Practically anyone who visits New Orleans will want to spend some time down in the French Quarter. While there are plenty of other great choices for nightlife, the oldest section of the city is still the best choice for great jazz and great food. For travelers requiring luxury ground transportation to the most popular neighborhood in the city, the finest choice for limousine service is Limo Livery.
Even though Mardi Gras season only occurs once a year, visitors may be surprised to see that parties always seem to be going on along the most famous street in the French Quarter – Bourbon Street. With over 100 live music clubs, there are far too many establishments to list here but the following are some of the best and most popular choices along Bourbon Street and its nearby streets in the Quarter.
- Pat O’Briens Bar, 718 Saint Peter St. – Home to the world famous drink, the Hurricane, this bar is considered one of the top three tourist destinations in the city and has been serving drinks to its patrons for nearly 80 years.
- Krazy Korner, 640 Bourbon St. – This lively bar is purported to have the largest covered balcony on Bourbon St. It is located in an area on Bourbon St. that is very popular amongst party-goers, hence the name of the bar.
- Napoleon House Bar & Café, 500 Chartres St. – This building may have been built as a residence for Napoleon Bonaparte after his exile in 1814. While it has a great bar, the establishment is better known for its traditional New Orleans food such as jambalaya and gumbo.
- Old Absinthe House, 240 Bourbon St. – This popular bar is located in a building that nearly 200 years old. The famous Absinthe house frappe was first created here in 1874. The original ingredients of the green colored specialty drink have been illegal for decades but the bar now serves a legal version known as the Herbsaint frappe that originated in New Orleans.
- World Famous Cats Meow, 701 Bourbon St. – This club has been described as the BEST Karaoke bar in the world. The staff performs most of the live acts but this is the bar for anyone who wishes to benefit onstage from their 15 minutes of fame, while singing a version of their favorite songs.
- Fritzel’s Jazz Club, 733 Bourbon St. – This small club is often considered to have the best jazz in New Orleans. It has the distinction of being the oldest operating jazz club in the city and is considered as one of the few remaining clubs that feature traditional jazz in the city.
- Preservation Hall, 726 St. Peter St. – One of the best-known establishments in the French Quarter doesn’t serve food or drinks. However this popular venue routinely features some of the top jazz artists in the world. Preservation Hall is a quite small so it is advised to arrive early for any performance.
- Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop, 941 Bourbon St. – The building located on Bourbon and St. Phillip Streets dates back to the early 18th century and its bar is the oldest in the city and believed to be the oldest structure in the country that’s used as a bar. The establishment is named after the Lafitte Brothers Jean and Pierre with the former being credited for helping General Andrew Jackson defeat the British in the War of 1812.
- Déjà Vu Bar & Grill, 400 Dauphine St. – This establishment is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and offers a food take out that features regional dishes such as red beans and rice and chicken jambalaya. The building, which was originally an opium den, is rumored to be occupied by ghosts.
- Fat Tuesday, 633 Bourbon St. – Fat Tuesday is so popular that there are now more than 50 locations throughout the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Honduras. Their frozen daiquiris adorned with the Fat Tuesday logo will be a familiar site for anyone’s visit to the French Quarter as a number of people will be seen every night carrying the popular drink right on the streets.
There are plenty of other lively nightspots in the Quarter but when it’s time to leave for the night, it’s not always a good idea to drive, especially after a night full of entertainment and libation. The best ground transportation back to the hotel is with New Orleans’ best limo service, Limo Livery.