GAIA Seafood & Steakhouse — Restaurant in New Orleans

GAIA (the Greek goddess of Earth) Steakhouse isn't your run of the mill Steakhouse. It's an experience! The Steakhouse appeared on my IG timeline earlier in the week. The atmosphere caught my eye as well as the unique dishes. I quickly made future reservations through OpenTable. The restaurant is located on the corner of St. Charles Ave & St. Mary St. in the Garden District. It offers valet parking. The staff were very friendly and welcoming at the door. The bar area is located at the front of the area with an available seating area as you wait as your table is prepared. I appreciated that the dining areas were designed for both large and small dining experiences. There are curtained privacy dining options also available for large and small groups. The decor and esthetics were perfect for the dining experience.

Ok, let's talk food. Our "dining guide," yes, dining guide, not just a server, was Kiera. To say Kiera had energy and great knowledge of the menu is an understatement. We instantly felt comfortable enough with her to allow her to guide us through the dining experience. Kiera took the time to explain the pros and cons of each menu item. She set expectations that most entrees are enough to share. But no, we didn't trust that part. And boy, were we wrong. I usually ask, what's the favorite house specialty drink. Kiera made excellent suggestions for my wife and I. The drinks were so good, I didn't remember the names. Sorry! We had the Crabcake for our appetizer. It didn't disappoint. We expected it to just be dropped off at our table. But nope, Kiera delivered the dish, then she explained how it was prepared as she divided it, then served it to our plates. Next was the GAIA Exotic Salad. This salad could have fed four people. It was full of flavor. The dates, walnuts, strawberries, and various other fruits tantalize our taste buds. The salad could've been our meal. But nope, there was still the Truffle fries, Lobster Mac & Cheese, Filet Mignon and Butcher's Delight sliced tenderloin soon came out. The filet was sliced at the table. The butcher allowed my wife to inspect and taste it to ensure the cut met her expectations. The filet itself was enough to share. The Truffle fries were perfect. The Lobster Mac & Cheese were a bit salty for my taste. But that didn't stop me from enjoying the dish. My tenderloin was juicy and flavorful. Everything we ordered was sharable. Kiera was right again. Of course, we couldn't finish all that great food in one sitting.

We had the opportunity to speak with the General Manager, Sey. He shared that GAIA's had only been open for six weeks. They were still trying to perfect the experience before they have their official grand opening. From my perspective, they are on the right track. It's definitely a fine dining experience. Everyone was dressed to impress. The Steakhouse was quickly filling up with diners as we finished our meal.

The experience was second to none. GAIA's Steakhouse is off to a...

Disappointed on a Special Night: Gaia Restaurant Review We had high hopes for Gaia Restaurant on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, especially given the glowing aesthetic and the buzz surrounding its ambiance. Unfortunately, our experience fell far short of expectations—and on our 10th wedding anniversary, no less. To start, the decor is indeed stunning. The space is beautifully designed, warm, and inviting. It exudes a modern elegance that initially had us excited for what was to come. But sadly, that’s where the positives ended. We had requested a table with a view for our anniversary, and while we weren’t expecting fireworks, we certainly didn’t expect to be seated facing a service pass-through to a nicer area of the restaurant. It felt like a careless misstep on what should have been a thoughtful detail. The drink prices were simply outrageous. Two Grey Goose martinis came to a jaw-dropping $65—nearly $33 each. That alone would’ve been a bitter sip, but paired with what followed, it made for an increasingly frustrating evening. We ordered the calamari, which came out aggressively spicy—not "a kick of heat" but searingly hot, to the point where it actually burned my gums. The Caesar salad was limp and uninspired, lacking both texture and flavor. Calling it "subpar" might even be generous. Then came the main event: the porterhouse steak. Sadly, it was one of the worst steaks we've encountered at a restaurant in this price range. It tasted overwhelmingly of burnt embers, with an unpleasant undertone of what seemed like rancid rosemary butter. It was nearly inedible and a huge letdown. With prices this astronomical, one would expect top-tier service, precision in execution, and at least decent food. To add insult to injury, a 20% gratuity was automatically added to the bill without warning—something we were not informed of beforehand. While we always tip for service, we expect transparency, especially when the service and food don’t justify such a charge. Unfortunately, Gaia missed the mark on all three. What should have been a memorable celebration turned into a costly disappointment. We won’t be returning, and we can’t recommend Gaia to others looking for a special night out...

We made our first visit to Gaia on Valentines Day. We had to prepay for dinner days before 2/14 (not a problem) drinks, gratuity and anything over what was prepaid was not included. When I made the reservation and prepaid I emailed back and forth with the reservation team who let me know that they would leave a note for the server to let us order A La carte from the regular menu since we didn’t want the prefixed menu items. I agreed. We get there the server who was Nice and tried to be accommodating told us that the manager made changes to what I agreed to and already paid for.. meaning we now were not given what I was told and had to order from the prefixed menu and then would be charged for anything ordered outside of that menu. That is not what was agreed to in writing before I paid. The menu: The only 2 options for an appetizer were RAW Protein items. The (non lettuce) salad was very quickly prepared. The entree items included steak which was fine for us. The side of “Grilled vegetables “ literally consisted of a piece of a green and red pepper and 3 wheels of zucchini or squash. They did not come to the table and cut the steak it like they advertised. Dessert on the prefixed menu was “chefs surprise” so whatever the quickest that the kitchen decided on was the only dessert for the evening. The drinks: The Dry ice Leche martini is one of their signature drinks. It usually comes with the whole crushed rose petals put on your table as well as the “dry ice” presentation. None of that happened.. We got our drinks with no dry ice and no presentation. I inquired about this because this is almost a $30 drink And was told “ we don’t have enough dry ice and roses for everyone this evening”. On Valentine’s Day?? Really?

The atmosphere: It was pretty dry. The lighting was not Valentine’s Day appropriate. The entire experience seemed very rushed. This restaurant is not inexpensive. So to be given half of the services advertised is wild to me especially after having to prepay...