Are These The Best Bars in New Orleans?

The entertainment staff over at The Times-Pic has just named its best bars of 2016. The criteria? No restaurant bars (though they do admit that there seems to be an ever-abundant blurring of the line between restaurants and bars lately), no pay-to-enter clubs, and no bars that opened in the past year— whomp whomp.

That leaves well-established New Orleans bars—whether they serve cocktails, wine or beer— for the taking. No huge surprises on the overall top ten:

• Arnaud’s French 75 Bar
• Avenue Pub
• Bacchanal
• Barrel Proof
• Bouligny Tavern
• Cane & Table
• Latitude 29
• Loa
• The Saint
• Twelve Mile Limit

Only four spots— The Saint, Twelve Mile, French 75, and Avenue Pub— were also on last year’s best bars list as well.

The Times-Pic also names its top five new bars of 2016. To qualify, these spots actually had to open between May 1, 2015 and May 1, 2016. No big surprises, though fans of Tchoup Yard (which actually opened after May 1) seem to be mildly upset:

• Bayou Wine Garden
• Catahoula
• N7
• Pirogue’s Whiskey Bayou
• Revel

Thoughts? Feelings? Leave a comment or send your opinion to the tipline.

• New Orleans Top Ten Bars of 2016 [NOLA.com]
• Best New Bars of 2016 [NOLA.com]
• All Awards Season [ENOLA]