Complete Guide to French Quarter Cocktail Bars
The French Quarter offers many opportunities for a variety of libations, but cocktails are something that French Quarter bartenders do and do well. Here are more than a dozen different cocktail bars you can try out in the French Quarter the next time you are in the mood to get spirited.
Pat O’Brien’s (718 St. Peter St)
Lovingly known as Pat O’s, Pat O’Brien’s is the original source of the Hurricane, a powerful New Orleans cocktail long been known to leave revelers with a little stumble in their step.
The Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt New Orleans (130 Roosevelt Way)
The Sazerac offers more than the landmark New Orleans cocktail it’s named for (also America’s first cocktail), as its classy, intimate atmosphere complements the handcrafted cocktails that include New Orleans-inspired creations like Joie de Vivre and Red Line Streetcar.
Kingfish (337 Chartres St)
Kingfish’s extensive cocktail menu runs the gamut from local favorites to a Campari Mojito and Doctor’s Orders. Plus, Kingfish’s kitchen stays open for late-night eats.
SoBou (310 Chartres St)
With a name that comes from “South of Bourbon,” SoBou is as much a restaurant as it is a cocktail bar, but this spirited restaurant keeps libations at the forefront with unique cocktail offerings like the Funnycide, Rowdy Hawaiian, or Turn the Beet Around.
Cane & Table (1113 Decatur St)
Cane & Table puts the contemporary back into cocktail with its upscale spins on classic cocktails like the Devil’s Edge (Dark & Stormy) and Fearful Symmetry (Pina Colada) and a focus on traditional Tiki cocktails popularized in the 20th century.
Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone (214 Royal St)
As if the flowing New Orleans-themed cocktails weren’t going to your head, try drinking one—or a few—on a bar that slowly spins like a, well, carousel. Sip a traditional Pimm’s Cup No. 1 or Saints Milk Punch for starters.
The Bombay Club (830 Conti St)
While The Bombay Club offers various traditional local cocktails, the bar specializes in martinis, from the Original Dry Martini and Original Cosmo to Turf Club and Cho-Cho Chocolate.
Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29 (321 N Peters St)
Traditional Tiki drink recipes uncovered from decades ago take center stage at Latitude 29, where exotic ingredients like Hawaiian macadamia nut liqueur and molé bitters make their way into a truly unique cocktail list. With a drinking buddy? Share a Rum Barrel or Aquadesiac, made for two.
Arnaud’s French 75 (813 Bienville St)
Another cocktail bar that gets its name from a famous drink, French 75 in the long-standing Arnaud’s restaurant brings a sophisticated edge to cocktail culture and offers winners like the Oaxacan Village, Honi Makai, and Bastille Cup.
Bar Tonique (820 N Rampart St)
Bar Tonique offers an extensive cocktail menu with drinks divided into a variety of categories: true cocktails (think old fashioned, Vieux Carre), sours, slings, punches, succulents, coolers, ensembles, and possets.
Sylvain (625 Chartres St)
Sylvain, named for an 18th-century one-act comic opera performed in the French Quarter, offers a selection of elegant drinks with funky names like No Fun, Monkey Hour, and The Vicar or Whatever. Or get fancy with a Supreme Fancy, a simple shot of Jack Daniel’s with a shot of Bailey’s.
The Empire Bar at Broussard’s (819 Conti St)
The Empire Bar’s resident mixologist Paul Gustings has made a distinct impression on the cocktail community, creating original drinks like Egyptian Campaign and specialized versions of the classics, like a Pimm’s Cup infused with berries, cucumber, and citrus pulp.
Tiki Tolteca at Felipe’s Taqueria (301 N Peters St)
Yes, the French Quarter has still another Tiki cocktail bar, featuring concoctions like What A Aspirin Is, Last Guinea Pig in Cuzco, and even edible alcohol-filled Tiki Gummies in flavors like zombie, mai tai, and hurricane.
St. Lawrence (218 N Peters St)
St. Lawrence offers a selection of fresh fruit daiquiris, seasonal cocktails, and a number of classics, many of which are made with fresh local produce and top-quality spirits. Try out the bar’s namesake cocktail or the Ascension, made with Ancho Reyes Chili Liqueur and Chandeleur Pineapple Wheat Beer Syrup.
