Plates Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in New Orleans

A Culinary Adventure at Plates: A Multicultural Delight in New Orleans

Last week, I had the pleasure of dining at Plates, a charming restaurant in New Orleans that left an indelible mark on my culinary senses. With a menu that promises elements and flavors from various cuisines like Spanish, French, Italian, Vietnamese, Mediterranean, German, Cajun, and African, I couldn't resist the temptation to explore the diverse world of flavors they had to offer.

From the moment I walked through the doors, Plates exuded an inviting ambiance, with a warm and cozy interior that set the stage for what would be a memorable dining experience. Invited in by courteous and welcoming staff. Our server, Darnell, played a significant role in ensuring that our evening was exceptional. He was not only attentive but also incredibly knowledgeable about the menu, which made our journey through the world of cuisines even more enjoyable.

For our meal, we decided to sample a variety of dishes to get a taste of the multicultural culinary landscape Plates has to offer. We started with the patatas bravas, a classic Spanish dish of crispy potatoes served with a rich, smoky tomato sauce and aioli. The potatoes were perfectly cooked, and the sauce had just the right amount of heat and depth of flavor. It was an excellent beginning to our gastronomic journey.

Next up was the tuna crudo, a dish that seamlessly blended Italian and Asian influences. The thinly sliced tuna was incredibly fresh and delicate, and the accompanying sauces and garnishes added a burst of flavor and texture that left us craving more.

The garlic shrimp, a dish with a nod to Mediterranean and Cajun influences, was an absolute standout. The shrimp were succulent and perfectly cooked, and the garlic sauce was a true revelation. It had a rich, buttery texture with a delightful garlicky punch that left us savoring every bite.

However, the pinnacle of our dining experience was the family-style tasting, which offered a chef's choice four-course meal that took us on a culinary journey through the different cuisines represented on the menu. The chef's selections were absolutely amazing and showcased the skillful fusion of flavors from around the world. Each course was a surprise and a delight, with harmonious pairings that left us astounded.

The variety of dishes, the impeccable execution, and the artistic presentation made Plates a standout dining experience. It's clear that the kitchen staff at Plates are not just skilled chefs but also culinary artists, unafraid to experiment and blend flavors from different parts of the world to create something truly unique.

In conclusion, Plates in New Orleans is a culinary gem that celebrates the diversity of flavors and ingredients from various cuisines. The fusion of Spanish, French, Italian, Vietnamese, Mediterranean, German, Cajun, and African influences on their menu creates an unforgettable dining experience. Combine that with the attentive and knowledgeable service of Darnell, and you have a winning formula for a memorable evening. If you're in New Orleans and looking for a dining adventure, don't miss Plates. It's a culinary journey you won't...

UPDATE: within a few minutes of writing this review management reached out promptly and took meaningful steps to make things right, which I appreciated. They handled this professionally and with integrity, and I thank them for that. Hopefully I will get a chance to try Plates again.

Original review: I really hate writing bad reviews but we had a pretty terrible experience here last night and with tip it was $260 for 2. The plus? Parking was easy and the space is lovely. The service was reasonable, our server was quite nice but not particularly attentive. I asked twice if I could have a paper napkin to wipe something sticky in front of me on the table. I had hoped she would actually wipe the table but alas I got neither a napkin nor a wipe down… so I had to have an entire meal with sticky syrup (or something) in front of me. She was also quite misinformed about the culinary scene (she told us Coq au Vin is a French dish typically served with pork) and a few other similar inaccurate things. Obviously this didn’t impact our meal or experience but it was a little funny. We also waited a pretty significant amount of time for each thing we ordered and our stay was near three hours at which point we were feeling cranky. We only had 2 people and ordered 6 tapas dishes, a bottle of water, 2 rounds of cocktails, and a dessert. The biggest issue was the food. We ordered patatas braves which was fine but not great. Secondly we had a melon salad special which we enjoyed but nothing special. We order tuna crudo which arrived grey. Like really grey. I’ve had raw tuna around the world and have seen it change color with marinade.., but it was really unappetizing. We then had the mushroom toast which was decently flavored. It’s served with an egg on top which I presume is supposed to be semi runny so it can be broken over the dish but it was cooked hard. Next was the lamb skewer.. which was absolutely mutton not lamb and was cooked tough and all the way through. In my opinion these two dishes were inedible. Finally we had the crispy Coq au Vin which was quite shocking. I was prepared for an alternative presentation of Coq au Vin but this was essentially fried chicken with a dash of sauce (like a tablespoon?) on top of a few mushrooms and one half a fingerling on the side. I persisted past the initial presentation thinking “the flavor must be in the chicken!” But no… it was simply fried chicken. And it was $35!!! Anyway… my disappointment was a little improved by a lovely almond cake. And our cocktails were interesting and good. However I would not return. I’m sad because I’ve been waiting for a good tapas restaurant in Nola. But this isn’t it. Hard pass. Sorry guys. Hope it was just a bad night for the sake of...

Made a 7:30pm reservation in advance of visiting for JazzFest 2025. Excellent choice! We were seated upon arrival. The restaurant has high wood beamed ceilings, brick walls and a contemporary industrial feel. The space might have been 1/2 full when we arrived but was at capacity by 8:15...and for good reason!

Plates is billed as a tapas restaurant but the servings are substantially larger than a typical tapas order in Barcelona. We ordered crawfish croquettes, crawfish with snap peas tomatoes and yuzu vinaigrette, tuna crudo, roasted oysters with Vietnamese Cajun butter and lemon breadcrumbs, seared scallops on grits and a special for the day crawfish bread. My favorites was the crawfish bread which was actually on toast with a healthy drizzle of Cajun seasoned butter and was out of this world. The roasted oysters were a close second. The oysters were served in a cast iron escargot style pan. The oysters were lightly poached in a gently seasoned butter and served with a lemon wedge. They were large and luscious and the butter complimented the fresh oyster flavor. We also shared a pan fried soft shell crab drizzled with basil oil that was fantastic. I highly recommend them all! The tuna crudo and crawfish with snap peas were very good as well. I mentioned to our server, Trey, that our dishes were excellent with a couple notes...the scallops had no real sear and the grits were waaay to salty to enjoy and the crawfish croquettes had a nice crust but the contents were under seasoned.

All in all, the meal was terrific and I would return without hesitation. I'd highly...