Top Rated Nachtleven in New Orleans

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.

If you are down on Bourbon Street and your feet are tired from walking and you have had your fill of raucous mayhem, you need only walk a little further to find this famous bar. 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.

Common cocktails and draft beer can’t be found behind the bar at Cure. Instead, Cure’s menu features carefully crafted cocktails made only from premium ingredients, as well as a selection of the best in bottled brews. This elegant bar, housed in a carefully restored fire station with towering ceilings and picturesque arches, features a cozy courtyard for mild evenings. Hungry patrons can satisfy their cravings with one of the small plate offerings. Cure is a smoke-free bar.

Raise your glasses to a toast at Mimi's in the Marigny. If the mention of calamari with chorizo, garlic and cream, mushroom manchego toast with sherry cream mushrooms or grilled pork tenderloin makes your mouth water, don't think twice about coming here. Walk into Mimi's, who's chefs are culinary magicians. Try the cold tapas menu; Spanish cheeses with roasted red peppers, or Jamon Iberico con Pimiento (ham and red peppers on toast) are always delicious. Follow it up with dessert while enjoying the melody of live local music.

Avenue Pub has a menu to fulfill food cravings at anytime of the day or night — very convenient for this on-the-run city life. This local flavored pub offers a nice selection of drafts and food, with a jukebox and pool table providing the entertainment. Here you will always find interesting locals and the occasional tourists, all having a good time in this delightful haunt. Sit by the windows facing the Saint Charles Avenue and watch the world go by while you sip on a chilled drink and a meal. It doesn't get much more refreshing than this.

Inspired after the age-old Cajun tradition of sharing the food among the participants of the feast, Bourrée at Boucherie translates to butcher shop. It is the most popular place that locals flock to, when in need for a dose of rich Southern-style dishes. The menu is influenced by Chef Zimet's personal experiences as he explored the many food options in North Carolina before beginning this venture. The prices are affordable and adds to the happy smiles that can be seen on the faces of diners relishing their meals here.