If you're into live music, Blue Nile is a solid choice. Thursdays feature Irvin Mayfield, who always brings a strong, varied performance. Fridays are for Kermit Ruffins, and those nights are pure fun. He often brings surprise guests on stage, puts his own spin on popular tunes and keeps the energy high. All aboard! The bartenders can definitely hold their own, and the music gets the whole room moving. It's the kind of place where people come to dance, vibe, and actually enjoy local talent. Seating is available for a fee and reservation, but it is mostly a standing room only venue. Think well lit stage, open floor plan with a long bar left of the stage. That said, it is a crowded spot, so it's worth staying aware of your surroundings. I haven't seen anything serious happen, but I did have an encounter with a woman who seemed to have pickpocket tendencies. Just be mindful of anyone who's a little too eager to get close or rub elbows. Overall: great music, lively crowd, strong drinks, just bring the same awareness you would to any busy live music venue. read more

Hit up Blue Nile on a whim with my family and had perfect timing to catch a Kermit Ruffins set. Unfortunately, there was a cover but it wasn't too high. I had a Mockly and the rest of my crew had mixed drinks. In total it was around $46 with a tip which is fine for four people. We had a good time and enjoyed the show. It was a crowded Friday night but I really enjoyed it. read more

Blue Nile - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

This is one of my favorite places to go when I'm in the city. You are guaranteed a good time on Fridays when Kermit is there or Big Sam! I'm happy to report that Thursday is another great night because the amazing trumpeter Irvin Mayfield is there every week and I believe he played 10 instruments during the show!! Check the website for show info. People are friendly, there's room to dance freely and drinks are flowing. Good Vibes Only!! I love Frenchman Street so much good music none of the foolishness of the other street. There is also plenty or art to take in. read more

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After leaving 30/90, we were able to catch the last set of the band that was playing at the "nile." Which I heard someone call it as we were walking by. Again, friendly security waved us in and we were able to enjoy a really rousing last set of the band. Didn't get their name. But that last 15 minutes was fun, bopping with the others! read more

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We had the best time!! We got tickets in advance and we're able to catch KERMIT RUFFINS & THE BBQ SWINGERS over Christmas break!! Really enjoyed the Christmas vibe!! Great location, nice size venue, and drinks!! read more

Blue Nile - KERMIT RUFFINS & THE BBQ SWINGERS - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Love love loved visiting this place ! Highly recommend for a nice jazz bar you will love it!

No cover and chill guy at the door. Place looks cool inside but half the patrons were standing. Not enough seating and looking at the menu, there was no food. Glad I ate earlier. The band was good and nice dark lighting but I wasn't standing all night. read more

You have to be a Party Pooper to come here and not have a good time. This place just says "Fun" when you walk in the door! I was surprised there wasn't a cover charge, too-bonus! We enjoyed swaying and dancing to the beat of Trumpet Slim and Brass Flavor. A great vibe here with all age groups enjoying the best of New Orleans sounds! read more

Blue Nile - A full house enjoying the sounds of Trumpet Slim and Brass Flavor - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

We had a good time popping in for a jazz dance party. Drinks were decent nothing wild. Would go back.

had a fun night out while we were exploring The Frechmen St and decided to check Blue Nile. There were a lot of places for Jazz music but this spot caught our attention. It wasnt rowdy, fairly clean and the music was quite good - fun, chill, and not obnoxious lol When we went inside we were thrilled to see people line dancing on the dance floor to Jazz music. It was great seeing strangers having clean fun and just having a good time. There was a good amount of drink options and I ended up trying their Fleur De lis - it was nice and sweet! its been a while since ive enjoyed a cocktail as I rarely drink alcoholic ones. there's not a lot of tables and chairs to make room at the center for people to gather and have some fun; so if you dont mind standing, if the place gets a little full, then you'll enjoy it here as well! Oh, and there's no food options here so dont stop by hungry. read more

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I am visiting NOLA for the first time with my best friends from college and we happened upon the Blue Nile. The vibe is so fun and the musicians are all so talented, but the highlight of our night was Gil. He was our bartender and treated us with such genuine kindness. He really made our experience and made us feel like family. Highly recommend that every person visiting this city check this place out for some incredible music and for the chance to meet Gil! read more

Great club on Frenchman street! The live artist Irvin Mayfield and his band were on fire. Just so amazing and very talented. That man killed his horn set. We had a great time. Drink specials were available. read more

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This place is definitely a vibe. There was no cover charge. We just showed our IDs to get in. We came here on a late Saturday night. We had walked there from Bourban Street. We came here as a group, to enjoy some live music while in town. This cool brass band was playing. I'm not sure if they are the regular house band, or they just happened to be there that night, but regardless, they were great. The music was old school r&b mixed with house music. They even had a singer join the band at one point. People were enjoying the music, ordering from the bar, dancing, and just having a good time. Would definitely recommend this place to anyone who loves live music and wants to have a good time. Would definitely return. read more

Blue Nile - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

We went during afro beats night and was 10/10! The vibe was amazing and Gil made it even better w some amazing drinks, will come back!!

Blue Nile was fine - but the 2 is for the Kermit Ruffins show sadly. I was stoked to see him having heard about his talent and great performances but was shocked by how disappointing the show was. He went on around 11:44pm for an 11pm show. The problem was he hardly played trumpet, was rambling, took so many breaks to smoke and drink, and when he did perform, sang more than he actually played. We left when his daughter was singing -- letting her sing for one song is one thing, but letting her perform for 20+ minutes is wild when we paid to see Kermit and she is not that talented. The bouncer was rude when we asked a simple question about the length of the show. Apparently he's still making the same lame jokes that he's made for years. Clearly Kermit is talented, but it seems we were lucky to be in his presence and it was too much to ask for a decent show. read more

It's been a while since I've been. To be honest, I can't remember if they serve food or not here. All I know is that this place is located on Frenchman street and I love going to Frenchmen Street while I was in New Orleans. Such a great vibe in this place, while watching live music. I can't even remember which band we watched either. It was just some awesome, sounding jazz with folks playing some brass instruments, and our group just having a great time. The other patrons there were having a great time as well, and I felt like everybody just got along and was friendly to each other In my opinion, the Frenchman experience is far better than the Bourbon Street Experience. But that's just a personal preference in terms of how I like to go out. And Blue Nile is definitely a part of that experience. read more

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Their great bars up and down Frenchman Street, which some people call the new Bourbon Street. Blue Nile doesn't serve food, so arrive with a full tummy. The bartenders will make sure you get what you need quickly and efficiently. I didn't see any chairs, and it's mostly a younger crowd, so be prepared to be on your feet moving with the music. I was lucky to see Kermit Ruffins, a trumpeter and singer who many think is the best in New Orleans. read more

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Paid $15 for some watered down gin, smh. Y'all wildin with these prices, never again.

I came to this spot in August with my partner. We came in fairly early in the evening before the crowds of folks started to arrive. After making our way past security, we went to the bar where the bartender greeted us promptly. Once we had our drinks, we were able to secure a high-top table and listen to the band. The band was phenomenal, they played jazz both new and swing as well as some throw back R&B. Once the band was done with thier set, the D.J. took over and played a variety of music to inculde hip-hop, R &B, dance and other genres (all feel good music). As the night progressed and the more patrons came in, the bartenders didn't seem to miss a beat and tended to my partner, my friends and all the other patrons. Overall, the vibe was very chill and the live band was amazing. It should be noted, the drinks were excessively priced but when you are at a club in the party city, it should be expected. read more

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I knew from the beginning I wanted to check out some of the Nola X Nola live music here at Blue Nile. I am so glad I made it for the George Brown Band set. They were phenomenal and really had an amazing set. I didn't order any of the food or drinks as I had come from dinner but definitely made sure to leave a tip anyway. This place is clean and everyone showed up to have a good time. I will definitely be making Blue Nile a go to fave whenever I come to Nola next! read more

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Blue Nile is located on the Infamous Frenchmen Street. The night we went there was a cover because Kermit Ruffins and the Barbeque swingers band were playing! They did not disappoint!! The music and experience was worth the price and more! I loved that everyone was vibing to the music. The drinks were good. My only issue is that there weren't alot of chairs or tables. There were a few booths along the wall. Probably have to get there extremely early and one area that said reserved. We were from out of town and had been exploring the N.O. all day and thought we were going to be able to sit at a table and enjoy the music. Thankfully I wore comfortable shoes but I do know that we didn't stay as long because we were tired of standing. Nonetheless, still a very enjoyable experience. read more

Blue Nile - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Stellar live music, gread vibes, environment and yummy drinks~ It's hard to not have a good time here. Come here for shots, drinks and live music ! read more

Blue Nile - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Had a great time here and we all left with smiles on our faces. That is until we got home and my wife had the tip on her bill changed. We had all been enjoying some drinks throughout the evening tipping about $3+ per drink (on $6 beers). Towards the end of the night my wife didn't want anymore so she just ordered a bottled water for $3.12. She put a $0.50 tip on the bill (because it's just a bottle of water and she didn't feel bad because we tipped probably $20 for about 7 Miller lites). The total came out to $3.62 which she wrote on the receipt which should have confirmed the tip amount. After we got home my wife notices she got a $3.12 charge from Blue Nile and separate $5 charge. As if the bar tender changed the 50 cents to $5 (hard to mistake the amount when it's confirmed in the total charge line on the receipt at $3.62). Could it have been an honest mistake? Sure. But it seems incredibly unlikely considering I was with her and saw her tip amount was clear as day. She wrote it as $0.50 with the .50 being underlined. IMO the bar tender thought she was being cheap and probably thought she was drunk (she wasn't - she had one miller lite over the course of about 3hrs because she doesn't drink a lot of alcohol) and probably thought she wouldn't notice it. My wife is the money person and is incredibly aware of every penny she spends so she noticed it fairly quickly. I will be contacting them and asking them to verify the charges out of principle but I have to say it is incredibly disappointing to see this fraudulent charge after such a fun night there. All this after we even bought the girl at the door her beer of choice for being so friendly, too! Very disappointed! read more

One of the most popular club in French Quarter, this place is worth its reputation. They have a big dance floor, weekend bands are ridiculously good performers. They are kind enough to call out birthday kids to the stage and dance/celebrate with them. The drinks are decently priced. Bartenders are helpful and friendly. read more

Blue Nile - a band performing on stage - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I loved this place! There was not a cover charge to get in when I went. The band I wanted to see ended up being over an hour late so we didn't get to see them unfortunately. However, the other live music and bands they had were fantastic! There is an upstairs with a small balcony, which is a great vibe to see the nightlife. The drinks are good and I would say appropriately priced given there wasn't a cover charge. I did like that they also had some seating. One small, but underrated feature is that this place has some of the cleanest bathrooms I've ever seen in a bar. They take great care of them. I'd recommend this for any jazz lovers who are looking for a fun, but not too crazy night out. Make sure to dance! read more

It's a scummy and scamming bar. They charged a larger tip to my credit card than I left.

While on any given night one can find an array of live music being performed around New Orleans, the city is especially a laboratory and incubator for funk and soul bands, many backed by brass instruments. In service of that mission, NOLA offers myriad clubs that are remarkably similar, and honestly, were it not for the fantastic music they promote, they'd be a bit bland. Despite sporting entertaining names, among them Maple Leaf Bar, Hi-Ho Lounge, Howlin' Wolf, Spotted Cat, Tipitina's and of course, Blue Nile, most of the city's music venues are housed in old buildings featuring more or less the same layout: a bar or two bordering an open space that looks like a dance floor (which it generally and preferably is not), and at the back of the room, lit oddly and lined with talent, a raised platform that functions as a stage. Most nights at such places, young and young-ish people stand in the middle of the not-a-dance floor and drink and yell and sway to music played for them by a band they may well have heard the week before. There's a neighborly vibe in the crowd, which seems to be the point, and the music is as much soundtrack as spectacle. No one minds the sameness. Sometimes, I suspect, locals show up without knowing who's going to play. The musicians work a sort of circuit. I've seen Kermit Ruffins at Howlin' Wolf and the Maple Leaf Bar. I've seen George Porter Jr. at Tipitina's and Howlin' Wolf. I've seen The Soul Rebels at the Maple Leaf. And I've seen Big Sam's Funky Nation four times: at Tipitina's, Howlin' Wolf, the Maple Leaf Bar, and at Blue Nile, where, if I'd lived in New Orleans at any time in the past twenty years, I could also have seen Kermit, George and the Rebels. Is there anything special about Blue Nile? I don't think so, but I'll rate it five stars, for providing a way station for NOLA's great performers, and a place for the neighbors to drink and sway. read more

Swanky tunes, full bar and local feelz - one of the best places for the brass band scene. Highly recommend coming here for some dancing (or sitting) and beers and cocktails. Cheers read more

Blue Nile - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

We were very disappointed in this venue mostly by the way it is managed. We visited 3 times to give them a chance. The musicians are talented but seem to arrive very late. We purchased tickets and the performer was 30 minutes late. He gave an excuse but if he is that professional he would have been there at least an hour prior to his performance. Management at this club seemed to not care. I would avoid going there so not to be disrespected as we were. My time is valuable also and the performers and management need to show that respect to the customer. Management does not seem to understand if they sell a ticket that is a contractual agreement and there is a responsibility to the ticket holder that should be honored. read more

We LOVED this place! We came in right at opening, 7 PM, on a Saturday night, which is the regular night for the George Brown band. They were AMAZING! My favorite music stop in all the time I have been coming to New Orleans. No cover for George Brown. Doesn't get busy til around 8:30 or 9. And even then it wasn't uncomfortably crowded. Plenty of drinks flowing. The band puts on a fantastic show! Don't miss this gem on Frenchman Street (I would go here on a Saturday, over the Spotted Cat). read more

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Loved the vibe of this jazz club. This place was packed with people on a Friday night (understandably so). They played some real good music engaging the audience, had some audience members sing along with the band and it was a fun night. One of the packed jazz bars in the French Quarter. Thoroughly enjoyed myself here and will highly recommend this jazz club. read more

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I made a trip to New Orleans for a weekend for my buddy's bachelor party. Saturday night, we hit up Blue Nile. It's actually really two bars in one. We started off in the upstairs area where they had an awesome band playing some live music. It was pretty packed and there wasn't any A/C so it was pretty stuffy. The jazz music was great though and there's a bar in the corner. Blue Nile also has a downstairs version but there was a cover charge so we didn't check out this part. From the outside, you could hear they had a live band performing too. read more

OMG, absolutely the best place for live music.. Super great vibe with outstanding drinks and very HIGH OCTANE..... read more

Blue Nile - B A R - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Nice music venue on Frenchman street in New Orleans. Always a good time w| great music! There are usually performances going on, on the second floor as well and there is a balcony overlooking Frenchman. Kermit closed out '22 + brought in '23. Great NYE celebration. read more

Blue Nile - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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I stumbled on this place running from the naysayers! I had an awesome time vibing to the music live with so much soul and passion. The performance was great and the ambiance was perfect. They do have VIP seating, totally unnecessary but nice touch! read more

Groovy music and decent drinks. Wasn't too crowded that I appreciated. Sitting down was welcome.

We stepped into the Blue Nile because we honestly only wanted to kill some time before a band we wanted to see would go on on stage somewhere else nearby..but the ambiance was so great at the Nile we stayed all night and ditched our original plans. The deocrated stage made us feel happy to be a part of the crowd. The bartender was super friendly and gave us great suggestions for local IPAs. They had enough room to dance, but enough tables to find a spot to relax and just hang out. We settled in on the back couches, giving us an intimate romantic feeling even though we were amongst a large crowd. We were there around 8pm when there was no pressure to order drinks or pay covers like places nearby. There was no pressure to stay through bands or sets we didn't like. We could pop in and out as we pleased (but like I said we were hooked-we stayed for awhile). The security bouncers were hilarious, chatting with tourists. Thiugh once it hit 10pm, it was dj mixes only and required a 10$ cover. So advice is get there early to see the live bands. We particulaly loved the band we saw, I wish they had cds for sale; they gave us a perfect French Quarter Jazz experience. read more

Blue Nile - Free show - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Made two trips to Blue Nile, one downstairs on Wednesday and one upstairs on Friday. A great jazz club to find yourself at, but watch for high covers on the weekend. Quality: In terms of quality jazz, Blue Nile competes for the top spot on Frenchmen Street. All the music I saw here was great, with a more upbeat and dancey vibe. Expect some hip-hop and rock classics to make their way into shows. For drinks stick with beers, they rush cocktails because of the crowds so they don't turn out that great. Quantity: Awesome space to see some jazz and enjoy strong cocktails. Value: Expect to see weekend covers, I saw up to $22. $12 for Cocktails. $7 for Draft Beers. Ambiance: Blue Nile is a jazz club located on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans. It has two areas. The downstairs has the large main room, a stage towards the back with a large open dancing area and a bar near the entrance. Upstairs is for the secondary act, I believe only open on the weekends. It is smaller space with a tiny bar, but it also has a balcony that overlooks the street. Both areas have A/C, but they quickly get warm with a crowd, particularly upstairs. Crowd: A small crowd on Wednesday, packed house on the weekend. Service: Friendly bartenders, less friendly bouncers. Parking: Need to park several blocks away. read more

Blue Nile - Cocktail Menu - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Great bar on Frenchman Street with what seemed to be the better bands on most nights. The bar is large as is the stage so although Frenchman Street is busy there is usually room in Blue Nile. They do charge a cover in some nights but usually when it's one of the better bands. The drinks are typical Nola fare, nothing overly special but you could taste the alcohol so didn't seem as watered down as the drinks on Bourbon St. read more

My friends and I only stayed here for a bit for the night but it is a calm jazz bar with a friendly crowd and even friendlier bartenders! The performers are excellent and if you love jazz, definitely stop by and listen! As for the drinks, I definitely recommend the Hennessy Margarita for fans of dark liquor which the bartenders make so well at this bar! read more

Blue Nile - Hennessy Margaritas - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana