Carousel Bar & Lounge

Round and round and round and round…
The Carousel Bar is great. I must admit, we came because of the gimmick — the spinning bar. But the carousel theme is just one part of what makes this place great; the other is the tasty drinks.
My boyfriend and I came in at like 8:00 PM on a weekday. When we arrived, all the spinning barstools were taken, but we snagged a few within 5 – 10 minutes. We proceeded to ride the carousel around 3 times, and each enjoyed 1 – 2 cocktails, while chatting with the couple next to us.
As for drinks, I highly recommend the Pimm’s Cup!
The drinks are a little pricey, but I think the atmosphere makes it worth it. Located inside the Hotel Monteleone, this place definitely has a classy vibe. And I think the carousel theme and spinning bar make it quite an experience.
Fun Fact: According to our bartender, the «carousel» makes approximately one revolution every 15 minutes.

An must-​try upscale bar and lounge in the Hotel Monteleone. Grab a seat at the rotating bar and order one of their signature cocktails: a sazerac or a Pimm’s Cup. We tried both and found them to be the best we’ve had, New Orleans or elsewhere. Drinks are served with complimentary snack mix. Service is friendly and professional (think: old school barkeeps). A seat can be hard to come by so give yourself some extra time to stake out the bar or a nearby table.

Nice bar. A bit gimmicky but that is the point. Great bartender when we were there and had a delicious sazerac. Recommended!

If Travis is working at the back bar, get a Sazerac from him. That man knows how to mix a good drink. And he’s a pretty funny guy.
Yes, the front is where it’s at for the photo opps, but once you see how loud and crowded it is, you’ll want to calm down and take in the hotel scene in the back. Sometimes you just want to chill and not be spinning.
All in all, a pretty good experience. NOLA has its fair share of hotel bars. One of the benefits is you get to use their swanky hotel lobby bathrooms. I love nice bathrooms. Almost as much as I love a good Sazerac. You can combine the two experiences, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

Great cocktails and great bars!!!
This place is a real NOLA classic. The bar of course spins which is why it’s called the Carrousel bar.
It’s great for 1 – 2 cocktails after or before dinner. I wouldn’t spend more time than that at this place.
The seats are highly sought after!!! It gets very competitive so you might need to get a bit aggressive.
My suggestions is that if you see one seat. Go ahead and take it right away. Most people like me only have 1 – 2 drinks before they move on.

First of all Hotel Monteleone is swanky. Second of all the Carousel Bar located inside the hotel is a cool novelty.
The crowd is silver (translation: 50+ businessmen mostly). The drinks are expensive but very well crafted. Everyone should come just for one drink to say you’ve done it. A rotating carousel bar is certainly a novelty, but not a place worth drinking all day with cocktails running you $ 13 a pop. I felt like I was in a Manhattan hotel rather than in New Orleans.
My only complaint is that I have MAJOR issues with motion sickness, and one drink/​four rotations around the bar was enough to leave me spinning. Just be mindful of this and you’ll be good to go for a classy cocktail. Cheers!

I’ve experienced the Carousel Bar both as a guest at the Monteleone, and finishing off a night with friends after dinner in the quarter. It’s the ideal spot to gather and enjoy good music and drinks – although I’ve yet to grab a spot at the carousel itself. Lighting is nice, furniture comfy, and the location can’t be beat. The last time I was there, I had a French 75 which was really good. This will definitely stay on our list of «go-​to» places when we visit.

This was probably one of my favorite bars in NOLA as far as the taste of the drinks and the looks of it. But be fore warned, it is very difficult to get a drink here at the carousel part. People stay seated at the chairs and there is minimal room to stand in between. We finally gave up after 30 minutes and went to the bar that is closer to the band area.
The pims cup was one of my favorites. Very very tasty!

Very cool concept for a bar. With an actual vintage carousel bar inside that rotates so that the people sitting at it get a full view of the room without ever taking a step, this was really a once in a lifetime experience. My boyfriend and I were lucky enough to get two seats at the carousel shortly after arriving, and had a blast. The bartenders were friendly, the drinks were good and the service was fast. Definitely a fun stop in NOLA!

If you can’t get a spot at the actual carousel it’s kind of just an expensive hotel bar filled with tourists.
On a Thursday at Noon there weren’t any seats available, so we went to the other room and had some (albeit) tasty $ 12 cocktails.
Everyone seemed to rave about the Bluecrab and Crawfish Beignets, but they were mushy and unremarkable for me. Tasted like reheated Trader Joes food. Globs of crab covered in a hoisin sauce of sorts.
2 cocktails and beignets set us back about $ 50, but it’s a tourist trap so I’m not sure what I was expecting. For that price, buy a bottle of bourbon and go watch real horse carriages walk down the street.

I came in twice and wasn’t able to get a seat the carousel. That’s not why I rated it as such. It was because each time that we ordered the service was so slow. Extremely slow.
The drinks we ordered took more than 20 minutes to receive on each visit.
We had to cancel the cheese plate that we ordered because after 30 minutes it hadn’t came out yet. When we told the server she said that it shouldn’t take too much longer. We politely declined and asked for the check. Fifteen minutes later we were out the door.

I’ll start off with the minor bad thing I’ve experienced with this place. Service is slow because it’s always busy.
I’ve gone a few times and had the best luck on a Friday afternoon. We were able to scoop up two carousel seats ASAP. There’s an older man bartender in the carousel, and he’s sweet as can be.
When it’s not late yet, there’s usually still seats avaiable at a table. Where you will notice some interesting art, but sparkly and unique.
Best perk, refilled gardettos to your hearts desire. :D
The bands start later but I love this bar and the drinks are tasty and you don’t even have to dress to the formalness of the hotel to go to this bar. Pimm cup is my fav but if you want to go hard to go home — vieux carre is your best bet.

Truly a gem located inside the Hotel Monteleone. The Carousel Bar is unlike anything you have experienced before.
We enjoyed the Fleur de Lis and Pimm’s Cup No. 1 — which has just become my favorite drink on earth!
The bartender, Neil, is an absolute pleasure and quickly becoming a celebrity as he was recently featured on the Travel Channel’s Booze Travel TV show.

Great spot located in the heart of New Orleans. It is inside the Monteleone Hotel. Very cool bar with solid bartenders and drink choices. I highly recommend the bloody mary. You can sit on the carousel and it takes roughly 1 drink to make your way around. I highly recommend this for any tourist in the area. There are plently of nice restaurants in the area so you can enjoy a drink and then walk your way to a solid lunch/​dinner.

The best thing that I had in NOLA was at Carousel… and they are the blue crab and crawfish beignets. I still dream of them at this moment and wish that there was some way that they could be transported to me in NYC. They are creamy, crispy, briny, comforting — basically everything that you could ever want in a seafood beignet. If you are at Carousel for any reason, these are an absolute must-​order.
Now for everything else: CBL was named one of the most notable bars in the world — it has a revolving bar, live jazz band, and a contemporary Nawlins vibe. But the cocktails are actually pretty standard. I had the sazerac and felt myself slightly unimpressed given all the craze about it at this spot.
The bar and lounge can get extremely crowded. You can splash into the hotel lobby if necessary but just a warning that it you must keep an eye out if you want to sit. Parties of two, and sometimes three, will be the magical numbers to get you seated in the bar itself.
It’s something that you have to check out in NOLA — especially for the savory beignet. It’s right on Royal so there comes a point where you don’t have an excuse.

Pimms cups is their specialty. If you can find a seat at the carousel bar, it slowly spins. Here’s a tip: prop your iPhone up so it’s filming you talking to a friend or someone and put it in «time-​elapse» mode. It speeds it up and you can see the movement of the carousel.
Great drinks and service. Nice concept– gotta try it at least once!

A must visit bar in NoLa. The bar turns so it is very fun, but most importantly, the service is outstanding and the drink menu fantastic. All the cocktails are delicious and well balanced and the ambiance in this quiet bar is a nice break. Highly recommend it. The French 007 drink and their gin/​cucumber drinks are delicious

Do yourself a favor and go to the carousel bar and order a Pimm’s cup. We were at the back bar and the only reason I say that is they might not make it the same way at the other bar. We ordered our first one, after good friends recommended this cocktail, but the second one, made by a different bartender looked and tasted completely different. He argued with us that it was the same but it wasn’t and we asked our original bartender to taste it. 2^nd bartender got a little owly but the first one agreed and remade our drinks.
The difference was muddling the strawberry and cucumbers and topping it off with 7-​up vs not muddling and too much ginger ale. First style is the best way, there should be no ginger ale.
I’m definitely going to try and re-​create this cocktail at home using Pinterest recipes (plus I watched the bartender measure and make so it seems the recipes online are right on).
Enjoy!

I heard so much about Carousel, that I just had to check it out.
Everyone and their dog recommended it saying that if you want to get a good drink, and stay away from the hot mess that Bourbon street is, that was the place to go. My husband and I got dressed up and headed that way.
Well, the bar is inside a historical Hotel, it’s pretty and all, sure.
They have a good drink menu, the prices are decent and they mix some mean cocktails.
The reason why I am not a big fan, is that if you take away the Carousel, it was nothing but a bar full of 50 year old Dude-​bros.
It’s like hanging out in a bar full of SMU alumni.
The waitresses pretty much ignored us the whole time, even though she checked on both older couples next to us at least 3 times.
We had to go to the bar to get the cocktails ourselves after begging the bartender for attention.
Seriously, unless you are a rich white man over 50 wearing a navy blue sports coat, go and look at the carousel at the fair and have a drink somewhere else.

Thought it at first as a bit snobbish. Ambiance was a bit off putting. I was wrong.
Didn’t get to sit at the actual carousel bar which was really cool. One full revolution in 14 minutes. It was packed for a Tuesday night. Instead, me and my girl sat at the lower bar. Which was a much much better experience.
Our bartender, Travis, was a fountain of NOLA local knowledge. He was funny, engaging, intense (in a great passionate way). You just KNEW he loved his city. Gave us an awesome recommendation for a great Jazz bar and where to get a late night po’boy. Talked food, especially gumbo (The best? His grandma’s) and local culture with him throughout the night. Amazing.
Had a drink called the Monteleone Cocktail. Amazing!!! Can’t tell you what’s in it. All I can tell you is get it.
One of the best bars in NOLA. Right in the Hotel Monteleone.
Go.

I heard so much about Carousel, that I just had to check it out.
Everyone and their dog recommended it saying that if you want to get a good drink, and stay away from the hot mess that Bourbon street is, that was the place to go. My husband and I got dressed up and headed that way.
Well, the bar is inside a historical hotel, it’s pretty and all, sure.
They have a good drink menu, the prices are decent and they mix some mean cocktails.
The reason why I am not a big fan, is that if you take away the Carousel, it was nothing but a bar full of 50 year old Dude-​bros.
It’s like hanging out in a bar full of SMU alumni.
The waitresses pretty much ignored us the whole time, even though she checked on both older couples next to us at least 3 times.
We had to go to the bar to get the cocktails ourselves after begging the bartender for attention.
Seriously, unless you are a rich white man over 50 wearing a navy blue sports coat, go and look at the carousel at the fair and have a drink somewhere else.

What a concept of a bar! I’m not sure if there is any other bar like this in the world! Either way, my friends and I enjoyed their custom cocktails while sitting on the moving platform. I recommend the Vieux Carre if you’re a whiskey person like me – very tasty. Hopefully you can find a good seat here since it’ll likely be very busy in the evening. This is a great stop for a night of bar hopping.

Great cocktail place! Inside the Monteleone hotel you’ll find this bar with a real rotating carousel. If you get there when there are seats open get ready to ride and drink.
We didn’t find any open seats at the carousel so we opted for seats in the floor. Perfectly comfy seats and beautiful as well. The have mirrored tables with candles which I thought were a nice touch. The cocktail waitress was very attentive and our MVP for the night. She recommended some great drinks and let us know we could substitute liquors if we preferred another.
Two of us opted for the Fleur des lis with vodka and one of us stuck to the gin. We were all very very happy with our cocktails. I love a refreshing cocktail with cucumber in it. Careful though! You’ll throw these drinks back like water and soon find yourself with a buzz. They will sneak up on you (in a good way, you are in NOLA after all.) oh and best part is this delicious cocktail was only 12 $ (I know you’re saying that’s actually a pricey drink but when you’re used to see NYC and Miami prices of 16 $+ for a cocktail sans any complimentary snacks, I thought it was appropriately priced.)
Those of you who don’t want cocktails they also have beers.
They so bring out trail mix for you to snack on while you have your cocktails.
Do try to step up your style game– you wanna dress nicely to match the luxurious feel of the bar. There’s no dress code but everyone was dressed well.
Do try to check out the place when they have their live band playing! Really nice atmosphere. Great spot for groups and dates. Must do when in NOLA.

I heard from multiple people this is a must-​go in NOLA so on our last day when we weren’t quite feeling Bourbon, we went here around 7ish. Unfortunately the coraursal (@Laura G. spelling this wrong to make you mad lol) was full so we just got a table. The table seating is large, easy to find, but the carasawl (hehe) only had like 10 – 15 seats.
I forget what drink I got but it peach based and sparkling winey. Our friends got a pom sparkling winey thing. Both were SO good! Everything on the drink menu sounded really good and a good assortment, but not too many, for every drink pallette. Our server was not at all annoyed that we only ordered 1 drink but stayed and chatted forever. All drinks are $ 12 which is def pricey, but they were really good, and you come for the ambiance & instagram worthy shots as well.

This place. It’s an interesting watering hole to say the least. There is no waiting list to grab a seat at the bar, it is first come first serve, but people definitely don’t respect this. I saw multiple couples standing around eyeing the patrons who are slowly spinning around just waiting for any indication that there will be a vacancy. *Honey look, that person just finished their drink! They must be leaving* *Well this person just signed their bill, let’s run over there and rush them to get up before that other person can slip in*
Yeah… no. Not for us. My husband and I decided to opt out of this rat race and take an immobile seat on the outer ring of the bar. Best idea ever. If you think people watching at a bar is interesting, try people watching at a bar that spins. You have new people to watch every few seconds! The entertainment along with the drinks ended up being a pleasurable experience before dinner. We will definitely return.

Based on its drinks, selection, and prices, it’s absolutely average in every way. Based on its appearance, the simple fact that the bar rotates around, and just how gorgeous your setting is, it’s absolutely beautiful in every way. I can’t think of a more beautiful bar in NOLA than Carousel. Therefore, it results with a 4.
I ordered the Pimm’s Cup No. 1 because I’m a sucker for a combination of strawberry, cucumber, and lemon juice. It was subtly sweet but I finished the entire drink in a couple sips. It’s a little creeper. My SO ordered the Fleur De Lis. I don’t feel like the drinks are the focus but just the idea that you realize how wonderful life must be sitting in the prettiest bar in New Orleans.

The idea of a bar made out of a carousel is great but how it actually plays out leaves a lot to be desired. It takes 14 minutes to make a full rotation which is surprisingly fast. You can feel the old rickety thing chugging along. It is slightly amusing that the bartenders and barbacks have to jump over the bar to get into their workspace — there’s no break in the bar top.
The couple next to us said that the bartender made the best lemon drop in all of New Orleans. We didn’t really get what the appeal was — that’s not a drink that’s on the menu and nothing that we’d want to order anyway, unless maybe this was the bar that made it famous.
Justin had the Ramos gin fizz which didn’t seem like a Ramos gin fizz at all. It was shaken for approximately 15 seconds. Now we realize that most bars don’t do the full 12 minutes anymore but shaking it for such a short amount of time definitely changes the drink — it didn’t even taste like a Ramos gin fizz! I had the Viuex Carre (rye whiskey, Hennessy, sweet vermouth, Benedictine, angostura and peychaud’s bitters) which was just so-​so. Cocktails were $ 12 each.
This is a tourist trap. Don’t come here for the drinks, come for the novelty of it and then don’t stay long. Do check out the hotel lobby during Christmas time — I enjoyed our brief walk through the holiday décor more than our time at the bar.

Huge crowds at the Carousel Bar is no exception, but NYE is tough. Standing room only in a mixed Sugar Bowl and regular tourism crowd is difficult at best, but somehow the waitress found her way to us and back. A good drink at a fair price with a nice trio for a backdrop. If it weren’t for the Carousel this stop would be just another bar, but the novelty is worth a one time stop.

One of those bars that you have to try at least once. I recommend going during the day so you can experience sitting at the bar. Basically you go round, round, round. The drinks are a little pricey but you expect that from a hotel bar. I had a drink with strawberry and cucumber and it was pretty yummy. Service was okay. Bartenders were not overly or under-​ly friendly (does that make sense?).
(Visit was on 11/​11/​2015)

This bar is so much fun!
We stayed at the Hotel Monteleone for a fun trip and were offered a round of free cocktails at the bar. I ordered the Fleur de Lis and it was so refreshing and delicious. Some of my coworkers ordered other cocktails off their list and they were all very tasty.
The waitstaff was very friendly and attentive. They brought a petite bowl of nuts over to snack on while we waited for our drinks.
We did not sit at the actual carousel, those seats are hard to come by. The carousel is unique and very slowly rotates around its axis while you enjoy your drink. We sat at the other lounge groupings they had around the carousel and had a pretty view.
The drinks were a bit expensive but you are paying for the experience and the atmosphere which is very fun! You can also step out of the bar into the beautiful lobby of the Hotel Monteleone and look around.

This is a great bar, and it is located inside the Hotel Monteleone.
Check out the bar itself, it actually moves and turns in a slow rotation with patrons sitting! The movement won’t make your head spin, but it is still pretty cool.
Beyond the bar is an expansive seating area with cocktail service. At night, they have live (and very good) jazz.
This is an upscale bar and hotel, so please, dress accordingly (lots of men in jackets and ladies in eveningwear).
Try a signature cocktail while you listen to some jazz, however be warned: this bar can get packed and finding a seat can be challenging!

This is probably the most unique bar I’ve ever been to in my life. Not only does it look like an actual carousel, but it ever so slowly is moving. One minute you’ll be at one side of the bar, a couple minutes later you’ll be on the opposite side. A terrific idea for a bar!
We ordered the vieux carré and the Ramos gin fizz. I went with my brothers who’s been to NOLA five times and he said these are the two drinks to order at this bar. The vieux carré was created in this bar. It’s consisted of rye whiskey, cognac, sweet vermouth, Benedictine, and some bitters. It’s a very tasty drink if you’re into the whiskey or bourbon based drinks. I think my favorite though was the gin fizz. It contains gin, orange water, egg whites, lemon juice, lime juice, simple syrup and half and half. This drink is so dam tasty I’ve been wanting one ever since I left.
Whether you’re a tourist or a resident to the area, can’t go wrong grabbing a drink at this bar.

What an amazing place to have a drink. I got a seat at the bar out of sheer luck. And I was only a party of one. I don’t know what the best time to come find a seat is for a group. It was so much fun. My bartender Corey was charming, quick and poured me one stiff drink. (Thanks, Corey!) The design of the bar layout is that of a fairytale. It’s whimsical and offers an ambience that all ages would enjoy.

This is such a beautiful bar. I kept previewing reviews and browsing pictures for a clear answer on whether the carousel rotated or not and people I am happy to announce it does! Unfortunately, my phone died and I was unable to take photos or video. BOO!
My experience with this bar was sucessful and I greatly owe that to pre planning — I knew what I wanted and I knew we would move on after one round. We were able to find 3 chairs next to each other and had one person stand. We ordered a round of sazeracs ($ 12 each). I personally did not enjoy them and I suspect its because I do not like whiskey (lol). My sister’s boyfriend on the other hand found it enjoyable (he loves whiskey). It was on my to do list and I got to it so yay! The bartenders were friendly among all the mayhem and chatted with us. I suspect this place is ALWAYS packed!
Do your fellow bar goers a favor and give them a heads up when you are planning to leave. It can take some strategic hawking to get seats.
BTW — i hate writing reviews for places I have not checked in or taken photos but this is a must see even if it’s just for a quick drink!

This place is awesome.
The only downside is waiting to get seats. I think we waited 20MIN.):
Great experience!

This is a great place and while it’s usually pretty busy on the weekends, it’s not impossible to find a couch or a couple chairs. You need to just be patient or lucky. When it gets really busy table service can slow down a little but that’s expected and they are quick to clear away abandoned spots to make room for new people.
In the few times I’ve been there were usually a live band. Lena Prima was playing on my most recent visit which is a perfect fit for the aesthetic. While there’s no dancing room, the chairs and sofas are comfy and perfect for a single drink or a few.

I had an extraordinary experience at Carousel bar in the Hotel Monteleone. So extraordinary, that four drinks and 90 minutes later, I stumbled onto Royal Street and– as I was blasted with the hot humid August air– contemplated skipping lunch reservations and just spending the day at that bar, happily imbibing and spinning at a full revolution every 14 minutes.
Marvin was tending the bar that day, and he is a true bartender in every sense of the word. Not a mixologist– a BARTENDER. There’s a huge difference. A bartender has personality and engages the customer. A mixologist is just a guy with a beard and tattoos that makes good drinks without smiling. That’s the rule of mixology– you can’t smile or show any form of postitive emotion while making an alcoholic beverage– or it just doesn’t come out right.
Napoleon House has the best Pimm’s Cup?! PFFFTTT.please. Marvin made a strawberry-​infused Pimm’s that puts theirs to shame.
A spot on Bourbon Milk Punch? Check.
The guy even has a cocktail book out, called «Magic In A Shaker» that I happened to find and purchase at the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum the next day.
I highly recommend going to the Carousel Bar for a drink. or four. Earlier in the day is better if you want a seat at the actual bar, which should be no problem for anyone who likes to drink and is on vacation in New Orleans. I’m sure any bartender that works there is great, but if Marvin is there, you are in for a treat.