There’s a perfume to New Orleans at night: a mix of cigar smoke, cobblestone and blooming jasmine. And when the blazing sun has dimmed and the saxophones are out, that’s when the city shows its best side—in the right places, that is.
While New Orleans has always been known for its cocktail bars, right now the city’s historic drinks—the ramos gin fizz, obituary, and roffignac, to name a few—are better than ever, served by some of the world’s most skilled hands and a sense of hospitality that has been honed for centuries. To drink here is not only to discover a perfectly balanced sazerac, but to soak in the patina of each place. Here are a dozen that will provide an essentially New Orleans experience, even as the city finds its stride again.
Peychaud’s
Antoine Amédée Peychaud immigrated from Santo Domingo to New Orleans in the early 1800s. By 1832 he had opened his own apothecary, serving a family recipe for bitters. Today, those same bitters are an essential ingredient in hundreds of classic and modern cocktails. But only in New Orleans can it be sipped in Antoine Peychaud’s former house. Reimagined as a tiny cocktail parlor, it just opened in spring of 2021 by the people behind the award-winning Cane & Table, and the menu, by Nicholas Jarrett (of Cure and The Saint) focuses solely on the city’s most storied recipes. A perfect Vieux Carré, a ramos gin fizz for two, or his Ojen Frappe are best sipped in the courtyard alongside a three-tiered fountain, tropical foliage and a spirit-discerning crowd. 727 Toulouse St.
Bar Marilou
It’s part Wes Anderson film set and part 1970s French party house in design: the bar’s bookshelves are lined with impressive titles—a nod to its former life as a law library—and the drink list features rare international spirits, like Japanese whiskey, French liqueurs, and Jalisco imports. If, like on any good night in New Orleans, multiple dinners are planned, this is also a contender for a terrific first one. A caviar plate is a good entry point when sitting on the zebra print stools of this Warehouse District gem, as is the Petit Bétis, an aperitif with Byrrh, Salers, lavender, and bubbles. 544 Carondelet St.
Jewel of the South
It’s a hard choice between the patio—with its fragrant and fruitful loquat tree, marquee bulbs, and brick walls—or inside, where Santorini-blue barstools and ceiling paint are accented by vintage wallpaper and original hardwoods. Owners and New Orleans cocktail legends Nick Detrich and Chris Hannah opened Jewel in 2019. The Creole cottage setting dates to 1830 and the name is an homage to a mid-19th century bar of the same name, operated by Proprietor Joseph Santini. Santini invented the Brandy Crusta cocktail—a floral, sugar-rimmed cognac drink with lemon, maraschino, and curaçao—and Hannah now serves it with Remy 1739 Cognac, Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao, fresh lemon, Luxardo Maraschino liqueur and a few dashes of Angostura bitters. 1026 St. Louis St.
N7
A requisite for wine enthusiasts, with a list of small producers from across Europe and an impressive collection of organic and biodynamic labels, N7 feels like a secret. Push through a rough looking fence of a former tire shop in the Bywater to a fairytale setting with moonlight, lanterns and a dining room in a spacious gravel courtyard. At both the tiny metal tables and large, communal wooden ones, the staff also serves chef Yuki Yamaguchi’s French cooking with Japanese twists. 1117 Montegut St.
d.b.a.
This long-standing music club on Frenchman Street is one of the best places to see live music in New Orleans. Patrons can grab a small-batch bourbon or a shaken Dark & Stormy, settle in on a barstool beneath the low, wood ceiling and turn their eyes to the tiny stage, bathed in red and purple lights. Sought-after acts like Walter Wolfman Washington, Treme Brass Band, and the Soul Rebels are regulars here almost every week, and the carefully curated craft beer list deserves an honorable mention, too. 618 Frenchmen St.
Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29
Tiki cocktail culture was born on the West Coast, but the godfather of the modern movement is right here in New Orleans, where he owns one of the premiere Tiki bars in the world. Jeff “Beachbum” Berry is a historian, author, rum expert and exceptional conversationalist, easy to learn while sipping his Zombie, Mai Tai, or Jungle Bird. Yes, it’s in the French Quarter and has bamboo, Tiki mugs, thatched elements and warm lighting, but also good reason for being one of the pillars of well-made drinks in New Orleans. 321 North Peters St.
