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Pat O'Brien's
The sugary sweet Hurricane was developed here, where a labyrinthine series of alcoves and courtyards hide many a reveler.
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R Bar
Sounds like a cattle brand, but merely by coincidence. The R Bar is just a damn good corner spot, several notches above a dive, that actually benefits from being a few blocks apart from the Frenchmen St scene. The regular crowd is generally single and seemingly savvy. The place has a friendly vibe and goofy ironic decor that's worth inspecting while your friends are using the john. For instance, a drum kit hangs upside-down from the ceiling, offering a unique perspective.
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Ray's Room New Orleans
Trumpeter Kermit Ruffins and a partner opened this nightclub/restaurant/art gallery in the Faubourg Marigny during Jazz Fest 2006. Knowing Kerm, this ought to be a fun addition to the Frenchmen St scene.
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Rivershack Tavern
In Jefferson, upstream from Riverbend beside the levee, is an advertisement-adorned roadhouse, which probably hit its prime in the 1940s. It's packed with students, older bikers and hospital staff (hopefully not heading back to the surgery room). It has a good selection of beers on tap. If you're hungry, the lunch specials are pretty good.
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Saturn Bar
The very definition of saturnine. The Saturn is admirable for going to so little effort to make its patrons feel at home. Light comes only from two cosmic neon lamps, boxes are stacked about the room and there is not a comfortable seat in the place. But locals have an enduring love for the Saturn, and often hold parties and events in the ramshackle back room. Late at night, hipsters are drawn to the Saturn, but they haven't succeeded in colonizing it. All in all, a great bar.
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Sazerac Bar
In the Fairmont Hotel, a real classic with gorgeous art-deco murals, and it's the originator of the eponymous beverage.
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St Joe's Bar
You gotta love a saint named Joe, even if he preferred to be called Joseph. This neighborhood boozer is pretty down to earth but manages to feel classy, and even a little churchlike. The narrow front room broods with hand-carved wooden crosses and church pews, but the piety stops there. The stereo plays more jazz and swing and seems strangely lacking in Gregorian chants. The ordinary Joes who pack into the place - many of 'em working stiffs in their early 30s - have a good time and don't appear to be feeling at all guilty about it.
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Tony Seville's Pirate's Alley Cafe
The narrow pedestrian alley hidden in the shadow of St Louis Cathedral is a natural spot for a tiny little bar, and Tony Seville's fits the bill perfectly. It's owned by friendly folk and has the atmosphere of a little Montparnasse hideway with no claim to fame. You can snag a stool at the bar and meet the regular characters who seem to drop by every few minutes, or claim a table out on the alley and soak up the atmosphere of the old Quarter.
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