New Orleans
You're flying out of New Orleans Airport, you have 90 minutes to kill, and you'd like to do better than a Pret. Good news: airport drinking has improved more in the last five years than the previous fifty. Pre-flight drinks at New Orleans Airport range from chain reliability to surprisingly polished hotel-style bars in the airport hotels. This is barsforKings's editor-curated guide to drinking better at New Orleans's airports.
French Quarter · $$$$
Arnaud's French 75 Bar draws a steady local crowd in French Quarter. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening
City centre · $$
Bacchanal Wine sits on Poland Avenue in Bywater, in a shotgun double that was originally a neighbourhood grocery store. The front room sells wine by the bottle
Warehouse District · $$$
Bar Marilou draws a steady local crowd in Warehouse District. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
City centre · $$$
Bar Tonique is the French Quarter neighbourhood cocktail bar that's been pulling industry crowds since 2008 — a tight programme of classic NOLA-style drinks plu
Want a real drink before flying? The fastest play is to get to airport hotels next door — most run polished bars that beat anything post-security. We list them at the bottom. If you've got 60 spare minutes pre-airport, see our shortlist of bars in New Orleans proper at the end.
Plays for New Orleans Airport: post-security, pre-security, lounges, and the airport-hotel cheat code.
Pre-flight drinks, hotel-bar reviews, and the openings we're watching across 176 cities. Friday mornings, no filler.
Looking beyond New Orleans? See our guide to the best airport bars worldwide, or compare airport bars city by city.