New Orleans Bars
When I was researching New Orleans I came across a site that listed the oldest bars in New Orleans. I have always liked to visit places with history . Places that has been around for decades/centuries. Naturally I decided to make a stop at each of the bars posted on the site.
The Five Oldest Bars in New Orleans are :
- Laffite’s Blacksmith Shop 1761
- Tujague’s 1856
- Old Absinthe House 1890
- Arnaud’s 1918
- Henry’s Uptown Bar 1900
The first four of the bars in the list are within walking distance from the French Quarter or in the French Quarter. Perfect location for late night bar hopping. New Orleans is the kind of city that was made for bar hopping ! I was only able to make it to the four bars near/in the French Quarter on this visit. Will have to save Henry’s Uptown Bar for my next visit.
Out of the four oldest bars – I found two to be for suited for my taste. I really liked Laffite’s Blacksmith Shop ( oldest bar in America ) and the Old Absinthe House ( the bar is still very much intact ) .
The Absinthe House looks like it has not changed much in the last 100 years. The walls are filled with random clippings. The bar itself has a lot of character. We went here on a week day and it was pretty empty. Also how could you not like a bar where the drink is set on fire ! I found the drink to be a bit strange tasting but definitely wroth trying.
Laffite’s Blacksmith Shop 1761
The oldest bar in all of America is housed in a beautiful well built old building ! You can easily imagine how people would have spend their time here 100 of years ago ! This bar had old brick fireplace that just made the entire area feel very cozy. It also had a piano and the drinks were well made ! Another advantage of drinking at this bar- The Verti Marte is less than ten minutes from this bar. Perfect for a late night of drinking and food. Verti Marte is a 24 hour convince store that sells decent food. It is a New Orleans tradition to head to Verti Marte after a night of drinking.
The Tujague Bar is near Cafe Beignet . It is a stand-up bar – one of the first of its kind in America. The drinks are tasty and the bartender very friendly . It is a good bard to visit pre/post Cafe Beignet visit. The bar is located near Jackson Square.
The Arnadu’s Bar has turned into a fancy restaurant/bar . This was a place I visited in New Olreans where I saw a lot of rich people ! The drinks were well made and this bar had a great selection of finger food. The service was also exceptional. It was hard to tell which part of the bar was from 1918 – everything looked glittery and new. Dress well when visiting this bar.
Overall it was a fun experience visiting the oldest bars in New Orleans ! I would highly recommend visiting each of these bars.