Old Absinthe House

It’s old. On cold days, it has a roaring fireplace in the back. On most days, you can find several entertaining (aka alcoholics) people that are bellied up to the bar. And they serve a great bloody mary. What more can you ask for? Well, I would probably ask someone to dust all the helmets hanging from the ceiling. I like to keep it real but too much realness can get to a person. And a dust clot falling from the ceiling into a drink is something I try to avoid.

Cool dive bar… vintage football helmets hanging from the ceiling, business cards lining the walls, tasty drinks. Loved the fireplace! This is a unique and interesting spot, indeed. The bar stools are too short for an average height person to sit comfortably at the bar.

This is a fantastic bar. The dial that controls the volume behind the bar is great. Check it out if you go there. They make absinthe, too. I don’t drink absinthe so I can’t comment on how authentic or inauthentic it is like some of the dorks who write pretentious reviews on this thing, but they also have beer and liquor and fantastic barmaids who are fun to talk to.

Not many know or appreciate the benefits of absinthe, but I tell you, the green fairy is wonderful. This place is a stop every time I’m in NOLA and I’m never disappointed.

I want to give this bar more stars, but it gets a little lost in the hustle and bustle of Bourbon Street, and comes out less of a true absinthe bar, and more of a bar with «Absinthe» in the name. Don’t get me wrong, they will pour you absinthe and even light sugar on fire for you, but this feels almost like some sports bar that was converted almost as an afterthought. Honestly, if it was in another part of the city, I think it’d have a better time of being something other than a glorified Daq-​shack.

A must see on bourbon street. Totally mistaked this bar for an older one down the street on our first night in NOLA but an awesome mistake none the less. Pay a visit here for absinthe. I got the mothers milk and it definitely started the night off with a bang!

I did not have the absinthe after I witnessed the bartender use a basic glass instead of an absinthe glass, and the Bohemian (fire) ritual for some Pernod and a beautiful Swiss absinthe. Sure, it looks cool, but it’s a great way to ruin an expensive drink and to have people think absinthe tastes awful. If you do choose to have absinthe here, request the traditional French ritual. You will have a better drink and a better experience.
I had a sazerac which was alright. The service left much to be desired, but I was only there for one drink anyway, and one drink is exactly what I got.

What a wonderful little bar!
This bar on the corner of Bourbon Street has such a cool vibe to it.
The bar is old, dating from 1807. The walls are full of business cards and the ceiling has just about everything hanging from it… including football helmets.
Try the absinthe, they have an absinthe maker that they say dates back to the 1700s (with a cool looking man from a lost time on it!). They have a full menu of absinthe, so choose wisely!
A full bar with a great vibe and friendly service… I love hanging out here!

I like this place because it’s right on street corner in heart of Bourbon street. Their absinth is pricey but yummy. Hot dog cart outside woohoo!

At first glance — nothing special vs other bars on Bourbon. But then — I spy a couple getting an absinthe drink. The bartenders serve it up traditionally or in unique cocktails, so if you’ve never tried absinthe this would be the place to do it. The way they serve it up is part of the experience of ordering the libation.

Famous place so we had to try it! I got the Planter’s Punch which was good but not very strong. The bartenders seemed a little tired/​annoyed with us even though we didn’t do anything wrong. Maybe just a bad day. The bathrooms are not clean so go somewhere else if you need to. It’s definitely a dive bar! Not bad but there are better places nearby.

Why yes I did try Absinthe here and didn’t hallucinate. Or did I? Were those woman’s breasts actually shared around the bar? Hmmm… It’s New Orleans my friends and the drinks are ice cold and delicious. Stop in for a bit of history and fun.

Not bad…
While in NOLA for a long weekend, our Sunday plans were a bit thwarted by Hurricane Patricia (re: our walking tour got canceled due to poor weather) so we ended up walking around just looking for things to do. And what’s more appropriate for killing time in NOLA than imbibing in the AM?
Since we were in the Quarter already, we wandered over here to maybe drink a little absinthe. Inside, we were greeted by a rather typical looking bar. We grabbed two stools (surprisingly or maybe unsurprisingly, it was decently crowded) and we asked the bartender if they actually had absinthe or if it was just a gimmicky name. Turns out, they do serve absinthe so she presented us with a menu of several different brands ranging in price from $ 16 to $ 22, which we thought was kind of steep (and the major influence towards my star rating).
They do a traditional bohemian pour with the burning sugar cube and the water, which was a lot of fun to watch (and something I recommend everyone try at least once because it’s a nice little experience to have your alcohol so lovingly prepared).
It was an okay bar but nothing I’d write home about, though I did really appreciate the little old man who gave us a little plate of popcorn that was spiced with cajun seasoning. Thank you for not letting us drink on empty stomachs!

Really enjoyed our Bloody Mary’s and the waitress was… fairly friendly. But, there’s a big crowd so I would NEVER want her job! ;-P
Fun atmosphere with all the walls open to walk straight in from the sidewalk-​great fun! In and out. Then, in again! Haha

This isn’t the worst place to get a drink in New Orleans. It’s a really weird blend of people inside. It’s a mixture of regulars who sit at the bar in their own little bubble, as well as a LOT of tourists in there to see what the fuss is about, like myself.
It’s worth going into for just that– the tourist value. It’s a historical building and it’s really cool looking on the inside, albeit loud and a little overpopulated (at least, that was the case when we were there).
The service is mediocre. The bartender had no time for conversation, unless it was for the regulars. If you asked her any question about the types of absinthe or cocktails or even just the building in general, she was rude and abrupt. When your job so heavily depends on customer service, and you work in one of the most touristy bars in New Orleans, you’d think one would learn to grin and bear it. Don’t get me wrong– I’m sure she’s tired of the same five questions day in and day out. But all you’re doing is ensuring we have one drink and quickly leave. That’s what we did. We felt like we were annoying and not overtly welcome. There are better bars that serve absinthe in New Orleans, and I’d just as soon go to them, where they’ve been nothing but friendly and full of recommendations.

This is my second visit to the old ab house. The first time was definitely memorable… in a good way. The second was the exact opposite. I’m thinking the experience is dependent on the bartender and the bartender this time simply sucked. She said, «what do you want?» I had a few questions, she walked away. My husband tried too… nothing. We finally ordered a sezerac for me and a Mata Hari for him. The sezerac was way to heavy on the bitters and the mata hare was a big glass of yuck. We had the same drinks last time and they rocked – sorry the drinks and the service affect the experience so much.

I had a ball and a half at this place. Not as loud and bawdy as the other places on bourbon street (which suits me!) they serve you a good sazerac and the bar maids are spunky fun ladies. You even get given a bit of popcorn to eat while enjoying the jukebox tunes. Highly recommended!

Stopped in for our last stop of day drinking and by now I have learnt — alcohol ain’t cheap in NOLA. Just like any spots along Bourbon St, your guess is as good as mine as to how much drinks are. BUT it is vacation… or so I told myself.
The place looks old (historic would be the nicer term) and probably has some history behind it (but no one told me any stories). Bartender lady came across as a no-​nonsense type. I asked what’s their signature drink and she pointed to a sign on the wall.
Absinthe at 1pm on a Monday sounded like a bad idea, so I went with the Ramos Fizz. BF got a pint of cheap beer (in theory, not in price — I think it was $ 5)
Here comes the fun — bartender cracked an egg, raw egg white went into a glass (MY glass to be specifi). Then more things went into the glass, including a few drops of I-don’t-know-what-but-that’s-a-white-vinegar-shaped-bottle. All topped off with milk and she shook it all up and now I have myself a Ramos Fizz. All for a «bargain price» of $ 12!
BF looked at me with a certain disgust on his face and said «you better like it because I’m NOT drinking that.» Even I wondered what I have done. But NO WAY I’m wasting a $ 12 drink — so with a little reservation I took a sip, AND IT WAS GOOD! Not strong though, and for $ 12 I would have wanted more liquor.
Overall it was a fun experience — rather pricey, but it was different. The place was unique, friendlier service would have helped (maybe tell me something about the joint?). If you do stop in, do give the Ramos Fizz a try!

Stopped in here for a bit during French Quarter Fest. The bartender was really nice and I liked that all of the doors were open letting fresh air into the place.
I didn’t stay long, but they do seem to have a nice selection of absinthe and the bartender sounded like she knew what she was talking about when someone asked about them. The décor is a little grimy, but it’s not terrible for a FQ spot.

I have a hard time rating this establishment since the bartenders were great. Both the ladies knew what was up and down and really treated me like a person and engaged in conversation.
Be warned, you have to present your receipt to the washroom ‘keeper’ in order to go. It’s a bunch of bologna if you ask me. One drink = one restroom visit. The washrooms were disgusting! One stalls door didn’t even close, the other had the toilet paper resting on the handicapped bar. Paper towels everywhere. The bartenders knew it was a crock of sh*t too.
We met up with some other tourists and were chatting while standing close to the bar, perhaps blocking the walk way just a touch. Any normal person would say excuse me and pass by easily. Hell, you could barge right through and we wouldn’t batt and eye (Canadian) but the bar bouncer obviously had it in for us when he told me to «Get the fuck out of the way!» and grabbed the stool and slammed it down away from our group. We left shortly after. I really hope the tips aren’t tipped out because those servers deserve it all — F those bouncers.
I wish I could rate this place with less stars. Not a good place for dancing, groups or cheap drinks. Sit, order a drink and drink quietly. Stay out of everyones way!