New Orleans
Polished, precise, civilised. New Orleans's best hotel-bar drinking — picked for craft, not concierge buzz.
Warehouse District · $$$
Alto Rooftop at Ace Hotel draws a steady local crowd in Warehouse District. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the eveni
CBD · $$$
Above the Grid Rooftop draws a steady local crowd in CBD. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
French Quarter · $$$$
The Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone draws a steady local crowd in French Quarter. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in th
French Quarter · $$$
The Jackson Bar Rooftop draws a steady local crowd in French Quarter. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
City centre · $$$
The Elysian Bar is the Hotel Peter & Paul cocktail bar set inside a converted 19th-century church rectory — exposed-brick walls, original wood beams and one of
Warehouse District · $$$
Hot Tin Rooftop draws a steady local crowd in Warehouse District. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
City centre · $$$
Jewel of the South is the French Quarter cocktail-and-restaurant from Chris Hannah — repeatedly placed on the World's 50 Best Bars list and one of New Orleans's
CBD · $$$
Monkey Board Rooftop draws a steady local crowd in CBD. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
CBD · $$$$
The Sazerac Bar draws a steady local crowd in CBD. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
French Quarter · $$$
The Bombay Club draws a steady local crowd in French Quarter. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Hotel bars solve specific problems. You need a bar near your room. You need somewhere quiet to take a meeting. You want the drink right the first time and you don't want to negotiate a wait. Every recommendation below clears those three bars. Most are open to non-guests; we've flagged any that aren't.
Best for: business travellers, late-checkout drinks, hotel-room negotiations made civilised, anniversaries that deserve a hotel jacket. Pricing skews higher than the city average — that's the trade. The rooms below justify it.
Civilised, polished, not pretending to be a club. Pick by neighbourhood and proximity to where you're sleeping.
Looking beyond New Orleans? See our guide to the best hotel bars worldwide, or compare hotel bars city by city.