Bar Tonique

Bar Tonique is a neighbourhood cocktail bar at 820 North Rampart Street, on the edge of the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana, across from Louis Armstrong Park and the Tremé district. It has built a reputation among bartenders and locals as a place for well-made classic cocktails without the tourist atmosphere of Bourbon Street, and the menu is notably long, covering a wide range of historic mixed drinks along with New Orleans staples such as the Sazerac, the Ramos gin fizz and the Vieux Carre. Rum drinks, punches and a small selection of beer and wine fill out the list, and the bartenders will usually prepare drinks to taste if a guest describes what they like. Prices are moderate, typically ten to sixteen US dollars per cocktail, which is below the hotel bars of the central Quarter. The room is relaxed, informal and slightly dim, with a classic neighbourhood-bar layout and a steady mix of locals, hospitality workers, couples and visitors who have wandered a few blocks off the main tourist routes. Dress is casual and the age range is generally adult, with most patrons in their twenties to fifties. The atmosphere is conversational rather than loud, and music is incidental, mostly from a jukebox or playlist, so there is no dancing and no live programming to plan around. There is no cover charge, no bottle service and no table-reservation system for ordinary visits, so seating is first come, first served. Hours run daily from the afternoon until late at night, with the heaviest crowds on Thursday to Saturday evenings and after nearby events at the park and theatres. The location makes it a convenient stop between the Quarter, the Tremé and Frenchmen Street, about a ten-minute walk from Congo Square and a short ride from the Marigny's live-music strip. Visitors who want a quiet, craft-focused drink before a night of music often use Bar Tonique as the first stop of the evening.