May Baily’s Place

My hotel was connected to this bar and we got a free drink form here just because were staying at the hotel. It was a nice little nook in the corner of a building. Definitely not a huge tourist spot which makes it a good place to chill for a little before exploring the monster which is Bourbon St.

This cozy little place was perfect for snuggling during a heavy rainstorm this past Halloween weekend. Service was amiable, the décor is dark but respectable, and the drinks were fab. Popcorn is the only snack on the table here, but who cares? We loved visiting this old-​time NOLA spot that used to house a brothel. Fun times.

Late September 2015
We stayed at the Dauphine, the hotel that contains May Bailey’s. Hotel guests get free drink tickets and this is a VERY nice touch.
Great room, very «William Morris» wallpaper and carpet, wood panelling/​bar, mirrored ceiling. MB’s was a high-​end, um, House of Fancy Ladies back in the day. The walls have write-​ups about the ladies, along with a copy of the original business license from the city.
The bartenders (ladies, both visits) were super friendly and made a truly excellent Pimm’s Cup (my new Thing, delicious). Great music playing from NO radio 90.7. I can always do without a TV, but they have one if you need it.
MBP is a very cool part of the Dauphine… go visit.

Nice and quiet inside. Old r&b playing in the dim interior. The bar tender was nice and drinks were good on a muggy afternoon. Glad they don’t allow smoking inside anymore but this little hole in the wall gem was perfect for a quick rest to cool down and re-​energize.

All the reviews are pretty much the same.
Love that this place is kind of hidden and tucked away. When you’ve had enough of Bourbon St drunks and want some quiet you come here. It’s dark and cozy. Yes I noticed a smell when I entered the bar. Smells like an old brothel should. Husband didn’t smell anything. So the place used to be a whore house. I like to think May Baily walks around checking up on her customers still. Has a neat charm.

Did not have any experience with this place until I met up with family members because they had some free drink coupons because the were staying at the adjacent Dauphine Orleans Hotel. Totally forgettable place. The bar was cold and dark, the aging bartenderess really was having a bad day or was just negative, but definitely should not be in the service industry! There are just too many other places in this city to waste one’s time here.

Super cute place tucked away. Great Pimms Cup drink– Lisa was our bartender and she was super friendly and helpful. They serve these amazing chips with seasoning on them at the bar. seriously they are crack. Love this place! Only con is that it smells like smoke.

Friendly bar keeps.
Dim lighting.
Well mixed drinks.
Old world speakeasy with original metal mirror ceilings, oak paneling and a comfortable polished oak bar at which to sit.
Szazerac glass is coated in mint juice, absinthe, rye and bitters are added liberally. A petite twist runs the rim and is dropped into the concoction.
A special, little known joint popular with those in the know.
Always acknowledged on entry.

I stayed at the Dauphine Orleans, which gives all its customers complimentary drink tickets to May Baily’s place. So my sister and I got a couple of drinks.
It’s a small, casual place. I recommend getting the Pimm’s cup. It’s very refreshing, kind of like an Arnold Palmer.
We went during the day. It was empty with a few of the hotel patrons. It’s a nice place to get a good drink and to escape the heat.

Very cool, off the beaten path, bar with a ton of history. My friends had been here before. They kept raving about it. I know why… a nice quiet bar with locals where you can just chat and learn great info about New Orleans.
Did not have the best liquor options, but had plenty enough for us. And Lisa the bartender was great! She was so friendly and offered such great information about the area and the bar itself.
We ended up coming to this place twice during our 3 night trip. It was that neat to us.

Unassuming, small little place that makes a tasty Pimm’s Cup and has an interesting history (it was originally a brothel). We stayed at the Dauphine New Orleans, so we went here to start almost every evening since it was so enjoyable and close. There was a different bartender every night, and each one was friendly and entertaining. Thumbs up.

I know New Orleans is an old wet city, but the stench in May Bailey’s is beyond unbelievable. We got a coupon for a free drink and we couldn’t even stand to sit in there and finish. Rip that carpet up and do something about that smell!

The great thing about this bar is that it is located at the Hotel we were staying in. Drinks were decent and it was next to the pool. Barmaid was really nice.

we stayed at the attached Dauphine Orleans hotel and were given free drinks tickets to May Baily’s Place when we checked in. We kept going back over and over because it’s actually a pretty great place.
The bar is pretty small and quiet – which is refreshing after crossing Bourbon St. The only have two beers on tap – Abita Amber and Light, but they have a good bottle selection and a full bar. All of the staff were super friendly, and for a hotel bar, it didn’t feel touristy or depressing – bonus!
My one complaint was that there was an odd sort of poo-​ish smell to the place. Funnily enough, I only noticed this at night, not for breakfast (it’s served in a room adjacent and the door is open), but some nights it was really bad. On nights when it was warmer out and the doors were open, I hardly noticed, but when it was colder and the doors were closed, it was a bit pronounced. My two friends didn’t notice at all, however, and I am particular about odors, so take that with a grain of salt.
They have free popcorn, a cozy couch, and a quiet nook tucked away by a book shelf. Also, it used to be a whorehouse, which for some reason, I find totally awesome and I spent a bit of time trying to figure out where the ladies did various parts of their business. I would certainly recommend this place to those who like a good drink and a conversation, or if you just get tired of drinking Hand Grenades and fighting crowds on Bourbon.

If you are staying at the Dauphine Orleans hotel you will receive a free ticket for one welcome beverage at May Bailys. The inside of the bar has such a beautiful Victorian style with dark wood, brick walls, and dimmed lighting. Their drinks are made with a… generous amount of alcohol. Seemed to be popular among locals and the bartenders were really friendly and informative.

This bar is attached to the Dauphine Orleans Hotel where we stayed. You’ll get a drink voucher to come here and I recommend using it.
The bar is an old bordello and part of the old red-​light district. It is decorated in the way that it looked in the early 1990’s which is really cool– lots of art deco type wall paper, scantily clad ladies in paintings, and a massive dark wood bar with lots of glass. Very cool space.
The bartender was chatty and helped us select the type of drinks we wanted, which was helpful. They do all the classic drinks like Sazerac and Hurricanes to name a few. They do a nice long pour, so watch out :)
We liked the place quite a lot because while there were a few tourists there, it was mostly locals, which to me usually means the place is actually good. Everyone is happy to chat, and we learned a lot about the area from the friendly barflies we drank with.

One of the best hotel bars I’ve been in.
Generally busy, but even when it’s not, it has a lot of charm. The bartenders can be somewhat persnickety, but if you can get past the prickly exterior, they’re really quite good.
Perfect place to pre-​game or grab yourself something to warm your cockles during a rainstorm.
Alone? Perfect: New Orleans is the perfect place to be alone, because that’s the best way to meet friends. And no better place than at a bar like this. And what better use of one of your free drink tickets if you’re staying at the hotel than to use it on that other lone drinker?!

I wanted so badly to like this place. Such a cool little hole in the wall w cool architecture and personality. I took a date there to «start» the night. The crowd was mainly locals a maybe 1 or 2 hotel guests. They were not able to make the requested drink for my date (French ’75), really? And worse of all, the place literally smelled like throw-​up. As in, maybe someone threw up in a trash can and it just sat there? I don’t know. But we could barely finish our drinks, and the smell stuck with me even after leaving.
Like I said, I want to like this place. I would consider going back, but I would probably have to be drunk and walking by to give it a second chance.

May Baily’s Place is the hotel bar for the Dauphine Orleans Hotel. Staying at the Dauphine Orleans for Unilocal Spring Break 2013, this was the 1^st & last bar the girlfriend & I got a drink while we were in town.
For hotel guests, there’s an entrance near the hotel’s pool & there’s also a street entrance to the left of the hotel’s main entrance. Inside, the ambiance is total antique French Quarter.
Like much of this town, May Baily’s has a real history. Like much of this town, it’s a sordid 1. May Baily was a madam & this was her brothel. Personally, I dug it. What better way to get into a New Orleans mindset than to grab a drink at a former house of ill repute?
Drinks were good & the bartender was nice. So if you’re staying at the Dauphine Orleans Hotel or just walking by, stop in & get your drink on in a place where they were once getting it on in a whole other way.

This is a solid, slightly disheveled hotel bar. It makes a good cocktail and the prices are reasonable, unusual for a FQ hotel bar. The ambiance is a mix of early 20^th century brothel (which is their shtick) and weird 1970s era disco mirrors.
I would definitely go back here again. I do like that they cater to locals while still handling the tourists with grace.