Those who branch out beyond the French Quarter will be rewarded with a bar scene full of characters, personality, and quality drinks. Visitors flock to boisterous Bourbon Street, where the quality-to-volume ratio is low (but it’s a spectacle-everyone should witness at least once in their life). Locals have their favorites, going back generations. The nightlife scene in New Orleans caters to every kind of crowd. Neighborhood bars, classy cocktail lounges, and historic watering holes dot the city, and the best bars in New Orleans boast both skillful bartenders and tasty drinks – not surprising from the city that is thought to be where the cocktail was actually invented.

New Orleans is a city known for its vast array of drinking options, from world-renowned cocktails to giant fishbowls of boozy neon concoctions on Bourbon Street.