Rendezvous Tavern

Cruising Magazine Street in New Orleans either by car or on foot is one of the great ways to spend an afternoon in the city provided the heat hasn’t quite hit sweltering yet. Small bursts of commercial activity ebb and flow along the lengthy street that connects downtown New Orleans to the Garden District and beyond. Rendezvous Tavern sits squarely in the middle of that action, as ‘neighborhood bar’ as it gets in a city filled with countless excellent spots to grab a drink.

Opened in 1969, the bar’s own web site claims a history that includes stints as both liquor store and brothel with the unique twist that ownership of the bar is said to have changed hands “in an Orleans Parish jail cell.” Further details on that precise moment in Rendezvous Tavern history are hard to find, but the longevity of the space is undeniable, the building firmly wedged into a long commercial stretch of Magazine Street populated by a number of shops, restaurants and bars.

There are few bells and whistles here, but every classic dive bar amenity is covered: pool tables, jukebox, NFL Sunday Ticket, even a dedicated pinball room. Outside, the signage is simple, a standard, red sign mounted above the front door and a more vintage-looking square sign anchored to the corner of the building marked by a tilted fleur de lis. Like so many businesses in this part of New Orleans, the building looks like it would fit in as a residence just as well as it does a Magazine Street dive bar.

Particularly so on a hot, sunny New Orleans day, Rendezvous Tavern feels ‘rich’ by comparison, deep purple paint on one wall mixing with darkened wood paneling that runs almost the entirety of the space in unison with equally dark wood flooring underfoot. The warm, healing glow of neon pops up in spots along the Rendezvous Tavern walls (Miller High Life is of course well-represented here) and a row of black, padded booths can be found along a rear wall.

A bit of flair does pop up atop one of the great dive bar palettes, the bathroom door, with painted depictions of a man and woman leading patrons to their respective retreats. The phrases “Le Cocanballes” and “Lava Ginas” are painted here to remove all doubt as to which door to push open. Nearby, a small alcove just off the bar houses a small set of pinball machines, another source of soft, bar-friendly lighting that continues to set a warm and friendly tone.

Drink availability here is deep, 24 beer taps active to provide all manner of classic and non-conventional dive bar options. Similarly, the liquor selection runs nearly the full length of the building, every favorite well accounted for here. A few gaming machines can be found at the front of the bar, but beyond this laundry list of amenities, the vibe here is very clear. Rendezvous Tavern is a classic, neighborhood collecting point in the midst of one of the more heavily trafficked parts of the city, offering a nice dose of ‘familiar’ in a city built to deliver just that.