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    DBA

    4.1 (503 reviews)
    ModerateJazz & Blues, Bars
    Open • 5:30 pm - 1:00 am (Next day)

    DBA Photos

    Business Info

    DBA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Live music
    Loud
    Good for dancing

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    Recommended Reviews - DBA

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    Reviews With Photos

    Hungry eyes
    Cecilia T.

    We popped in and caught the tail end of a great jazz band here, and enjoyed a cocktail. The vibe is very chill and chic. Sort of artsy coffee house meets jazz bar. A very enjoyable time.

    Great drink selection
    Pam S.

    Great spot for jazz music & crafty mixed cocktails! Plenty of seating with friendly service. We sat in a window seat where you can hear the music, have table conversations & watch people walking by outside.

    Inside
    Staci B.

    We hated Bourbon St. so we came to Frenchman. A man was outside and said there is no cover charge. Originally I was going to the Spotted cat but it was crowded and it had a cover charge of 5. So d.b.a it was! I'm glad it happened like this Secret 6 was playing. I adored their music and couples were dancing. Yes they sell cds and albums. I bought one. The bartender was nice and the bathroom is up the stairs by the other bar. Warning there is a graphic drawn pic in one of the bathrooms. Still though it is a much nicer place than the spotted cat. That's a dive I'm sorry. We had a PERFECT time here and it will be a memory I cherish. The Secret 6 play on Mondays I think. If you like easy listening, 1950's jazz then this is your jam. You can carry on a conversation without yelling. As it should be!! A muffler was used on one of the instruments so it wouldn't be awful shrill unlike the spotted cat ugh! It wasn't crowded til it got a bit later. It didnt feel at any time claustrophobic. Just felt Cozy and exactly what older people like me want. What We are looking for. This is not the loudness that is Bourbon st. Young, college kids probably will not be your particular jam. I only went Monday when Secret 6 was playing. I cant speak for the other music they play. I tried going yesterday at the time listed on Yelp. It was a lie they were not open at 4 . So the hour listing is worthless. This is the reason I docked them at star. Its quite a walk from my hotel and not a walk I would willingly have made if I knew they were not open!!! Too far to make that mistake again. I will only go on Mondays for Secret 6

    Patty Y.

    I don't want more people to come to Frenchman street and turn it into another Bourbon street.... Frenchman street is its own vibe. It's laid back, fringe, as is. There are these grimy old bars, musicians who's been performing for ages keeps doing what they love, and patrons paying for simple booze to keep the night going. Spend an afternoon going bar to bar somehow you will land in d.b.a and stay. Plenty of seating in a wood paneled dark space, and plenty of space for a little dance. The bar is in the middle of two rooms and the other side is always pretty easy to get drinks. $10 cover charge but you can go in and out.

    Inside bar area
    Andrea V.

    I was told if you wanted to hear good jazz music, you needed to stop by Frenchman Street. We were not disappointed when we came here. There was no cover charge, a live jazz band playing, people dancing, two full bars, and a good atmosphere. There were many bars on the street to choose from. Many required a drink purchase every hour, had a cover charge, were small, crammed. and had standing room only. We decided on coming here because there was no cover, and a live jazz band could be heard tearing it up inside. We walked in, and found the bar divided into two rooms. One side had full bar, tables, and chairs, and was a little quieter. You could still hear the jazz band but were able to carry on a conversation. The other room had a full bar, tables, and chairs, an open floor area for dancing, and a stage with the band. There was plenty of room to enjoy the music on both sides and bar tenders to assist you. The service was exceptional, the prices were reasonable, and the pours were generous. Overall, great experience and a fun time.

    sazerac drink
    aatiq T.

    Tried the Sazerac, one of New Orleans' most iconic drinks--but honestly, wasn't a fan. The taste just didn't do it for me, though I get why it has its place in local cocktail history. The bar itself had a decent vibe, with not bad music, though it wasn't authentic jazz--more like jazz-inspired background tunes. If you're going for the full jazz bar experience, you might want to look elsewhere.

    Front along Frenchman
    Michelle O.

    Strolling along Frenchman Street after lunch, I heard the blare of a brass band and followed it to dba. I was pleasantly surprised that the Treme Brass Band, a well known Mardi Gras parade band, plays at 3pm on Sundays. With a $10 cover charge, the bar has two rooms and easy to get drinks at either bar. It's a wood paneled room with a stage in the back, with comfy seats in front and along the wall. They had a good selection of beers on tap and finger food in the afternoon. I would go every Sunday if I lived in NOLA!

    Music
    Shawn H.

    Quintessentially New Orleans. Great music, cheap drinks, friendly service, and amazing live music.

    Kyle H.

    Great place for live music in Frenchman Street. The Soul Rebels were on the calendar during my visit and was a great night. Great music, great service, great music club. Grab a drink with your friends or paramour in the seats with a fishbowl look out onto Frenchman, there might be a cover for evening music, but it's well worth it. In 2022, the craft beer selection was extensive! Urban South and other locals come to mind. I didn't find out until later about the semi-private unisex bathroom on the mainfloor, which was nice and clean, and always seemed to have a line. The Soul Rebels did a great job bringing NOLA Brass Band party to d.b.a. and did some nice cover versions as well.

    Treme Brass Band
    J S.

    What a great place to go for great music! Friendly staff and friendly local people. No food available but the drinks were really good. Arrive early to get a seat. Otherwise you'll be standing throughout the show. The cover charge is low so plan on being kind and tipping the band.

    Stage
    Liza A.

    Great spot on Frenchmen Street to check out live music. It's an intimate space with stage in back. A large bar is in the center area with most seating ringing the bar or along the walls.. If you're here for a show come on earlier side, if you want to grab a seat on stage side. The sound is great throughout the bar. Really not a bad seat in bar for the sound. Just your view is obstructed by a wall, if you're not in the seating room in stage area.

    Interior

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    1 year ago

    Really classy decor and lighting, great music, and they made a decent espresso martini!

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    1 year ago

    It's not what it was it used to be. It still has great music but the bar and bathrooms are neglected.

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    9 months ago

    music is good. cocktails are terrible. stay with extra basic such as a G&T or a beer and a shot.

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    3 years ago

    Amazing stage and music. Band was upbeat and engaging. Sadly the only white wine offered tonight was a prosecco or Pinot Grigio..

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    DBA Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - DBA

    Is the bar wheelchair accessible?

    Yes.

    Are there tables or is it standing room only?

    There are 2 rooms and 2 bars. One room has a few tables and bar seating. The room with the music has bar seating and benches along one wall.. and I believe seating in the back. Hope this helps!

    Do you have to be 21?

    Yes!

    View All 4 Questions

    Review Highlights - DBA

    “Drinks are reasonably priced considering its Frenchman Street, bathrooms are clean and the staff is always great.”

    Mentioned in 72 reviews

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    People searched for Jazz & Blues 3,612 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

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    The Carousel Bar & Lounge - Weeee!

    The Carousel Bar & Lounge

    4.2(1.9k reviews)
    0.9 mi•French Quarter
    •$$

    Food: Went to sit at the bar and have drinks and they were delicious…read more Service: Excellent Ambiance: cool vibe Noteworthy: i went again, a couple days later for a private event. Drinks and food were great and they had live music, fun ambiance

    Had the worst experience here at the carousel bar. We tried…read moreto go another day but there were no available seats at the spinning carousel so we tried our luck the next day right when they opened. We got there at 10:55am and there was a little line. When the doors opened, Oddly enough, there was a party of 5 sitting inside already?!?? Our bartender W took a while to come get our drink order and took longer to get, one of us never even got our beer. I pointed at someone's drink and told W I wanted that, the martini special. How is he gonna make me the drink minus the Baileys?!? I pointed to the drink I wanted, simple. My bf ordered a Abita, guess what 45 mins passed and he NEVER got his beer. We asked for the check and W said "oh your beer". Bro just give us the check and take off the beer. Worst service I've ever experienced. How you going to forget about someone's drink who's sitting right in front of you drink-less plus make a drink wrong. The carousel sits about 25 people and there's 2 bartenders?!? This isn't a club where drinks are getting shouted out. The only thing they have going for them is the rotating carousel bar if the SD one didn't close, I'd say pass and go to that one instead. One and done for me. Good luck if you get W as your bartender! And sir, no I'm not coming back after the game for you to make it right, make it right the first time!

    Photos
    The Carousel Bar & Lounge - The Sazarac

    The Sazarac

    The Carousel Bar & Lounge - Lemon drop martini and old fashioned

    Lemon drop martini and old fashioned

    The Carousel Bar & Lounge - Second bar

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    Second bar

    The Spotted Cat Music Club - band getting ready

    The Spotted Cat Music Club

    4.4(1.1k reviews)
    0.0 mi•Marigny
    •$$

    What a great music venue. We paid the $5 cover charge and grabbed a drink. Then we watched some…read moreamazing jazz music. The band was very talented and it was the best jazz experience we had in New Orleans. Great bar service, amazing jazz! Wow!

    Before I start, this is my review based on my experience. I've noticed some people complain about…read morethe music, paying the cover charge, seating or the size of the venue. I'm not here to argue any of those points. I will say this: expecting live musicians to perform for free until you decide whether they're worth paying is ridiculous. The cover is usually only $5...$10 max. If that's a dealbreaker, this probably isn't your place. Stay home and stream Spotify. Now... I have some friends in town, and whenever that happens, a Monday night trip to the Spotted Cat is basically mandatory. I've been coming here for years and years. Yes, it's super touristy now, but it still gives me the warm fuzzies every time I walk through those doors. So I'm presenting the "compliment sandwich" review. Never heard of it? You start with a compliment, slip in some constructive-ish criticism, then end with another compliment. Supposedly people receive feedback better that way. Let's see. First, the music. Outstanding. Chris Christy wasn't what I thought I wanted to hear until I actually heard him. I felt completely transported. Man, can that guy play the guitar. It felt kinda like gypsy music. Then came the Frenchmen Street Allstars. The last time I saw them, they had a different lead singer and, honestly, they kind of felt like a completely different band, aside from the phenomenal drummer. This version did not disappoint. It was a great mix of jazz and New Orleans standards. Both bands were great! **Now a note to management.** Great music isn't enough. The bar should be every bit as memorable as the stage. Forgive me, I didn't get the bartenders' names, so I have to describe them by physical traits. The first bartender, the guy with the mountain of curly hair, was friendly enough and made decent drinks. Later, another bartender with a short haircut took over and made the best drinks of the night. Then there was the bartender with the black and hot pink hair. She looked like she'd rather be anywhere else. She rarely smiled, her demeanor felt unwelcoming, and it almost came across as hostile. On top of that, the drinks she made were so weak I genuinely wondered if there was any alcohol in them. Seriously. They were that bad. Here's my philosophy: if you're going to be grumpy, aloof, or have some other off-putting trait, you'd better make a mean drink. Years and years ago there was a bartender named Curtis who wasn't exactly sunshine and rainbows, but that man could make a cocktail. I didn't need him to smile because the drink did all the talking. If the drink is mostly soda, though, friendliness becomes a lot more important. Unfriendly and bad bartending is a double whammy. She must be somebody's child or partner because I can't think of any other reason to employ a bad bartender. I hate to belabor the point, but the drinks aren't cheap. Cheap and bad I can take. For another comparison, there's another bartender there, I'm pretty sure her name is Chris. She's been there for years. She's all business. Maybe a little surly. Who am I kidding? A lot surly. But she's a character. More importantly, she makes a great drink. That's the kind of personality that somehow fits the Spotted Cat perfectly. Now let me end with the final piece of "bread" on my compliment sandwich. The doorman deserves his own review. That gravelly-voiced "Welcome to the Spotted Cat!" is part of the experience. Then he absolutely hammers that stamp onto your wrist. Somehow you don't even mind because you know what's waiting on the other side: incredible music, a fun room, and one of the best nights you can have on Frenchmen Street. Just don't let the bartender with the pink and black hair make your drink.

    Photos
    The Spotted Cat Music Club - High seats by the door

    High seats by the door

    The Spotted Cat Music Club - Spotted Cat

    Spotted Cat

    The Spotted Cat Music Club

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    Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar - "The purple drink"

    Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar

    4.1(1.9k reviews)
    0.4 mi•French Quarter
    •$$

    The final stop on our ghost tour…read more This bar has truly legendary status when it comes to bars in the French Quarter. This building predates the United States, some saying it being built in the early 1770s. Some say it's the oldest bar in America but that's more legend than based on historical fact. This bar probably has the coolest story on the ghost tours as Jean Lafitte was a true character in New Orleans lore dating back to the 1700s. As far as what it's like today, you walk in and it's dark and eerie and is mostly illuminated by candlelight. This is a full service bar with both a pretty good sized bar area and also a section with tabletops and tables for patrons to enjoy along with countertops outside the bar for those who want to enjoy their drinks outside. Also in the back of this bar is a piano area where a piano player plays live music for the patrons multiple times a week in the evenings. As far as drinks go this place is definitely a tourist attraction and the drink prices do reflect that. They are famous for their "purple drink" and their "hurricanes". I ended up just having another local beer and I was just about tapped out on drinks by the end of this ghost tour. Overall this place is pretty awesome, especially if you take the time to learn the backstory and lore of this bar-some say it's haunted. A true must-visit.

    NOLA is my second home, so I forget that even though I've frequented so many places I haven't…read morereviewed them. Case in point - Lafitte's. I've been coming here for years. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970, Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop was built in the 1770's. Dubbed the oldest bar in New Orleans, the building is said to be haunted by the ghost of Pirate Jean Lafitte. Employees & patrons claim to see his glowing red eyes in the fireplace. The dimly lit bar is illuminated by candlelight, lanterns, & a fireplace, which add to the mysterious ambience. If you are afraid of ghosts then you can enjoy your drink in the courtyard. Famous for their Purple Drank (aka VooDoo Daiquiri) and potent Hurricanes, which come in a plastic keepsake cup, it's a lively place to enjoy a libation. The bartenders are friendly and the prices are reasonable. My brothers and I stopped by during Southern Decadence. They had the Purple Drank & a Hurricane. I got a vodka soda. The DJ was fantastic, and people were dancing in the street cuz that's how they do it in the Big Easy.

    Photos
    Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar - Cute place

    Cute place

    Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar
    Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar

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    Mahogany Jazz Hall - They were very good

    Mahogany Jazz Hall

    4.6(282 reviews)
    0.9 mi•Central Business District
    •$$

    THIS IS A MUST SEE/DO THING IN NEW ORLEANS!! We were recommended to go here from some friends. It…read morewas our favorite thing we did in Nee Orleans. It feels like culture. The music is fantastic! There's a vibe to the musicians where they feel that they all know one another. We saw two different groups perform. The cocktails were delicious and craft! Really really loved! Wish we could come here every weekend! For others trying to understand how it all works, you don't have to purchase tickets to go. You can't make reservations. You just show up and grab a seat. It's a tiny little space but truly amazing. GO!

    We were looking for a place to grab a cocktail before out dinner reservation elsewhere and we…read morestopped in here. Getting here right after they opened for the evening, before the live jazz started, we were able to chat with the staff (which we love to do) and they were very engaging and chatty. I also noticed they do a proper absinth service here and they offered one of the largest Absinth menus I've ever seen, so I had to try something interesting and different and went with the Texas made Opal Absinthe. Before selecting it, I asked the young lady who was handling the bar and she gave me her description, which I have to say was spot-on to what I ended up drinking. Another drink we got was great as well, and made with fresh juices. The vibe and venue is great here... I love jazz and I would love to return sometime to listen to the live jazz while enjoying their amazing adult beverages!

    Photos
    Mahogany Jazz Hall - Local band

    Local band

    Mahogany Jazz Hall - Mahogany Hall Swingers featuring Roderick Paulin

    Mahogany Hall Swingers featuring Roderick Paulin

    Mahogany Jazz Hall - Framed artwork in ladies bathroom

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    Framed artwork in ladies bathroom

    DBA - jazzandblues - Updated September 2026

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