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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

Now in artsy 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, a 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.