Best Restaurants with Bar Seating in Lakeview/Gentilly

We did the omakase for 7 people for a special occasion. Definitely the best meal I have ever had and our whole party was blown away by the quality and artistry. The chefs were so fun and explained things so well. The waitstaff were also very knowledgeable about the drinks and food and went out of their way for us. The restaurant’s ambience is excellent and it’s connected to the international house hotel which is gorgeous (go see the Banksys in the lobby!) Having done 2 other 10+ course fine dining experiences I definitely think this was worth the price. Add-ons you can choose include sake pairing ($70 for 4 large pours) as well as various food things like caviar service. The members of our party who did the sake pairing felt it was absolutely worth the cost as well. There was also a special dessert surprise at the end which we didn’t expect! We are all absolutely dying to do this again, hopefully someday soon!

Delicious food, superb dedication and knowledgeable wait staff, generous info sharing from the chef, and a lovely 'chill' atmosphere on winter's night. Thanks to all Apolline staff members.

We celebrated with friends and had a great time at Tana. But were sorry to see they no longer offer valet parking. It was a busy night but our wait staff was good and attentive and Nick was excellent! The whole place was full so the noise level was high and conversation a bit difficult between us but we really enjoyed the overall vibe. Two of us loved the appetizer of perfectly done Oysters Bordelaise and wanted to lick the plates! And we also had the delicious Gulf Shrimp Paccheri which was a delight with its perfectly cooked shrimp and handmade pasta in a not too overpowering complex red sauce. However, the Braised Meatballs were nothing special and the Creamy Italian Salad was made from a whole head of butter lettuce dressed well but tasted like there was fennel in it which made for an odd taste. Then two had the Four Cheese Ravioli with truffle cream which was VERY rich but rather mediocre.The home-made pasta was very large and well done but very little taste of the truffle. We were all too satiated for dessert but will definitely be back again even if we have to drive out to Metairie for the top-notch service and food.

Service is great, although you have your own server, the other staff does not ignore you if you seem to need something. The cooks make sure the food is seasoned and cooked perfectly. The outdoor patio feels great, well lit, and has a nature feel with trees around it.

Great steaks dinner at Chophouse New Orleans tonight. The crab bisque was to die for. Their Chophouse salad was ok. Our 8 oz. filet mignon and 10 oz. NY strip steaks were cooked perfectly to our orders for them to be cooked to Medium. We actually prefer Medium Rare but our waiter told us they tend to cook on the rare side and our experiences having steaks at restaurants the past few years has been that most are tending to cook Medium Rare to what my wife and I consider to be Rare. Their side dish of mushrooms was delectable. The Key Lime pie for dessert was good. It’s whipped cream on top was very thick and very cold. Decent wine list. I had a glass of Groth Cabernet Sauvignon. And a shot of Angel’s Envy on a rock (the ice cube was about 1.5” x 1.5” x 4”, a mini iceberg😁) before we ordered our dinners. At $18. that’s the cheapest shot of Angel’s Envy I’ve ever had anywhere. Our only nits were: 1) We told our waiter at the end the butter for the loaf of bread was hard as a brick. 2) The bread was like a short baguette, not pre-sliced. My wife asked the server for a knife to cut it and they merely pointed to the butter knife on her bread plate. That was totally inadequate to the task of slicing a loaf of fresh soft bread. Plus, being SF Bay Area natives, we are used to the tang of sourdough bread and a lot of restaurants’ plain breads, while they may be soft, freshly baked and warm, just taste blah to us.