The Howlin' Wolf on South Peters runs the Warehouse District concert hall plus The Den, a smaller back room. Capacity over 600 with a pro-grade sound system and full lighting rig.
Tip: Buy main-hall tickets in advance; The Den is the walk-in option for local funk and Sunday brass nights with no cover.
Address: 907 South Peters Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
BMC at the corner of Decatur and Esplanade is the upstairs balcony jazz room that runs live music every night, half a block from the Frenchmen Street strip but technically still inside the Quarter.
Tip: Two sets most nights, no cover. Climb to the wraparound balcony for the breeze and the second-line view down Esplanade.
The AllWays Lounge on St Claude books burlesque, drag, comedy, theatre and queer cabaret in a Marigny shotgun room that holds about 80 and runs free Sunday swing-dance lessons.
Tip: Cover usually $10 to $15 at the door; Sunday 20:00 swing-dance lessons are free with no cover. Calendar updates weekly on the venue site.
Hot Tin atop the Pontchartrain Hotel is the 14th-floor 1940s-artist-themed cocktail room with a 270-degree view of Downtown and the Mississippi, sky-blue ceilings and a small terrace.
Tip: 21+ only, no reservations. Sunday to Thursday closes at midnight; Friday and Saturday push to 02:00. Cocktails around $18.
Above the Grid atop the NOPSI Hotel pairs an open-air pool deck with cocktail service, weekend live music and a clear sightline of the CBD skyline from a heated wraparound terrace.
Tip: Day pool access via ResortPass; bar service runs into the evening with DJs on weekends. The pool closes earlier than the bar.
The Pool Club on the 13th floor of Virgin Hotels New Orleans pairs a wraparound pool deck with cabana seating, resident DJs and a skyline view across the CBD into the Quarter.
Tip: Bar open later than the pool on Thursday to Saturday. Day pool access for non-guests via the hotel's day-pass option.
French 75 at Arnaud's has poured the city's defining gin-and-champagne cocktail since 1918, a wood-panelled side room behind the dining hall with a small bar and antique military prints.
Tip: Walk in for the bar; reservations for the dining room only. Order the French 75 with a side of soufflé potatoes.