Golden Lantern

"Located on the more residential end of the French Quarter, the Golden Lantern might seem like an easy-going, neighborhood dive bar at first — it is. However, come Mardi Gras Day and Southern Decadence, the spot becomes ground zero for all the action. The intimate bar is best known for its happy hour(s) from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., nutritiously-packed bloody Mary served in a “Lantern Trash” go-cup, and weekend drag shows." - Adriana Lopez, Clair Lorell

"Simultaneously divey and charming and very faintly pagoda-esque, the Golden Lantern is like its name, welcoming and slightly magical. Somehow this 24-hour watering hole manages to feel more removed from the world than most bars; it also offers an incredibly generous daily happy hour lasting from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Gay-centered but straight-friendly, it’s where one could imagine Blanche DuBois would have eventually ended up sipping rum and cokes on rainy afternoons had she not been so undone by Stanley. Free live entertainment, including drag shows on the weekends." - Eater Staff

"Simultaneously divey and charming and very faintly pagoda-esque, the Golden Lantern is like its name, welcoming and slightly magical. Somehow this 24-hour watering hole manages to feel more removed from the world than most bars; it also offers an incredibly generous daily happy hour lasting from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Gay-centered but straight-friendly, it’s where one could imagine Blanche DuBois would have eventually ended up sipping rum and cokes on rainy afternoons had she not been so undone by Stanley. Free live entertainment, including drag shows on the weekends." - Eater Staff

"Lantern trash - as the patrons call themselves here - love them some dogs. Ground central during Decadence, the Golden Lantern is a 24/7 dive with killer strong drinks and dogs at the bar around the clock. Drag shows are a bonus." - Beth D'Addono