Old Absinthe House

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Citysearch

The Scene
The bar in this historic building should not be confused with the Absinthe Bar, a once-popular but now-defunct Bourbon Street music joint currently reincarnated as a daiquiri shop. This bar shares its name with the building itself, a landmark built in the early 1800s that also houses two Italian restaurants. There's a real historic feel here: William Makepeace Thackeray, Oscar Wilde, Sarah Bernhardt and Walt Whitman have passed through these doors.

The Draw
The site of a speakeasy during the Prohibition era, this is a popular tourist attraction and local watering hole. Don't come here expecting to order the namesake drink, however; it's illegal, as it's known to cause blindness and madness. Sip the signature Absinthe Frappe instead. It's made with Herbsaint, annisette--which tastes similar to Absinthe (or so we're told)--and soda water.