Old Absinthe House
Old Absinthe House
4
Historic SitesPoints of Interest & LandmarksBars & Clubs
9:00 AM - 3:00 AM
Monday
9:00 AM - 3:00 AM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 3:00 AM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 3:00 AM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 3:00 AM
Friday
9:00 AM - 3:00 AM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 3:00 AM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 3:00 AM
About
The building that now houses the Old Absinthe House has a rich history. The building was erected in 1806 to house an importing firm. In 1815 the ground floor was converted into a saloon known as "Aleix's Coffee House." This coffee house was later rechristened "The Absinthe Room" when mixologist Cayetano Ferrer created the famous Absinthe House Frappe here in 1874. The original Old Absinthe House bar was to be destroyed at the start of Prohibition - as a powerful message to proprietors and others that Absinthe was to be abolished from the US and would not be tolerated. Fortunately, the bar was moved under cover of darkness to a warehouse on Bourbon Street in order to preserve it. The Old Absinthe House has played host to writers--including Oscar Wilde, Walt Whitman, and Mark Twain--as well as politicians, pirates, and movie stars. The absinthe still flows at this Bourbon Street landmark and "everyone you have known or ever will know eventually ends up at the Old Absinthe House."
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: French Quarter
A small and teeming network of laissez-faire living lounged out on the balmy banks of the Mighty Mississippi, the French Quarter has long been a port of call for folks in search of a good time and a great story. Perpetually inebriated Bourbon Street runs across its midriff like a strand of cheap ribbon tied around an otherwise rather pretty and impressively well-kept vintage dress. Throughout the rest of the Quarter, brightly colored Victorian homes and businesses, famously done up with wrought-iron features, provide a distinct and immediately recognizable backdrop for all varieties of fun. At any given moment in this historic riverside setting, some of America’s finest meals are being cooked, most potent cocktails are being mixed, and most engaging music is being performed.
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See what travelers are saying
  • ToesnSand23
    Playa del Carmen, Mexico22 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Perfect dive, but incosistant drinks
    I love so much about this bar. It's a wonderful Bourbon Street dive. It fumes of absinthe hit you as soon as you walk in the door. I had one of the best Sazeracs in the city. Unfortunately, bars are dependent on their bartenders. I had one excellent Sazerac, followed by several middle of the road ones. Still a good place to stop to refill that roadie!
    Visited April 2023
    Written April 27, 2023
  • Barbara D
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Cool vibe and the BEST bartender ever. Ever.
    Bartender was the BEST in describing the differences in the varieties of absinthes available. The bar itself is a historic treasure, cool place (both temperature wise and vibe) to hang out in before going over to Desire for some oysters. We had such a great time here!
    Visited June 2023
    Written June 24, 2023
  • Squ3aky
    Panama City, Florida305 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Absinthe, obvoiusly
    A dark, quiet bar on Bourbon St. The bartenders weren't exactly what I'd call the friendliest, but they were very good at making the highlighted drinks, namely Absinthe (obviously) and Sazerac. It's not a gimmick-y bar like a lot of others on Bourbon. It's allure is the history, and the green fairy. Oh, the fireplace didn't hurt either, especially since it was cold and rainy while we were there.
    Visited March 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 11, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles364 reviews
Excellent
141
Very good
116
Average
56
Poor
26
Terrible
25

Kristen N
West Sand Lake, NY27 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022 • Couples
So disappointed. BF's first time on Bourbon Street. Bartender (older lady) was not kind. Gin and Tonic had flat tonic and not sure if a shot of gin was even added (and we paid for Bombay Sapphire). Very very small in a plastic cup and it cost $12. Men's room had no soap or towels (but they wanted the vax card before saying hello). When asked if everything was ok and we said not really and was there even gin bc we didn't taste it....she walked away without addressing the problem in the slightest. Waste of time and money...oh well. Disputing the $24 with cc. Love historical places. Hope someone takes this over and does it proper justice.
Written February 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ToesnSand23
Playa del Carmen, Mexico22 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023
I love so much about this bar. It's a wonderful Bourbon Street dive. It fumes of absinthe hit you as soon as you walk in the door. I had one of the best Sazeracs in the city. Unfortunately, bars are dependent on their bartenders. I had one excellent Sazerac, followed by several middle of the road ones. Still a good place to stop to refill that roadie!
Written April 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Squ3aky
Panama City, FL305 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Couples
A dark, quiet bar on Bourbon St. The bartenders weren't exactly what I'd call the friendliest, but they were very good at making the highlighted drinks, namely Absinthe (obviously) and Sazerac. It's not a gimmick-y bar like a lot of others on Bourbon. It's allure is the history, and the green fairy. Oh, the fireplace didn't hurt either, especially since it was cold and rainy while we were there.
Written January 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jennifer N
Seattle, WA138 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022
We walked in here to taste absinthe. The bartender was friendly and knowledgeable helping us select which one to try. The atmosphere was cool and the music was fun. They check Covid 19 Vaccination status at the door and mask-wearing is enforced.
Written February 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Claude P
Rapid City, SD585 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
Very nice selection and descriptions of several brands of absinthe. More importantly the bartenders know it extremely well and can answer any question and make great recommendations. The absinthe is served properly too. Not pricey either for this rare drink. The absinthe and bartenders were definitely 5 stars. The bathrooms are downright scary. We both wished we had waited and gone across the street. Like many New Orleans locations this is an old building but with this one the upkeep has not happened.
Written March 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stickonfreeze
Charles Town, WV32 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2021
Our favorite French Quarter bar. Watched the Saints lose in the playoffs. Met some great folks, drinks came fast and furious. Different vibe than the Daquiri places or dance clubs. Cool to drink in such a historic spot.
Written January 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Julia W
Washington DC, DC21 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Couples
My fiancé and I had several sazeracs at different spots throughout the city, and unfortunately found the ones here to be least appealing. Just lacked the flavor profile we’d experienced at other places. Ambience is cool, though, so may be worth it to pop in and try something else!
Written August 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hollis G
Atlanta37 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Solo
I travel solo. I’m female. I’m not looking for company. This place was a cool dive bar that made me feel comfortable! No crazy loud DJs, nobody pushing shots, just an awesome historic place to have a day drink. Stephanie is an amazing bartender.
Written June 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alexa G
22 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022 • Couples
This was our first trip to New Orleans and we had to make a stop at this location! Definitely a small, old, dive bar, it was everything I wanted. We went during the day so it was not very busy but the bartender was knowledgeable and explained the drinks to us and we had our first absinthe experience. I say experience because I did not know how the drinks were made, what the effects were, etc. I had the Toulouse Red… overall is tastes like black licorice. The bartender gave me her recommendation of sprite and sour mix as a chaser and it was awesome. If you’re taking a drinking trip, you should definitely try this place out. And no, I did not trip out like people think you do lol i had one drink and had a mild buzz, but the experience is worth it
Written March 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MarylandMD
22 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
So I go into Jean Lafitte's Old Absinthe House, supposedly a "Mecca" for absinthe lovers, and the first thing the bartender does is pull out a lighter and try to set fire to the absinthe! Anybody who truly knows and loves absinthe considers that an absolute abomination. I would have maybe been less outraged if the bartender had at least ASKED me if I wanted my drink set on fire before they started flicking the lighter. Fortunately, I was able to prevent the stupid ritual from wrecking a perfectly good glass of absinthe. I'll never go back.
Written March 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Old Absinthe House - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Frequently Asked Questions about Old Absinthe House