Top 10 Bars NOLA Uptown
Uptown, New Orleans is home to a wide mix of bars. Some are long-time dives, music venues, or cocktail lounges, each with its own style.
This list looks at 10 of the best bars in Uptown and what makes each one stand out. Make sure to check each of the businesses below.
1. Le Bon Temps Roule
4801 Magazine St., (504) 895-8117
lbtrnola.com
Le Bon Temps Roule is a 24-hour bar located on Magazine Street, known for live music, pool tables, and its Friday night tradition of free oysters. The bar opened in 1979 inside a building dating to 1890 and features original bargeboard walls and floors, with decor that includes Saints memorabilia. It regularly hosts acts such as the Soul Rebels and pianist Joe Krown.
Le Bon Temps Roule had legends including Kermit Ruffins and Walter "Wolfman" Washington perform there, and jazz pioneer Leon Roppolo had once lived upstairs. It was taken over in the early 2000s by Pepper Keenan of the metal band Down, who restored it after Katrina and kept its reputation as a neighborhood anchor intact.
2. Cure
4905 Freret St., (504) 302‑2357
curenola.com
Cure opened in 2009 in a former firehouse on Freret Street and helped spark both the craft cocktail movement and the street's revival after Hurricane Katrina. The bar is owned by Neal Bodenheimer and run by a team that together oversees a menu of precise, seasonal drinks. The interior is modern and minimal, with a long marble bar, a mirrored back wall lined with rare spirits, and a small outdoor patio.
The kitchen, led by chef Fredo Nogueria, serves shareable plates such as mushroom toast, deviled eggs, and white bean hummus, along with charcuterie and caviar service. Cure won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program in 2018 and continues to land on national best-of lists from Esquire and Food & Wine.
3. St. Joe's Bar
5535 Magazine St., (504) 899‑3744
stjoesbar.com
St. Joe's Bar is a laid-back neighborhood bar on Magazine Street, best known for its blueberry mojitos and bohemian back patio. The building has a dark, chapel-like interior with stained glass details, religious iconography, and a long wooden bar at the center of the room.
The bar has been open for more than 20 years. They don't serve food, but it's near Whole Foods and other restaurants, making it a popular stop before or after dinner. Open late every night, St. Joe's is quiet on weekdays and packed on weekends, especially during Mardi Gras when Thoth rolls right by the front door.
4. Snake & Jake's
7612 Oak St., (504) 861‑2802
snakeandjakes.com
Snake and Jake's Christmas Club Lounge has been open since 1994 and operates nightly from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. inside a shack-like building on Oak Street. The interior is sets the mood by being dark but with red Christmas lights strung across the sagging ceiling. The bar is run by owner Dave Clements.
Celebrities such as Anthony Bourdain and George Clooney have stopped by. Still standing after 30 years, Snake and Jake's remains one of the best-known dive bars in the country and a last-call destination for anyone avoiding Bourbon Street.
5. Henry's
5101 Magazine St., (504) 324‑8140
facebook.com/Henrys.Uptown.Bar
Henry's Uptown Bar has been serving drinks on Magazine Street since 1900 and remains one of the city's oldest bars still in operation. The fourth-generation, family-owned spot sits on a quiet corner and features classic dive decor: wood-paneled walls, a long bar, and a jukebox, plus TVs for Saints games.
Pop-up food vendors sometimes serve burgers and snacks out front, and there's a handful of picnic tables for day drinking. Today, it's still a go-to spot for cheap beer, casual atmosphere, and a drink on the Mardi Gras parade route.
6. 45 Tchoup
4529 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 891‑9066
instagram.com/45tchoup
45 Tchoup is an Uptown corner bar with a deep neighborhood following and a heavy love for the Boston Red Sox. Inside, it's energetic and always playing sports, especially baseball. The backroom has a poker table, and the patio offers space to hang out during breaks between innings or rounds.
Owner Debbie Shatz keeps the vibe friendly and familiar. Beer and spirits rotate, and pop-up chefs have served Chicago dogs, hot links, and Sonoran-style slaw dogs during major matchups.
7. Maple Leaf Bar
8316 Oak St., (504) 866‑9359
mapleleafbar.com
The Maple Leaf Bar has hosted live music on Oak Street since 1974, with local legends and touring acts packing its stage almost every night. The narrow, low-lit space includes a small back patio and a checkerboard dance floor that fills up fast on weekends.
Admission is usually $10-$20, with most shows starting around 8 p.m. and running late. Piano tributes to James Booker take place on Thursdays at 6 p.m., followed by funk, jam, and brass bands. Still cash-only at the door and 21+, The Maple Leaf remains one of the city's longest-running music bars and a cornerstone of Uptown nightlife.
8. Kingpin
1307 Lyons St., (504) 891‑2373
facebook.com/kingpinnola
The Kingpin is a low-lit Uptown bar known for its Elvis memorabilia, velvet paintings, and rock jukebox soundtrack. A mainstay on Lyons Street since the '90s, it draws a crowd thanks to its shuffleboard table, darts, and no-frills setup. The walls are packed with hubcaps, vintage records, and a side-by-side portrait of Jesus and Hulk Hogan.
It opens daily at 3 p.m. and often hosts food pop-ups such as Taceaux Loceaux on busy nights. Seating is available inside and out, and the crowd tends to be older than the college-heavy bars nearby.
9. Monkey Hill
6100 Magazine St., 504‑899‑4800
facebook.com/monkeyhillbar
Monkey Hill Bar is a spacious, lounge-style spot on Magazine Street with velvet couches, pool tables, and a large back room for private events. The main room has a long bar, low lighting, and multiple TVs playing sports throughout the week, plus DJs or live bands on weekends.
The bar opens at 4 p.m. on weekdays and noon on weekends and draws occasional private parties and larger college groups. Known for its plush seating and cocktail-focused menu, Monkey Hill has been a consistent presence in the Audubon area since the early 2000s.
10. Cooter Brown's
509 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 866-9104
cooterbrowns.com
Cooter Brown's has been open since 1977 at the corner of Carrollton and St. Charles and is 21+ only. The tavern serves raw oysters daily and offers half-priced Louisiana wild oysters every Tuesday from 3 p.m. to midnight. It's two bars have 84 taps combined with a rotating selection of domestic, import, and craft beers.
The kitchen serves po-boys, burgers, fried seafood baskets, and sides such as bacon ranch fries, truffle fries, and boudin balls. The venue's interior includes the "Beersoleum," with portraits of late celebrities, plus TVs for watching sports. It's open every day from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. and is located at the end of the streetcar line at 509 S. Carrollton Ave.
Uptown's Best Bars
Whether you're looking for some late-night music, a quiet corner for a beer, or a place to watch the Saints, Uptown offers variety without losing its local character.
