LaFitte's is where we go every time we visit this city. The bartenders remember us from last year and they pour generous drinks. The music is current and on Sunday reflects back to earlier days. The napkin toss is not be missed. read more

Shout out to Mr. Nicholas!! I appreciate the gratitude and just pure knowledge of what cocktail or dive bar drink to make depending on the mood of the patron. Thank you! I think this spot is such a gem! I came here years ago and was given such an experience and might I add years down the line I stumbled here and was still given a good time and drink.so much so I'm on drink#3 the dreamsicle which taste fabulous!; I will be back! When a bartender makesnyoir drink correct and you don't even have to think about what you want....that's the spot for you! read more

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Honestly, my group needed a refill so it was a quick stop. One thing we learned about this spot is that it's open 24 hours! I know, many places are, but this is prolly the first one we've been to. Drinks were served quick, and just as quickly, we bounced. Kinda cool that they're ready for that kinda crowd. Good first run. Would most likely include it in my bar hop next time I come through the French Quarter! read more

Cafe Lafitte In Exile - Gay Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

We were looking for a safe, friendly bar on Bourbon St. when we stumbled upon Café Lafitte. We were greeted by Chasen with a friendly hello. He was an amazing bartender, who was very attentive and engaging to his guests! He and side kick David were kind, fun and ran circles around the bar keeping drinks filled and the bar clean! Little did we know, they eould be having their weekly napkin tossing disco party, held every Sunday night. It was an absolute blast! Thank you Chasen, for making these out-of-towners feel welcome. We would recommend Cafe' Lafitte and cant wait to visit again! read more

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On my first ever visit to my now favorite US city, I was most excited about visiting this landmark. As the "oldest gay bar" in the US, it definitely holds a special place in LGBT+ history and I'm so glad I was able to experience it myself. When you walk in, it definitely gives tavern vibes and although classified as a "gay bar," you can see it attracts all kinds of people. It is definitely different than any gay bar I've been to before and I frequent too many to remember. I appreciate that a bar this old isn't cash only because that's what I expected. Bartenders are friendly enough. And I was told by my friend, who was once a local, that I had to get a "purple drink." Don't ask me what's in it but it was good. And for those not feeling adventurous, they have a full bar. Definitely add this historical site to your to-do list on your next visit to the French Quarter. read more

You have to come here when Nicholas is working. He created a peach drink that is amazing! I had three of them, and I'll come back for more! This place had chill vibes and is LGBTQ+ friendly. If you go to Bourbon Street, you have to come here! read more

Cafe Lafitte In Exile - Nicholas's peach drink! - Gay Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

'twas the Friday prior to Mardi Gras and I was getting tired from the walking and just wanted a simple light beer (or two) so stopped by the closest place, and I'm glad I did. My needs were few, but all were met, and with friendly service by Mark at the bar. Luckily that the time of arrival it was not extremely busy, so I found an open seat with ease. Later in the day that would not be the case for sure. I was greeted, served, checked on to see if I wanted another (I did) and then thanked before leaving. Basic hospitality. Nothing overly special, but all I needed. Thanks, CLiE and Mark! read more

We stopped in while waiting for the Lafitte bar to open down the street. We met the most amazing bartender, Annie, who provided amazing service and sang along with us to music videos! We didn't have any food (not sure they have any?), but we had a great time and will certainly go back when in town! read more

In conjunction with the other LaFitte, it pairs well with that one but I prefer this one due to its roof terrace you can go out on! I love the eternal flame in the entrance area and the hole in the wall meets history energy of this place! Its a wonderful afternoon drinking option and not as packed as the other LaFitte location. read more

Who knew there were 2 Lafitte? Not sure if they are related. But so much fun. Cold drinks and air conditioning was a must and they did not disappoint. read more

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Visited July 22 2024 If you think that my wife and I (lesbians!) were NOT going to visit Lafitte then you are dead wrong! This bar is filled with history and is perfectly cornered and hard to miss. We did not visit the top floor, as we only stopped in to see the inside and get a drink. We were served quickly and enjoyed some music and drinks before making our way throughout the rest of New Orleans. read more

Cafe Lafitte in Exile is a cute little bar with cheap drinks! It play a mix of older and more modern music. The bartenders were friendly, and bar itself while "old" has a charm to it. read more

Fabulous! Such a cool bar with so many friendly people we had Annie, serving us the best drinks we went in midday and she got us some bloody Mary's. They were the best bloody Mary's we've ever had. Perfectly seasoned and with okra, green beans, and olives. It was a meal! So delicious and amazing. We met Cary, he's a regular with a heart of gold. He made our trip seem 1 million times better I mean, you just don't meet awesome people who are good like that anywhere! New Orleans has a soul and the people of this city are just beyond amazing! Just know that it's card only, they only use cash if you're tipping. We kept going back but it was during the week so didn't get to see the upstairs or Annie and Cary again... but all fun stuff we'll have to come back now, darn. read more

Loved the bartenders here. Kevin and the boys were hilarious. So bummed I missed the napkin toss on Christmas night. Ha! Oldest gay bar in the country. Cool vibe. And right across the street is a diner with yummy biscuits and gravy. Great people watching bar read more

Cafe Lafitte In Exile - a bar with neon lights - Gay Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Love this bar. Brooke is awesome, ok Hot. Great guy, cheap great drinks. Annie is great. I hate Bloody Mary's. She made one for my friend with pickle vodka. Omg, yummmm. They never close, ever read more

This bar was fun and relaxed. I stopped in to sit down and enjoy some drinks. The bartender was amazing. I told him I wanted a drink but did not want to taste the alcohol but wanted the buzz. He asked alcohol I like and I said vodka. He made a drink that was exactly what I asked for. I had a few of them each day I stopped into have a drink. Luckily the same bartender was there and remembered me because I never did ask him the name of the drink. read more

Hands down the best bar in New Orleans! I spent literally every night into the wee hours of the morning here on my recent trip to New Orleans. When I tell you that every need was catered to I'm not exaggerating! The first evening I was there after chatting with Jeremy and Otis the bartenders as well as TJ who works the front door they came to my rescue when a local started harassing me. The three of them were literally my knights in shining armor!! What a historic place, it is iconic in queer history. I have grown quite fond of my three nights in shining armor! In fact I am returning for Thanksgiving to host Thanksgiving Dinner! read more

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When I went to use the restroom, there was no soap. I asked the bartender for some and he said, "we don't have enough money to buy soap." He gave me a pump of soap from the large bag of soap behind the bar, so I guess I appreciated the effort. I didn't eat food, but the gin and soda I had was fine. The ambiance was okay, but everything looked as though it needed a deep clean. read more

Cool to be in such a historic spot, and conveniently located in the center of the strip. Prices are fair and nice to get out on the balcony. read more

Great little quaint bar that's open almost 24 hours. The bartender was great and listening to the local banter and conversation was great especially if you like people watching like I do. I went with the Bloody Mary and it was very picklely but not bad. Would love to stop in again when it's a bit busier to hang with the locals. They also have slot machines. read more

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Stopped by several times while in New Orleans. Annie is a gem. Very welcoming and gave the best hugs!

The staff, the vibe, and the drinks were on point. There was something enjoyable for everyone in our group with the pool table, balcony, and tunes. read more

Loved the tea dance back in the day. Used to get a big kick out of the dancers in here. They rarely disappoint.

This was our second time visiting this place. I love it for what it is, the first gay bar in America, etc etc and the vibe. The bartender who served us downstairs was amazing and the drinks were delish. I have also heard that they make one of the best Hurricanes in the city. Unfortunately the last 30 seconds of a wonderful stay was polluted by the bartender upstairs. I was in town for a bachelorette party and suggested the party stop off here, where we stayed for around 20-30 min and hung out on the gallery upstairs. As we were leaving, we stopped to take a photo by the stairs inside the bar. I guess, as a large group of drunk people tend to be, we were very loud. There was nothing aggressive or angry, we were just enjoying ourselves. I would hope that a BARTENDER would be familiar with this characteristic of humanity and intoxication. Unfortunately, he proceeded to literally scream at us to quiet down. Everybody, including our entire party, and the handful of other people at the bar, were subsequently SILENT due to shock. This is a bar on BOURBON STREET, in NEW ORLEANS, on a FRIDAY NIGHT AT 11:30PM, not a fucking library. We snapped a couple photos and left. I noticed the other patrons did as well. It was fucking uncomfortable and super weird. I'm no stranger to bars and I can honestly say I have never been treated this way by a bartender in my life. If you want to be screamed at and scolded like a child by a bartender, stop by this place. read more

November may not be the time to see this bar. It was very quiet, only had one other patron, and didn't seem to be fully stocked. A white Russian made with individual creamers was an experience to be sure, but I'm not sure I would do it again. The bartender was nice, but I think maybe riding the season out. I enjoyed the pop music and videos that were playing for background noise. The history of this bar as reported in other reviews is very interesting though! read more

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This is a fun place to come, drink, laugh and share great memories with friends. Jeremy was the best bartender ever and made excellent drinks! The owners are lucky to have him steering the ship! Was too hot and humid to sit on the 2nd story balcony during this visit. Loved the videos and TV's everywhere. Only negative was no lock on the bathroom. Looking forward to coming back and having the pinky's watermelon. read more

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We were not here long as we were really sort of jumping in and out of places to see things and try drinks. We did learn it is the oldest, still operating gay bar in the US. Some fun signs and posters around and the bartender was nice. There were some people who were having a real good time and so you got a good feeling from this place. We may have stayed longer but we were hungry and Clovers Grill across the way was calling to us. If we go back I would like to try this place again and get more of the history. We got basic jack and coke drinks, nothing fancy by this point and they were good. read more

Cafe Lafitte In Exile - Gay Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

First time in New Orleans outside Southern decadence and we met bartender Nick and I have to say he is probably one of the nicest and cutest bartenders around...five jalapeños! read more

I'm surprised I hadn't previously review Cafe Lafitte In Exile before, as it's always a staple on our trips to New Orleans. A fun, casual corner bar with a great story and cool staff. What's not to like? With a great location in the French Quarter, this place is small, but has a good sized bar, good priced drinks and attentive bar tenders. Jason was excellent this trip, as always. It's a comfortable setting with a mixed clientele of locals and tourists. They have a full selection of drinks (including a delicious Hurricane). They have a great mix of music and music videos going as well. It is worth noting that it's card only at this time. Stop in and enjoy a beverage! read more

Could t have stumbled into a breed spot at a more perfect time. Even found my future husband Good strong drinks, fun environment, good music. Would definitely visit again! read more

Cafe Lafitte In Exile - Gay Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

On my word! The nice young man was so nice and he laughed at my possible drunkiness! By the way, this is the oldest gay bar in American. This bar was started at the location of Lafitte's bar, and originally hosted such peeps as Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams. It has been open since the end of prohibition. In the 1940s and 1950s, a woman, Mary Collins, à lesbian, ran the business until the landlord and she had issues. Going into the bathroom the room smelt like urine and had no toilet paper. Ewww gross! read more

Cafe Lafitte In Exile - Picture on the wall - Gay Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Best bar on Bourbon street, hands down. Friendly, welcoming, dive bar with an incredibly interesting history. We were here on an afternoon, just whiling away some time while out wandering around and had a great time. We hit this place twice because we loved it so much. The drinks weren't out of the ordinary, but those Scarlett O'Haras they mixed up for me were hella refreshing and tasty. What was out of the ordinary was the fun ambiance, the fantastic, cute bartender and just the general vibe of "You are welcome here." Maybe it's just me that gets that from gay bars, but so be it - it's my opinion that they are friendlier than "straight" bars, especially to women, so take that as you wish. I love this place, and can't wait to visit next time I'm in NOLA. read more

Cafe Lafitte In Exile - Gay Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Really fun LGBTQ+ bar in the french quarter. When i tell you the drinks and happy hour specials are cheap & good, i mean it. This place is always blasting good jams (90s!), and theres plenty of space inside. Clean bathrooms and you cant miss it. Personally, i love coming here before & or after my trip to the voodoo museum. read more

Stopped here with my wife to get a drink and experience a little bit of gay culture. the decorations are great, the vibe is impeccable, and the bartender was so nice! we were there pretty early on a sunday evening (like 7:45pm) so it wasn't a huge crush of people, just comfortably full! the music was also great. read more

Café Lafitte in Exile is the oldest operating gay bar in the United States. Open 24 hours 7 days a week, in what they call the "frootloop district". We were greeted in the late evening by the bartender Ryan- he was friendly and efficient and made two of the best refreshing yet strong drinks that I have ever tried! We ended up stopping by a few nights later because the energy was amazing. The music is great and the company is even greater. Drink prices were so-so. This is located in the heart of bourbon street and down the way from the original Lafittes. It has two levels and an balcony that allows you to overlook the strip. I would definitely make this a stop if your are in the area and need a quick and cheap drink or just to people watch for a moment. read more

Cafe Lafitte In Exile - Gay Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Super chill bar -- nice change of pace from the constant craziness of Bourbon Street. My wife and I spent our last night on our recent long weekend in New Orleans hopping from bar to bar. Our last stop was Cafe Lafitte in Exile, and it was one of our best all weekend. Monday evening after a rainy day, just a few people in the bar. Our bartender was super friendly -- told us his story, then promised to make us the best hurricane in New Orleans. I don't know if it was the best hurricane in New Orleans, but it was damn good. Thanks, Cafe Lafitte in Exile -- we'll miss New Orleans and you! read more

Bourbon Street can be a hot mess but this place is an oasis. It is one if not the oldest bar around at least claimed by the bartender. It is small downstairs and not that many can hunch over the bar. It does have a coolness factor. It's a gay bar but you would have never guessed other than the Cher playing. Pretty chill read more

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Me and my husband dipped into this bar to cool off and for a Bloody Mary. it was a WONDERFUL experience because of our bartender Jeremy. He was so friendly and funny! Not to mention the Bloody Mary he made, it was AMAZING! I considered myself a bit of a Bloody Mary snob because everywhere I travel I try a Bloody Mary. This one was one of the best I've had in all my travels. if you're in New Orlean go Cafe LaFitt In Exile and ask for Jeremy!!!! read more

I was Saturday sometime between breakfast and lunch. I wasn't eating, but I still wanted a Bloody Mary. By chance I stopped by Cafe Lafitte and was totally blown away with the Bloody Mary they served up. Being a dive bar, I was expecting vodka and some bland BM mixer. I was totally wrong. I got a strong pouring of vodka, a spicy BM mixer and enough garnishment to snack on and satisfy me until I decided what I wanted to do for lunch. I love Bloody Mary's so much, that I have a list dedicated to them here on Yelp. I consider this to be one of the best. It may be a dive gay bar, but it's Bloody Mary is better then some upscale restaurants. My one picture is now the wallpaper on my smartphone. Great service too, the bartender let me use the outlet behind the bar to charge my phone. When: August 27, 2016 Why: Steven needed a Bloody Mary read more

Cafe Lafitte In Exile - Bloody Mary with a HUGE garnishment - Gay Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Visiting for the first time from New York, the heart of Bourbon Street was something we were okay with just getting a taste of before looking for the (relatively) quietest spot around to just relax and people watch. A local friend recommended we come here and it was truly exactly what we were looking for. The balcony is not just ideal for observing varying levels of messy people on their way in or out of the thick of things, it also faces music video projections on the building across the street. Loved the added bonus of the company of Selena, Madonna, etc. We ended up coming back a second time to wait out a rain shower and play a few games of pool and had a great time again. Very friendly staff, as well! read more

Cafe Lafitte In Exile - View from the balcony on a sleepy, drizzly afternoon. - Gay Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana