10 Craft Cocktail Bars to Visit in New Orleans Not on Bourbon St. and One That is
The New Orleans French Quarter is known for great food, music, drinks, and fun, but don’t overlook some of the best unique bars with great craft cocktails that would be missed without going beyond the main Bourbon Street Corridor. This free, self-guided craft cocktail New Orleans tour (from a local’s perspective) can help if you’re looking for where to find the best crafted cocktails while visiting.
It’s also easy on the budget because it is FREE. These unique bars appeal to locals and visitors alike. Two are even said to be haunted and they both definitely offer up amazing spirits.
All of the craft cocktail bars are walkable from most hotels in or near ther French Quarter, Warehouse District, or CBD so you can plan your upscale self-guided bar crawl without having to drive.
Also, if you are looking for the Best Haunted Places in New Orleans Guide, we have a new article!
Self-Guided Craft Cocktail New Orleans Bar Tour
Table of contents
- Let’s start the self-guided cocktail tour in New Orleans
- 1. Bar Métier (In Maison Métier Hotel)
- 2. Peacock Room (In Kimpton Hotel Fontenot)
- 3. Double Dealer
- 4. Burgundy Bar (Saint Hotel)
- 5. Carousel Bar & Lounge (Hotel Monteleone)
- 6. May Baily’s Place (Dauphine Orleans Hotel)
- 7. Bombay Club (Prince Conti Hotel)
- 8. Manolito
- 9. New Orleans Vampire Cafe
- 10. Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar and Cafe
- 11. Bourbon “O” Jazz Bar (Bourbon Orleans Hotel)
- New Orleans travel resources list
Let’s start the self-guided cocktail tour in New Orleans
1. Bar Métier (In Maison Métier Hotel)
The first stop on this self-guided craft cocktail tour starts with Bar Metier in the Maison Métier Boutique Hotel. The unique and fresh crafted drinks here are the stars, but the luxurious decor and food are excellent as well. There is also a hidden door in the bookcase that leads to a private room and then into the lobby of the hotel.
My favorite drink here is the Sunstrike which is fresh and tropical. Don’t miss their “Aperitif Hour” from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. each night with a special drink menu. It is a relatively small place so reservations are definitely a must on the weekends currently.
2. Peacock Room (In Kimpton Hotel Fontenot)
Next, is the beautiful Peacock Room located inside of the Kimpton Hotel Fontenot. (We have a recent hotel review of Hotel Fontenot you can check out for more info.) My favorite craft cocktail on the menu by far is “Flock to Me” which is pictured to the right.
The food is also sumptuous and everything we ordered was great.
Peacock Room Address and Hours
Address: 501 Tchoupitoulas, New Orleans, LA 70130
Hours: Wednesday – Saturdays 5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Sundays (brunch) 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
3. Double Dealer
The Double Dealer Lounge feels like a secret speakeasy and you might miss it if you didn’t know it was there. It is under the historic Orpheum Theater. Yes, in New Orleans you actually walk down to a basement cocktail bar! It is like walking back in time to the Vaudeville era complete with velvet sofas, historic flapper dresses on display and a stage for performances.
The crafted drinks here are also a star! The Last Word is a great cocktail to start with! The only drawback of this amazing place is that it is only open Thursday – Saturday.
Double Dealer Address and Hours
Address: 129 Roosevelt Way, New Orleans, LA 70112
Hours: Thursday-Saturday 6:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.
4. Burgundy Bar (Saint Hotel)
Next, a short walk across Canal St. will take you to Burgundy Bar inside of The Saint Hotel.
This luxurious lounge has the unique decor that The Saint Hotel is known for, small bites, and quality drinks. It’s not usually crowded so it’s nice to stop in at the start of the evening. There’s even a “giant” leather chair that is perfect for a photo op. The cocktails are the stars with the “Halo” being my personal favorite. There’s even a cocktail for each of the 7 Deadly Sins!
Our new hotel review of The Saint was just posted too! Key West also has their own version of The Saint Hotel as well.
Burgundy Bar Address and Hours
Address: 931 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70112
Hours: Monday – Thursdays 5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. and Fri – Sundays 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
5. Carousel Bar & Lounge (Hotel Monteleone)
Not too far away is the classic Carousel Bar & Lounge inside of the beautiful Hotel Monteleone. This is a New Orleans classic that has been around for over 70 years! Yes, it will be crowded and it is difficult to find a seat at the slowly spinning “Carousel” bar, but it is a place that has to be experienced for the unique design and the cocktails. One of the favorites here is the famous Sazerac as well as the Ramos Gin Fizz which tastes vaguely like a milkshake and is fabulous! This is also a great place to get small plates if you’re hungry. The duck confit wontons are delicious. We also featured this hotel in our Best Haunted Places in the French Quarter article!
Carousel Bar Address and Hours
Address: 214 Royal St., New Orleans, LA 70130
Hours: 11:00 A.M. – till 7 days a week
6. May Baily’s Place (Dauphine Orleans Hotel)
Next, a few blocks away is May Baily’s Place inside of one of the most notoriously haunted hotels in New Orleans, The Dauphine Orleans. May Baily’s is also reportedly haunted by some spirited ghosts from the red-light district days of New Orleans past. Read the haunted history, here! We also have a guide on all of the best Haunted Places to visit in New Orleans!
This cocktail bar is a hidden gem and we always make a stop by because it’s off-the beaten-track of the Bourbon St. corridor and has a lush, relaxing atmosphere with great drinks! Try their version of the Sazerac!
May Baily’s Place Address and Hours
Address: 415 Dauphine St., New Orleans, LA 70112
Hours: Thursday – Saturday 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
7. Bombay Club (Prince Conti Hotel)
A short walk around the corner will now bring our self-guided craft cocktail New Orleans tour to Bombay Club inside of the Prince Conti Hotel on naturally enough, Conti Street.
The craft cocktails here are wonderful and full of fresh ingredients. Pictured is a Pimm’s cup ( I have to try one everywhere I go). The decor is lush and there is bar seating, tables, and rich leather sofas and chairs to relax while you imbibe. Bombay Club also offers Happy Hour from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m (Thursdays – Sundays) with drink specials and appetizers. There is live music on weekends and Brunch Thursdays – Sunday. This is definitely another hidden gem and one of our must-stop by places on the tour.
Bar Address and Hours
830 Conti Street
New Orleans, LA 70112
Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 4:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.
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8. Manolito
Now, if you are still able we’ll move the tour and head several blocks away to Dumaine Street to visit Manolito. This small (They have just expanded!) Cuban restaurant and craft cocktail bar is huge on quality food and drinks. Our self-guided craft cocktail New Orleans tour would not be complete without stopping here!
I loved the Daiquiri de Santiago and all food that we tried!
Head upstairs for a quaint table that looks down on all of the action below. The restrooms are also upstairs.
A great new courtyard and expanded seating have been added making this stop even better!
Cocktail Bar Hours and Address
508 Dumaine St.
New Orleans, La 70116
Open 7 days a week
4:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
9. New Orleans Vampire Cafe
Not too far away is New Orleans Vampire Cafe and Bar where the unique drinks and actually great food make it a must-stop on the tour. I know it sounds cliche’ or touristy, but this place is really amazing. They have a unique cocktail menu where you can order by blood type, but of course you can order any that looks interesting for your tastes. I like the sparkling pear bellini one that is for blood type A+. Besides the delicious cocktails, the food, especially the fried deviled eggs and roasted elephant garlic are a must.
Secret Tip: If you go to the Vampire Cafe you an ask for an invite card for their secret bar, Potions! You’ll get a card that will let you inside for an amazing cocktail experience. You enter the secret bar through the courtyard of Fritzel’s Jazz Club on Bourbon Street and go upstairs through the “employee only” door to reach the lounge. There is usually someone sitting in the courtyard that will take your invite card and allow you to enter.
Vampire Cafe Hours and Address
Address: 801 Royal St., New Orleans, LA 70116
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. 7 days a week
10. Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar and Cafe
About a block and a half away is the next stop on our self-guided tour, Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar and Cafe.
There is a lush courtyard and besides the cocktails, the cheese board is fantastic. There are also wine flights to go with it. The restaurant/bar is housed in a historic building that was said to be the first Creole restaurant in New Orleans.
Bar Hours and Address:
720 Orleans Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70116
Hours: Thursday – Sundays 4:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
11. Bourbon “O” Jazz Bar (Bourbon Orleans Hotel)
Finally, we reach our last stop on this DIY craft cocktail crawl to a place that “technically” has a door on Bourbon Street, but can also be reached through a long hallway off of the lobby of the Bourbon Orleans Hotel across the street from Orleans Grapevine. The Pimm’s Cup at The Bourbon “O” Bar is the main reason it is a must-stop on this craft cocktail tour. I am a local and Pimm’s fan and I can comfortably say that this is my favorite version! The bar also has live Jazz music and a fun atmosphere, but the drinks are amazing. The Bourbon Orleans Hotel is also one of the “haunted” hotels in New Orleans and there is a description of the reported hauntings in the lobby framed on the wall.
Bourbon “O” Bar Address and Hours
Address: 730 Bourbon st. New Orleans, LA 70116
Hours: Tuesday – Fridays 4:00 P.M. – Midnight, Sat/Sundays – 1:00 P.M. – 12:00 A.M.
Well, we’ve reached the end of this DIY self-guided craft cocktail New Orleans tour and hopefully if you completed this you are still able to walk back to your hotel for the night. If not, hail a Pedi Cab or call a Lyft or Uber to get you safely back to your room. If you’ve visited any of the bars listed drop me a line or leave a comment to let me know what your favorite drink was!
New Orleans travel resources list
- The New Orleans Sightseeing Bus Tour – visit many landmarks in New Orleans 2.5 hours guided tour to help hit all of the places you want to visit.
- $19 Fares from Frontier Airlines with Travelocity! Find an inexpensive flight to get to New Orleans.
- If “spirited” or “haunted” bar crawls sound more appealing for your ghostly New Orleans trip, try this haunted pub crawl. It is a lot of fun to experience this with a group.
- You can order a free “inspiration guide” from Visit Louisiana
- Find great rates and flexible cancellation policies with Travelocity Hotels – Low Rates GUARANTEED
- If all of the travel walking has you wondering what shoe is best read our Best Travel Shoes for Summer Review to get comfort inspiration.
- If wine is more your style, we have a great new article on the Best Napa Wineries