4 Best Bars in New Orleans, Louisiana

In the far reaches of the Bywater, Bacchanal is part wine shop, 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.

A long, slender room with plush banquettes in a charming sliver of a building on a busy stretch of St. Charles Avenue looks as if it were air-dropped straight from Paris. Offering a carefully chosen (and reasonably priced) selection of beer, spirits, and wines by the glass, the menu also includes upscale small plates, like goose-fat fried pommes frites served with a peanut satay and malt vinegar aioli.

Dapper Patrick Van Hoorebeek holds court over his wine bar in a clubby atmosphere of dark wood and red upholstery. Wines by the glass are the specialty, but there's also an excellent selection of cocktails and beers, including Van Hoorebeek's own Belgian brew. Major oenophiles can rent personal wine lockers. Only a few steps from Bourbon Street, Bar Vin feels like another world. It opens at noon on Friday to catch the lunch crowd.

The best of the Lower Garden District takes place in charming, tucked-away spots like this one, where knowledgeable staff guide you through a beguiling selection of bottles from around the world, with an emphasis on natural and minimal-intervention methods. Sit on the patio, and come early if you want quiet, since DJs spin later at night---but even when there's a crowd, you will be able to find a comfortable chair or a romantic corner to sip and people-watch