What follows is our pick of the best bars in New Orleans. Live Music is inextricably linked with New Orleans' nightlife and many of the bars listed also feature bands several nights a week, but also check our music section.

Fritzel's European Jazz Pub, 733 Bourbon Street
Don’t be put off by this bar’s location on touristy Bourbon Street. This is a great place to see some of the hottest New Orleans jazz in the city. It’s a small bar so arrive early for the best seats. There’s no cover charge for the music but you are expected to buy at least one drink per set…not usually a problem for most.

El Matador, 514 Esplanade Avenue
A trendy bar that also features the occasional good band.

The Dungeon Bar, 738 Toulouse Street
Popular French Quarter bar/music venue with a good mix of locals and tourists. The Dungeon doesn’t open until midnight. Don’t be put off by the outward appearance or the upstairs seating booths that come complete with iron bars.

House of Blues, 225 Decatur Street.
Large, popular music venue with its own restaurant.

Carousel Piano Bar, Hotel Monteleone, 214 Rue Royale
Hotel bar that is, not surprisingly, full of tourists. As the name suggests it features live piano music and the bar is made from an old fairground carousel.

Fat Tuesday, Bourbon Street
Daiquiris of every description and the only place in New Orleans to get seasonal favorites like Eggnog Daiquiris.

735 Nightclub & Bar, 735 Bourbon Street
Good bar with a separate nightclub. Crowd and the vibe vary from night-to-night.

One Eyed Jacks', 615 Toulouse Street
Formerly called the Shim Sham Club, this place is definitely worth a visit for an introduction to New Orlean’s alternative music and culture scene. Lots of modern New Orleans bands play here and the clientele is a mix of bikers, strippers, Goths, and eccentric locals with the odd vampire thrown in for good measure. A friendly bar that looks like a Storyville parlour inside.

Palm Court Jazz Café. 1204 Decatur Street
Included in the bars section because although Palm Court sells itself as a dinner jazz venue, it’s fine to just sit at the small bar and enjoy the music. Palm court is run by the wife of George Buck, head of magnificent New Orleans jazz music label American Music and attracts a mix of acts of the magnificent to the mediocre.

The Jazz Parlor 125 Bourbon Street
Another dinner jazz venue so expect the music to be a little tamer to aid digestion.

Pirates Alley Café, 622 Pirates Alley
If atmosphere is what you want you can’t go far wrong in this location. Pirates Alley is a narrow flag-stone lane alongside the impressive St Louis Cathedral. The alley runs beside the landscaped gardens at the back of the Cathedral, a favorite location for Duels of honor in days gone by. On a foggy evening you won’t need much imagination to picture a pair of eighteenth century gents emerging from the mist, pistols at the ready.

Lafittes Blacksmith Shop ,941 Bourbon Street Further down Bourbon Street away from the hoards, Lafittes claims to be the oldest licensed premises in the United States, and it’s not hard to believe from the look of the building. Lafittes was a favorite hang-out of infamous pirates Jean and Pierre Lafitte An atmospheric bar that is always dark inside whatever the weather, it attracts a mix of locals, tourists and a large number of horse-drawn carriages; all of the carriage tours stop outside this bar.

Pat O’Brien’s, 718 St Peter Street
Unapologetically touristy, but no trip to New Orleans would be complete without a visit to Pat O’Brien’s not least because of its fantastic courtyard bar where you can sit out in the sun while cooled by the central fountain. Be warned, the cocktails (including the bar’s special Hurricane) are not watered down tourist fare—they’re big, strong and good value. Price of drinks includes the cost of the glass which can be kept as a souvenir or returned at the back bar for a refund when you leave.

Touche, Royal Street
A small, intimate bar at the Canal Street end of Royal. Oak panels, art prints and next to the recommended Mr B's Bistro.

Whirling Dervish, 1132 Decatur Street
Sit upstairs if you fancy lounging in a sofa of reclining on an old four-poster bed. This locals hang-out is dark but welcoming.

The Abbey, 1118 Decatur Street
Small bar favoured by New Orleans goths no doubt taking a break from shopping at near-by Gargoyles. This end of Decatur is a great place to be around Halloween.

Molly's, Decatur Street
Next to the excellent Coop's Place, this lively bar also has an extensive food menu.

This area is just below and within easy walking distance of the French Quarter. It is an area of the City that is ‘up and coming’ with the art crowd laying the ground for the first waves of gentrification. As a result a smattering of arty bars has sprung up, particularly around now trendy Frenchman Street/Esplanade junction.

Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro, 626 Frenchman Street
Up-market jazz and dinner venue with a slant towards modern rather than traditional New Orleans jazz. Highly thought of locally though.

Spotted Cat, 623 Frenchman Street
Frenchman Street music venue and bar.

Check Point Charlie, 501 Esplanade Avenue
Good music venue featuring modern bands grubby on the outside, friendly on the inside. You can also do your laundry in this bar.

Known locally simply as the CBD, this is the business heart of the City and lies right next to the French Quarter across Canal Street at the other end from Faubourg Marigny. Warehouses on the edge of the CBD have also become home to many independent art galleries. A few bars around here are worth a look, and more are likely to spring up in the near future.

360 #2 Canal Street, World Trade Building, 33rd Floor
A circular bar in the top of New Orleans’ World Trade Centre building that spins 360 degrees roughly every half hour. Superb views over the city and Mississippi river, but drinks are a bit pricey.

Howlin' Wolf, 828 SO. Peters
One of two off-shoot bars from famous Uptown music venue Tipitinas. Check listings for band information.

Mermaid Lounge, 100 Constance Street
Bar and music venue for local modern alternative bands very close to the art galleries of Julia Street.

Mid City lies between the French Quarter and Uptown and is one of the main residential areas of New Orleans. Get a cab to the bars in this area.

Lanes Rock'n'Bowl, 4133 South Carrollton Avenue.
A must-visit music venue and bar this 1940’s bowling alley makes no apologies for being tacky. If you’re sick of jazz and the city’s alternative music, then come here on a Wednesday night for live Zydeco…and bowling.

Saturn Bar, 3067 St Claude
Run by the most eccentric bar owner in New Orleans? Quite possibly. Check out the owner’s eclectic collection of junk that fills the bar, but no laughing, it’s not uncommon for the man himself to get in a mood and throw everyone out. A cab there and back is a must.

Most tourists stick exclusively to the French Quarter when seeking evening entertainment, but you’d be missing a trick to ignore the plethora of bars and music venues outside the few blocks of the old city. The vast majority of New Orleans residents live uptown or Mid-city and there are plenty of bars, restaurants and clubs in these areas that give a feel for the real New Orleans.

Tipitinas, 501 Napoleon Avenue
Famous for old jazz legends, but has begun to feature far less New Orleans jazz recently. This venue can be dead if good bands are not playing and the crowd changes depending on band and style of music. Check the listings before you go at www.tipitinas.com. It's best to take a cab to this venue.

Circle Bar, 1032 St. Charles Avenue (on Lee Circle)
Right on the route of the Street Car where it goes around the only round-about on its route, this a small but interesting bar that occasionally also has occasional good bands.

Columns Hotel, 3811 St. Charles Avenue.
An after-work and weekend hang out for the wealthy and beautiful of the Garden district. A great place to go on a sunny evening as you can sit out front and watch the World go by on St Charles. The bar is housed in a characteristic Garden District colonial building in front of the hotel. Be warned though…at weekends it can seem like a Southern Yuppie convention.

Maple Leaf Bar, 8316 Oak Street
Tatty looking bar that makes up for it with great live jazz and blues.

TWI-RO-PA, 1544 Tchoupitoulas Street
If the name doesn’t give it away this a trendy hang-out for the younger crowd. Does have live dance bands. You will want to get a cab to this bar. See before you go at: www.twiropa.com

The Balcony Bar, 1104 Harmony Street
Typical neighborhood bar with a huge wrap-around balcony. Good for sitting out on a warm evening and the drinks are cheap.

Bulldog, 3236 Magazine Street
This place will make English tourists almost feel at home. The Bulldog is a pub-style bar with a big selection of imported beers. Among the selection of bar food is an excellent veggie burger. If you’re vegetarian and have spent a few days in New Orleans, you’ll know why that’s important.

Cooter Browns Tavern, 509 South Carrollton, 70118 866 9104.
Find this place by jumping off the street car as it goes round the bend at the bottom of St Charles. Great bar food and don’t miss the mussels.

Buddha Belly Bar, 4437 Magazine Street
A real locals hang-out on magazine. This bar is a bit of a dive but if you fancy a drink and need to do your laundry, this is the place for you—there is a launderette in the bar. For Star spotters, it’s also right across from the studio of Nine Inch Nail’s front-man Trent Reznor.