Le Citron Bistro

Hands down the worst dining experience I have ever had. If you ever think about going here. Please do yourself a favor and go somewhere else. I had the fried catfish on a bun which was burnt to a crisp, cold, and not seasoned at all. The fries were crinkle fries you buy from Costco. The jambalaya tastes like it came from a box. I’m pretty sure a majority of their food comes right down the street from Walmart. The only thing this place has going for it is its history one of the oldest buildings in New Orleans and was at one time a home for the Jesuit monks. However, that does make up for the food. And like I said early don’t waste your time here you could literally throw a rock and hit a good restaurant in New Orleans and believe me this is not one of them.

Everything was prepared perfectly! Dave was so friendly and awesome. We were looking for a local New Orleans experience and this was perfect. The gumbo is awesome, fried chicken was hot and delicious, and atmosphere is historical and cozy. I would recommend this to locals and tourists!

Amazing. Home-​style food, historic building, and the friendliest staff I’ve met in New Orleans. It’s all genuine, and there’s nothing more important to me than that. Highest recommendation.

With the demise of both Eleven79 and Sunray Annunciation, le Citron is our only neighborhood bistro having a real Chef and «romantic» air.
Menu usually offers 5 or 6 choices, all proven meals, plus great burgers or po-​boys. French onion soup is very good, gumbo OK. Some of the breads are home-​made, on site.
Quiet neighborly full bar, wine list, great place for after-​work cocktails.
Caveat; one waitress can be very «cranky». The super nice Chef/​Owner is great, a retired USCG Officer named «Dave». Other waitress, «Karen» is very nice.
Another caveat: although the off-​street parking is convenient, free, and fairly safe; please make sure that you know how and where to enter /​leave the semi-​elevated parking lot.
A true «hidden jewel» of our area !
Rick

Went to Le Citron after seeing Unilocal reviews — can’t tell you how amazing, authentic and great the food was… Had the gumbo which rivals any gumbo we’ve tried in the last 10 years for our favorite in NOLA. BBQ shrimp was great –make sure and get the last of the sauce in the middle. BBQ chicken and the stewed chicken were both excellent with the stewed chicken edging out the win when we had to ask for extra spoons for our group to get every last bit. Almost forgot the fried green tomatoes — perfect flavor and perfectly cooked — fried but not greasy — yum. Don’t leave the very cool old building without trying the bread pudding with praline sauce. Dave the owner/​chef came out to check on us and was just plain cool. Service was great. So was the short but solid wine list. This place is a bit off the beaten path but was a gem — so lucky to find it.

A rainy Saturday and we waited too long to put a reservation in at Emeril’s Delmonico, thank god. Instead, we discovered Le Citron Bistro, what Hemingway would have called ‘a clean, well-​lighted place’ and Anne Rice might have had Lestrade stop at in 1790, or 1890, or 1990 until now. Yes, the place is not only existential but historic. The building was built by Jesuits in the late 1700’s and modernization has only been to enhance comfort. The ambiance is not to be believed. Anyway, what about the food? Just spectacular. Chef Dave is an artist who deftly uses ‘farm to table’ culinary skills. My wife and I both had the blackened drum, fresh in that morning, served with a dollop of sweet potato mash, fresh green beans and swiss chard cooked to perfection. The wine list is impressive and a light, crisp pinot grigio suggested by our waitress Carla was a perfect pairing. We also indulged in the fried green tomatoes appetizer that were perfect with that tart acidity to counteract the crispy-​fried breading, just delicious. The final cap to a delightful dinner was the bill – it might not have made the tip at Emeril’s!!!

While the staff is lean, they are friendly and knowledgeable. We had a private room for a party of 8 and Susan took great care of us. The food was definitely local and homemade; the drum fish was delicious. The owner and chef shared the rich history of the building with us as well as complimentary after dinner drinks. He even drove us home after we were unable to catch a cab on a busy Saturday night! While this restaurant may not be in the center of town, you will enjoy an authentic New Orleans meal in the oldest structure in this city.

Le Citron is a definite stand out on the list of outstanding New Orleans restaurants.
We had a delicious meal last night and a truly wonderful dining experience that included service from the delightful Carla, knowledgeable and enthusiastic Jim, and the treat of a visit with the owner/​chef who told us the history of the building, probably built in the 1700s to house monks for a local abbey.
The food was beautifully prepared. We enjoyed the shrimp pasta, bar-​b-​que shrimp and blackened drum with crab along with an amazing plate created for the vegetarian in the crowd. The fried green tomatoes are not to be missed! Delicious coating on thicker wedges of tomato so they don’t go completely soft. Every detail of spicing, preparation and presentation were top notch.
The lower garden district will probably be the next place to be transformed and this restaurant will lead the way! Find it now; it will become your home away from home, really!

I was excited to get a New Year’s Eve dinner reservation at Le Citron after passing it quite often while driving down Tchoupitoulas. The other three people in my party arrived a few minutes before me and though they were immediately seated, the waiter insulted my friend’s outfit when they were seated. When I arrived, there was no host to show me to my table (or even greet me), so I found it myself. It was a good thing the waiter was at the table when I arrived, otherwise I’m not sure how long it would have taken to get my water. It was clear to me immediately that he was not sober.
Despite the limited menu and that there were only 3 other tables occupied in the restaurant, the service was very slow and the food was not good enough to make up for it. The waiter made awkward conversation each time he was at the table. Our waters were never refilled and one of my friends had to go to the bar to get another drink. If it wasn’t for the bartender bringing our soups and entrees (the lone bright spot in this not so great experience), we might have celebrated the new year at our table.
I don’t think I’ll be returning to Le Citron or recommending it to anyone looking for a nice place to eat.

I never had the opportunity to eat the food so I can’t comment on the food! It was my mothers birthday and I took my family to Sunday brunch or so I thought! We showed up at 10:55 for an 11:00 reservation and waited until 11:15 before someone opened the door. A man that clearly just rolled out of bed asked us to be patient and continue to wait until they cleaned up the place after a very late wedding party! We were finally let in and we stood around very awkward with no one to help us. We sat at the (very dirty) bar and finally someone came to take a drink order! After another 5 min. Without getting the drinks or any other acknowledgement we left!

One of the coolest restaurants I have ever been to! Way off the beaten path but if you want something different and memorable this place is definitely for you. The food was outstanding and the atmosphere was very cool. The restaurant is in what looked like an old house and our party sat in what used to be maybe a hall way or living room. You do have to take a cab to get here so plan time accordingly and be prepared to give the cab driver directions as ours did not know the way around the warehouse district. You and your party will be talking about this place for a long time!

I can’t say enough wonderful things about this restaurant. I live in Baton Rouge but was hosting my son’s pre-​wedding /​rehearsal dinner in New Orleans on a Thursday in mid-​June and just making reservations about 3 weeks out. My son suggested I include Le Citron on my list of possibilities. I called and spoke to Susan, the owner, telling her our situation. She discussed some possibilities with me and said she’d have a price for me the next day. While I mentioned that I’d need a few gluten-​free options, Susan included some vegetarian and child-​friendly options, just in case. Given that several people were coming from the west coast, the vegetarian option was a great suggestion and one I had not considered. The price she quoted was really reasonable, especially since several other places quoted costs more in line with the reception costs!!! I mentioned that I wanted to bring a cake since that was also my son’s birthday — no problem. I wanted to go early to bring flowers for the tables — no problem– she’d have vases for me to use with the candles she’d be placing. I asked to make a few changes to the appetizers — no problems. My son and fiancé went one night to check the food. Even though there was another event that evening, when she discovered who they were, she made sure they ate. Case closed. The restaurant was closed for our party. The evening could not possibly have gone better. The building is an old monastery and has great ambience. It’s one of the oldest buildings in the area. The atmosphere was very relaxed and comfortable. The food was delicious. The restaurant serves Cajun /​Creole/​Italian food and we had a true mix. When they realized that everyone was eating and loving the eggplant Parmesan, they made another batch. Susan smoked a duck and they served smoked duck and andouille gumbo. Although I could not taste it, everyone else seemed to really enjoy it. From the appetizers to the dessert, Dave did a marvelous job with the food. Susan could not have been more helpful. If you’re from out of town and want some good food in a neighborhood restaurant, head to this one. And if you are looking for a restaurant for a private party, give Susan a call. I am so glad I did.
Rosanna

This place was off the beaten path, but I am glad we found it! The owner, Dave, is a great guy and he really knows a thing it two about New Orleans creole! We had a great meal and even better service! Thanks Dave!!!

Perfect meal. Gumbo, fried chicken, redfish, bread pudding. It’s all great. Friendly and helpful service. And in a fascinating historic building. Well worth the cab ride.

This place is great as long as you understand what it is. I ate there last week and it might have been one of the most memorable experiences of the week.
Le Citron Bistro has very good food and ambiance. It does not have service that deserves a star from the Michelin Guide. If you plan to eat dinner there, set aside twice the amount of time that you normally spend at dinner. It’s not that the service is ‘bad’ or inattentive. It’s just slow-​paced. They don’t employ many people.
We had reservations for a Thursday night. We arrived to find that they weren’t serving dinner because the Chef, Dave, had been in the courtyard of the restaurant doing some landscaping all day. Too tired. At first I was pretty annoyed, but the hostess/​waitress (Dave’s wife, I believe) told us to sit down for a few rounds of drinks on the house, and she made us a reservation at a restaurant down the street, Dijon, which was excellent. So in my opinion, everything was cool. She told us to come back the next night and they’d be happy to feed us at Le Citron.
So the next night our party of 11 showed up and we were, once again, the only people there. We had some cocktails and were seated. I honestly didn’t keep track of the time, but it seems like we were there for four hours. We had three courses and multiple bottles of wine. So, if you are in the mood for a looong dinner and conversation, it’s fantastic. The building is very old, all original, and a former plantation building. Food was good, but again, not Michelin. If you’re looking for that, go elsewhere.
At the end of the meal, Chef Dave came out and admitted that it was a ‘real battle’ to get our food out. I’m pretty sure he was a one man team in the kitchen, which explains how long everything takes. He sat with us for another hour, I think, chatting about local and national history. He was a history major in college, I believe. Then he called us a cab and proceeded to lock up the restaurant. We were headed to some other bars for beer and music… and when the cab rolled up, Chef Dave jumped in and bar hopped with us into the morning hours.
So… if you are looking for that kind of experience, slow, delicious, lengthy conversation, you should eat at Le Citron. I had a wonderful time and meal. If you’re looking for a quick bite or refined service, go somewhere else. I will be back to Le Citron next time I’m in New Orleans.

So while this is a super quaint establishment, unfortunately the food wasn’t good at all. I had really high hopes but it came out cold and just plain meh. Honestly, I’ve had better seafood in Minneapolis.
Very nice staff and the wine was decent however.

Le citron is quirky and delicious. I will say It has been hit and miss with the steak but unfortunately that is par for the course in NOLA.
Their fried chicken and pork chops are amazing. Their bread is always awesome and their French onion soup is great!
To sum it up I’ve had 2.5 star meals here and 5 star meals hear. They need to work on consistency. But I keep coming back for the ⁴⁄₅ star meals!

I think this is my first ever negative review. So don’t think I just go around bashing everyone.
In one word AWFUL. The waitress (owner?) was rude, mean, and basically ignored us. The restaurant was so quiet it felt like people were worried they’d get yelled at for talking — did I mention this was on New Year’s Eve? AND the food? Nope. They took our orders, but didn’t bother to tell us what they’d actually be bringing us. Is bacon wrapped tenderloin the same as a t-​bone? Me thinks not. The second half of our meals came out we called a cab, begged for the check, and ran out the door with whatever we could shovel in our mouths before our only method of escape left us there…
If you have people in your life you don’t like, recommend that they go to this restaurant.

My boyfriend and I discovered this gem one night when we were looking for a new place to eat.
We were the only customers in the place (although, it was late), which makes me think that not a lot of people know about it. The restaurant is actually an old house that has been converted and is a landmark.
The atmosphere is very cozy and romantic. It’s dim, so it’s nice for dates. The staff was also very personable.
I don’t quite remember what I ate, but I remember it being excellent. They even brought out a complimentary sweet treat after the meal. I would definitely go back and I hope that more people try this little place.

Went last week for a birthday celebration to this lone outpost in this neighborhood’s restaurant wilderness. I was quite apprehensive when I first arrived, as we were the only diners in the place. For Halloween weekend in New Orleans, this was a big red flag for this diner.
Our server was very attentive, helpful and patient with our questions and queries. We ordered the following:
Fried Green Tomatoes with a Cajun seafood sauce
Barbecued Shrimp
Chicken and Andouille Gumbo
Cream of Squash soup
Grilled Choice Rib Eye Steak
Fried Soft Shell Crab
Shrimp & Catfish plate
Pork Ravioli
Vegan mish-​mash offering
The pluses:
Generous portions
The soups were rich and flavorful.
The steak was one of the best cuts I’ve enjoyed in quite some time!
The ravioli was quite good, despite its description (pineapple? really?).
The crab was succulent and fresh!
The minuses:
The breading for the crab, fish and tomatoes was identical.
The tomatoes were bland and too greasy. Also, the same sauce was offered for the tomatoes that was on the crab — which didn’t work.
All the sides were cold.
The Barbecued Shrimp were inedible; the sauce was basically a thinned roux mix, and the shrimp were cold, too.
I passed on dessert, as I’m not a bread pudding fan. We were told by our affable server about brunch, but their website (which could use serious proofreading and updating) doesn’t list those hours.
All in all, I’d come back here for a steak and martini, and perhaps fried seafood and sit at the bar. From the location, it screams to be the place to go when you shouldn’t be with the people you’re with…