Tips for New Orleans nightlife?

March 21, 2010 5:49 PM

Taking a recently divorced friend to New Orleans for a weekend to celebrate his singledom -- any recommendations?

My friend is getting divorced and a bunch of his best friends are taking him to New Orleans for a weekend of getting drunk and spending money. Any recommendations, nightlife wise? We're in our early 30s, mostly well-off. Strip clubs will probably end up on the itinerary, so those recommendations are appreciated as well...

posted by anonymous to Travel & Transportation around New Orleans, LA (7 answers total)

Rick's Cabaret for the classy strippers, The Hustler Club for the trashy side. (Sadly, you've missed Big Daddy's)

Have dinner at Cochon and try their moonshine tasting. Stay at the Hotel Monteleone in the Quarter. Have a few drinks at their revolving Carousel Bar.

And be careful. The New Orleans police crack down on drunk and disorderly during Lent.
posted by ColdChef at 6:14 PM on March 21, 2010 [2 favorites]

Also: don't pay a cover anywhere. Covers are for suckers in New Orleans. Let the door know that you've got money to burn and they'll let you pass. If they won't, there are tons of places to wet your whistle.
posted by ColdChef at 6:15 PM on March 21, 2010 [1 favorite]

Kermit Ruffins + bbq swingers, every Thursday night at Vaughns Lounge. (4229 Dauphine St.) Usually starts around 10pm; $10 cover; afterwards while you're trying to comprehend how they rocked so hard, you can enjoy the red beans and rice Kermit cooked himself.
Check out his MySpace or stream the entire Live at Vaughns album on Lala.
posted by notpeter at 6:16 PM on March 21, 2010 [1 favorite]

Disregard what I said about covers when it applies to Kermit Ruffins.
posted by ColdChef at 6:18 PM on March 21, 2010

In New Orleans everything starts very very late. If the flyer says 10 nothing will be happening before 11:30. Only amateurs are still up when the sun comes up, but there is a lot going on at four A. M. It is a totally different time zone. Everybody I have ever known who lives there who parties much goes home and takes a long nap before they go out.
posted by bukvich at 6:55 PM on March 21, 2010

Just be sure to stay in the Quarter, and you can find whatever you want to do....
posted by raisingsand at 9:07 PM on March 21, 2010

Skip Bourbon Street. Go to Faubourg Marigny.

Eat at Adolpho's on Frenchman Street, above the Apple Bottom. Dinner only, I think.

Get excellent cocktails at Bar Tonique on North Rampart. If Kelly or Lisa are working, treat them right.

Unless you're Beautiful People or you like to hang around Beautiful People, don't go to Cure. Good cocktails, but not much fun.

For a quiet Irish bar with some hand-drawn pints take the ferry to Algiers and go to the Crown and Anchor.

And finally, find a good bar and get in right with the bartender. They'll tell you the right places to go.
posted by donpardo at 5:08 AM on March 22, 2010