Best Gay Bars & Bathhouses In New Orleans
New Orleans is one of the few American cities where the gay nightlife scene is genuinely concentrated inside city limits — specifically in the French Quarter and the adjacent Faubourg Marigny. Unlike most mid-size Southern cities where residents drive 30-plus minutes to reach the nearest cluster of venues, New Orleanians have a walkable strip of gay bars, leather dives, and dance clubs within a few blocks of each other. The bathhouse picture is a different story: the famous gay bathhouse Club New Orleans has recently closed, and the other bathhouse, Flex, closed a few years earlier. What's left is a rich, distinctive bar scene that more than compensates.
The New Orleans LGBTQ+ Scene
New Orleans has two distinct LGBTQ+ zones. The lower Bourbon Street area in the French Quarter concentrates the traditional gay bars, strip clubs, and entertainment venues on and around St. Ann Street. The Faubourg Marigny neighborhood (Frenchmen Street) has the more alternative, local-facing queer scene. Both are within easy walking distance of each other. Locals jokingly call the French Quarter cluster the "Fruit Loop," a strip of gay bars within walking distance of each other on or near Bourbon Street. The scene skews gay male on Bourbon, with the Marigny offering more mixed and queer-leaning alternatives. In North America, very few bathhouse scenes are thriving outside of Montreal, Quebec, and Fort Lauderdale, so New Orleans is no exception — apps and bars carry the weight that bathhouses once did.
Top Gay Bars for New Orleans Locals
Cafe Lafitte in Exile
Type: Gay bar (historic, 24-hour)
Location: 901 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70116
Features: One of the oldest continuously operating gay bars in the United States, open since 1933 — the "in Exile" name stuck after a lease dispute forced a move from its original Bourbon Street location. The upstairs balcony bar overlooking Bourbon Street is the quintessential New Orleans gay bar experience. Downstairs is a video bar playing current hits; upstairs is a non-smoking bar with handcrafted cocktails and a contemporary lounge atmosphere.
Website: https://www.lafittes.com
The Bourbon Pub & Parade
Type: Gay club / Dance bar
Location: 801 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70116
Features: New Orleans' largest gay and lesbian bar and nightclub, operating since 1974; two levels, a large dance floor, a stage, and a balcony, with theme nights featuring live DJs, karaoke, go-go dancers, and drag shows — open 24/7.
Website: https://www.bournonpub.com
Oz New Orleans
Type: Gay club / Drag venue
Location: 800 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70116
Features: An award-winning gay nightclub in the French Quarter with a bi-level layout, large dance floor, people-watching balcony, DJs, drag shows, and go-go dancers; daily happy hours from 4 pm to 8 pm, plus weekly events including karaoke, burlesque, and bingo.
Website: https://www.ozneworleans.com
Rawhide 2010
Type: Gay bar / Leather-and-bear bar
Location: 740 Burgundy St., New Orleans, LA 70116
Features: The only Leather/Levi bar in the French Quarter, located just off Bourbon Street and well-known for late-night parties on weekends that run well into the morning hours. Particularly popular with the leather and bear crowd; features daily happy hours from 4 pm to 9 pm, outdoor seating, karaoke, pool tables, and TVs playing adult videos.
Good Friends Bar
Type: Gay bar (neighborhood)
Location: 740 Dauphine St., New Orleans, LA 70116
Features: A traditional yet quirky venue designed for a quieter night out, with classic drinks at accessible prices; downstairs features a solid mahogany bar, brick fireplace, and pool tables, while upstairs is the Queen's Head Pub with an intimate Victorian atmosphere. The wraparound balcony has outside seating with sweeping views of the French Quarter skyline.
Website: https://www.goodfriendsbar.com
The Corner Pocket
Type: Gay bar / Entertainment bar
Location: 940 St. Louis St., New Orleans, LA 70112
Features: The oldest New Orleans gay bar still in its original French Quarter location, with its main draw being the scantily-clad men who dance nightly on the bar.