New Orleans
You're flying out of New Orleans Airport, you have 90 minutes to kill, and you'd like to do better than a Pret. Good news: airport drinking has improved more in the last five years than the previous fifty. Pre-flight drinks at New Orleans Airport range from chain reliability to surprisingly polished hotel-style bars in the airport hotels. This is barsforKings's editor-curated guide to drinking better at New Orleans's airports.
French Quarter · $$$$
Arnaud's French 75 Bar draws a steady local crowd in French Quarter. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening
City centre · $$
Bacchanal Wine sits on Poland Avenue in Bywater, in a shotgun double that was originally a neighbourhood grocery store. The front room sells wine by the bottle
Warehouse District · $$$
Bar Marilou draws a steady local crowd in Warehouse District. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
City centre · $$$
Bar Tonique is the French Quarter neighbourhood cocktail bar that's been pulling industry crowds since 2008 — a tight programme of classic NOLA-style drinks plu
Want a real drink before flying? The fastest play is to get to airport hotels next door — most run polished bars that beat anything post-security. We list them at the bottom. If you've got 60 spare minutes pre-airport, see our shortlist of bars in New Orleans proper at the end.
Plays for New Orleans Airport: post-security, pre-security, lounges, and the airport-hotel cheat code.
Pre-flight drinks, hotel-bar reviews, and the openings we're watching across 200+ cities. Friday mornings, no filler.
Looking beyond New Orleans? See our guide to the best airport bars worldwide, or compare airport bars city by city.