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Pat O'Brien's, New Orleans, LA

Photo: Matt Boulton, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

NightlifeIconicDate NightFree

Pat O'Brien's

718 St. Peter St · New Orleans, LA

Why you should go…

Pat O'Brien's has poured drinks in the French Quarter since 1933 and moved into its current 1791 building on St. Peter Street in 1942. It has three bars: a main bar with more than 500 beer steins hanging from the ceiling, a 4,000-square-foot patio built around a copper fountain topped with an open flame, and a piano lounge where dueling pianists take song requests. The Hurricane, the rum cocktail created here during World War II, is the house signature.

  • #french quarter bar
  • #hurricane cocktail
  • #dueling pianos
  • #courtyard patio
  • #live music

Good to know

General nightlife guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Doors, showtime, last call

    Three different times, and only one of them is usually on the poster. Check all three.

  • Covers and minimums are normal

    Weekend nights often carry a door charge or a per-person minimum, especially for table seating.

  • Bring ID either way

    Age policies shift by night and by room, so carry it even if you have not been asked in years.

  • Weeknights show the room properly

    Quieter nights are the ones where you can actually hear the band and find a seat.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Pat O'Brien's, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Tours
    Quirky Fun

    Haunted History Tours

    Under $25

    New Orleans' original ghost tour company leading walking tours of haunted French Quarter and Garden District sites.

    Right next doorSwitch it up: Tours

  • Theatre & Events
    Iconic

    Preservation Hall

    Under $25

    A no-frills French Quarter room where traditional New Orleans jazz has played nightly since 1961.

    Right next doorSwitch it up: Theatre & Events

  • Tours
    History Buff

    Unique NOLA Tours

    $25–$50

    Small-group walking tours of the French Quarter covering ghost stories, true crime, and local history.

    Right next doorSwitch it up: Tours

  • Nightlife
    Iconic

    Bourbon Street

    Free

    Neon signs, brass bands, and go-cups fill this French Quarter strip once the sun goes down.

    Right next doorMore like this

  • Nightlife
    Local Gem

    Frenchmen Street

    Free

    A few blocks in the Marigny where locals go for jazz clubs without the Bourbon Street crowds.

    0.5 mi awayMore like this

  • Nightlife
    Local Gem

    Tipitina's

    $25–$50

    Catch live music at the Uptown club named for a Professor Longhair song, a New Orleans stage since 1977.

    3.5 mi awayMore like this