Potions Lounge

I really enjoyed my time here! But I would definitely not pay a cover to enter; there doesn't seem to be any reason to charge such a high cover for a place with no live music or anything. The pub that it's in has no cover and has awesome live music.Also, many people are posting the password in the comments, but the vampires won't let you in without a formal invitation. They're vampires, what do you expect? ;)However from 4-7 it was free so that's when we visited. We went at 4pm sharp on a saturday and there was a long line to get in because they limit the amount of people in there at once. I respect that because it helps keep the experience better for the patrons inside.The bar is simply a renovated apartment with cute spooky decor and lots of seating. The drinks were decently tasty and there was a nice balcony. I just thought it was a nice place to get away from the noise for a little while in the quarter and rest before returning to the fray.

This was the spot we were most excited to try out on this trip. My fiancé and I love speakeasies and absinthe (we have an absinthe dripper at home!)Unfortunately Potions was an extremely disappointing experience. I will start off with a compliment- the vampire host in the courtyard was on point and absolutely on brand, very spooky and cool.However, it's laughable for a niche and highly curated cocktail bar to serve absinthe, chartreuse, and martinis in the cheapest plastic cups, especially considering the (fun and valid) rigmarole of getting an invite and the password. They aren't serving $5 shots or frozen daiquiris and people are coming for an experience. After waiting in line to get a drink (no visible open seats) we asked the bartender if all of the drinks came in plastic cups or if we could please request a glass, all of which were behind her. She very rudely snapped "not today! We're too busy to use glasses!" Okay... maybe reduce the capacity considering it's not a place people can just walk into anyway. It comes off as greedy and lazy because they know people will blindly go anywhere they see on social media. We ended up turning around and deciding to leave. There was a less than 0 chance I was going to pay $20 for a martini + tip to stand around and drink the martini out of a mouthwash cup.I hope management can take these criticisms constructively because the idea is really cool and this is a business we would have loved to patronize. It felt like false advertising after seeing cocktails being served in actual glasses online, and a letdown/money grab being overcrowded.

This fucking place is fucking bullshit. Lame tourist trap. Now the the drinks aren't bad if you're super drunk. But overall if youreblooking for a real vamp or goth experience it isn't it

I am very much into supernatural stuff so obviously when you come to NOLA you have a lot of great experiences to choose from. This was a fun spot located inside a restaurant. You have to go to a nearby shop and get the password then present it to an employee in the courtyard. He then unlocked the a hidden door and instructed us to go up the stairway. It's a rather small space upstairs, but it just guaranteed a very charming and intimate experience. There is a tarot card reader and a few small seating areas. Equivalent to the size of a couple living rooms. The balcony was awesome though. It was a gorgeous view of the city and great fun people watching. We grabbed a couple of drinks and enjoyed the interesting scenery.

Likely the best speakeasy I've ever been to. We got turned away the first night that we tried to get in because we hadn't done the research to get a proper invitation. And the vampire doorman wasn't about to let us simply smile and slide in. There's plenty of info online about where you'll need to go in order to get an invite. Simply lookup local vampire bars and befriend a bartender. Once you get inside the atmosphere and the drinks will make the work worth it. The room is covered in vampire/witch/voodoo decor, and the drinks are equally inspired. You'll have to suffer bourbon street to find it, but once up there you'll appreciate the location.

This is one of my favorite places in New Orleans hands down. I'm a huge Vampire/Anne Rice geek, so any chance to go to Potions, I will make it a point to visit the Vampire Cafe on Royal and get an invite (if one is available). I love the entire set-up - from the speakeasy aspect to the drinks and taking in the view from the balcony.The ambiance gives off that creepy vampire vibes and lets you image for a few moments that you are lost somewhere in Anne Rice's world, waiting for Lestat to step out of the shadows.

I feel like this is the most legit speakeasy I've been to! It actually takes some investigation to figure out how to gain entrance, I tried going straight to the Google location with the password I'd found online, but the doorkeeper was unimpressed and turned me away!The only clues I'll give you, so as to not ruin your fun, is that you need an actual invitation from the vampire to enter Potions. The physical invite is obtained from another vampire themed shop nearby. Once you obtain it, go through the restaurant to the courtyard and you will inevitably notice that no matter what people are wearing (we were here during Mardi Gras so costumes abound) there is going to be one bloke looking just a little bit seedier than the rest. He will take your name and invitation. Since the vampire's bar is very small, expect a wait and a cover.Up the stairs you go and into the richly decorated rooms with a purple velvet couch, candles, and general Gothic decor. The bartenders smile at you with pointed teeth and the potions and brews you have to choose from continue to set the scene.I loved that our entrance fee permitted us to come and go all day. There was a balcony to look off of and watch the Bourbon street craze, and best yet.. the vampire owns the sweetest ginger cat. We were lucky that the vampire's cat was out and about tonight, though as one can expect, he almost always had an entourage of admirers. We got some good time on the couch with Peppa; and being cat people, I gotta say this is the chillest cat ever. Noise, people, rowdiness, nothing bothered him. Every time we visit NOLA from now on, we will certainly go visit our friend the vampire.. mostly so we can pet his undead feline.

We love Potions! It's always such a fun experience! From getting the invite, to getting in, to the ambience and the balcony, it's amazing all around!

I received an invitation to visit this vampire-theme speakeasy from The Apothecary down the road. If you do get an invitation, follow exactly what the card tells you. I don't normally drink alcohol, so I asked the bartender for a recommendation who made the Forbidden Fruit. It is all liqueurs and was delicious!!! I went to the balcony to people-watch the folks on Bourbon St. Overall, it was a good experience. FYI: there is a cat roaming in the speakeasy.

The experience of getting into this bar was so fun. We went to the vampire boutique first and after shopping around asked if we could have an invitation. We followed the directions and found the doorkeeper for the bar. He could not have been more perfect for this job! Don't look him in the eyes for too long! The bar itself was small but worth a stop in for a drink and peruse. When we were leaving back out the secret entrance there were a bunch of tourists in flip flops and tshirts trying to get in without an invitation. If you're going to a vampire speakeasy in New Orleans I feel like you should dress appropriately but they probably would have been let in regardless if they had an invitation. Since they didn't, the vampire door guy warned us not to let them in by staring us dead in the eyes and shaking his head back and forth, no. Like I said, he was so perfect for his role and very persuasive so we did not let them pass.