Why locals love it: The Mid-City corner cocktail bar on South Telemachus, named for Prohibition-era rum running, with a serious cocktail list and a backyard smoker that locals know and tourists miss.

Tip: The backyard barbecue smoker runs Thursday to Sunday; ask the bar what's plated on the smoker that night.

Location

Address: 500 S Telemachus St, New Orleans, LA 70119

More hidden gems in New Orleans

Parleaux Beer Lab ★ 4.4

Why locals love it: The Bywater nano-brewery on Lesseps Street with Belgian ales and a dog-friendly back garden, off most tourist itineraries because it sits past the main Bywater food row.

Tip: Dogs are welcome on the back patio; the pizza pop-up runs Friday and Saturday evenings most weeks.

Levee Baking Co ★ 4.7

Why locals love it: The Uptown levain bakery just off Magazine Street at 9th, with sourdough loaves, kouign-amann and a Cuban pastelito programme that runs off the main Magazine browse path.

Tip: Bread sells out by 11:00 Saturday; pastries hold longer. Cash discount at the register.

Willie Mae's Scotch House ★ 4.6

Why locals love it: The 1957 Treme fried chicken counter on St Ann Street that the world knows in name but most visitors skip because it sits in a residential block off the Quarter food map.

Tip: Lines are real; arrive 11:00 open. The three-piece plate with red beans is the canonical order.

Congregation Coffee Roasters ★ 4.5

Why locals love it: The Algiers Point cafe ten minutes across the river by ferry from Jackson Square, with single-origin pour-overs and a quiet patio that almost no tourist crosses to reach.

Tip: Take the Algiers Ferry from Canal Street; ten minutes across and Congregation is two blocks from the dock.

N7 ★ 4.5

Why locals love it: The unmarked French wine bar in a Bywater garden on Montegut Street, behind a tall fence with no street sign; you walk past the front three times before you see it.

Tip: Look for the unsigned wooden fence on Montegut between Royal and Dauphine; the garden seats open at 17:00.

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