Good Friends

Good Friends Bar is one of the best-known gay bars in the French Quarter, occupying a handsome corner building at 740 Dauphine Street, just far enough from the loudest stretch of Bourbon Street to feel relaxed without ever being removed from the action. A fixture of LGBTQ+ New Orleans since the 1980s, it attracts local regulars, returning visitors and curious newcomers looking for a sociable bar rather than an intimidating nightclub. The name sets the tone rather accurately: this is somewhere to meet good friends, arrive with a group or make a few new ones before the night becomes considerably less organised.

The ground floor feels warm and informal, with an impressive solid-mahogany bar, exposed brick, a fireplace and original artwork. A pool table provides an easy excuse to start a conversation, while several television screens show music videos, sports and major local events. Good Friends is particularly popular with fans gathering to watch the New Orleans Saints. The atmosphere changes throughout the day, moving from casual afternoon drinking and happy-hour conversation to a busier, flirtier scene after dark. The clientele is predominantly gay male but generally mixed and welcoming, with different ages, styles and members of the wider LGBTQ+ community represented.

Upstairs, the Queen’s Head Pub offers a more intimate Victorian-inspired setting with wooden floors, chandeliers, warm colours and its own bar. Its greatest attraction is the wraparound balcony overlooking the rooftops and streets of the French Quarter. On a pleasant afternoon, it is an excellent place to sit with a drink and watch New Orleans perform below: tourists getting lost, groups assembling for celebrations and outfits becoming gradually more ambitious. Balcony access and upstairs opening times can vary, so check before making it the sole purpose of your visit.

Good Friends is famous for the Separator, a dangerously smooth frozen cocktail associated with the bar. It tastes easy enough going down, but its strength deserves respect—especially in a city where ordering “just one more” can become a full itinerary. The bar also serves beer, spirits and familiar mixed drinks. Daily happy-hour promotions are advertised, while karaoke and special entertainment appear on the weekly programme. During Mardi Gras, Pride, Halloween and Southern Decadence, Good Friends can become extremely busy and may operate extended hours.

This is not primarily a dance club. Come for conversation, pool, drinks, people-watching and the comfortable feeling of being inside a genuine neighbourhood gay bar. Travellers visiting alone often find it easier to engage here than in a large nightclub, particularly around the downstairs bar or pool table. Earlier hours are generally better for a quieter drink; later nights and major LGBTQ+ weekends bring more energy, crowds and spontaneous encounters.

Some travel directories still describe Good Friends as permanently open 24 hours a day. Recent communications instead mention all-night or 24-hour opening on selected weekends and major occasions, so verify the current schedule through the bar’s official channels. The venue also currently operates on a credit-or-debit-card-only basis. Whether you stop for one Separator, watch a Saints game or settle onto the balcony for an entire afternoon, Good Friends offers a classic slice of gay New Orleans: friendly, colourful and always capable of turning a casual drink into a story.