Irene's Cuisine

Walk around the Quarter about 2 blocks from the Square toward the Market on Chartres follow your nose - it is one of the best smells you will get! They make you feel good and you do - you just feel good eating at Irene's. You say in business since 2003 I really think she has been around the Quarter so much longer - it is well worth it - what can you say it is just yummy good. We eat there everytime we are in New Orleans - it is one of our pleasures! Go for the specials they are always oh so good!!!! more

You can get reservations now, and it's so good you'll need them. This restaurant is delightful--excellent wait staff, charming intimate decor, and always delicious food--from the Rosemary Chicken to the duck to the fish of the day. Did I include the Soft Shell Crab? You will love Irene's. more

We read in one of the New Orleans magazines that no reservations are required. We were so wrong! We were taken to a back room, no larger than a boxcar, were we were seated and listen to a wonderful piano player. The maitre d' was grand. He was on top of his job, acting as maitre d' and bar server. We waited 2 hours and 45 minutes before service. The maitre d' did tell us the approximate wait, but we wanted to listen to music and drink a bottle of wine before dinner. The maitre d? kept or party informed of the status of our table. The waiting area became very crowded and there was standing room only for late comers. more

On our first try we came too early and met Michael outside who was super nice and directed us to another great place that was open for lunch... We came back for dinner Wow, what an amazing experience.. This is Italian Cooking.. Not Italian American, but, Italian Italian.. Before the food, the room is beautiful.. The service is high end, white glove, and beautiful.. it's first class all the way.. I was very happy to finish my visit to the big easy with dinner at Irene's. more

If I'm craving Italian food, this is where I go. It's definitely worth the wait. The best pasta's ever. So good. When it comes to picking out an Italian restaurant, I don't even have to chose. Irene's just does it best. more

We enjoyed every morsel of food that we ordered @ Irene's from the appetizer(s) to the delicious cheesecake. Our waiter was so nice and attentive as was every other employee of Irene's that we happened to encounter. We won't miss Irene's again when we return to N.O. under any circumstance! Pros: excellent, friendly service Cons: long wait w/o reservations more

Luckily, there were ten of us in our party. Everyone ordered something different so we got to try almost the whole menu. Pros: amazing food, great service, ambiance, reasonable prices Cons: none, seriously more

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. more

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 more

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 more

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. more

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. more

If you dine at Wendy's when you are in New Orleans, please Pros: Knowledgeable wait staff/great food Cons: Long wait/a little crowded more

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 more

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 more

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. Pros: amazing food and unparalleled service Cons: long wait if you get there during peak time more

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. more

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. more

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. Pros: In the Quarter, Reservations for larger parties Cons: Loud, Hot, Cramped more

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. more