Irene's Cuisine

08/28/2007 Posted by dcata25

Irene’s. Top notch for food and service as usual. We come down to NOLA about every 3 to 4 months and always eat here. It is nice that the waiters treat you like you come there more often than that and that they even remember what you drink. We return again and again always on Thursdays as this is when Irene makes her veal Osco Buco and my hubby must have it! I had the chicken rosé Marino, wonderful as usual. For dessert, we split her wonderful Creole cream cheese cake.

08/13/2007 Posted by the_phararoh

If you dine at Wendy's when you are in New Orleans, please skip Irene's cuisine at the corner of St. Phillip and Chartres. But, if you are staying at Le Provincial, you cannot skip it. The aroma of garlic will draw you in. My date and I enjoyed a great meal at Irene's last Saturday night, August 11th. The buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes started it off. The shrimp corn bisque followed nicely. The Black Angus filet was perfectly grilled to medium rare. The highlight was the fresh strawberry cheese cake. Our server, Seth, knew everything about Irene's and her menu. [We were not curious about her personal life.] We recommend Irene's with four stars. It has carved out a place as one of New Orleans great restaurants. The Phararoh Man

Pros: Knowledgeable wait staff/great food

Cons: Long wait/a little crowded

08/12/2007 Posted by kfournet

My boyfriend and I generally go out to eat once a month. Every time we go out, we try for a place neither one has been to. We found this place here on city search, which by the way is the only engine I use to search for restaurants. We got there about 8 on a Thursday night, we had no problem parking, and were seated at a small table in the wine cellar, which was amazing in its own. The atmosphere was great. We could hear the piano loud and clear, our servers were very well versed. We each got a capri salad, he had the veal (bone in) and I had the lamb chops with a garlic mash. I can say that it was the absolute best dish I had ever tasted.

Pros: piano bar next door, great sceenery, good service, parking

03/21/2007 Posted by mdelvecchio

dunno what the few critics are smokin' -- this is real food, no olive garden crap-chain. while the dishes are not particularly italian, they are all delicious. the duck is the best ive had in town so far. the service is unbeatable, never had a complaint. and as for the drink-orders conspiracy -- trust me, a place this busy has no time to device logistics to seat drinkers faster than non. in fact, it would be to their advantage to let the drinkers wait longer.

Pros: impeccable sevice, great food

Cons: no reservations for <6

01/25/2007 Posted by bethdeath

Irene's doesn't advertise, but it's still one of the busiest restaurants in the French Quarter. The locals come here religiously, and what a treat for those who stumble in by accident! It was highly recommended to us by a local who said to come Thursday night for the Osso Bucco special, and to GET THERE EARLY! We were seated right away at 5:45 (but expect a wait if you get there later, and expect the delectable specials to be sold out by 8pm). Our waiter Seth was one of the best I've ever had. He was right on with everything he recommended, and gave great wine suggestions. The Osso Bucco was UNBELIEVABLE. A slow-cooked veal shank that fell away from the bone and melted in your mouth, complete with a little fork to get at the marrow (I could've used a straw, it was that good). I was shocked that it was only $22.90! Chicken Rosemarino, a signature dish ($17.90), was tender and flavorful; the Caprese and other salads delicious, and the Creole cheesecake was moist and out-of-this-world! We had 2 starters, 3 salads, 3 entrees, wine, a cheesecake and an espresso for under $150. A meal of this caliber at one of the more well known fancy restaurants would have EASILY been twice as much. The second time we came, there were people waiting, but Seth spoke to the Maitre d' and got us right in. Once again everything we tried was wonderful and the service was spot on. Even if you have to wait, it is definitely worth the experience. There's not much seating in the waiting room, but you can still enjoy a cocktail and some live piano. And the food.... Oh, the food.

Pros: amazing food and unparalleled service

Cons: long wait if you get there during peak time

11/20/2006 Posted by chunkmb

Excellent food and better service. An ideal place for a quiet romantic dinner with your true love. Ask to sit in the back room if available.

11/15/2006 Posted by leandra76

I absolutely love Irene's and I've been a frequent customer both before and after Katrina. The food has always been superb and I've ordered across the menu. The general review on this page makes a big deal about reservations but I've never had a reservation and never had to wait at all on a weeknight and never more than an hour on Friday and Saturday. Yes, the rooms are small but I wouldn't describe them as 'cramped.' I love the atmosphere. The waiters give one the sense that they've been through some very rigorous waitstaff training - real professionals, always at hand at the right moment - never at the wrong one.

09/22/2006 Posted by frustratednola

This place gets half its hype from the personal lives of its owner. However, the place is super cramped, extremely loud, and if you get hot easy, avoid the main dining rooom when you walk in - they keep it aroun 82 degrees in this joint. The appetizers are okay, nothing new or exciting to report. The dinners were portion controlled and I felt a bit jipped for the price. Desserts are your typical run of the mill New Orleans fare. AGain, what separates this place from Olive Garden? Not much except the price. Too pricey, too hot, too loud for me. For $175 for three people and a moderate bottle of wine, I'd go somewhere else.

Pros: In the Quarter, Reservations for larger parties

Cons: Loud, Hot, Cramped

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

08/25/2006 Posted by jimsei

Avoid this restaurant. I and many friends have dined at this restaurant. The wait to get seated is unavoidable. What makes it frustrating is the obvious bias they place on certain customers (ie: customers who have a high bar tab prior to getting seated will be seated much sooner than those who choose not to drink). We have been treated dishonestly with regard to wait times to be seated. This has happened multiple times to myself and different acquaintences. There are much better restaurants in this great city that treat their customers more fairly and, in addition, offer much better food and service.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

01/10/2006 Posted by mvdmdt

My husband and I are frequent visitors to the lovely city of New Orleans, and we just tried Irene's for the first time tonight. It was a wonderful experience, that stands out even in a city with so many good restaurants. The food and service was amazing. Even on a Tuesday night in mid-January, the restaurant had a good crowd. The food was excellent, the service friendly and efficient, and the whole experience was a great value. We especially enjoyed the oyster appetizer and the light-as-air tiramisu. They also had an interesting wine list with more great values. Go while you can get in without the wait!

Pros: value, food, service

Cons: popular