21 Best Nightlife in New Orleans, Louisiana

In the far reaches of the Bywater, Bacchanal is part wineshop, part bar, part music club—and 100% neighborhood hangout. Enter the old building first, then beyond the wine racks you'll find a courtyard with seating and a spacious bar upstairs that serves beer and liquor. You can have a bottle uncorked on the premises or order by the glass. The kitchen supplies gourmet cheese plates and small, tasty dishes that go well with the wine selections—osso buco, mussels, and confit chicken leg are among the best. Local bands play seven nights a week.

This lounge-theater combo has become one of the centerpieces of the local indie, avant-garde, and art scenes. Evoking 1930s Berlin, the lounge has a black-and-red color scheme and frayed-at-the-edges art deco aesthetic. Musicians, burlesque dancers, clowns, artists, and jacks-of-all-trades take to the stage here most nights of the week. Meanwhile, in the back of the house, the 100-seat AllWays Theatre hosts weekend plays and other performances.

This gritty corner bar is a beloved neighborhood joint. Most weekends it hosts music, like Little Freddie King, who blows the top off the place.

For a real taste of New Orleans, drop by on a Thursday night, when Kermit Ruffins is playing. Not just the soul of the city, but the soul food, too, emerges as Kermit and friends serve up their famous barbecue and fixin's in between sets. Featured in the HBO series Treme, Bullet's has become something of a New Orleans hot spot, but remember that if the neighborhood around the bar looks a little scary, that's because it is a little scary. Use caution when traveling here, but be prepared for a warm and welcoming musical experience when you arrive.

This small, old-school joint draws a crowd on Monday for jazz by Corey Henry and Friends (and free red beans and rice), and local brass bands most other nights of the week. Uncle Lionel Batiste, a club fixture of legendary proportions, has sadly passed away, but the lively music and local atmosphere are still the same. We recommend taking a cab out here.

This bustling corner bar draws young locals who shoot pool and listen to blues and rock, whether live or from the jukebox—24 hours a day, seven days a week. Weekends often feature hard rock, punk, and metal bands. There's also a paperback library, a menu of bar grub, and even a fully functioning laundromat.

A mixed crowd enjoys an elegant retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city in this handsome 19th-century Bywater mansion. The interior restaurant, bar, and parlor rooms have a trippy Palm Springs vibe, with plenty of glitter and neon. The outdoor pool and deck bar hidden away behind lush vegetation and high walls is especially popular with the gay crowd. Pool access requires a small fee, and towels and lockers are available.

Local personality and jazz legend Kermit Ruffins now reigns at this brightly colored club that once belonged to R&B singer Ernie K-Doe. The club is a jewel of the Tremé neighborhood, hosting the best of local talent in jazz and blues nightly. The kitchen serves popular New Orleans cuisine. Look forward to the frequent cameos from Kermit himself, who plays a set here with his band, the BBQ Swingers, most Thursday nights. The neighborhood's a bit dodgy, so take a cab.

This friendly gay bar hosts special events ranging from country western line-dance lessons to burlesque and drag shows. There's a big-screen TV for games and a large selection of vodkas and top-shelf bourbons. It proclaims itself "the cleanest bar in New Orleans." The owner also runs a small guesthouse above the bar.

The embodiment of a blue-collar New Orleans neighborhood bar, Markey's also draws more than a few hipsters from the Bywater and other neighborhoods. During baseball season, games are broadcast via satellite. The drinks are cheap and the pool table is free.

A popular local hangout, this two-story nightspot perches on the corner of Franklin and Royal streets with a wraparound balcony and big windows that stay open most evenings. Downstairs is a bar with table seating, couches, and a pool table, while upstairs is home to a tapas-style kitchen and dance floor. Due to permit issues, live music is intermittent, but entertainment and local personalities are big here every night.

This lounge bills itself as a "Leather/Levi Neighborhood Alternative Bar," and that's a pretty apt description. The downstairs bar is a popular Marigny nightspot, with a calendar of special events and themed parties, including the International Mr. Leather Contest. The upstairs bar, called The Eagle, is notorious for its "anything goes" atmosphere.

Behind the tinted windows of this corner bar, find a red-vinyl-clad hipster hangout and stylish social hub with a throwback ambience. In addition to crawfish boils on Friday afternoons (in season), the place runs offbeat specials—on Monday night, for example, 10 bucks gets you a shot and a haircut—and it's prime real estate on costume holidays like Mardi Gras and Halloween.

This intimate club with a sometimes-steep cover charge is one of the city's best rooms to soak up modern jazz. It is the home base of such esteemed talent as vocalist Charmaine Neville, who plays every Monday, and pianist-patriarch Ellis Marsalis (father of Wynton and Branford). The dining room serves good local food but is best known for its burgers.

This historic building—with a sprawling three-story floor plan, interior balconies, and a terrific kitchen, plus multiple bars, stages, and dance floors—has become one of Frenchmen Street's most popular destinations. Live music every night of the week (normally with no cover) make it inviting, and the managers skillfully weave local and touring DJs into their lineup of parties and events.

Legendary Thursday night live music sets (served up with free red beans and rice late in the evening) are the big draw at this ramshackle place in the Bywater's farthest reaches. At other times, the place is an exceptionally friendly neighborhood dive.