Bouligny Tavern (Photo: Joshua Brasted)
The list of people who travel to New Orleans to gape at a big screen TV is very short. This is a city famous for entertaining its visitors at almost every waking moment — from the extravagant architecture and talented sidewalk musicians, to the diverting back-and-forth among strangers at restaurants and bars. A television seems, well, one-dimensional in comparison. Of course, sometimes a television in a bar is essential — to cheer on the Saints on a Sunday afternoon, for instance — but more often you’re missing out if your eyes migrate to the blue flicker.
Here are four places where the only distraction is to enjoy a chat with the person on the stool next to you.
Bar Tonique
Bar Tonique hits several sweet spots — it’s in the French Quarter, but on its frayed edge, which makes it feel apart. It’s a locals hangout, but one that also attracts adventurous tourists. The U-shaped bar encourages conversation with new friends. Need a conversation starter? Which of their extensive whiskeys would go best with which of their extensive classic cocktails? Discuss.
Bouligny Tavern
Bouligny Tavern is high on the list of loveliest spots for a quiet sip in a city with no shortage of lovely spots. It stands apart for its its midcentury grace, which somehow manages to be both spare and supple. A blaring television would definitely be out of place; a wise-cracking Mad Man would not. Cocktail specials will appeal to creative sorts, or go low key with a local beer or classic cocktail.
Cure
Cure opened in 2009, and ushered in a revival of creative handcrafted cocktails in a city that’s always favored a stiff drink over watery beer or wine spritzers. Housed in a former firehouse along a stretch of upscale casual restaurants (think: epicurean hot dogs, hamburgers and pizza), it’s contemporary without being unmoored from the city’s storied past. Happy hour specials and the daily punch offer great value; for a splurge, try a “reserve cocktail,” like the old-fashioned made with 20-year-old bourbon. One temperate days, the side patio can offer more entertainment than any flatscreen.
Cane & Table
Cane & Table offers an oasis of class amid the garishness of the French Quarter. It has the DNA of a undiscovered Havana dive, with peeling walls and plants sprouting from the bricks in the courtyard. Rum’s the specialty here, with a focus on proto-tiki drinks, which are a little less ostentatious than later incarnations. Sitting inside removes you from the hubbub of the street; a seat in the courtyard takes you to a distant island, if only in your mind. Feel like exploring the streets as you sip? (Note: you can do that in New Orleans.) Ask for your drink to go in a hollow pineapple.
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