Golden Lantern
Gay bar · French Quarter
1239 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70116
Highlights
Strong Bloody Marys, drag shows, and a 24/7 intimate vibe
Strong Bloody Marys, drag shows, and a 24/7 intimate vibe
"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 cash-only bar is best known for its happy hour(s) from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with its trademark veggie-packed bloody mary served in a “Lantern Trash” go-cup, and weekend drag shows. There’s a must-have Lantern Trash shirt, too." - Beth D’Addono
"Famously ground zero during Southern Decadence, the Golden Lantern is a neighborhood dive bar extraordinaire. Known for zesty Bloody Marys and always potent cocktails, the Lantern also hosts drag shows and community events, a French Quarter icon since 1964," - Beth D’Addono
"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
