Balise

Very tasty, although a little bit small. I came here for a bachelorette party the other day, and they had a set menu for us (a few items to choose from, for an entrée and also dessert) and a reserved table, I believe.
We sat by the bar which I thought was a little strange but I think the other area of the restaurant were all smaller tables. The noise level was a little loud, because of that, but not boisterously so. Service was very good, and I ordered the chicken leg as well as the blueberry cobbler. The chicken leg had some sort of sweet/​honey sauce, which was delicious, and the cobbler was okay, although later I regretted not ordering the pecan (pudding? Some sort of sticky pecan dish) because a few of my friends ordered that and it was very good. The cobbler was kind of a deconstructed cobbler and wasn’t bad either.
I didn’t know until the end of the meal that we were paying for our own meals (though I suspected it) and it was definitely pricey — $ 22 for the chicken and $ 9 for the cobbler. Had I known that, I would have maybe declined dessert, but the chicken was very delicious, so I didn’t mind having to pay for that.

Excellent service. Staff was really a pleasure. Food was also incredible– best French toast I’ve ever had

The food here was amazing and the service impeccable. My friend and I came here and split a salad, an entrée, and a dessert for about $ 70 total. We didn’t even realize what a treasure we had stumbled upon until partway through our meal when we noticed that the executive leadership from one of our sister companies as well as our event planning staff were dining here.
After all the heavy food I’d had earlier in the day (can you say beignets?), the salad was a refreshing bit of greenery, but the true prize was the pan roasted gulf shrimp. The sauce was so good we could have licked our plates — not too salt, not fishy-​tasting, no strange herbs, just perfect. And by the way, I normally don’t go crazy over shrimp. Though I will say, I wasn’t a fan of the fact that they didn’t bother to devein the shrimp (must be a New Orleans thing because I noticed the same thing at lunch at another restaurant). The sticky toffee pudding was also a winner — decadent without being too over the top.
The one disappointing thing was that our waitress mentioned there would be blueberries in the salad, but when it arrived nary a blueberry was to be found.
Ambience was charming — set in an old brick house. Would definitely be willing to come back here.

I had duck fat chicken leg with poached egg. The poached egg was perfect and the fried chicken leg was added with a bit honey. Very interesting! Also I had raw oyster, which came with three different sauces, cocktail, sweet, and sour ones.
However, the radish with butter appetizer was terrible. The house made asparagus tastes bad with its mustard-​like dip.

We wad the; Beet salad, roasted asparagus, Gulf Shrimp Boil and Chicken Cofit. Dessert was sticky toffee pudding and blueberry cobbler.
All was delicious, I love the seasonality of the menu, many dishes showing the bounty of spring. Staff was great

I have been driving for a week from Arlington and this is the first 5 star review I’ve given to ANY place since I’ve been driving, plus a long time before that!
The restaurant is immaculately laid out in a building that dates back to 1839 and is reportedly haunted.
Our waiter was both prepared and personable, too.
For my drink, I got the St. Bernabus – a phenomenal beer that’s not too hoppy and almost has a honey tinge to it.
For appetizer, get the arugula salad! It has fried kale plus bleu cheese and feta in it. A stupendous appetizer!
For the main course, I was in a constant state of ecstasy with the chicken leg roasted in duck fat that I ordered. I was dead. That’s how good it was! And it comes with a poached egg as well that melts your senses once you dip the chicken in it.
For desert, sticky toffee putting will a giant bow on the mega birthday present of a meal you will have just had. Toffee pudding with pecan ice cream and roasted pecans are out of this world good. Recommended: get the cappuccino for a perfect end to a perfect meal!

BEST ASPARAGUS PREPARATION I’VE EVER HAD
«Blisterd asparagus» is grilled and tossed in a vinaigrette unusually infused with sprigs of fresh oregano. But what makes this dish so special is it’s bed of steamy smoked ricotta (zoom in on my pic). I’ve eaten at Chef Devillier’s LPG many times and have learned that the man aces the art of layering flavors. Now here’s the rub: it’s pricy! $ 10 for a fairly small portion. However it unquestionably outclasses the $ 10.50 side at Ruth’s Chris.
HAUTE CUISINE IN A 19TH HOLE SETTING
The vibe at Balise is pro shop casual. A country club’s informal second dining room that you drive up to in your golf cart. I was in a suit but others were in shorts. A group of Talbot’s-ish «ladies who lunch» were heartily joking with Bobby the manager who checked-​in on every table.
& MY 5-​STAR ISN’T BECAUSE JUSTIN IS SO DANG HOT
but I can’t say it isn’t a contributing factor…

We stopped by for a drink on the way to dinner and weren’t disappointed. The cocktails are well crafted and service attentive.
Given the fact that this is another restaurant by Justin Devillier of La Petite Grocery, I have no doubt that the food is even better than the cocktails.

Great food and fun staff! Sasha and JP were working the second floor dining room and we’re both incredibly nice! Excellent chicken confit and sticky toffee pudding!

Came here for happy hour. Loved the bartender. My dude and I were playing Beanboozled and she was down to play too. She ended up getting Rotten Eggs and Canned Dog Food but was so cool about it. Wish I could remember her name, but she gets 5 stars!
Anyway. Happy hour.
Oysters. $ 1 each. They were so big and juicy and we watched the guy shuck the oysters so we knew they were fresh! They’re served with cocktail sauce and a mignonette.
French Fries. $ 3. Just regular fat fries. They were served with ketchup and some kind of mayo. The mayo was really good. I don’t eat mayo. So trust me. It was really good. Or maybe it wasn’t mayo? Lol.
Fried cauliflower. $ 8. Very flavorful. But probably wouldn’t order again.
Chicken liver mousse with biscuits. $ 9 — might be cheaper for happy hour. But omg. I live for biscuits. These were so buttery and crunchy and just perfect for the mousse. It also came with an onion jam which paired really well with the mousse. I probably would have been satisfied with two orders of this.
We also enjoyed a few cocktails, both from the happy hour menu ($ 5 each) and from the regular cocktail menu ($ 9 – 12). All were delicious and well executed.
I left very happy and my stomach very satisfied. Will definitely need to come back for dinner to try their entrees.

Wow, just found out that Balise is the second restaurant from Justin Devillier of the much adored La Petite Grocery… no wonder everything was so on point here!
While the restaurant seems to still be in its infancy, I have nothing but confidence that it will take off. Before even getting to the food, I was blown away by the execution of the signature cocktails here and the creativity behind each concoction. The Trivet, a bourbon-​based drink using Old Grand-​Dad, was exquisitely balanced and elevated by the herbaceous tones of not only the rosemary syrup, but also the decorative shrub that really hit the olfactory senses. To follow, The Anti-Churchill’s gin-​forward notes and mild sweetness was similarly tasty.
For smaller bites, the pickled quail eggs did a nice job of whetting our appetites. We were then enraptured by the crazy derricious roasted brussies that had such wonderful flavors from the peanut romesco. It almost reminded me of peanut sauce used in Southeast Asian cuisine given the use of nuts, but the flavors were also sweet and spicy in a style that was clearly different. Not surprisingly, we ordered and devoured a second order with hesitation.
For the main course, the cornmeal fried gulf fish was seriously magical — the cornmeal crust possessed such delicateness and the tender fish inside… seasoned perfectly. And while the accompaniments generally don’t make a huge splash, I was taken by the excellent char on the napa cabbage.
To round things out, our server did a fantastic job taking care of us with timely visits, spot on recommendations for both food & drink, and even going above & beyond to provide us with a hand-​written list of the ingredients of the peanut romesco when we inquired about what made those brussies taste so damn good.

I returned to Balise during its 1-​year anniversary celebration. My friend L and I planned it so that we would get downtown early, grab parking, have dinner, then catch Nyx.
Sometimes when I go back to a restaurant for a second time, I am disappointed and wonder why it’s not as good as I remember. That was not the case with Balise.
L and I decided to take full advantage of the restaurant anniversary prix fixe. Since it was the two of us, we ordered one of everything except for the Pattimelt, and we enjoyed every bite of everything.
We started out with the Chilled Broccoli and the Baked Rigatoni. I had the rigatoni last time and I found it salty again, but I think it’s just supposed to be that way. It was perfect with the broccoli. The Piave Vecchio definitely made the broccoli amazing.
Then we had the Cornmeal Fried Gulf Fish and the Duck Fat Fried Chicken Leg. The fish was delicious. I made a couple of little wraps with the charred cabbage (I’m Korean) and the fish was gone in a second. The fried chicken was great as well but I think I was starting to get full around here. Surprisingly the mushrooms were my favorite in this dish. I know, over fried chicken? What is wrong with me? But seriously, the mushrooms were delicious. The description says sage honey, which added a nice herby sweetness but was not overpowering.
Last but not least, the dessert. The real MVP. I was really excited about the Chocolate Pots de Crème, because I love pot de crème. And it was good, but the Sticky Toffee Pudding? To. Die. For. I ate more of this than the pot de crème. I would’ve been so mad if I came by myself and only ordered the pot de crème. Lucky for me I had a dining companion.
What a great experience. Balise is definitely at the top of my list among CBD restaurants.

Here’s the low down on Balise: Atmosphere 4, Food 5, Service 4, Value (price/​portion size) 3
The atmosphere has a wonderful ‘warehouse’ feel to it; warm, exposed brick, and cool art on the wall. They have a great bar downstairs and a fancy cocktail list to go with it. We dined upstairs, which is just as nice and cozy but bit louder. They do serve the full menu at the bar. The service was attentive and alert and our waitress was great. The only negative aspect of our experience was the overall price per portion size, which I would expect from a place like August, but not Balise.
Favorites:
BBQ Shrimp — Delicious. I shared this on Valentine’s Day and they were kind enough to split the dish into two smaller ones to make the sharing easier.
Beef Tartar — Excellent, the bit of sauce it’s served with really makes it. Only complaint would be the lack of hard bread to eat it with (we finished it by just scooping it into our mouths with a fork)
The Potato Gratin, Brussel Sprouts, and Veal Sweetbreads were all excellent, but the above mentioned two were our personal favorites, but you could not go wrong with any!

Delicious! I came for some coffee and a snack prior to some Mardi Gras parades. Coffee, very good. Tried the buttered radishes – phenomenal — very French! The quail eggs were delicious, but only 3 for $ 7? A bit pricey, but the food and service was excellent! Will be back when I have some money to burn through! Ha!

My initial review was based on an experience during the opening week of this restaurant. I gave it a few months and went back with my boyfriend and my parents, who love La Petite Grocery. Each person had an appetizer and an entrée– we really were not impressed. Again, the beef tartare comes standard without any bread or crisps. This just does make sense. If I am enjoying this dish wish anyone else (sharing), it’s simply unsanitary to place a spoon back into the dish after having to spoon it into my mouth. I also just find it very unattractive to eat this dish this way. It should be served with bread or crisps. End of story.
I will say, the wine we had with our meal was very good. We also sat upstairs (1^st visit, we were downstairs) & we like the ambiance. I will not be back here for a meal on my own dime anytime though. Sorry.

This one is hard to write– I start with the positives.
The good: The ambiance is adorable! Very French country inspired, small tables, heavy authentic wood, stem ware adorable, interior on pointe. Love the space. Love the feel, the light, love.
The exceptional: the wine list– heavy Spanish, French, Italian– continued love.
Screeching halt!- this is both a positive and a negative– the menu changes seasonally– right now however, this is a negative.
So we went here because my lunch friend remembers having a good experience and I’d never been. A quick Unilocal check says people think this is a unique experience. I like unique. I submit I appreciate unique. This was unique and not in a good way.
The menu felt very limited. I don’t sweet breads. I know there is no bread involved. I wish I did not know WHAT was involved because then my peasant’s palatte could eat this. Can’t do cheek. Just can’t. For what was charged– the food should have been more inspired. I got the special– and to be fair– it was special. Shaved pork something on an open faced sandwich with a sweet pickle relish and a hard fried egg (supposed to be over easy– but I can’t do the runs…). The fries hand cut and very good.
My back up choice (and the only thing I would have gotten off of that menu) was the bbq shrimp– served over potatoes. It was wrong. the sauce was wrong. and that is a strong statement coming from me. It paired well with those potatoes but it was too vinegar-​y, not sure if this was just their take on it but no. Just… no.
Also a cheese burger that is $ 16 needs to not look like theirs does. I’ve had a $ 16 burger. You guys KNOW I’ve had a $ 16 burger– not here– not that– just not this.
Dessert menu also a no. Just no.
All of this is unfortunate because the bar is adorable the space great and the service excellent. Just the menu was off for me. Ugh. (should have stuffed my face at Willa Jean instead of trying to be cute and just getting an au lait).

I didn’t think it would be possible to top our 8^th year anniversary dinner, but Balise managed to do so! What a wonderful way to spend our 9^th year celebration, reminding me that our tastes have certainly gotten better with age! The 2^nd restaurant by Chef Justin Devillier (and boy do I love La Petite Grocery) is a clear winner even early on.
Being seated in the back room was perfect. The lighting was romantic and noise level fine. We were able to have a wonderful dinner, were not rushed, and enjoyed three courses with drinks to boot. Food-​wise:
— Roasted beets and carrots: makes me simultaneously amazed and sad that I am unable to replicate my veggies to this tasty pinnacle roasted at home. Seriously. I recommend trying these offerings even if you don’t normally like either of these vegetables.
— Ricotta gnudi: had to look up what a «gnudi» is (basically a gnocchi made of ricotta and a bit of flour). However they made it, this dish was divine in combination with the braised lamb. Ugh, once again, I am depressed that I cannot cook lamb like this as with the veggies. Guess it means I need to go back to eat both of these dishes…
— Grilled hanger steak: cooked to medium-​rare perfectly per bf’s request. The salsa verde was more like the best pesto that either of us had ever had.
— Sticky toffee pudding: one word — YES. The pecans were overly salty, but were just amazing when mixed in with a bit of the cake and ice cream. Imagine the most balanced bite of dessert you’ve ever had and then imagine it tasting better than what you remembered. That is this dessert. Just make sure to eat it all together.
— Special bread pudding with sour cream ice cream: tasty offering, but I was too hung up on licking the toffee pudding plate to enjoy this as much.
All in all, great food, great ambiance, great service. Hint: Maurice is a fantastic guy! Hope he’s working when you get there. He definitely gave some of the best and friendliest service we’ve had in a while.

This place is excellent! I highly recommend it to anybody looking for uniquely prepared dishes in a relaxed atmosphere. There is a bar with two dining areas downstairs. Inside and outside dining available. Upstairs is another room and also tables on balcony. There was nothing about this place that disappointed. The décor is simple yet interesting.
The service was great-​very friendly, fast and knowledgable. Every dish was delicious. The menu is small but after trying a few things we understood why. There is no need for anymore than they offer-​everything is GREAT! The wine list was excellent as well with some nice French selections at nice prices. It can get a little loud in the upstairs dining room but not much different than most Nola restaurants. I will definitely be back soon to try brunch! Can’t wait!
Also, love their uptown establishment– la petite grocery!

This place is new, delicious & full of liveliness!
Service was impeccable and so were the dishes! Our waitress, Christine, recommended some very good red wines! We had 3 bottles!
We had so much to eat but the things that really stood out to me:
–Raw oysters — so buttery, and the vinegar it came with just made it so delectable!
–Blistered Shishito Peppers
–SPOON BREAD!!!* So delicious, I was scraping the side of the bowl. I couldn’t get enough.
–Fries were very good!
The venison tartare was very good too, but I’m just not a fan of deer in general.
I recommend this place for a food adventure, definitely. I barely listed a half of the dishes we tried, because we just had so many! It is a little high on the noise level, but the ambience was fun! Dishes were just so different, so unique. I would definitely go again and try everything else on the menu that I did not get a chance to the first time. Everything was superb.
I HIGHLY recommend this place!

When a friend was visiting from out of town and said he wanted to eat somewhere nice, the first place that came to mind was Balise. Although new, I had heard nothing but good about this restaurant and I was eager to try it. Lucky for me, he felt the same way.
First of all the restaurant itself is more than meets the eye. They have a main dining room downstairs and then a larger dining room upstairs. There is even a small balcony outside that you can dine on, if the weather is nice.
For our starter, we were feeling a bit adventurous so we started with the venison tartar. It came topped with horseradish and a high recommendation from our waiter. I have never really had anything «tartar» before, so I was excited to try it. It was very interesting. It’s served cool with dill mayonnaise. The horseradish added a nice little kick to it and the venison itself had a lot of flavor and wasn’t intimidating in the slightest. It was a nice light start to the meal.
For my entrée, I decided to get the soft shell crab which came served with a medley of vegetables. Talk about incredible! The crab was very lightly fried and nice and crispy. The portion was huge but somehow I managed to finish it all. I couldn’t have been happier with this dish.
A few complaints: the place is pretty loud. They are going to have to figure out a way to buffer that. There weren’t a lot of people the room in which we were dining and I could barely hear my own conversation. Also, someone had a screaming one year old, which didn’t help matters.
Overall, I really liked it here and I am eager to return.