Foundation Room

I was excited when I saw on Unilocal/​Opentable that we could get into the Foundation Room for dinner, especially during Mardi Gras time. For those who don’t know, the FR is the high-​end restaurant associated with the famous House of Blues downstairs. The place smells swanky (actually, it was the incense they burn) and if these carpeted walls could talk!?! Sadly, there wasn’t anyone famous (other than me) eating here that night…
Our server was Bubbly Brandy. She’s from the area and DEFINITELY knows her menu. She expertly explained their Old Fashioned drink and what made it different. I kind of get the idea that if she wasn’t working, she would join us for one (or two) of these strong bourbon drinks. I had something with vodka, lime juice and simple syrup. It was so good I had to have two :)
They bring a fantastic bread plate with several types of rolls, biscuits and breads. Oh, and there are three house-​made butters (sweet cream, garlic and olive). Oh Lord, why did we order two appetizers?
We had fried oysters and the pork belly. I didn’t have the fried oysters that night, but as far as pork belly goes, it was as good as it gets. It was served with marinated mushrooms and totally not healthy. Oh well, diets are for Lent, right?
I next had a salad with light greens — I think I found a four-​lead clover in the salad. I KNOW I has two strips of thick bacon coated with praline. That bacon deserves a 5 star Unilocal review in it’s own right.
I was hungry for a steak and went with the ribeye, served with roasted fingerling potatoes. On Brandy’s recommendation, my coworkers both went with the veal osso buco. When I tried a bite, the veal was so good I trades two-​third of my steak for some of the osso buco. Don’t get me wrong: the steak was fine, but nothing special. The veal fell off the bone into the most delicious demi-​glacé. My coworker remarked that they should have served the demi-​glacé with my steak (as he dipped his traded piece into it). This entrée alone would be enough for me to come back for.
Five stars for the whole meal. The only negative was the poor couple that got into a fight at the next table over and didn’t get to eat their meal — they took it home, but I don’t know who got to eat it. It sounded like the relationship was pretty well over!

Great food and service. Was happy all around. Sort of pricy though lol but can’t be mad when you go to a nice place like this. You expect expensive prices for sure.

I had so much fun here on the Friday night of Halloween weekend!
It was my first time and I had no idea how things worked, so I had gotten my name on the list, but there was no one with a list at the entrance. Just walked right in and started mingling. I ran into a few people I know, even though the person who told us to come wasn’t able to make it.
DJ Raj Smoove did a good job with the music on this particular night, and I expected the drinks to be really expensive, but they weren’t outrageous. About on par with other nice places.
I appreciated the carpet because my shoes came off for some serious dancing. Lol.

Very disappointing. Over priced and wait staff needs refresher training. Long wait for bread, never refilled (we were a large party), incorrect drink order and the absolute worst crème brûlée ever. It was charred on top and not set. I have had unbelievable dinners for 20% less at many of New Orleans’ fine dining restaurants.

Love this gem! The bartenders are refreshing (Rachael is the best) and the ambience is perfect. The seating is comfortable with nice, clean sofas and pillows. Music is great; it’s HOB, of course. Lots of private hiding spaces for those looking to do just that. The drinks are strong and worth the expense. No matter what you are going there for, you won’t be disappointed.

This is a somewhat difficult review to write, because what the Foundation Room does right, it does very right. What it does wrong, it does very wrong.
The Foundation Room is the members only, exclusive area above the House of Blues. Although I don’t have a membership, I’m occasionally invited up with friends. I was recently extended an invitation while attending an Irvin Mayfield jazz show (which was fantastic).
Prior to going up to the Foundation Room, we ordered a couple of drinks at the bar downstairs. While $ 20 for a house cabernet and a tall beer seemed pretty high, it’s to be expected at a concert venue.
Once upstairs in the Foundation Room, I again ordered house cab. I could see that the house cab was BV. Since I was familiar with the wine, and the price point, I didn’t ask a cost on it. I’ve worked in the service industry, and I also know that typical mark up of wine in a restaurant is about 300%. During the course of the show, I had 3 glasses of HOUSE WINE. I was floored when I received my bill to find that the wine was $ 18 a glass! This is wine that retails in the local grocery store for $ 8.50 a bottle! I could even deal with a 400% mark up considering the venue, but an almost 900% mark up on a $ 9 a bottle wine, is just beyond ridiculous.
So the price point of beverages is where the Foundation Room fails miserably.
What the Foundation Room does get right is it’s service and décor. Service was fast and very friendly. The décor is really pretty with deep, warm reds and golds.
I would go to the Foundation Room again because I love the décor and comfort of it, and being able to walk straight to the balcony in the show room, and have a special viewing area. But with those prices, I’d likely walk down to the regular bar downstairs to order drinks.

I’ve loved venturing here with my cousin since it first became a hotspot. Always nice to have an exclusive dinner/​party spot with the like every once in a while. I’ve been to the Dallas Foundation Room and loved it there as well– probably my fav out of the two. Food and drinks are not 5 star but very good overall.

Our server Brandy was amazing and very helpful. Awesome venue, definitely check it out.

Love the décor — too bad it’s really not a «members only» club anymore. Anyone can eat in the restaurant with a reservation. Too bad it’s not like it was in the late 90s any longer. They seem to cater to the very young instead of the established professionals. Good drinks, nice staff though

We had 30 people in town for business that needed to be fed and entertained. They made the planning easy. A couple of phone calls and everything was set.
The waitstaff was friendly and professional. The food was above average, the drinks were stiff, ambiance was classy and intimate, and the live music was the icing on the cake. We’re lucky to have one of these in New Orleans.

I really do not get it. Why is this room that looks like a cokehead’s daydream exclusive. I am sorry wall to floor tapestry (some dirty and dusty) and pictures of kama sutra positions does not the wondrous atmosphere make.
Bartenders were nice, and the band that was playing when I was there was great but the overall atmosphere was meh

Food is great, setting is cool.
We have been to eat here a few times and enjoyed it each time.
We also enjoy having a drink before a concert here.
We will keep going back.

Went for drinks with some colleagues. The bartender, Dan, was awesome and the atmosphere was very cool.

Hmm… I ended up here after a show at HoB since my friends really wanted to hang out with the band and they had given us passes. I’m not really a velvet rope kind of girl so that part kind of annoyed me. It’s a bar that charges huge prices for drink and you have to be invited in (or you have to a member or something).
The décor is cool and there was a DJ with accompanying horn player spinning an eclectic selection of music. There’s a couple of different spaces (including a VIP area) to escape the music and dancers.
Then there was the crowd. It was bizarre. There was a definite sugar daddy/​much younger woman thing happening. Maybe it is the velvet rope thing… people seemed really stoked to be in the space. I don’t know. I like weird spaces. But the crowd just didn’t do it for me. My friend who got us in acted like she was in hell… until the band showed up and she got to geek out. Then all was right with the world.

Had a delicious meal here– unfortunately they had run out of every single side except for the ones that included pork. I’m «kosher-​lite» as in I wont eat pork/​shellfish/​meat with dairy, etc but don’t strictly follow the rules (I eat at non kosher places all the time!)… so the sides was an issue. The waitress was genuinely concerned and spoke to the chef; since they couldn’t offer me any other sides they gave me a LARGE salad as a side and a comped dessert! My father used to be a resort GM so I always appreciate when hospitality managers are willing to find solutions to problems. I only gave it 4 stars instead of 5 bc of how many items they ran out of that night and bc of the INCREDIBLY obnoxious group next to us behaving like preteens. You would think 50 y/o’s would know how to act in a private dinner club?!!

Small simple venue. Two stories and a private smaller stage area upstairs. The drinks are strong and the smoke is loud. But it’s a nice venue for seeing small concerts because there’s no bad seat in the house. Parking is either on the street if you’re lucky or in a lot about two blocks away!

I used to have lots of friends that were members here and I would visit this venue often. This can be a fun place with its Asian theme and lots of nooks and crannies to hide away in. They have some nice wooden carvings of naked ladies in here that are cool. This place is alright but there are certainly better private clubs in NOLA. As time passed most of the people I know realized that they really didn’t get a lot of value out of their memberships so they dropped out. Personally I prefer being on the ground floor for shows at House of Blues and I really don’t like being stuck up in the balcony area.

Normally, I would find myself on the other side of the velvet ropes at places like this, but a friend «put me on the list» to see her girlfriend’s jazzy lounge band, Soulkestra, play a few sets. So I have visited the Foundation Room three times, and surprisingly I was able to set aside the anti-​elitist hang-​ups that accompany my low birth and actually enjoy myself there.
In fact, it was not until my third visit that I learned during a conversation with one of the paying members that this was actually a private venue. I just assumed it was HOB’s attempt at an «intimate jazz venue.» While I would not pay money to purposefully seclude myself in a private bar, as my life is thankfully devoid of paparrazi and hangers-​on, I can certainly see the appeal. The barmen are pros, the drinks are properly stiff, and there is a stairway leading to a private-​access balcony overlooking the HOB main stage.
The lounge’s décor is wall-​to-​wall neo-​opium den chic, complete with a replica «Reclining Buddha» statue on the hearth of the artificial fire. There are plush couches and lounge chairs and even a bottle-​service area that I assume is an anti-​malarial quarantine because its semicircular booth is partitioned with mosquito netting. Most impressive to me, however, was the carpeting, which a manager explained to me was actually not carpeting per se but dozens and dozens of Persian rugs stitched together to cover the entire lounge.
There is typically a pretty constant stream of mini-​skirted «woo girls» and the untucked-​oxford shirted men that tend to surround them. If that’s your thing, well go get em, tiger, but you’ll have to plunk down the coin. As for me, I’ll just enjoy a couple gin drinks and some good music in this cool, relaxing lounge. 3.5 rounded up.

Man oh man. This has to be one of the neatest spots in New Orleans.
I got to check this place out, thanks to a friend who is «in the know». This is basically an exclusive club type place that is located right above the House of Blues. It’s dimly lit, sofas are everywhere, they are cozy corners with tables that you can sneak off to and it’s decorated like only a super secret hideout can be, with cloth on the walls and interesting art everywhere.
I totally «get» why membership to this place is so expensive ($ 1,000/year for just the «Bronze» package). This is one of those places where the New Orleans elite come to relax without fear of being bothered or harrassed. Also, there is naturally no photography allowed inside.
I didn’t get to experience any of the food… maybe one day. It’s just neat that I can say that I have actually been inside this «inner sanctum».

This member’s only hideaway with a private entrance into the House of Blues music hall is unlike any other restaurant/​bar/​lounge in New Orleans. I’ve been to the Foundation Room twice and was blown away both times by the ambiance, service and food trifecta. If I were the NOLA Community Manager, this is definitely where I’d host an Elite party!
An elevator takes you up to the crystal corridor that leads to the Foundation Room. The lounge, dining room and prayer room are all exquisitely decorated in Eastern influenced style and the walls are draped in rich, colorful fabric. Seductive lighting and plush sofas and dining chairs add to «get relaxed» atmosphere. The Prayer Room is said to be adorned with Tibetan temple artifacts.
The dining room intimately seats 45 and I especially like the booths with curtains you can close for privacy. Service is relaxed and casual, very refreshing for such an exclusive venue and I imagine an homage to southern hospitality.
The upscale bistro menu is full of excellent choices but nothing I’d describe as unique. Not a knock, the food is fantastic, but don’t expect innovative dishes or breathtaking plating.
I have no idea how much a FR membership costs but am grateful to have friends who are members! If you ever get an invitation to go, say yes, you’ll have a great time.