La Crepe Nanou — Restaurant in New Orleans

I have been going to Crepe Nanou for 11 years; it had been one of my favorite places to go for a nice dinner. Last evening I went there with friends for a birthday and was exceptionally disappointed in the food and the service. I ordered the Poulet Maison, which I typically order there. Our entrees were a little on the later side which wasn't a big deal. I noticed my half chicken was very dry and not the normal for this dish as I have ordered it many times. I sent my chicken back, after our waitress seemed annoyed that I sent it back. I received a new half chicken which appeared to be less dry and what they normally serve. As I was eating it I tasted a strong metallic taste and looked down at the chicken and saw bright red blood draining from it. I reluctantly told the waitress as I didn't wish to complain, and she replied, "Your having a lot of trouble with your chicken, it looks like you cut into a vein". I am a physician, the issue wasn't that I cut into a vein, the problem was that the chicken was grossly undercooked. Not only was this rude and poor customer service but it represents a serious public health risk and danger of food borne illness. I am not sure if this was a passive aggressive way of being spiteful for me sending my meal back (which I have never done there) or simply immense inexperience in cooking a simple dish. Either way I will never go back there. In a city with literally hundreds of choices for excellent food, Crepe Nanou appears to simply not care about the way they treat their customers and possess an arrogance that suggests they feel they can mistreat and endanger their clientele without recourse. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME, GO ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE CITY, THEY DO NOT DESERVE...

We had dinner here last night. I have always loved this restaurant! It is our go to for date night. Last night I was less than impressed for a couple of reasons. The dish I ordered used to be served with angel hair pasta. It is now served with linguini and there was not enough sauce to flavor the pasta. I requested more sauce and the waiter did not have any sense of urgency in bringing the sauce. After 15 minutes, I ultimately had to ask the hostess. The waiter prioritized bringing water and champagne to other tables while my food turned ice cold. Upon bringing our check he did not say a word. He failed to say thank you which goes a long way. In addition the restaurant has gone to adding a service fee to the bill automatically. When I asked about the fee the waiter told me that was for the charge to use a credit card. I thought well that is really rude. You did not know I was going to pay with a card yet you automatically added the fee. You also have gone up significantly on your prices to offset cost of doing business. If you are going to add this service convenience fee to the bill automatically then just include it in the price of the food. It is very ungracious to extend this separate charge automatically. I worked this industry for almost ten years. It takes a lot for me to leave less than 20%. However after the entitled attitude by the server on top of my cold food, I tipped him, but not what I would have normally provided. A thank you for coming in goes a long way, especially when there are other areas for improvement. It saddens me to say it will be long time before we return to what used to be one of my favorite restaurants...

La Crepe Nanou is one of my favorite restaurants of all time.

Besides having great food, the restaurant is one of the more romantic in the city. Take a girl here for a date and you may end up married to her.

Because the restaurant is small and does not take reservations, there is often a wait. Part of the experience is cramming into the small bar while you wait and drooling over the food coming out of the kitchen.

I have been going to La Crepe Nanou for over 15 years and have never had a bad experience. My most recent experience was nearly perfect with one minor exception.

The last time I went, I was seated immediately. The problem was that I was seated at one of the first tables inside the doors. The table was so close to the neighboring tables, it was almost impossible to have a private conversation. When you are trying to have a romantic meal, sitting that close to some loud, irritating woman puts a damper on the romance. Next time I will just wait for a different table.

Besides great ambiance, the food is wonderful. The mussels in the wine and cream sauce are the best in the city. On my most recent visit, I ordered the gratin de fruits de mer to start. While I may have spelled it incorrectly, it was delicious. Imagine rich cheese, crabmeat, and shrimp baked together in a bowl. If you order this, you will not be disappointed.

Other items that are worth ordering include:

Grilled amberjack with bearnaise Fillet with bearnaise Onion soup Any of the crepes

I love this restaurant for many reasons. Give it a try and...