Carousel Bar and Lounge

The Carousel Bar and Lounge in Hotel Monteleone has been turning since 1949, and it is one of the most enjoyable places in the French Quarter for a drink. The bar is built as a carousel, and it makes one full rotation every 15 minutes, so the view of the room slowly changes while you sit. It has 25 seats around the turning bar, set on some 2,000 steel rollers, and it is the only revolving bar in New Orleans.

Live music plays seven nights a week, from trios and singers to brass bands, with some afternoon sets too. Check the entertainment schedule on the website to see who is playing. In the 1950s and 1960s the adjoining Swan Room hosted entertainers such as Liberace and Louis Prima, part of the history that gives the bar its sense of occasion.

The menu covers craft cocktails, non-alcoholic drinks, wine, beer, cognac and spirits, plus bar bites. Hotel guests can book a private session with the bar's mixologist at 10am through their confirmation email.

The bar is open daily from 11am to midnight. After 6pm it is restricted to over-21s, so families should visit earlier in the day. Reservations are available through Resy or by phone, which is useful in the evening, when seats at the revolving bar are in demand. If you want a carousel seat, arrive early in the afternoon or be prepared to wait for one to free up.

The bar's history is part of its appeal: it is the only revolving bar in New Orleans, and the carousel has been in place since 1949, turning on a quarter-horsepower motor. Because the bar is inside a working hotel, it is also a handy place to meet friends before dinner, and the bar bites menu means you do not need to leave if you get settled. Reservations are a good idea for groups, especially on evenings when a well-known band is playing, and the entertainment schedule can be downloaded from the website.

The Carousel Bar suits couples, groups of friends and anyone who wants a classic French Quarter experience in elegant surroundings. Smart casual clothes are a sensible choice. It is inside Hotel Monteleone on Royal Street, about 0.2 miles from Bourbon Street, so it works well as a first drink before dinner at a French Quarter restaurant or as a calmer end to an evening.