10/29/09

OMG am I in Italy?

by PDXGIRL

Went here at the recommendations of the concierge.

Great food. Great Service. Did not have a reservation. Got lucky and was seated in the main room by chance b/c we arrived for an early dinner. Food phenomenal. Atmosphere great. Service excellent, and the Tiramisu, better than my mother in law's...and that's darn good. They even had an Oregon Pinot on their list.

• Pros: Great food.
• Cons: None.

09/02/09

Romantic and Delicious

by lolarae85

my boyfriend and i went to this wonderful nook in the french quarter on the recommendation of a local tour guide and our expectations were not only met, but very much exceeded.

we did not arrive particularly early (8:30-9pm) and seated by sweet Irene, the wait staff is exceedingly friendly and eager to assist. their menu was small, but the waiter gave us so many more options, not shown on the menu!

we ended up ordering the Escargot (mmm!), Artichoke heart and prosciutto salad (mmm!), and the Duck (absolutely delicious!). Each course was elegantly arranged and over-portioned for the price. since we were dining on a budget, we split everything and they were more than happy to accommodate us with additional plates.

for desert, we had the absolutely fabulous Tiramisu, it was like eating a cloud with a bit of brandy in it!

the total of our meal was $50 and change, and we over tipped the waiter for such wonderful service.

this is definitely a must for anyone coming to NOLA

• Pros: EVERYTHING
• Cons: cant think of anything

01/19/09

irene's

by CSMobileUser

A great spot for a romantic evening. The food was spectacular and the service was great. I had crabcakes that were full of fresh crabmeat that was homemade. Can't wait to go back

12/30/08

Great Italian in the Quarter

by amanda2011

Had a wonderful meal at Irene's. Waited a little while for a table with friends but it was worth it. Love the duck, the garlic chicken and the fish was amazing. Just a great place to dine in the quarter.

08/28/07

Wonderful

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 rose Marino, wonderful as usual. For dessert, we split her wonderful Creole cream cheese cake.

08/13/07

Cheese cake was delishus

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

08/12/07

OHHH MY GOD!

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

03/21/07

one of our favorites

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

01/25/07

Unbelievable food, great waitstaff!

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

11/20/06

Quiet, Romantic, Locally Owned, Not A Chain

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.