz is hot! |
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| *Gold Mine Saloon Neighborhood: French Quarter Type of Establishment: Bar/Nightclub 705 Dauphine St. (504) 586-0745 Home of the Flaming Dr. Pepper drink. |
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| House of Blues Neighborhood: French Quarter Type of Establishment: Music venue/Bar 225 Decatur St. (504) 529-2583 Large music venue with restaurant and bars. Check their website for the lineup. |
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| Johnny White’s Sports Bar Neighborhood: French Quarter Type of Establishment: Sports Bar 720 Bourbon Street (504) 523-0839 Many bars in New Orleans are open twenty-four hours a day, but this tiny establishment is worth a stop, if for no other reason than to be able to say you’ve had a drink at the only place in New Orleans that didn’t even close for Katrina. They managed to stay open during the hurricane itself, the subsequent chaos, the extended power outage, and the subsequent weeks of evacuation and curfew and even somehow found a supply of ice to keep the beer cold (those National Guardsmen and state troopers can be very helpful in a scratch-my-back-and-I’ll-scratch yours sort of way). Of course, they sell t-shirts and other memorabilia to commemorate that accomplishment. |
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| Kerry Irish Pub Neighborhood: French Quarter Type of Establishment: Address: 331 Decatur St. (504) 527-5954 Fun Irish Pub in the downtown area. Live music 5-7 nights a week. |
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| Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop 941 Bourbon Street Occupying one of the oldest buildings in the city, dating back at least to 1772 and featuring very little in the decor that seems to have been updated since then, Lafitte’s is always included on lists of must-visit bars in the French Quarter, and is one of the few that is definitely deserving of that suggestion. |
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| Molly’s at the Market Neighborhood: French Quarter Type of Establishment: Bar 1107 Decatur St. (504) 525-5169 The best Irish pub in the Quarter. The decorative wooden urn behind the bar contains the ashes of the bar’s late owner and founder. |
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| Napoleon House Neighborhood: French Quarter 500 Chartres Street The perfect place to have a refreshing Pimm’s Cup after walking around the Quarter on a hot summer day. The café menu has an excellent cheese plate and their muffaletta - a classic New Orleans sandwich of salami, ham, and Provolone topped with olive salad - is one of the best in the city. |
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| Old Absinthe House Neighborhood: French Quarter Type of Establishment: Bar 240 Bourbon St. (504) 523-3181 Although no longer serves absinthe (it is illegal), this bar is pictured on the label of the absinthe-substitute Herbsaint, which is produced by a company here in New Orleans. Open for two centuries, this bar has seen many celebrities including Oscar Wilde, P.T. Barnum, Mark Twain, Jenny Lind, Enrico Caruso, General Robert E Lee, Franklin Roosevelt, Liza Minelli and Frank Sinatra. |
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| One Eyed Jacks Neighborhood: French Quarter Type of Establishment: Club/Music Venue 615 Toulouse St. (504) 569-8361 |
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| Pat O’Brien’s Neighborhood: French Quarter 718 St. Peter Street Famous since the 1940s for one of New Orleans’ signature drinks, The Hurricane, which is just rum added to an overly sweet fruit juice mix that tastes like Hawaiian Punch (which may help explain why Pat O’s is the #1 bar in the world for customers who only order one drink, though for various reasons). Its definitely a great looking place, with a huge courtyard and four separate bars, so if you order something besides the Hurricane it can be worth a visit. |
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| Peristyle Neighborhood: French Quarter 1041 Dumaine Street A little too far to walk to, but this is one of the city’s best restaurants, so if you make a reservation for dinner and take a cab, get there early and sit at their gorgeous and very well-stocked bar for a pre-dinner drink or two. The two large murals of New Orleans’ City Park are the inspiration for the restaurant’s name. |
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| Pirate’s Alley Café Neighborhood: French Quarter 622 Pirate's Alley Located near Jackson Square adjacent to the St. Louis Cathedral and behind the Cabildo. When you sit on a sidewalk table at this hole in the wall bar and café, you can get a sense of what the quarter was like back in the nineteenth century. They sometimes have live music on the unbelievably tiny stage next to - and smaller than - the rest room. |
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| Port Of Call Neighborhood: French Quarter Type of Establishment: Restaurant/Bar 838 Esplanade 504-523-0120 A dark dive that resembles the hold of a ship, house specialities include powerful Hawaiian-themed drinks served in large plastic souvenier cups. Best burgers in the French Quarter. |
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| *Tropical Isle Neighborhood: French Quarter Type of Establishment: Bar 721 Bourbon St. (504) 529-4109 Home of the Hand Grenade, a melon-flavored alcoholic beverage purported to be the Most Powerful Drink in New Orleans. |
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| Zydeque Neighborhood: French Quarter Type of Establishment: Restaurant and bar. 808 Iberville St. (504) 565-5520 |
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| Marigny | ||
| *Apple Barrel 609 Frenchmen St. Neighborhood: (Marigny/Frenchmen St. neighborhood) Type of Establishment: Bar (504) 949-9399 Good spot for local music on Frenchmen St. |
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| *Blue Nile Neighborhood: Marigny/Frenchmen St. Type of Establishment: Bar/Nightclub 534 Frenchmen St. (504) 948-2583 Good spot for live music on Frenchmen St. Here’s a Frommer’s review. |
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| *Cafe Brazil Neighborhood: Marigny/Edge of French Quarter Type of Establishment: Bar/Music venue 2100 Chartres St (504) 949-0851 A favorite hangout for French Quarter natives. Think dredlocks and facial piercings. |
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| *D.B.A. Neighborhood: Marigny/Frenchmen St. Type of Establishment: Bar/Music venue 618 Frenchmen St. (504) 942-3731 |
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| *Hookah Cafe Neighborhood: Marigny/Frenchmen St. Type of Establishment: Bar/Tobacco Bar/Tapas 500 Frenchmen St (504) 251-5690 Unique Hookah and Tapas bar just outside of the French Quarter. Features belly dancing Sunday nights. |
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| *Spotted Cat Neighborhood: Marigny/Frenchmen St. Type of Establishment: Bar/Music Venue 623 Frenchmen St. 504-943-3997 Great local music spot on Frenchmen. Check out this Frommer’s review. |
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| Warehouse District | ||
Circle Bar |
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| *Hip Stix Neighborhood: Warehouse District Type of Establishment: Restaurant and Bar 870 Tchoupitoulas St. (504) 581-2858 |
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| *Howlin' Wolf Neighborhood: Warehouse District Type of Establishment: Music venue/Bar 828 S. Peters St. (504) 529-5844 Cool venue for live local music. |
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| Lucy's Retired Surfers bar Neighborhood: Warehouse District Type of Establishment: Bar and Restaurant 701 Tchoupitoulas St. (504) 523-8995 Laid back bar and restaurant in the Warehouse District. |
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| *Republic Club Neighborhood: Warehouse district Type of Establishment: Nightclub, bar 828 S. Peters St. (504) 528-8282 Nightclub and bar features live music including DJs most nights of the week. Check their website for current events. |
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| Central Business District | ||
| Ernst Café Neighborhood: CBD Type of Establishment: Bar and Restaurant 600 S. Peters St. (504) 525-8544 |
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| LOA Candlelight Bar Neighborhood: CBD Type of Establishment: Bar 221 Camp St. (504) 553-9550 Nice bar located in International House Hotel. |
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| Whiskey Blue Neighborhood: CBD Type of Establishment: Bar 333 Poydras St. (504) 207-5016 Trendy, modern bar located in the W hotel on Poydras St. |
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| Uptown | ||
| Le Bon Temp Roule Neighborhood: Uptown Type of Establishment: Bar/Music venue 4801 Magazine St. (504) 897-3448 Cool uptown spot with live music most nights of the week. Requires a cab ride. |
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| Maple Leaf Bar Neighborhood: Uptown/Carrollton Type of Establishment: Music venue/Bar 8316 Oak St. (504) 866-9359 Live local music. Check out Dirty Dozen Brass Band if you’re in town on Tuesday night. Requires a cab ride. |
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| Tipitina's Neighborhood: Uptown Type of Establishment: Music hall/Bar 501 Napoleon Ave. (504) 891-8477 Famous music venue. Check the website to see who’s playing. Requires a cab ride. |
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