Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar and Bistro — Restaurant in New Orleans

I am a celiac and visited this restaurant because of its variety of gluten free options. When we were seated I informed our waiter of my allergy and he told me to order meals with the small asterisk because they are gluten free. Let me start off by saying the selection is awesome and there are gluten free options in every category. I ordered the BBQ shrimp and asked the waiter to make sure the French bread is on the side. When the BBQ shrimp arrived the bowl was filled with tasty shrimp and FRENCH BREAD. I informed the waiter that they accidentally put bread in my shrimp and his response was "are you so allergic that you can't eat it?" I felt like I was being asked to take a light poisoning. I took the precaution of photographing my order prior to sending it back. Our main courses arrived a few minutes later and the waiter asked if I still wanted my BBQ shrimp. I said yes and they brought it right out. Trouble is they pulled the bread out and sent me the same shrimp. I told the waiter I didn't want it and explained that it was the same order and it would be poison for me. He then said they made it fresh for me and that it was a newly prepared order. I then showed him the photographs and he took it back. I then went to the bathroom and my waiter walked in. We both felt a little awkward due to the attempted poisoning. It really must have bothered my waiter because he used the urinal and walked straight out without washing his hands!!! Little did I know but gluten was the least of my worries as urine was also on the menu. My double cut pork chop was delicious and well prepared. The fish Amandine was also amazing and the wine was amazing. With some gluten sensitivity training and some basic hygiene training this place will be a TEN but until the staff has a sign reminding them to wash hands before returning to work we are...

Tl;dr: bad food, worse service, decent wine list, nice courtyard.

I feel bad writing this review, but if you are visiting New Orleans and have a limited number of evenings to enjoy dinner and are not wealthy enough to casually spend a lot of money on a bad meal, you should not come here. I don't want to tear people down - they were clearly trying very hard - but one server to 11 tables spread between outdoor/indoor seating (including a 10-top) is just too much for anyone to handle and the manager should have stopped seating...either turn folks away with a sincere apology or ask them to come back at a designated time. I am aware that times are tough, staffing is a nightmare, etc. Which is why we did not make a fuss and still tipped appropriately (don't take it out on the server y'all, unless they are rude...it's not their fault if the food is bad or the hosts/managers are making their lives hard) but...my empathy for those in the service industry (which I was for most of my adult life) takes over up to a point - and that point is when it feels like the guests are getting swindled. The food just wasn't good, and we were served one dish - a risotto "special" that wasn't risotto at all and was barely edible. We left feeling like we got tricked into a tourist trap and wishing we had chosen fast food instead. This feeling was multiplied because we were recommended to come here by our hotel Concierge, who gave us some bs spiel where I assume the only truth was "I am friends with the manager."

The 2 stars are for the decent wine list and the nice, cozy courtyard. Both of which we would have liked to enjoy, but instead we just wished to leave as soon as possible and try to salvage...

It’s been almost 2 weeks since we had dinner at Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar and Bistro, but I still think about it daily. Usually, fine dining includes unnecessary pomp and circumstance- a stodgy, borderline arrogant, environment. When all you really want is a good meal in a comfortable but nice setting. No pretense, just good food in a lovely atmosphere. Grapevine exceeded this ideal. Of course there’s a level of decorum, but Grapevine exudes a “come as you are hospitality” from which other restaurants can (and should) learn. Our host Mark, seated us in the beautiful courtyard that is a good setting for romantic occasions, dinners with friends, and everything in between. After he showed us to our seats, Mark took time to chat with us about our day, where we’re from, etc. We immediately felt at home. We had the roasted duck breast and lamb chops. They were both divine. In fact, I think they may have been the best lamb chops I’ve ever had. If you have room for dessert, the honey goat cheese cheesecake with lemon gastrique is another must try. As wonderful as all of this was, one of the brightest highlights of the evening was our server, Brittany. She has the most beautiful spirit. Brittany made an exceptional night even more enjoyable. Thank you, Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar and Bistro! Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar and Bistro is now our go to restaurant each time we visit...