The Carousel Bar & Lounge

Our Classic New Orleans Hotel Bar

We’ve been spinning for 65 years

THE CAROUSEL BAR

Open 7 days a week from 11:00 A.M. – until

The famous Carousel Bar & Lounge in Hotel Monteleone is a long-time favorite New Orleans hotspot. The classic New Orleans hotel bar is the city’s only revolving bar. For decades, it has lured guests in to take a spin on the 25-seat, bright, circus-clad Merry-Go-Round. Recently, Vogue Living named our bar one of the Top 20 Bars in the World, due in equal parts to our whimsical revolving carousel and comprehensive list of cocktails. Vogue recommends our Sazerac, although our cocktail menu has plenty of other enticing options.

Today, the famous Carousel Bar & Lounge is frequented by New Orleans locals and visitors alike. (You do not have to be a hotel guest to have a drink at the bar!) The Carousel Bar overlooks famed Royal Street, where guests can enjoy the best people watching in the French Quarter. With its regular entertainment schedule of live New Orleans music and craft cocktail selection, this New Orleans hotel bar has become one of the most popular bars in the French Quarter. No visit to New Orleans would be complete without a ride on the Carousel Bar.

“We loved our stay at the Monteleone! The location cannot be beat – in a great area in the French Quarter – step out the door and you are strolling down Royal St. The lobby is beautiful and large, with several places to wait for groups to gather. The Carousel Bar off the lobby is very fun, and we loved the Pimm’s Cup! …We were able to have a nice dinner without leaving the hotel. The food was delicious and service amazing. I have nothing but good things to say about the Monteleone. Thanks for a great time!” ~ Elizabeth E. (TripAdvisor)

Entertainment Schedule

The Carousel Lounge

AN ENTERTAINING DESTINATION

Take a seat and relax in our elegant lounge

HISTORY

A New Orleans Bar With a Story

Installed in 1949, the Carousel Bar’s 25-seat bar turns on 2,000 large steel rollers, pulled by a chain powered by a one-quarter horsepower motor. Patrons circumnavigate at one revolution every 15 minutes, but the ride doesn’t end there.

In the early days of the Carousel Bar, Hotel Monteleone was also the home to the famous Swan Room, a nightclub where celebrities such as Liberace performed. It wasn’t unusual for the performers to join their friends for a nightcap after their shows.

Since 1949, some of its riders’ most creative ideas, inspirations, and business deals have been shaken and stirred to fruition here, not to mention some of the best spirits. The Goody and The Vieux Carre Cocktail were first concocted at the Carousel Bar. This Carousel is the only one in New Orleans that you have to be 21 to ride!

Explore the gallery below to see how the Carousel Bar & Lounge has changed throughout the years.

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Through The Years

1940

1949

1952

1960

1979

2014

RECENT ADDITIONS

Looking Towards the Future

This New Orleans hotel bar was renovated in 1992, when the current carousel top was added. In 2011, Hotel Monteleone started an extensive renovation and expansion of the famous Carousel Bar, and Criollo Restaurant was added.

Hotel Monteleone also expanded the lounge area, opening up the room with coffered ceiling designs and customized crown molding. This New Orleans hotel bar also features circular glass chandeliers and expansive windows along Royal Street. Soft white walls complement the French limestone floors. The Carousel Bar area now has a soothing slate color on the walls adorned with antiqued mirrors as well as new furniture and wooden floors. The authentic Carousel top and the hand-painted chairs around the revolving bar remain the same. The bar now has more lighting underneath the Carousel top and a new pewter bar surface. The Carousel Lounge also has an additional crescent-shaped stationary bar with more seating, to provide ample room for thirsty patrons to mix, mingle, and enjoy the free live musical entertainment.

Beaded artwork by artist Binka Rigava at the Carousel Bar in Hotel Monteleone

Artwork is an integral part of creating ambiance in any setting, and our bar is no exception. Guests of the Carousel Bar can admire mixed-media artwork, an amalgam of photographer Alfred Cheney’s portraits of Jazz Era and Ziegfeld Follies icons from the 1920s and ‘30s adorned with intricate beaded embroidery. While the photographs reference the sounds and styles of the Jazz Era, the beadwork is a subtle nod to Mardi Gras beads that incorporates sparkle and brings to life each portrait. Hotel Monteleone commissioned Latvian artist Binka Rigava to hand-embroider the photographs with a cache of pearls, beads, and Swarovski crystals. The result is absolutely captivating: the photographs glimmer with life and light as the carousel revolves.

Join us in New Orleans & have a drink at the Carousel Bar & Lounge. Reserve your room at Hotel Monteleone today!

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