Sazerac Bar

The Sazerac Bar is the Art Deco cocktail room inside The Roosevelt New Orleans, at 130 Roosevelt Way in the Central Business District of Louisiana's largest city, just off the edge of the French Quarter. The room is notable for its polished mahogany bar, its high ceilings and its large 1930s murals by the artist Paul Ninas, which give the space a glamorous, period feel that few bars in the city can match. It takes its name from the Sazerac, the rye or cognac cocktail with Peychaud's bitters, a sugar cube and an absinthe rinse that is widely regarded as the city's signature drink, and the bar is also closely tied to the Ramos gin fizz, the frothy, citrus and orange-flower gin drink that was popularised in New Orleans and associated with Governor Huey Long's visits to the hotel. The drinks programme concentrates on these two classics, supported by other New Orleans standards such as the Vieux Carre, Old Fashioned and Brandy Milk Punch, plus a spirits and wine list. Cocktails are priced at the upper end of the city, usually in the mid-teens in US dollars. The crowd is a blend of hotel guests, business travellers, couples and locals marking an occasion. The mood is refined and relatively quiet, closer to a speakeasy-style lounge than a party bar, and smart casual dress is the practical expectation. The bar is a drinking room for adults, and the atmosphere suits conversation rather than dancing; music is background rather than a draw. There is no cover charge. Opening hours are generally evenings daily, with later closing on weekends, though the published schedule should be checked on the hotel website before visiting. Reservations are not typically needed for a seat at the bar, though larger groups may ask the hotel in advance, and there is no bottle-service culture. A short walk from Canal Street, the streetcar lines and the Quarter, it works well as a first stop before dinner or a final nightcap, and it is especially atmospheric during the hotel's well-known holiday decorations in December.