The French Quarter and Frenchman Street

By Saint Greg

March 20, 2026

I am working my way through the French Quarter, down to Frenchman Street and back. We will start at the Hotel Monteleone. If I were to recommend one hotel in the French Quarter, this would be it. Even if you aren’t staying here you should stop by to try and get a coveted seat at the Carousel Bar.

This is the Carousel Bar. It spins at an extremely slow rate and it’s very difficult to get a seat.

The bar is packed tonight. They do have live entertainment.

Here is a time lapse video from when I had a seat at the Carousel Bar a few years back.

We have moved over to Bourbon Street. There was a time when you could watch a guy rolling cigars at that Cigar Factory on the right but I don’t think they do that anymore.

Fats Domino, Al Hirt, Pete Fountain

You’ve got your street performers. Not as many as their used to be though.

Fat Catz is one of the many places for live music. If you’re looking for some live metal on Bourbon Street, this is your best bet.

If you are going to drink on Bourbon Street, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on drinks. The first drink you want to have is a Hurricane at Pat O’Brien’s. If you have another drink, it’s the hand grenade at Tropical Isle. I had a bad experience 20 years ago when I drank 10 of these in one night. I don’t drink them anymore. I will have a Hurricane though.

I just veered off of Bourbon Street to show you this. This is Napoleon House. This house was built in 1797. It was the house of the Mayor of New Orleans, Nicholas Girod. The house was offered to Napoleon but he passed away before he made it here. Now it’s a bar and restaurant. They make a good muffuletta here.

I was going to go inside for a drink and sandwich but they are closed for a private function. Here is a peek inside.

I veered a little farther over to walk through Jackson Square. The street is closed for construction but it looks like I can walk around it.

Jackson Square is where you can get your carriage ride in.

If you’re in New Orleans around Christmas, you definitely want to check out the tree at Washington Artillery Park.

St Louis Cathedral is the oldest cathedral in the country. The first church was built here in 1718. This one was built in 1793.

Andrew Jackson is known as the savior in New Orleans after defeating the British in the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.

If you want a fortune teller, there are plenty of those around Jackson Square.

To the left of the St. Louis Cathedral is the Cabildo where the Louisiana Purchase was signed.

Between the Cabildo and St. Louis Cathedral is Pirate’s Alley. Some say this is where pirates would meet up.

Pirates Alley Cafe is the closest active bar to a church in the country. I believe it’s called cafe because it isn’t allowed to be a bar even though it really is.

William Faulkner lived and wrote his first book here. Allegedly because New Orleans was the easiest city to get a drink in during prohibition. And he was able buy wine out of the back of the Catholic Church and just carry it across the street to his house.

And this has brought us to the St. Peter street entrance to Pat O’Briens. The other entrance is on Bourbon Street so when we exit we’ll be back on Bourbon.

There are four bars in Pat O’Briens. The first is a dueling piano bar.

Across from the piano bar is this one with a big screen TV and beer steins.

You want to check out the fountain in the courtyard at night.

The patio bar is out here.

This is the bar I usually drink at. It’s smaller and quieter with TVs on sports and a view of Bourbon Street.

They also serve the drinks in to go cups in this bar. In the other bars they try to give them to you in the fancy glasses. They charge you for those glasses then refund you when you return them.

We’re back on Bourbon Street. We’re getting to the far end of the street. Clover Grill is an old school diner that’s open 24/7.

The oldest building in the country currently used as a bar is Lafite’s blacksmith shop. This is where the pirate Jean Lafite ran his smuggling operation.

I like coming in here at night. They use minimal electricity so it’s mostly lit by candles giving you a more authentic feel. When I first started coming here they didn’t use lights behind the bar so it was even darker in here.

Next door is Lafite’s Hotel & Bar. This is was a private home built in 1849.

Verti Marte is a popular sandwich spot that is open 24/7.

We are now one block from Frenchman Street. This is the Royal Street Inn & R Bar. It served as the exterior of the Tru Tone bar in NCIS: New Orleans.

There is no shortage of street poets on Frenchman Street.

Frenchman Street is where you want to go for live music in New Orleans.

This is the most popular music club on Frenchman Street.

I was going to eat at Dat Dog but it is closed for a private function as well.

Thursday-Sunday they have The Art Garden where local artists have booths.

I walked down to the far end of Frenchman for this one. That’s why it’s so empty. I just like it because of the name and seating.

I am heading back.

There are a lot of shotgun houses in New Orleans. Those are long, narrow houses with no hallways. It’s just one room after another. They call it shotgun because you can shoot a shotgun through the front door and it will pass through all of the rooms and out the back without hitting a wall.

Where else does the pharmacy have a bar?

This is the Andrew Jackson Hotel. It was originally a Spanish boy’s public school in 1792. After the Louisiana purchase it became the First U.S. District Court. After the Battle of New Orleans in 1815, Andrew Jackson was held in contempt of court here and fined $1,000 for his refusal to lift martial law before confirmation of peace was received.

We are back behind the St. Louis Cathedral now.

Pierre Maspero’s is a good restaurant in this area. The building was originally used for slave trading beginning in 1788. Andrew Jackson met the Lafite Brothers here to discuss the city’s defense in the Battle of New Orleans.