Ultimate New Orleans: Favorite Hotel Bar

The lights inside are dimming and the scene along Royal Street seems to be whirling by, not quickly, but enough that makes you wonder how strong that cocktail is that you’re drinking – or how long you’ve been sitting at the Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone. For the uninitiated, this bar moves in a circle, not unlike … a carousel. Not as speedy – for that we have the carousels in Audubon and City parks – but ever so slightly, enough that some people have been known to stumble off their stools thinking they’re actually sitting still. But enough of going in circles.

The Carousel Bar has long been the whimsically sophisticated spot to meet for cocktails and conversation, as well as music – pianist John Autin plays Wednesday through Saturday evenings. The bartenders are expert mixologists. The setting? The bar itself is a mini recreation of a carousel and the lounge area, complete with booths, has a sparkling allure.

With all of those comforts, why would you want to go anyplace else to see how the world turns?

Editor’s Pick
Craze that we’re over: Fleur-de-lis on everything. They are a powerful symbol for New Orleans’ recovery but really, what’s next? We would, however, like to see some fleurs-de-lis in the Superbowl.

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