Top Rated Nightlife in New Orleans

The Spotted Cat is an intimate, slightly formal bar for all those cool cats and kittens who enjoy live jazz with a local flavor. This place, however, is for purists — if you're looking for flamboyant performances and gimmicks, you won't find them here. Jazz outfits such as the New Orleans Jazz Vipers, Jeremy Lyons and the Deltabilly Boys, and Tin Men perform at the Spotted Cat on a regular basis.

John Austin tickles the ivories at this piano bar from Wednesday through Saturday, but the real attraction is the Carousel Bar & Lounge itself at Hotel Monteleone. It's a carousel and really does revolve - all the time. The music goes until late and the cocktails served are out of this world like the "Truffletini" which is a mix of Bailey's Irish Cream with liqueurs. The ambiance has a slight feel of a Moulin Rouge setting, with bold lighting and motifs.

Fancy good music and a cold beer at the end of your day? Head to d.b.a., where they host live performances and serve draft beer, Belgian draft beer, and hand-drawn ales. There is also a wine list, a whiskey list and a brandy list. The amount of liquor served here is mind-boggling. If you're there for the live music, you won't be disappointed.

This is one of those places that make you wonder if they ever close. Open doors and no cover charge lure tourists and locals to listen to some of the best music in town. Authentic jazz that is loud and lively is almost non-stop from mid-afternoon to the wee hours of the morning at Maison Bourbon. Players include Wallace Davenport, Steve Slocum and Tommy Yetta. Patrons must be 21 or older. There is a one-drink minimum.

This Central Business District haunt, Le Chat Noir, has declared the entire world a stage as long as you have got good music and even better booze. This oh-so-swank Uptown hotspot features both a live piano bar and the Cabaret room, which features a changing lineup of guest stars and revues. The bar is laid back and unassuming, perfect for those looking for a more ‘mature' night out.

Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar is (as its name implies) located in a former blacksmith's shop and safe house for smugglers during the 1800s. It boasts of having survived the fire that burned down the French Quarter in the late 1800s and being the oldest building to house a bar in the United States. In the back of the bar, a musician plays a grand piano and croons through drunken sing-a-longs like Piano Man and You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling. The bar has reasonably priced drinks compared to many of its Bourbon Street counterparts and is the best bet on Bourbon Street if your feet are tired from walking and you have had your fill of raucous mayhem.