These are simply the most essential ones to visit - feel free to argue with us, but only after we’ve had a Hand Grenade. Since this is a town with plenty drinking history and passion for beverages, there will surely be some strong opinions about what is left off. Quick note on selection: Only bars physically located on Bourbon Street, not the broader French Quarter, were considered. These are the 14 bars on Bourbon Street that you must go to at least once. Take advantage of being able to walk place to place with a drink in hand. Bars on Bourbon Street are crowded close together, making it easy to bar hop all night long. Regardless of how you look at it, though, you’re doing Bourbon Street wrong if you’re only going to one bar. Both have plenty of options to choose from. Others choose the bars with the loudest bands. Some choose to approach Bourbon Street with history in mind and dine and drink exclusively at centuries-old establishments. It stretches the 13 blocks between Canal Street and Esplanade Avenue. Bourbon Street was first laid out in 1721 and is named after the royal French Bourbon family. Some are worth your time, many others are not, but the street itself is something to experience. It’s lined with strip clubs, dives, and live music spots.
This French Quarter is both the city’s most famous and its oldest neighborhood, while Bourbon Street is the main draw for partiers.