The Best Jazz Clubs in New Orleans

The Spotted Cat is known for hosting unbelievably talented bands. It’s a limited venue, with a small standing crowd area – and an even smaller stage. However, the petite size makes each event intimate. It’s casual, the drinks are affordable, and it offers authentic New Orleans jazz music.

Fritzel’s is set in a historic club going back to the late 19th century, making it the oldest jazz club in New Orleans. Thanks to Fritzel’s New Orleans Jazz Band weekly, there’s a constant live band presence.

Since 1961, Preservation Hall has been the place for New Orleans jazz. It looks like it, too. All wooden interior with intimate closeness, the Hall is a memorable venue for seeing some of the best jazz talent.

This is a more upscale club that serves craft cocktails in a pretty sexy setting. There are vintage couches, mood lighting, and a stage with curtains. The live talent is always of the highest stature, and the bartenders are hospitable. The Jazz Playhouse is the pricier, more luxurious way to experience New Orleans jazz.

Sweet Lorraine’s is a hole-in-the-wall club that serves New Orleans jazz and creole fare. It’s a small room, with a stage at one end, tables in the middle, and a bar at the other end. Sweet Lorraine’s is the jazz spot for New Orleans food and entertaining talent.