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An underground-looking room with a bar on the left is dimly lit by red-tinted light and string lights. People stand around the bar and sit in parallel tables to the right.
Snake and Jake’s Christmas Club Lounge in 2015.
Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

18 Hidden Hangouts in New Orleans

Where to go for great food, music, and drinks off the beaten path

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Snake and Jake’s Christmas Club Lounge in 2015.
| Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

In a city known for its festive atmosphere, destination streets, and world-famous restaurants, New Orleanians seek those less-frequented, treasured hangouts for their daily life. These low-key spots off the beaten path are also known as hidden gems, adding flavor to the city with their unique atmospheres, cocktails, music, and patrons. Here are 18 of New Orleans’s favorite non-touristy go-to places to visit for a good time, when they’re not busy keeping up with New Orleans’s newest hot spots.

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Ray's On The Ave

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Elray Holmes’s Ray’s on the Ave is a local institution (even after it moved away from its original Avenue) in large part due to Holmes himself. He’s active in the community, holding frequent meal giveaways, and cooks some of the best traditional Creole food in the city. Go for the food, Saints games, happy hour, or live music, it’s always a good visit.

Whiskey & Sticks

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The cool and cultivated Whiskey and Sticks on Bayou Road is a lounge in every sense, offering a great vibe, premium liquors, a nice selection of cigars, and cigar rolling classes. Memberships are available though not required to visit.

Bertha's Place Bar and Restaurant

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This vibrant South 7th Ward spot is a good ole’ Southern juke joint with a New Orleans twist. With an age requirement of 30, it’s a great place to catch music, nightlife, charbroiled oysters, and good drinks with a mature crowd.

Hank's Bar

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Tiny and worn, this much-loved Treme bar has been welcoming neighbors to its bright green building for years at the corner of Robertson and Kerlerec. Try stuffed seafood potato plates, fried fish, chicken plates, and seafood gumbo depending on the day, and count on lively music from a jukebox or DJ.

Treme Hideaway

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Treme Hideaway is a neighborhood gathering spot with a unique and soulful atmosphere where local and national artists alike perform regularly. There are great chargrilled oysters, crawfish, and basically all things shellfish.

Chickie Wah Wah

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Just a street car ride away from the French Quarter, this small club on Canal Street has great live music almost every night — and artists here receive 100% of the proceeds. Dark and moody, it’s one of the best music venues in the city, and you never know who might pop up here. Great sandwiches as well. It’s back open as of December 2022, under new owners with a long history in New Orleans’s music scene.

Candlelight Lounge

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This beloved Treme gathering place beckons with live music from brass brands, strong drinks and frequent two-for-one specials, Saints game watch parties, DJs, and liveliness.

Treme’s Candlelight Lounge 
Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro

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This Frenchmen Street club just outside the French Quarter has been providing some of the best live jazz to locals and visitors for over 30 years. It has a casual dining area, bar, and stage, with the best seats upstairs on the balcony. 

Outside Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro.
Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro

B J's Lounge

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One of Bywater’s dive bar trifecta (also including to Vaughan’s and J&J’s) is a must visit for live music on weekends, home to regular shows by the legendary, 82-year old bluesman Little Freddie King. Cash only.

Vaughan's Lounge

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This iconic Ninth Ward bar was established in 1959 and has been known throughout the years as the place to be for live music on Thursday Nights — once Kermit Ruffins, the night is now Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet’s. Vaughan’s delivers cheap drinks, good music, and the kind of welcome that you hope for at a hangout.

 Vaughan's
Vaughan’s
Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

Old Point Bar

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This Algiers corner bar is just minutes away from the French Quarter by ferry boat, where you’re transported to an old-timey spot with cold beer, live music, and good times.

Old Point Bar
William A. Morgan/Shutterstock

Oak is a classy spot Uptown wine bar with nearly a hundred hand-selected bottles and crafty bartenders in a clean and crisp atmosphere. Low key but buzzing, you can catch live music here on the weekend and still be able to converse with your company.

Vyoone’s

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Perhaps the Warehouse District’s top hidden gem, Vyoone’s is run by two dynamic local women who mix French-Creole cuisine and beautiful hospitality in a pretty setting. Sit in a lush back courtyard or reserve a private space upstairs for larger parties.

Snake and Jake's Christmas Club Lounge

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Snake and Jakes is basically a shack lit up with Christmas lights and known as New Orleans’s most legendary dive bar. This is a late night bar through and through, staying lively until the early hours of the morning and not opening again until much later.

Snake & Jake’s Christmas Club Lounge, Friday 1 a.m. Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

Chais Delachaise

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Not to be confused with its sister restaurant Delachaise, this charming wine bar and bistro all the way Uptown on Maple Street is a haven. It serves fresh food like Gulf seafood bouillabaisse, grilled octopus, and North African boulettes, and offers an extensive global wine list.

Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

Caesar’s

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Caesar’s is a West Bank hang, a nightclub also known for its food, especially seafood Tuesdays with boiled crabs, crawfish, and more. It’s lively and packed with a mature crowd — a winning combo.

Second Vine Wine

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Now in its new digs in the heart of the Garden District after closing in the Marigny, Troy Gant is keeping this gem going Uptown. The Magazine Street shop offers frequent wine tastings, reasonably priced selection, and a warm, friendly atmosphere. A private room in the back can be reserved for parties, like at the old shop, and surely offers the same great times.

Le Bon Temps Roule

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Le Bon Temps is a longtime Uptown music and dive bar staple, with musicians like Kermit Ruffins, the Soul Rebels, and Anders Osborne getting their start here. Catch the Soul Rebels every Thursday night at midnight. 

The Soul Rebels play at Le Bon Temps Roule in 2018
Official/Le Bon Temps Roule

Ray's On The Ave

Elray Holmes’s Ray’s on the Ave is a local institution (even after it moved away from its original Avenue) in large part due to Holmes himself. He’s active in the community, holding frequent meal giveaways, and cooks some of the best traditional Creole food in the city. Go for the food, Saints games, happy hour, or live music, it’s always a good visit.

Whiskey & Sticks

The cool and cultivated Whiskey and Sticks on Bayou Road is a lounge in every sense, offering a great vibe, premium liquors, a nice selection of cigars, and cigar rolling classes. Memberships are available though not required to visit.

Bertha's Place Bar and Restaurant

This vibrant South 7th Ward spot is a good ole’ Southern juke joint with a New Orleans twist. With an age requirement of 30, it’s a great place to catch music, nightlife, charbroiled oysters, and good drinks with a mature crowd.

Hank's Bar

Tiny and worn, this much-loved Treme bar has been welcoming neighbors to its bright green building for years at the corner of Robertson and Kerlerec. Try stuffed seafood potato plates, fried fish, chicken plates, and seafood gumbo depending on the day, and count on lively music from a jukebox or DJ.

Treme Hideaway

Treme Hideaway is a neighborhood gathering spot with a unique and soulful atmosphere where local and national artists alike perform regularly. There are great chargrilled oysters, crawfish, and basically all things shellfish.

Chickie Wah Wah

Just a street car ride away from the French Quarter, this small club on Canal Street has great live music almost every night — and artists here receive 100% of the proceeds. Dark and moody, it’s one of the best music venues in the city, and you never know who might pop up here. Great sandwiches as well. It’s back open as of December 2022, under new owners with a long history in New Orleans’s music scene.

Candlelight Lounge

This beloved Treme gathering place beckons with live music from brass brands, strong drinks and frequent two-for-one specials, Saints game watch parties, DJs, and liveliness.

Treme’s Candlelight Lounge 
Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro

This Frenchmen Street club just outside the French Quarter has been providing some of the best live jazz to locals and visitors for over 30 years. It has a casual dining area, bar, and stage, with the best seats upstairs on the balcony. 

Outside Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro.
Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro

B J's Lounge

One of Bywater’s dive bar trifecta (also including to Vaughan’s and J&J’s) is a must visit for live music on weekends, home to regular shows by the legendary, 82-year old bluesman Little Freddie King. Cash only.

Vaughan's Lounge

This iconic Ninth Ward bar was established in 1959 and has been known throughout the years as the place to be for live music on Thursday Nights — once Kermit Ruffins, the night is now Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet’s. Vaughan’s delivers cheap drinks, good music, and the kind of welcome that you hope for at a hangout.

 Vaughan's
Vaughan’s
Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

Old Point Bar

This Algiers corner bar is just minutes away from the French Quarter by ferry boat, where you’re transported to an old-timey spot with cold beer, live music, and good times.

Old Point Bar
William A. Morgan/Shutterstock

Oak

Oak is a classy spot Uptown wine bar with nearly a hundred hand-selected bottles and crafty bartenders in a clean and crisp atmosphere. Low key but buzzing, you can catch live music here on the weekend and still be able to converse with your company.

Vyoone’s

Perhaps the Warehouse District’s top hidden gem, Vyoone’s is run by two dynamic local women who mix French-Creole cuisine and beautiful hospitality in a pretty setting. Sit in a lush back courtyard or reserve a private space upstairs for larger parties.

Snake and Jake's Christmas Club Lounge

Snake and Jakes is basically a shack lit up with Christmas lights and known as New Orleans’s most legendary dive bar. This is a late night bar through and through, staying lively until the early hours of the morning and not opening again until much later.

Snake & Jake’s Christmas Club Lounge, Friday 1 a.m. Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

Chais Delachaise

Not to be confused with its sister restaurant Delachaise, this charming wine bar and bistro all the way Uptown on Maple Street is a haven. It serves fresh food like Gulf seafood bouillabaisse, grilled octopus, and North African boulettes, and offers an extensive global wine list.

Josh Brasted/Eater NOLA

Related Maps

Caesar’s

Caesar’s is a West Bank hang, a nightclub also known for its food, especially seafood Tuesdays with boiled crabs, crawfish, and more. It’s lively and packed with a mature crowd — a winning combo.

Second Vine Wine

Now in its new digs in the heart of the Garden District after closing in the Marigny, Troy Gant is keeping this gem going Uptown. The Magazine Street shop offers frequent wine tastings, reasonably priced selection, and a warm, friendly atmosphere. A private room in the back can be reserved for parties, like at the old shop, and surely offers the same great times.

Le Bon Temps Roule

Le Bon Temps is a longtime Uptown music and dive bar staple, with musicians like Kermit Ruffins, the Soul Rebels, and Anders Osborne getting their start here. Catch the Soul Rebels every Thursday night at midnight. 

The Soul Rebels play at Le Bon Temps Roule in 2018
Official/Le Bon Temps Roule

Related Maps