22 Best Bars In New Orleans
There aren't many cities in America that have a reputation for drinking quite like New Orleans. Regardless of whether it's Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, or an ordinary sunny weekend, the Crescent City tosses 'em back. Naturally, there are a lot of bars, taverns, pubs, and dives to quench this insatiable thirst. That's partly the fun of imbibing here: There are so many different types of places to drink. From historic houses turned into seedy stops to unassuming establishments that have won international acclaim, there are more unique and original-to-New Orleans cocktails than you can cover in a single trip.
When it comes to the best bars in New Orleans, there are some things to consider. First, do the locals like it? This seems incredibly subjective, but the folks down here know excellence. Second comes the bar program. Does the bar in question have an exceptional wine list, a unique approach to cocktail theory, or a refusal to scalp you on an ice-cold domestic? For some, a "best bar" is going to be divey. For others, it takes a serious approach to the craft of cultivating vino selections or developing cocktail recipes. I've done my best to include a mix of both. As someone who spent nearly a decade living here, trust me when I say the best bars in New Orleans meet these criteria, and more.
Jewel of the South
New Orleans has a lot of taverns. Many of them are historic. Few, however, embody New Orleans cocktail past and present like Jewel of the South does. The bar has received accolades denoting national excellence from the James Beard Foundation. It's also been slotted among exceptional international establishments as a member of the World's 50 Best.
The wine list at Jewel is incredibly sharp, but without a doubt, the cocktails are the true reason for any visit. A menu highlight includes an International Bartenders Association-recognized cocktail called the Brandy Crusta (Remy 1738 Cognac, Pierre Ferrand dry Curacao, lemon, Luxardo maraschino, and Angostura bitters). It's found new life at Jewel of the South, and will do the same as a new favorite of yours.
(504) 265-8816
1026 St Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70112
Hot Tin
Hot Tin is one of NOLA's most special rooftop bars, and it's found atop the Pontchartrain Hotel. It's not only creative in name, which plays off of Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," but it also has an inventive bar program. On busy weekends, it can be a wait to get in, so it's worth knowing that the place is more than just a good-looking photo op.
Many of Hot Tin's specialty cocktails riff on drinks that are considered classics around these parts. One example takes duck fat-washed rye and uses it as a building block for a Sazerac, which is the city's signature drink. Similarly, a typical Southern tipple, the hot toddy, gets a fragrant twist with the addition of local Cathead honeysuckle vodka.
(504) 323-1500
2031 St Charles Ave, FL 14, New Orleans, LA 70130
Cure
Cure has been serving New Orleans since 2009, and while that doesn't necessarily make it one of the city's most historic bars, it is a staple to visit. The bar jump-started a once-floundering craft cocktail culture in New Orleans and is so well known for cultivating talent that when it publishes a seasonal cocktail menu, the list includes the name of the bartender who developed it.
Divinely produced classics are always an option, but you're here for the "rogue" cocktails and those that break convention. A current example: This Time Tomorrow #2, a whiskey sour that features profiles of lemongrass, chai, and brûléed banana.
(504) 302-2357
4905 Freret St, New Orleans, LA 70115
Bacchanal Wine Bar
Locals and tourists alike will agree that there are few places like Bacchanal in the city. In fact, there may be no place like Bacchanal in the city. The entrance is a wine shop, the rest of the building a mix between a restaurant, cafe, garden, live music venue, and friendly neighbor's backyard.
Most incredibly, Bacchanal is affordable. That can be increasingly rare for a wine bar these days, especially one that deals in a continually rotating selection of Old World styles. Predominantly, though, the wines are low intervention and inviting.
(504) 948-9111
600 Poland Ave, New Orleans, LA 70117
The Elysian Bar
The Elysian Bar, located in the Marigny, is everything you want in a New Orleans bar. Sophisticated. Creative. And, located just a floor or two below you, if you happen to be a guest staying at the swanky Hotel Peter and Paul.
In no uncertain terms, the cocktail program at the Elysian Bar hits, and you can chalk that up to a deep commitment to using ingredients you might rarely see in a cocktail lounge. One example is the current Asphodel Meadows. The base spirit of mezcal is paired with a geographic sharpness to Xtabentun, an anise and fermented honey spirit that comes from Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. Buen provecho.
ash.world/dining/the-elysian-bar
(504) 356-6769
2317 Burgundy St, New Orleans, LA 70117
Cane & Table
As stifling as the temperature can get in the Crescent City, many visitors aren't aware that New Orleans is a hotspot for tropical or tiki cocktails beyond the famous frozen daiquiris or a Hurricane. A lack of nearby beaches will do that. However, Cane & Table's rum-focused theme effuses a connection to Old Havana that is decidedly at home in New Orleans.
A menu of mai tais and daiquiris awaits you at the bar, including a custom version of the former featuring rums from Martinique and Grenada, as well as Jamaica. And, a scratch-made Hurricane for those who want the New Orleans signature served as it deserves to be, no prebatched Fassionola.
(504) 581-1112
1113 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116
Arnaud's French 75 Bar
Although the French 75 was invented during World War I, in France, the French 75 bar at Arnaud's Creole restaurant has maintained it as a namesake since opening in 2003. That said, it has been around since long before. Arnaud's restaurant opened in 1918, and the bar has undergone several iterations since then.
The establishment is quintessential New Orleans, from the cocktails to the snacks. The eponymous name is only one reason to show up. The Arnaud's Special (Monkey Shoulder and Laphroaig Scotches, dubonnet, amer picon, apricot liqueur) is another.
arnaudsrestaurant.com/bars/french-75
(504) 523-5433
813 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70112
Manolito
Manolito is a snug bar found in the French Quarter. It's named after Manuel Carbajo, the famed proprietor of the Havana, Cuba bar, El Floridita. Manolito follows the footsteps philosophy of the famous establishment and New Orleans daiquiris culture by serving with the gravitas and fashion of professional cantineros.
As such, the menu at Manolito is divided into styles of drink preparation: blended (and double blended), shaken, thrown, effervescent, and served in a glass. If you're lost, the bartenders are excellent guides that help warm your pallet with something cold.
(504) 603-2740
508 Dumaine St, New Orleans, LA 70116
Avenue Pub
Once upon a time, the St. Charles-based Avenue Pub had business hours that spanned all day, all year. That's right, the famous tap room used to operate 24/7 during Christmas, New Year, or any other holiday you can think of. Nowadays, it's open until a much more reasonable 1:00 a.m. (or later, on the weekends).
If you're riding the streetcars up and down town, make sure to hop off at Avenue. There are 40+ beers on tap, including a wide range of domestics, local microbrews, and imports from across the globe.
(504) 586-9243
1732 St Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130
Jolie
Jolie is a standard among the cocktail bars in New Orleans. If you're coming for a glass of vino, you should know that the wine list skews European, as does the French-dominated food that accompanies it. Creative cocktail offerings are really where it's at, though.
A trip to this bar should involve starting off with happy hour, when a cocktail du jour can be scored for $12, while classic margaritas, mules, daiquiris, and the like go for just $10. Outside of that, the menu has a lot of hitters, like the Genesis (Appleton Estate rum, Grand Marnier, Cynar, Aperol, orange bitters, and Campari dust).
(504) 766-7233
324 Julia St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Bouligny Tavern
If ever there was a reason that the drink program wasn't enough to draw you to Bouligny Tavern, at least there would still be the ambiance of the place. Walnut paneling and stone accents ground the place; vintage and mid-century furniture sets it off. There's a preference for both jazzy and more new-age vinyl, which spins throughout the night there.
Still, it's highly unlikely the drinks will ever stop being good. Not with unctuous sippers like the Martini Madrileño (Bristow gin, Orleans Borbon Manzanilla, orange bitters, anchovy olives, and piparra pepper) or the passionfruit and brandy-focused Kitty Twist are on the play.
(504) 891-1810
3641 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115
Bank St. Bar
In contrast to some of New Orleans' more chic spots, Bank Street Bar is a true locals watering hole. Ownership has recently changed and the bar reopened, which is good for the folks who know what the neighborhood would have been missing without it.
A night out at Bank St. can promise a lot of fun, especially if there is a band scheduled to rip on the small front stage, which there normally is. Sometimes, if you're lucky, you can even hit on an open mic or karaoke evening. Be sure to check out the events page. Where else can you still get a beer and shot combo for under $8?
(504) 355-3770
4401 Banks St, New Orleans, LA 70119
Saint-Germain
St. Claude is a changing street that has indicated a changing neighborhood for many years. Among the businesses to emerge over the decade is the Paris-centric bistro Saint-Germain. The restaurant offers a reservation-only, 10-course tasting menu, and it garners a lot of attention.
For those just looking to hang in a high-vibe space, there is also a garden patio wine bar open from Thursdays through Mondays. The focus is on stunning minimal intervention and natural wines, like the sparkling Bisson Bianco delle Venezie, a frizzante made from glera grape, or the Weiss & Grau, a pinot blanc/pinot gris blend from Enderle & Moll in Baden, Germany.
(504) 218-8729
3054 St Claude Ave, New Orleans, LA 70117
The Kingpin
As an old-school neighborhood hangout spot, the Kingpin shoulders a legacy. Dive bars are crucial threads in the fabric of NOLA, but without a doubt, these types of joints are fighting for survival. Nowhere does revelry in the face of doom quite like New Orleans, though, which is why the Kingpin is such a damn good time.
Shuffleboard, darts, slots, friendly bartenders, cheap drinks: These are a few of the favorite things that draw folks to the Kingpin. Sometimes, you can catch a food truck prowling nearby or, if you're lucky, a pop-up oyster bar. Expect to also find a nice music selection.
(504) 891-2373
1307 Lyons St, New Orleans, LA 70115
Snake & Jakes Christmas Club Lounge
If you were to walk by Snake & Jake's during the day, you might think it's a closed or even abandoned building. Pass by at night, and the crowd that spills outside will assure you that this place is as alive and well as the vegetation that engulfs it.
The interior of Snake & Jakes is a Christmas Lounge, as advertised. But the back patio is where it's truly at. So lush you'll forget you're at a dive bar or even in a concrete city at all. Cop a can of Shlitz and stay awhile; the place is open all night.
(504) 861-2802
7612 Oak St, New Orleans, LA 70118
Verret's Lounge
Quintessential New Orleans culture is found at Verret's, a Central City dive with a lot of history and loud music, when it's played (which is often). The unassuming bar looks like nothing but a good time: slightly scruffy, a little bygone, the sort of place where you end a night of energetic bar hopping or get one off to a great start.
If you're looking for food here, it'll likely just be a bag of Zapps or maybe a pop-up slinging snack. Likewise, the bar options aren't extensive, but you are not going to be charged like they are. As Verret's motto goes, "Calm down, cool off, cocktails."
(504) 895-9640
1738 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70113
Bar Brine
The Sneaky Pickle has been NOLA's most prominent vegan restaurant for years now, whereas Bar Brine is an alter-ego that takes over the location come nightfall. It opened in 2021 and, since then, has emerged as a special place in the Bywater to grab a cocktail. Be warned that once you do, it'll be hard to move on without going all in for one of the delicious food menu options as well.
The menu at Bar Brine is impossible to pin down. That's the legacy of this establishment, though, so lean into the playfulness. Rotating menus infused with seasonal ingredients is the goal, so you're likely to end up with a cocktail that pairs butternut squash, pomegranate, and rhum agricole, as the fall menu did.
(504) 218-5651
3200 Burgundy St, New Orleans, LA 70117
Old Point Bar
With all the drinking there is to be done at the best bars in New Orleans, it's easy to relegate yourselves to just a few neighborhoods while forgetting that the city spans the river, too. It's worth it to hop on the ferry from the French Quarter for a short trip to Algiers, where the Old Point Bar is located.
The building that the Old Point Bar occupies has been standing since the early 1900s. In other words, you're drinking historic beers. It's operated as a bar since the '70s, maintaining a community feel for all those decades. Check the schedule for live music, because this place jams.
(504) 364-0950
545 Patterson Rd, New Orleans, LA 70114
Salon Salon (formerly Bar Marilou)
Salon Salon is the new name for what was formerly Bar Marilou, before the Ace Hotel and its attached properties entered new ownership. The Studio Shamshiri-designed interior is still the same, stimulating a sexy, salon-style environment that makes one want to sip pinkies out.
Happy hour is a great time to show up, with small plates and a few basic drink specials. Once the sun sets, the feeling changes. The cocktail menu isn't wildly extensive, but you can find tipples that match the vibe, like the Les Passantes (rum, campari, pineapple, falernum, and absinthe), and some non-alcoholic options such as the Buzzin' Around (non-alcoholic vermouth, dill, honey, verjus, and egg white).
(504) 814-7711
544 Carondelet St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Bar Tonique
Bar Tonique is a special place for a lot of reasons, and that's not including the fact that every day of the week features a different classic cocktail on special offer. (Sunday mai tais? Too perfect.) No, the main specialty at Bar Tonique is the people. Inclusivity of LGBTQ and BIPOC employees and patrons is a front-facing value. Living wages and benefits are assured to the staff. All this is possible by your patronage, so make sure you visit one of New Orleans's most tenured freestanding cocktail bars.
When you do, you'll have a ball. Of course, the lengthy cocktail list makes it possible. Order off the Blossoms menu if you'd like something "Strong, sweet, and succulently weak," or explore the long line of sour sippers. (Which includes the best Sidecar in town.)
820 N Rampart St, New Orleans, LA 70116
The Carousel Bar
The Hotel Monteleone was an establishment frequented by writer Ernest Hemingway, which is to say that it's been around for a long time. The hotel's bar began spinning in 1949 and hasn't stopped since (except for when it closes). If you manage to score on one of the bar's 25 seats, you should know that motion sickness is unlikely, as it takes a quarter of an hour to complete one rotation.
While you're spinning around, make sure to order the bar's signature beverage, the Vieux Carré. The warming Sazerac rye cocktail includes benedictine, cognac, vermouth, and a medicine cabinet's worth of bitters. You might feel like you're spinning back in time.
hotelmonteleone.com/entertainment/carousel-bar
(504) 523-3341
214 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Chandelier Bar
Hotel bars can be hit or miss. As a guest, you're already there, which makes it easy for bartenders and programs not to try all that hard. This is not the case for the Four Seasons New Orleans Chandelier Bar, which is hot off a nomination for the 2025 James Beard Awards.
This luxe establishment has been racking up similar accolades for having the "martini of the year," which uses a blend of dry and aromatic gins, citrus bitters, dry vermouth, and an undisclosed "spritz of Chandelier Magic."
fourseasons.com/neworleans/dining/lounges/chandelier-bar
(504) 434-5100
2 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Methodology
When writing this list, the first thing I relied on was personal experience. I spent about a decade living in the Crescent City, and make time for regular visits when possible. I have drank in a majority of these establishments and can (subjectively) verify that they are indeed some of the best bars New Orleans has to offer. That said, I also relied on industry peers to help me fill in the blind spots.
National and international awards, such as James Beards or a spot on the World's 50 Best, were factored in. Not having these things doesn't count against bars where the vibe is high. Additionally, I looked for bars that are also well-regarded in reviews because anecdotal experience does matter (sometimes).