Avo

If I could give this restaurant 6 stars… I would! Unbelievable! The food was BEYOND delicious, and the atmosphere is so swank & inviting! We ate at the bar (which is usually not our thing), but the service was unreal and the food sealed the deal! The bartenders, Mercedes and Matt), were absolutely amazing… knowledgeable and super friendly! Not only will we DEFINITELY be back… but we will probably opt to sit at the bar! ;)

We had a nice meal and enjoyed our experience. Service was very good for most of the meal, then got a little slow at the end, but overall a good experience.

On our last evening in New Orleans we happened upon Avo, a beautiful new Italian restaurant off Magazine. After looking at the menu and the stunning interior we decided to give it a try. 30 minutes later we left hungry and, quite frankly, angry. Our server was curt, which is putting it nicely. It took 5 minutes to get water, 15 minutes to take our drink and appetizer order, and another 15 minutes of waiting without our food order being taken, or our table being given the standard bread, all while four tables were sat, given drinks, and received their appetizers. When we arrived there were only two tables already seated, and no wait. Maybe it was an off night, or maybe they weren’t interested in our business because we were dressed casually. Regardless we walked half a block over to Kenton’s where they happily welcomed our business, immediately brought us expertly crafted cocktails and some of the best bread and butter our party has ever had, and quelled the rising frustration that our experience at Avo caused. A stark reminder that a beautiful design aesthetic and thought out menu won’t negate shitty service.

I was very excited to try this restaurant for the first time last night, but unfortunately I was underwhelmed. While my food was good (meatballs for an appetizer, beet salad, fregula sarda), my boyfriend didn’t care for the lobster and crab bisque. He did, however, enjoy his lasagna as the main dish.
We were extremely disappointed when the dessert came out. We ordered the vanilla gelato, which cost $ 7. The portion was literally a ¼ scoop of regular ice cream. It was a sad sight considering each of us only got 1 bite.
The final nail in the coffin was that the total bill was $ 170 ($ 200 with tip). Although we did have a bottle of wine, I felt this was way overpriced. We could have gone to a much nicer restaurant and gotten out of there for under $ 200. With all this being said, we won’t be going back anytime soon.

Pretty dim experience at Avo. The food was probably in the 4-​star range but the hospitality was in the 1-​star range. First, we were awkwardly greeted at the door by three or so staff who seemed to have difficulty just simply expressing that the hostess was away from the desk for a moment and would be right back. The bartender curtly asked if we had a reservation. Yes. Our waitress was stiff and unpleasant, feigned difficulty in hearing my wife a number of times, and made us generally feel unwelcome. She was much nicer to the neighboring table for some inexplicable reason.
We had a mix-​up with the main entrée and the pacing, which is probably our fault because my wife ordered an appetizer as her entrée, but nevertheless, the staff didn’t figure this out and course the meal accordingly. That’s fine, but it accentuated the stiffness; this has never been a problem at any other restaurant I’ve eaten at – either the staff figures it out or the waiter asks the diners how they would like to course the meal. It’s a minor quibble, but overall, the experience was unpleasant and inhospitable. It can’t be because we were young (there were other young people there although the average clientele tilts more to the aged) or that we were somewhat casually dressed (there were two guys in jeans at the bar and the woman at the neighboring table, which was treated better, was dressed exactly the same as my wife), so we’re just a bit puzzled.
In terms of the food, the dishes we ordered were not complex, but were well-​executed. I’ve had the shredded kale/​squash/​nut/​citrus dish before elsewhere, but Avo did a particularly good job with it. My linguine was perfectly al dente with a delicious sauce although the clams came out tough. The interesting gnocchi was presented more like polenta and had a great flavor and texture that was reminiscent of both foods. Bread and some nice olive oil were brought to the table. I’m disappointed we wasted our one Saturday night meal in New Orleans on Avo when there are so many other good restaurant choices in this city. To us, this restaurant was stiff although perhaps that’s «refined» in another person’s restaurant language.

A little GEM on Magazine! I stumbled upon AVO after a Unilocal event, and was pleasantly surprised! It was a weeknight so they were not busy, but I was alone so I decided to sit at the bar for dinner. I ordered the gnocchi because I’ve never tried it and could not pass on it. The bar tender Jeff did warn me it was an untraditional gnocchi, but I didn’t mind and tried it. The gnocchi itself was very good! The sauce they put on top of it needed a bit more seasoning, it was just missing that little extra something to make the flavor of the sauce bloom. I also ordered the fried cuttlefish, and hands down 5 stars AMAZING! The texture and flavor were perfect. I recommend anyone who comes to AVO to order the fried cuttlefish. I thought I’d finish off with something else I’ve never tried but always wanted to, Zeppole. The Zeppole were hot and light and fluffy, and tasty. This came with three dipping sauces which were chocolate, caramel, and raspberry. I’m told they make the dipping sauces in house, but aside from the raspberry which had a wonderful flavor, the chocolate and caramel sauces needed some working on because they were bitter. I mentioned to the bar tender about the off taste of the chocolate and caramel dipping sauces, and he offered to take it off my bill. I said he didn’t need to do that, so instead to make up for me not fully enjoying this dish he gave me a complimentary glass of champagne.
I fully enjoyed sitting at the bar and talking to the bar tender Jeff. He took very good care of me during my visit, and I’d definitely go back and hopefully bring friends and family to enjoy this lovely restaurant with me. During my time talking to Jeff I learned AVO is owned by a local Italian family, and has been open about 6 months. I love to see local families starting up restaurants in the area, and sharing their heritage and love of food with a city so rich in history and food tradition. I can’t wait to go back to AVO, and maybe I’ll see you there one day.

I wasn’t really impressed.
The food came out extremely quickly. Our server was very knowledgeable about the menu and took good care of us.
The food was good, but it’s… small for the price. I started off with the gnocchi, which isn’t really gnocchi. It’s served in a block style. It was delicious though and the mushrooms they used were perfect. I had the squid ink gigli as my entrée, and I was not a fan. It didn’t come together as a cohesive dish. I did try the pumpkin ravioli, and that was FANTASTIC.
We got coffee to end the meal, and they only offer one type. I think it might have been a cappuccino? It was good, though.
We ordered a side of the squash which was EXTREMELY overcooked. The management handled it well, they took it away, took it off our bill, and comped our coffees.
I had high hopes for this place, which is maybe why I was disappointed. It was loud, there was a TERRIBLE odor in the patio space (luckily we weren’t seated there, but I smelled it walking through), and just not that great. I probably won’t return.

Slow, loud, absurdly small portions, overpriced, and delicious. You will pay 30 dollars for literally two ounces of lazily cooked (but tasty) snapper, and you will wait two hours for the privilege.
If you’ve going to eat somewhere else later, are a real foodie, and are already partially deaf, it’s a strong recommend, otherwise you should skip it.
Edit: Added a star because their desserts are as close to perfect as you can get: rich, good portions, complex flavors, and not overly sweet!

Had dinner at Avo last night and left happy and satisfied with our meal.
The atmosphere of the restaurant is what first caught my eye. Driving down Magazine every day I would always see Avo and say to myself it looked like a cool place. Once I walked inside of the restaurant I was thrilled by the look of the place. We ended up sitting on the left side of restaurant which looks to have been modeled after a classic courtyard.
As an appetizer we had the Polpette. The meatballs were great. Seasoned and cooked to perfection with a nice sauce over them. What I didn’t understand was the soggy piece of toast served underneath the meatballs.
For dinner I had the scallops and smoked mussels. The scallops were cooked perfectly! Nice and fluffy with a nice taught exterior that popped when I bit into it. I’ve never had smoked muscles but they were pretty damn good. The only part of the dish that was a little off was the sauce. It had a nice flavor but the consistency wasn’t the most appealing thing.
Also had an order of the lasagne. I don’t like lasagne but I could have eaten an entire pan of it. It was not pasta heavy and the use of the beef short rib was spot on.
Look forward to going here again and trying a few other things on the menu.
Like everywhere in New Orleans parking is at a premium. You’ll have to park on one of the side streets in front of someone’s house because this part of Magazine does not allow parking on the street.

Loud environment but worth the challenge. Lemon artichoke soup was SUPERB! Heart of Palm salad good yet too much salt and pepper. Mussels/​scallops/​shrimp/​clam dish was very tasty. Try them out!

This is my favorite Italian place of the moment. After my dear friends at Martinique left, I was really sad… but also excited to see what would fill this super charming space. We were not disappointed.
We were in the immediate area, casually dressed, without a reservation and looking to kill some time on a Wednesday night. Although the inside is quite elegant and beautiful, casual attire did not appear to be a problem. With the recent nice weather, we opted to sit in the outdoor space which felt a bit more casual too.
Why I love this place and give it 5 stars:
1) Ambiance– truly as good as i gets. If you have been to Martinique, you know the place was fabulous. well it is even better now.
2) Quality & freshness– the pastas are all handmade fresh. Avo uses fresh seasonal ingredients to create a tempting list of specials daily.
3) Originality– there were several dishes here not offered in other restaurants. They had a special «summer truffle» menu. with all truffle items– it was fabulous!
4) Price/​value– This is a place I would splurge at & go to for an occasion, it was not a bad price for a impromptu Wednesday dinner date. Our bottle of wine was $ 30. The wine is priced really well here. I love that!
5) Service– the service was great. The Chef’s mom comes around and talks to customers. It’s a great vibe.
Date night, business dinner, family, birthday, etc. You must try Avo,

I’m glad I finally got to come. The atmosphere is nice and the food is good. The appetizers were definitely better (overall) that the main courses we got. I can’t really even remember everything our group ordered but it was definitely a good part of the menu. It was a little pricey and they were out of two of the cocktails I wanted (not good when there are only 8 or 9 on the menu). Dessert was the best — save room! I can’t say I’d rush to go back, seeing as there are other places in the city that are more affordable and just as good, but I’m definitely glad I went.

Avo took over the old space that used to belong to Martinique. I’m a bit sad because I’d always say I’d wanted to go to Martinique, but for some reason never made it over there before it changed hands and became Avo. Either way, I was curious to check out this place since I had missed out on its predecessor.
We were able to sit «outside» on a beautiful Thursday night with low humidity. And honestly, that made the experience for me. The top of this semi-​outdoor portion of the restaurant has retractable ceiling parts, which seems cool in case it rains or the heat or cold gets to be too much. The opposite end of the restaurant had a beautifully decorated room that could double for someone’s chic living room. Very versatile; the design of this restaurant could fit Romantic Evening Out, Dinner With Girls, or even sitting at the bar Alone. (Alone! But sometimes you gotta eat your carbs solo.)
So, the food. Bruschetta to start, shared between two, was good. There was a honey-​isn one and a beef one; both were good, but the beef always wins my heart (and arteries). My partner got some soup since he had partaken in Parkway before dinner (simultaneously a sin and a great idea) and I went all in and got the hangar steak. My steak was well-​cooked and rested on a salad (of I believe, arugula). No dessert. Wine selection was… okay, maybe dial that back to have more of a selection at different price points, and I would be more inclined to drop some coin there.
Pretty solid experience and great ambiance. Good addition to the neighborhood.

We went to Avo for a girls night. You can dress up and not look out of place, it’s romantic but not formal or stuffy.
Appetizers were solid! The burrata and zucchini were flavorful and easy to share. Can pass on the bruschetta (though varies by day).
The main courses were below average. There were many entrée specials, all sounded interesting and complex. I had the red snapper special, it was smoky and not bad, but nothing to write home about. Others in the group got the veal, which was on some sort of seasonal/​special menu as well. I didn’t get to try a lot of it, but she liked it. Two pasta dishes from the main menu were slightly undercooked.
Not a great place for vegetarians, but they were accommodating. Good wine selection, a range for all sorts of price ranges and palettes. We skipped dessert. Fairly attentive service.
This new restaurant has potential, but is still working out a few kinks. The restaurant was highly recommended by a friend, but consistency is the key to success.

I came to Avo for the first time a few nights ago; it’s a new spot so I was very excited to try it. Overall, it was a great dining experience!
We started off with some wine and appetizers. They have a great wine/​cocktail selection, and quite a few appetizers. The waiter, who was very helpful all night, read off the list of specials which felt like he was reading us the entire US Constitution, but he was happy to repeat a few items for us on request and answered all of our questions.
For appetizers, we got the burrata and bruschetta. I love burrata paired with sweet fruit, and the peaches and balsamic were perfect complements! The bruschetta had baccala on it, so my dinner guests were hesitant, but as an Italian, I was stoked. It was delicious — even the skeptics agreed it was light and not too fishy.
For my entrée, I ordered the hanger steak. I knew I wanted it before I even set foot in the place. It ended up being a bit of a disappointment — I ordered it medium rare, but it came out a solid medium. The outside was charred, which can be fine as long as the inside is still pink, but no such luck. They lose a star for this reason alone — proper preparation of a medium rare steak is one of the very few things I can be a stickler on. However, the eggplant coponata was a delicious side and really completed the dish.
I tried a few bites of my boyfriend’s meal as well. He got the veal special, and the meat was cooked to perfection; each piece was ridiculously tender.
For dessert, we got the zeppole, which came with three delicious and distinct dipping sauces, as well as the cheesecake, which was everyone’s favorite!
All in all, Avo provided great food and a solid night out. I would definitely return for another meal.

Tried Avo on a friend’s recommendation and was so glad I did. We ate here on a random Wednesday night after getting an easy Open Table resi for 7:30. Avo called at like 6pm and confessed that OpenTable had a glitch and there wasn’t a table available at 7:30. But they would be able to seat us at either the bar for 7:30 or at a regular table at 8:15. I opted for the bar. No big deal.
The food was excellent. Shari V and I split the Polpette, pork and beef meatballs, along with the Burrata, which was served with prosciutto and grilled peaches. The meatballs were solid. Well seasoned and served in a tasty sauce. The Burrata app was killer. I thought mixing classic prosciutto with grilled peaches was a well executed, kind of creative dish. The seasonal touch to one of my favorite cheese apps ranked high on my Unilocal scale, solid 5.
Next, we had the short rib ragu lasagne. This came recommended by a fellow Unilocaler and did not disappoint. Huge portion and extremely toothsome. Savory, cheesy and overall killer lasagne. Our pasta dish was served simultaneously with our entrée, which was the special — lamb chops. I love lamb chops and these were cooked and seasoned to perfection. They were incredible. Shari V is not big on lamb and we were basically fighting over bites. From apps to entrée, Avo was firing on 5 star Unilocal cylinders.
As for the service, well we were sitting at the bar… hard to compare bar service to table service. Our bartender was a nice guy and handled our orders like a pro. He timed our courses so we had an appropriate amount of time between each serving. He chatted us up and made us feel at home. I thought for having to manage the bar and serve us, he did a great job.
Overall, Avo earned every one of the 5 stars. Looking forward to a repeat visit.

Last night I had one of the absolute best lasagna dishes of my life. The serving was generous, but I had to eat every single bite because it was that good. Short rib in every bite… Mmmm.
We started our meal with the bruschetta. For dessert, our table shared the zeppole and white chocolate semifreddo. The zeppole was a huge hit, so popular that we put in a second order. The coconut caramel dipping sauce was a table favorite.
Our waiter knew the after dinner liqueurs and the wine list cold. He recited the former entirely from memory, which impressed me so much that I joked I’d include it in a Unilocal review. So I pretty much had to write this after that.

Ate here again last night. It was outstanding! The polenta was so good we ordered another one! We tried the bruschetta as well, the melons were an interesting topping and worked so well. We had the veal special which was so tender it melted in my mouth. And of course the buratta was to die for. The service was on top of it and the atmosphere was perfect for a Saturday night out.

Had a fabulous dinner tonight at AVO. Walked in without a reservation and they were packed, but managed to squeeze us in! The burrata and peach salad was amazing, as well as the hanger steak! Also had a nice bottle of rosé that was delicious and priced well. Will be back to AVO soon – but will make a reservation next time for sure.

I had a great meal! The octopus was delicious. It was very tender and smoked. The lasagna was so unique. It is made with braised short ribs in a bechamel sauce with homemade pasta. One of the best I have ever had! The pork chop Milanese was so good I cleaned my plate. Pounded flat breaded and topped with a great sauce. My friend got the chicken and it was juicy and tender. I don’t usually order chicken at restaurants but after trying hers I would. For desert we got the Zeppole. It was light and fluffy with tasty sauces to dip.
I use to go to this restaurant when it was Martinque’s. The new renovations are beautiful; very classy and up to date. The patio is great. I’m looking forward to going when the weather is good and they open the curtains and roof. Totally a memorable meal and I will be back soon!