Tony Sevilles Pirates Alley Cafe

This was on La Diabla’s list … not even on my radar!
Side street beside the church.
Small place, full bar. Traditional preparation of Absinthe, very kewl.
Cash only, ATM inside.
Do it!

Bartender was the ONLY truly unpleasant experience we had the entire time we were in the French Quarter. Heavy set lady with long curly hair dressed like a pirate– too busy sitting on the table outside talking to her friend. She was so freakin unfriendly– no wonder we were the only ones in there. She was so rushed to hurry back to her conversation, that she spilled absinthe all over the glass and almost missed the target on the sugar cube placement. We paid $ 12 for the pleasure. You’re lucky I love my husband. Avoid like the plague!

This is a cute and cozy little corner bar near the cathedral and Jackson Square. I stumbled upon it while looking for a geocache in Pirate’s Alley. And since I needed a break and some refreshment, I decided to drop in. Since I was feeling daring, and how can you not when you are being served by someone wearing a pirate’s hat, I decided to try some absinthe. It was a deadly combo of champagne and absinthe served in a flute (two servings per order) appropriately named Death in the Afternoon. This is apparently one of Hemingway’s creations. Well, he definitely was no lightweight because I couldn’t drink more than half before I was feeling really happy and warm and fuzzy.

The bartenders are very knowledgable about absinthe. We ordered just regular absinthe. We aren’t light-​weights, but one drink each and we were feeling the booze. Definitely got the $ 10 out of it per drink. We’ve brought friends back here since and they’ve enjoyed it as well.

I had my first taste of absinthe here at the Olde Absinthe House! That is located next door to the Faulkner House Bookstore. The Pirates Alley in general is located between Royal Street and Jackson Square next to the museum. This is a cute little historical corner which also has a café on the other side of the Olde Absence House in the back alley.
Everything is very old timey European back there (in this alley) and it is as if time has stopped architecturally. There is even still the old street drainage trench is along these areas which I thought was pretty cool to see.
The Olde Absinthe House: The smell and the curiosity about their absinthe lured us in. We went in to give it a try. It was pretty interesting to see it being produced for us. Our barkeep, who was dressed like a pirate, provided us with a few different bottles to choose from. She then used four spicket/​spout container full of cold water to slowly drip over the ice cube which was placed over the absinthe glass. We then watched the absinthe change to an opaque cloudy color as a result.
The absinthe definitely had its signature strong licorice taste. I also had a drink called the toxic baby which interestingly enough had a plastic baby hanging off the side of the glass. The drink was not as toxic as I expected. It was quite smooth.
I would definitely come here again if I had to visit New Orleans another time.

Have you ever tried Absinthe? The Pirates Alley Café is a MUST-​STOP for any serious imbiber (is that a word?). New Orleans folklore meets «history in a bottle» meets Pirates Alley which is said to be haunted. Now top that for a New Orleans experience!
This is THE place to try Absinthe. This licorice liquor while not my drink of choice, is a necessary try for anyone interested in the history of drinking, cocktails, and who has an adventurous spirit. Absinthe, with its legendary allure, used to have psychotropic properties, which is a nice way of saying it used to have cocaine in it. While made illegal and the recipe altered, the history of strange phenomena surrounding the imbibing of Absinthe remains. What better place than Pirates Alley than to give it a try. This place has a small bar, but off the beaten path, and rarely packed. You will get personalized service, and some stories too!

Love this place it was a home away from home wile I was there in 05. Such warm hospitality to this out of towner

This is the only bar in NOLA that you need to know about. Shannon is an amazing absinthe walking encyclopedia. Your New Orleans trip will not be complete without sipping on any drink from Tony Seville’s Pirate Café. We like to go at night to get the erie effect since it’s in the heart of pirate alley, a lot of history in that alley.

WORST bar I’ve ever been to, I would say worst bar in New Orleans but that would be giving them too much credit. The bar tender was the RUDEST person I’ve ever come across, and she delighted in «taking out money for the fake absinth» do not waste your money here. It’s a pitiful place.
It would be better spent giving it to the homeless guy on the corner asking for karate lessons.

Doing the tourist thing. Was referred to this bar by a local who served us lunch in a French Quarters restaurant. The bar is a small quaint open air place where the bar is the only place to sit unless you prefer outside. Loved the atmosphere and conversation with the knowledgeable bar staff on absente and other drinks. Will return to this bar.

The best bar in the French Quarter. I am a New Orleans native, and whenever I get the urge to go out for a drink in the Quarter, this is the only spot I need.
The owner, Tony Seville, is a local socialite with a real love for the city and culture. He plays horns in a local jazz band and knows music and night life.
They offer a large variety of upscale drinks. They have local beer selections and their staff know their drinks.
This place is a great spot for conversation and meeting new people. The bar is cozy, the music is kept low and conversation just seems to flow there. If you catch them on a slow night, fear not, their bartenders are friendly and engaging, without the normal pretentious attitudes that you tend to find in New Orleans bar scenes.
They serve a small menu of food items. Some of the ghost tours start here, so this is an excellent location to talk about some of our more esoteric culture.
As I stated above, this is the best bar in the Quarter. Go there.

Stopped in here on a rainy Tuesday afternoon for a few drinks. My husband and I were the only ones in the bar at the time. The bartenders here wear pirate outfits which is kinda cute. Our bartender was super friendly and we chatted with her quite a bit. One of the very few spots you have to smoke outside though. Seems so weird how that works down there, still don’t quite understand the whole situation. The bar is in a quite area off the beaten path. It is such a lovely little spot. I really enjoyed the time we spent here and will definitely go back!

Classic bar full of characters, including the staff. A good bet if you want a slightly off the beaten track, slightly quieter bar, that’s still full of charm.

Off the beaten but still in the middle of everything. A nice spot to relax and have a drink away from the crowd. Was one of my favorite places in the quarter. Unfortunately, on my most recent visit the bartender was so surly that I am not sure I will return. Would have been 4 stars if the staff didn’t make us feel that they preferred to have no customers.

Great little spot located on the corner, to grab a beer and sit at the quaint bar or outside on their patio. They do not have a large variety of liquor but enough to make a Pimm’s cup! Very dive-​bar atmosphere with low expectations. Just chill here and enjoy your beverage of choice, along with a pirate theme.

Popped in here for a quick mojito while walking around. Pretty small inside, but they have an outdoor seating area. The place is decorated with a pirate theme (duh) and it’s pretty cool — even the (very friendly) bartender was in costume. Good mojito, too. :)

This little place is tucked away on Pirates Alley, just beside St Louis Cathedral. We ventured there for some libations on a Saturday afternoon wandering around the Quarter. There’s not much to the place but they do have a cute little patio that will treat you well on a nice day and the bartender was able to put together a sweet and strong rum concoction upon request. If you’re on overload from Bourbon St, this is a nice alternative. The staff –and perhaps some of the patrons– dress in pirate garb if you’re into that. If you’re not done drinking, but need a place to recharge I suggest you head over. They don’t accept cards, so bring cash.