Whether you’re a local or visiting for Mardi Gras, Jazzfest, Tales of the Cocktail, or any other time of year, there’s a seemingly endless bounty of delicious cocktails to enjoy in New Orleans.
We’ve put together a hit list of our must-trys, like Brandy Crustas at Jewel of the South and Hurricanes at Cane & Table. No doubt that we’re missing some, but this’ll scratch the itch for James Beard award-winning bars, industry haunts, dive bars and hidden gems you’d probably walk by without a second look.
Cure
NEIGHBORHOOD: Freret
WHAT’S GOOD: You really can't go wrong with anything from their menu. Constanly evolving and there isn't anyone there who isn't at the top of their game
WORTH NOTING: I think of this as the quintessential New Orleans Cocktail Bar. It opened after Katrina and was the first notable cocktail bar in the city. It's known as the bar that "started it all".
(4905 Freret St. New Orleans, LA 70115)
Jewel of the South
NEIGHBORHOOD: French Quarter
WHAT’S GOOD: Brandy Crusta and the Jewel Sazerac
WORTH NOTING:
Jewel of the South just won a James Beard award for best bar program, and for good reason. Chris Hannah’s robust cocktail list is pitch perfect for New Orleans, with nods to the classics but done with plenty of style.
(1026 Saint Louis St New Orleans, LA 70112)
Cane & Table
NEIGHBORHOOD: French Quarter
WHAT’S GOOD: “Hurricane & Table” made with house-made Fassionola.
WORTH NOTING:I love this proto-tiki bar in the French Quarter from the same owners as Cure. Expect tropical riffs on classics like their rum-based tropical White Negroni and winks to New Orleans mainstays.
(1113 Decatur St. New Orleans, La 70116)
Latitude 29
NEIGHBORHOOD: French Quarter
WHAT’S GOOD: Don't miss the eponymous Latitude 29 or the Espresso Bongo.
WORTH NOTING: Tiki enthusiasts won't be surprised to see Jeff's Beachbum Berry's bar on the list. Latitude is infamous for being the best of its kind.
(321 N. Peters St. New Orleans, LA 70130)
Holy Diver
NEIGHBORHOOD: Bywater
WHAT’S GOOD: Anything, everything.
WORTH NOTING:
I love this dive bar for the nice cocktail options (and equally for the cheap beer), good DJs, and really awesome jukebox.
(1200 ST. BERNARD AVE NEW ORLEANS, LA 70116)
Bar Tonique
NEIGHBORHOOD: French Quarter
WHAT’S GOOD: Try the San Francisco Pisco Punch or the Ramos Gin Fizz (if the bar isn't crowded, of course).
WORTH NOTING:
Bar Tonique is a divey neighborhood spot with fancy cocktails and low key casual vibes. The menu is steeped in history and lists cocktails in descending order from the date of their creation and the variety spans from the 1700s to 2010.
(820 N. Rampart St. New Orleans, LA 70116)
The Tell Me Bar
NEIGHBORHOOD: Lower Garden District
WHAT’S GOOD: In addition to wine they have excellent charcuterie and cheese plates.
WORTH NOTING: No cocktails here, but this natural wine bar off the beaten path in the Lower Garden District is worth a visit, if you can find it. It's very hip.
Barrel Proof
NEIGHBORHOOD: Lower Garden District
WHAT’S GOOD: Best Margarita in New Orleans.
WORTH NOTING:
This whiskey bar happens to have the best margarita in town. Lots of locals and industry folks frequent this bar for a post-shift drink.
(1201 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130)
Bacchanal
NEIGHBORHOOD: Bywater
WHAT’S GOOD: A bottle of wine with a cheese plate.
WORTH NOTING:
Bacchanal is an outdoor wine bar with a cocktail bar upstairs. Mostly this place is good for buying a bottle of wine inside at the wine shop, and going out to their outdoor seating area with tons of tables/chairs and always some live music. They also have a meat and cheese fridge inside, so you can buy as little or as much of any of those things and give them to the cashier, and they will send it to their kitchen to set it up on a charcuterie board with bread/jam/olives/nuts/etc. There's also a full rotating food menu. This spot is always packed during Tales, it’s kinda “the place to be!”
(600 POLAND AVENUE NEW ORLEANS, LA. 70117)
