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Again, another NOLA staple that has been reviewed over and over and over. However, it was still new to me and everything I expected from what I've heard about this legendary watering hole. It's only the oldest operating bar in the U.S., since 1772.
My first night in the Big Easy was definitely complete after a few cocktails here. I love that there is no electricity and is barely illuminated by candle light. We got a table by a window and sipped on our drinks as a gentle and appreciated breeze, came through and provided much relief from the stifling humidity and heat. Mind you, this was late night and it was still brutal outside.
For the French Quarter, Lafitte's is actually fairly priced and the drinks are stiff. My favorite part being the piano player who entertained us with renditions from artists such as Tom Waits, Elton John and other song birds.
Lafitte's will most definitely be a mandatory stop during any visit to New Orleans.
Lafitte's is open early, serves generously, and charges cheaply (for the French Quarter).
We arrived as a group of about 8, and left as one of about 16. Luckily, at that point, we were the only people in the bar, so we got lots of attention and could be as noisy as we wanted (this was at about 11am). While Lafitte's is in the French Quarter, it is towards the edge of Bourbon Street, so you don't get the TOO rowdy folks that frequent some of the bars further down the street.
When you walk by, it almost looks like nothing but a little shack. But go inside and you'll see pieces of history -- pictures, a beautiful piano, low ceilings. A true gem in the heart of a crazy area.
Very old, dark, candlelit building with low ceilings and a nice courtyard. Others have commented on this being the oldest bar in the country by some definition. Interesting, but I wouldn't have guessed it.
Like everywhere else on Bourbon St, this was full of tourists and birthday groups. Unlike everywhere else which had loud bands doing Kool & The Gang and Bon Jovi covers, here there was a dramatically over-amplified, warbling singer behind a piano which people sat around and spilled their drinks over. She sang a lot of Billy Joel, and I nursed another beer. They also sell cherries soaked in booze, which I didn't try. Perhaps that's the key to the fifth star.
So, according to one of those lists on the internet.. this IS the oldest bar in the country. So just for that fact, you should go and visit. Another reason to visit is the super duper cheap drinks. It was nice to pay $5.50 for a gin and tonic.
Overall - a good place, good vibe. The nights I was there, there was a really loud woman at the piano. Apparently, other nights the entertainment is a bit better. What are those nights? I have no idea.
This bar's claim to fame is not that it's the oldest bar, but that it's the oldest bar with continuous service...wan wan.
Anyways, the interior of this bar is really nice. It's dark inside with only candles for lightning, without trying to sound too corny, the interior reminded me the of the Pirates of the Caribbean. Although this bar like every other bar in NOLA seems to play too much rap, this bar also had a grand piano, which is where I stayed for the whole night until I couldn't handle the cigarette smoke anymore.
100th review!! Wheew! I have been here at least 100 times, make sure to go to the piano player after 9, order a beer and sit there for a few hours.
Life is good!! Enjoy!!
great bar to get away from bourbon on bourbon...
went there to kick off my friend's raucous pinoy-japanese-indian wedding, and lemme tell you, it was a great start to a fandamntastic weekend.
the drinks were good (tho i tried and avoided the syrupy sweet special purple drink and stuck to abita beers, jack/crown and cokes), the peoples were fun and generally mellow. the piano was hilarious and slightly campy without trying.
if you wanna spread out a little, there's the outdoor patio, or, since it's nola, give the sidewalk and the street some love.
great little dive with character and good boozin.
If I could give this place a 10 I would. Yes, it is the oldest bar going back to pre-fire New Orleans days and yes it is a stop on New Orleans haunted history tour (how could this place not be haunted?) and oh yeah there is no air conditioning but who cares?! This place is awesome. Whoever told you to go to Pat O'Brians for a hurricane didn't know about this place! Easly the best drinks in town :)
A local friend brought me here, claiming it was their favorite bar, in the history of ever. Well, if ever = 273 years, then I guess I'm sold. I admit I'm somewhat impressed by 273 years of loyalty, especially in one of the boozier cities of the dirty South. Can't beat it. We went. Side note: On our way there, we ran into the filming of Jonah Hex, which was a cool diversion.
Ok, I get it. The entire place is candlelit and dark. Riddle me this, lushes - why WOULDN'T you love this place? No wonder it's been around forever. Winning formula. Alcohol, dark, anonymity? Long live Lafitte's.
It's tiny, it's dark, it looks like it's going to fall over. And it's also a "must do" for any NOLA trip. It's the piano that makes it. Just a raucous good time.
We were surprised, actually, that they were winding it up at 2 a.m. on a Saturday, but when we went back on Sunday, they let our friend (a professional musician) play once the regular player's shift was done and we kept rolling until 4:30.
Would I go here at 3:30 p.m.? No. Nothing to recommend it for that time of day, other than general cuteness, but you can get that in a lot of FQ places. But later at night when the piano's bangin'? Oh, heck yeah.
Like fellow Yelper Laura K. we ended up at Lafitte's as part of a ghost tour. And like Laura K., we should have just ditched the tour and stayed at Lafitte's. We were encouraged to get their Voodoo Slush drink, which was pretty much one big frozen grape-flavored drink.
If it wasn't tied in to the tour as a rest stop, we probably would have enjoyed the place a little more because we can appreciate the history of the place and darn it, there was a piano player just warming up to play a new set as we had to leave.
One minor note, for as early as we were there at this bar, the one-stall bathroom was filthy. Yuck.
LOVE this place. It is officially one of my favorite bars in New Orleans - and that's saying something (trust me, I'm a professional).
The atmosphere is fantastic - creaky wood floors, beamed ceiling, exposed brick, torn and barely functioning chairs, HUGE fireplace in the center - it's all amazing. The location is great too - away from the crazy central-Bourbon crowd. I also love that locals hang out here - that speaks volumes about the place.
The hurricanes are tasty and they make a mean Pimm's cup. Try a cherry bomb while you're there. It will knock your socks off. Bartenders are friendly and the drinks are well priced (especially for New Orleans).
I'm already planning my next trip to New Orleans this winter. I can't wait to go back and see that big fireplace all ablaze. So awesome!
A fabulous bar with a rich history! Have only been here at night so I wasn't able to really get around in the place, it has to be one of the most dimly lit bars that I have ever been to. As most guys know, you should never pick up girls in a dimly lit bar.
Great ambiance and always packed. A must for anybody visiting the French Quarter.
If you of age, and in New Orleans, you have to come to this bar at least once. If memory serves me right, Lafitte's is the oldest continuously running bar in the US. I went right after Mardi Gras with one of my roommates because we wanted to get away from New Jersey for the weekend. We went on a ghost tour and Lafitte's was one of the stops.
The atmosphere is amazing and eerie at the same time. The entire place is lit by candlelight, with the exception of a little electricity for the bar appliances. Also, the place keeps quite warm even during a cool winter's night. There's not a lot of seating in the bar, so it can get quite packed when you're with a group.
Since it was a drink stop, and I was in New Orleans, I had to try a hurricane ... my first as well. It was amazing, and it came in a souvenir cup.
It's quite the place, and I would definitely go back if I make it back down to New Orleans.
I'll be honest with you - I don't remember a lot of my visit here.
I popped in on a Saturday night as part of the Ghost Tour. Now, I hate ghost tours and the like, but this one was actually pretty fun (good tour guide - Adam, I think his name was. Alan? Adam.) and I was with a bunch of really great friends from college.
My coworker, a native of New Orleans, had told me about this place, saying you could barely see your hand in front of your face. He was right - I loved the candlelight-only motif. I had a hurricane and it definitely set me over the edge for the rest of the night.
I'd love to go back when I wasn't so, um, incapacitated.
This place is like going back in time. Legend has it that the legendary pirate, Jean Lafitte, would use this old building as his hiding place back in the 1700's. I believe it. Dark and inviting, this blacksmith shop-turned-bar is lit only by candles. There is an old wooden bar, ancient table, lanterns on the walls that flicker, casting eerie shadows around the room, while faint French music plays in the background. Settle in and have an amazing drink. Great service, too. You will want to stay a while...or until a ghost steals your chair.
As noted, Lafitte's is the oldest building in America that is used as a bar--and one of my new fave bars in America EVAH.
Tucked way at the end of Bourbon Street (the Brad and Angelina side, not the Canal Street side), this place has an amazing atmosphere--1700s style. Brick inside, only lit by candles, and haunted by the ghosts of Pierre Lafitte!
You can avoid the crazees of Bourbon Street, but still soak up that one of a kind French Quarter atmosphere--they were playing Usher as we walked in, but on the other side, they had a fab piano player plunking out jazz classics.
The atmosphere could be relaxed, romantic, or spooky, depending on your mood and the drinks come cheap and easy.
We didn't spot any pirate ghosts, orbs, or swashbuckling apparitions--this time. When I come back to NOLA, this will be the first spot I come to on Bourbon Street--the ideal find for starting or ending the night. With a strip club thrown in between for good measure.
LaFitte's is apparently the oldest building in America used as a bar - and as everyone else has mentioned, the lighting is pre-Thomas Edison, so actually this bar is completely candlelit. We went here with a group of friends at night, and the atmosphere was just perfect. The building itself is tiny, with low ceilings and wood, etc - basically, think "swashbuckling." There is a beautiful outdoor patio, and we chose to sit here, and so enjoyed a balmy NOLA evening with candlelight in a brick-walled, gorgeous outdoor space.
There is a piano in the back, and a woman playing the piano. I can see how her renditions of Journey and Elton John might be exciting if you're drunk (likely on Hurricanes), but if not, please disregard this feature of LaFittes. While amusing the French Quarter's obsession with pop music standards is also embarassing (mainly because it almost always involves karoke or singing along). Also, the service isn't the best... but I really feel like these things are not the draw of LaFittes. One goes here for the atmosphere, which is absolutely romantics, and absolutely unforgettable.
I'm giving this place 4 stars because of the amazing atmosphere. The bartender wasn't great - not attentive at all. However, having the bar lit up almost solely by candles was pretty awesome. My group happened to come here just before it started to storm and as the streets began to flood, water started seeping into the bar (the doorways are always open). Now that may sound like it would detract from the evening, but actually it was a positive thing, since it added to the ambiance of what is considered to be the oldest bar in the United States.
Because this bar is at the very end of Bourbon, it's a lot less crowded as many of the other venues. It's also not a chain (watch out Mango!) and therefore you won't find another place like it. I'd say it's a great way to close out a fun-filled evening of general raucous and debauchery.
Very cool atmosphere. It's all lit by candle (I don't even think it's wired for electricity). The piano bar is dark and intimate, such an escape from the craziness of other part of bourbon st. If you want a good drink on bourbon st, but don't feel like rubbing up against drunken tourists covered in beads, come to Lafitte's!
Drink up. Soak in the candle light and the sounds of the piano. Repeat
Jean Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop is rumored to be the oldest bar in America. Legend has it that the pirate Lafitte himself actually did run his operation out of this building, which is one of the few remaining examples of 18th Century French Colonial architecture in the city. There are no electric lights on the inside and there's usually an old woman banging out Elton John covers on the piano in the back. The drinks are stiff and cheap.
Watch out for pirates! Arrrr.....
At the end of Burbon Street you'll find this super cool, dark and charming pub. Good drinks, great crowd of mostly those in the know about where to get away from the kids down the street. Great piano bar. I always swing by here for an early drink before hitting the masses.
This little joint (been there since 1772) won my heart over and over. I honestly cant remember the number of times we migrated here through out the trip but each time was so incredible. The first was definately the most memorable becuase of the cute, informational, very attentive bartender! He somehow was able to trick us into a this cute little thing called a cherry bomb! "Holy Schnikes!" Cherries soaked in everclear = fire mouth! I am pretty sure I heard the guy behind me say "somebody give me a lighter!" LOL. Interesting little idea, but not for me. I'd rather sit back and sip on my 7 shots called a Hurricane....that is one tasty drink. For those of you who are planning on going, the key is not to stir..whatever you do DONT STIR!!! Sip it from the bottom up. I am so excited to go back, hopefully in the winter or early Spring.
Very cool to be at the oldest bar in America. The decor of this place is great. All of the wooden tables, candlelighting, and old bar make it seem like the type of place that pirates in the 1700s would go. The whole ghost story was very interesting as well, as my friend took a picture and we saw a white blob in the corner of the back room. oooooooo scary! i didn't go when there was a pianist, but that would definitely add to the ambience. The bar is a few blocks from the crazy bars on Bourbon St., so it's a great place to hang out.
The drinks are great too. We were getting hurricanes the whole time, REALLY STRONG!! We even asked our waitress to put an extra shot in, and she happily obliged. Definitely hit this place up if you're visiting Bourbon St.
THE place to recover at the end of a long week of NOLA style debauchery.
it is older than i felt that staurday night: the girls went dancing with poofters, and most of the guys checked in early, but a few hardcore in the crew managed to suck down some cold ones with the friendliest crowd in town!
This place is awesome! Hurricanes are STRONG, prices are good, pianist is super entertaining. I'm glad we made this our first stop on our nightlife excursion. Highly recommended that everyone try this place at night right away! And it's haunted! Ooooooo!
I know I am definitely in the minority giving this bar a 3-star rating but honesty makes for correct reviews, right?
So, yes, the atmosphere of this bar is very awesome. It's dark, cozy, and you can almost smell the history oozing out of the walls. While the actual building itself deserves 5-stars, the drinks, service and crowd bring it down to a 3.
The beer here is the most expensive I have encountered in NOLA. Abita in the busiest Bourbon St. bars runs you a dollar less than it does here. While I would say this is worth it to sit in this amazing bar, the douchebaggy bartenders, and the drunken frat crowd kinda make it seem a bit silly. I understand this is Bourbon St. but I think I encountered more of them here than in any other bar.
Overall, I had such high hopes for this place and was bitterly disappointed.
Great ambiance! You have to visit it just because of what it is. I also like there weren't too many frat duude touristy people in there. All in all fun times.
After the noise and hustle and bustle of Pat O'Briens, we 2 tourist wanted a little local flavor. Lafitte's had been pointed out to us on a tour earlier that day so we had to check it out.
The true portrait of everything 'Naw'Leans' from the dim candlelight, exposed brick, and underlying eeriness Lafitte's was a memorable spot, or so I think? By that time I was well on my way to a Hurricane induced coma, so perhaps my view is a bit skewed.
I do remember the bar tender being very friendly, not cold or annoyed seeing that we were obviously tourists. He was chatty and sincere. There was a lovely piano equipped with a piano man whom I acquainted myself with quite quickly. He didn't even mind when I proceeded to take over his piano and begin to sing, mind you I can do neither.
The charm of Lafitte's has followed me back to California, ever reminding me of the uniqueness and individuality we lack. Oh how I miss New Orleans....
On my first day in New Orleans, which I am completely in love with by the way, we spent a good amount of time sitting on the patio here. We had been wandering around, kind of bored by the "usual" Bourbon St. haunts, and kept walking on and were rewarded. Met some really nice people from New Orleans, had maybe too many cocktails, and watched the sun go down. Can't wait to go back!
The oldest bar in New Orleans! My friend related the story of how each time there was a fire in the Quarter, the men would come to the Blacksmith shop to defend it from flame and let the rest of the shit burn.
We came in during Mardi Gras for a few drinks early in the night.. it was pretty quiet and a few blocks off the normal crowds on Bourbon. My friend from NOLA bought us a round of Hurricanes, as they are better than Pat O's... mixed by a professional, and with quality ingredients. It was delicious. There was a group of Jager girls there who pressured me into buying a round for our table... ordered Jagerbombs... and I got 3 shots of Jager and a bottle of some no-name energy drink -- this was my only complainter.
Don't let the Bourbon Street address deter you. It's located in the back end of the Quarter away from all the drunken, cheesy, neon madness. Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop is one of the oldest bars in the country. It began as the actual blacksmith's shop of the Lafitte brothers (John Lafitte was the famous pirate) and eventually turned into the tavern.
The building is dark, lopsided, rustic and falling apart. You're pretty much drinking Abita in an actual blacksmith's shop. You will never find another place like it, though. The walls are still graced with French grafitti and the gas lamps burn loudly. The bartenders scared the bejeezes out of me with their ghost stories of the place and claim they can hear men speaking French through the intercom when counting their register upstairs at the end of the night.....
I love this bar and its mystical appeal so much that I have a small painting of it in my San Francisco apartment.
This is my favorite bar. Period. On weeknights, you can sit, chat and enjoy the decor and your drink. On weekends, you can sit, chat and enjoy your drink. They have a great patio that you can go sit on which used to be the alley way/carriage way. On Saturday nights there is a piano man that comes and encourages the entire bar to start singing with him. The bar has no electric lights, it is candle light only. The fireplace is amazing which they light when it is cold outside. Their drinks are pretty good, the hurricane isn't Pat O's but it is good. They have something called the "Voodoo Freeze" or something like that. Just ask for the purple slushie thing. Delicious, but REALLY strong. I can only get through have of one.
The building itself was built in 1772, it is the oldest bar in America (Still in it's original location too). According to the history books, Laffite's brother was the blacksmith at the shop who help Jean with his smuggling and offered a hiding place the pirate. The building is pretty much the way it was way back when and that adds to the ambiance. It is also considered to be haunted, many of the staff claiming that every now and then you can here sword fighting and the furniture moves around occasionally.
I love this bar and everyone should go there.
I can't believe that this place is on Bourbon Street. I also can't believe that I'd never been there before. Very cool atmosphere and very nice to be away from all the crazies...except for the guy who almost puked on me. I love that you can pull up a chair directly to the piano in the back, but watch out when you're sitting a the (lower) table right next to it. Good thing that guy was on to dry heaves by that point. Lucky me. Love this place.
Drinking at this bar is a must for any traveler or pub/bar crawler! I won't bore you with a history lesson of Lafitte's and how its the oldest bar, or haunted by pirates, or frequented by Brad and Angelina. What I will tell you is that this is the best bar in all of the french quarter. It's atmosphere is dominated by the historic nature of the building, its dark wood and brick interior with 300 year old plaster desperately clinging to portions of the walls. It is lit by small candles at each table, so the mood of the bar can be both intimate (if few patrons) or boisterous (if there is a crowd all singing to the piano player in the back corner). The drinks were varied and well priced. This place is a must see/experience for any local or NOLA visitor.
Haunted much? We actually got some interesting pictures here, ghost pirates maybe? Atmosphere is what this place is about and I love that fact that it is extremely dark with only dim candles lighting your mood and almost unchanged from it original state. This isn't on the main drag of Bourbon street but is well worth the extra walk. I can now say that I've had beer in the oldest bar in the country and had a randy pirate ghost feel up my leg.
My favorite bar in NO. There's nothing like it anywhere else. Beautiful? Not really? Well kept? Umm, it's falling apart. As a matter of fact, it tilts. But that's part of it's wonderful charm.
So sad that Miss Lilly died. She was a fixture here. But life goes on.
Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans? I do.
http://www.youtube.com...
One of my favorite places to have a cocktail in the quarter. You have to love a building that survived NOLA's major fires in the 18th century. Plus it was a money laundering operation for the privateering Lafitte brothers.
Do not order a "fancy" cocktail here, however.
Awesome little bar. Came here with a local, and we chilled in the darkness that is the old blacksmith shop.
Stop in for a drink, and a little bit of history. If you're lucky, a local just may tell you some ghost stories too.
if you're stuck in the quarter and over the spell of cheap shots and repressed tourists releasing it all at once, this is the place to end your night with a shot of jack and an iced cold abita amber.(tap and bottle)
thanks to their new huge walk-in cooler the days of running out of the keg stuff is behind them as they can now cool more beer at one time.
Chris the bartender looks more like he should be wearing some chaps and taking 20's down his crotch, but he makes it a nice homey warm spot at the bar with cold drinks, a warm smile and an open ear.
The jukebox is another internet wired box so yes it can channel the devil or nickelback so do yourself a favor and pop a 20 into this crackwhore and tell it to play something from the soul.
yes it's haunted. Just be kind enough to drink one for those without a mouth to spill it into and remembers to tip the bartender the regular way.
this place could very well be home for a weary soul.
New Orleans, LA
Category: Music Venues
New Orleans, LA
Category: Restaurants
New Orleans, LA
Category: Music Venues
New Orleans, LA
Category: Jazz & Blues
New Orleans, LA
Category: Bars
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