Portuguese cuisine shares many similar traits as its Spanish neighbors but this restaurant leans much more towards Spanish than Portuguese and with mixed results. Sad being that the concept was a nod to Emeril's Portuguese roots. Such a small menu should have incredible focus and flavors with each offering . Nothing here was bad but I found little wow factor in anything I tried, even simple dishes like patatas bravas ... certainly not Portuguese .... seemed to be nothing short of over priced French fries. The sardine toasts also flat and mundane. Nice wine list and happy hour here tho. Come for drinks .... options abound nearby for meals.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Richard Peak
Another fantastic Emerill’s restaurant. We dined in with 5:30 reservation so we would have plenty of time before the concert at 8PM. We were greeted at the door and welcomed in. Our table was booth style on the bar side. The design of the restaurant allowed bar patrons to enjoy cocktail hour without overflow into the main dinning areas. Although both the bar and restaurant were quite full we could talk in normal voice. Our server Jeremy was excellent. He confirmed the time we felt we needed to be finished as being no problem. The menu is Portuguese with both small plates and entree servings. While we studied the menu I had an excellent glass of Portuguese white wine that exceeded my expectations so I had another with dinner. Jeremy carefully explained each dish we asked about as well as giving his recommendations. He also mentioned some portions were small and the Arroz (rice) dishes were large and for sharing. We decided upon the vinegar potato chips and salt cod fritters for appetizers. Both were outstanding. We shared the Prego sandwich for dinner. The filet was so tender it melted in your mouth. Looking forward to going again to try other dishes. You can expect to pay between $50-$75 per person plus any alcoholic beverages. I highly recommend 34 Restaurant and Bar.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ashley Haines
The atmosphere of this place was beautiful. The service was OK. The server seems she didn’t really know what the menu was and was very confused when we ordered angels envy as the liquor for an old-fashioned. The food was OK. It was a little bit overpriced for street food and it was missing a little bit of something.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
Wendy Rayo
Jesus was the best, super helpful and accommodating!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A L
The Good: The staff, sooo friendly and attentive! The manager (I forgot his name) is *chef’s kiss* so kind, genuine, attentive and hospitable. Made us feel like we were invited into his home.
Also, the decor is beautiful! What a vibe! And The Utility Room speakeasy in the back is stunning and so intimate and cozy. Thomas was a phenomenal mixologist who made us custom drinks. We didn’t want to leave!
The Bad: THE FOOD. Very lackluster and disappointing and overhyped. We ordered the salt cod fritters, the lettuce dish, the tomatoes dish, bread service, and Piri Piri chicken since every staff member kept upselling it as soo flavorful and good (LIES) smh.
The fritters and tomatoes were the only flavorful and enjoyable dishes. The Piri Piri chicken was so BLAND!! NO FLAVOR WHATSOEVER!!! I was shocked because the food at Meril’s is actually very flavorful. The chicken was not brined nor well seasoned. They were overly reliant on this bland orange sauce and the smoked charcoal to add flavor. Sooo underwhelming like this is New Orleans not Alaska we like our meat SEASONT (with a T) okay?! PERIODT! 💁♀️It’s like Emeril doesn’t know his customers are going to be mostly local foodies who have acquired a palette that most other cities don’t have so the bar is set very high in The Foodie Capital of the World.
The lettuce dish tasted like a typical michelin restaurant dish. It was very obvious. There was nothing innovative or new about the flavors nor ingredients.
And the bread was COLD!! Like why would you serve cold bread?! Where do they do that at?! That bread should be hot and fresh out the oven as if it were just baked two minutes ago. It also had no flavor. Neither did the butter. I’ve never been to an upscale restaurant that clearly house makes their butter and it tastes completely bland and flavorless.
Lastly, though the staff were extremely friendly, NO ONE KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT THE MENU!! Every single server that waited on us could not answer simple questions about the dishes nor explain the flavor profiles or ingredients nor upsell us on the items with the exception of the manager who was basically our server the entire time. If it weren’t for him, we would have been completely lost navigating this cuisine that was new for the both of us. Please retrain the servers and give them tastings of the entire menu so that they know what they’re selling.
4 stars for effort and for the soulful staff, beautiful decor and speakeasy. But, we won’t be returning for food ever again. Definitely will frequent the speakeasy though!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 4
Brian Crouch
I don’t even know where to start on this review…so this might be random and all over the place…let’s start…The Hungry Detective and Special Agent Deirdre discovered this little gem from our sever Nash at Commanders Palace and he nailed it with this lead!!!
It all started with the telephone call to Joey who was over the moon and so gracious with the chefs table recommendation…
ATMOSPHERE: This spot was elegant and not pretentious…there is a great bar to your right and super cool glass VIP dining area to your left…we went straight to the kitchen and Phoebe on her last night of service greeted our party. I love the chef/kitchen area and always my first choice when available.
FOOD: We started the night with cured Portuguese ham that was hand carved and handed across the counter…accompanied by bread service and fabulous goat cheese and bougie sardines from Portugal…followed by the salted cod fritter…the chef’s table is absolutely the spot to be where you can see all the action and all the meals being prepared..
MAIN COURSE: A true first and not sure how I feel but we ordered the last Seafood Paella of the night and just in time because word on the street it was going Emril Lagasse’s table…so gracious of the Emril to give up the last Paella for his guests!!! The paella was over the top and served up on a massive black skillet with the forbidden rice!!!
VERDICT: This is a great spot and 34 is guilty as sin for doing everything right and to perfection…Emril is legend and was on site tonight at the head of the table!!! How cool to see Emril at his new restaurant!!!
A note from the hungry detective:: “Don’t be a doubting Thomas…check this place out”
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
david hildner
Quite possibly one of the best restaurant experiences I’ve ever had. Sit at the food bar that peers into the kitchen and watch Master Chef Chris craft masterpieces. Portuguese food at its best!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Andrea Erali
Great staff and food. Loved the Peri Peri chicken, my one recommendation for those planning to dine here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kim Vitek
What a truly amazing meal. Portuguese steak sandwich, potatas bravas and sardine pate! Awesome sangria and old fashioned. The decor is breathtaking and service was top notch as always in an Emeril restaurant! Can't wait to go back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bo Molbert
Dined to celebrate an anniversary and everything was fantastic. Special shoutout to sommelier on staff, Nicole, who was kind enough to put together a surprise for my wife and make our night incredibly special. From the food, drinks, and to service, everything was fantastic. Thank you 34!
We all pre-paid $125 for a special 4-course meal. There was no alcohol included. We shared everything. The scallops had no taste with very small pieces of pork belly. None of the food was warm to taste. The pork with the lettuce should have been served individually to each person, definitely not enough. And the worst course of the night was the fish. We even spoke to someone and told her there was no meat on the fish and that it was VERY small for 3 people. She explained that they each day they use fresh fish from the gulf, that is great but our fish was very flat and very small. We saw other fish being served they did not look like ours. We love going to special dinners around town, we are locals and we did not enjoy this dinner. Extremely disappointed!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 3
Beth Hamilton-Keen
Great spot. Loved the pane com tomate, the piri piri chicken are divine. Loved the pastis de nata !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jessica A
Came in for restaurant week to give this place a try. Everything was delicious! And having just returned from Portugal I was looking for some authentic Portuguese food. I loved the Nola twist of the recipes. Very delicious. Staff was very attentive and helpful! Our glasses were never empty.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Madison Quiros
This is a mid-fine dining experience. Food was OK... not worth going to the CBD for IMO. I could also not like Portuguese food?Either way, I can't get past seeing 2 mice in two different areas of the restaurant.
The wow factor here is the amazing staff. Every single person who worked there was amazing, but everything else was lacking.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 5
Tristan Roberts
We had such a fantastic night out at 34. The food and service was world class. Our servers were outstanding. The cocktails and wine list were perfect. The food was spot on. One of my best dining experiences in Nola, and I’m a local. 5 stars!
Portuguese cuisine shares many similar traits as its Spanish neighbors but this restaurant leans much more towards Spanish than Portuguese and with mixed results. Sad being that the concept was a nod to Emeril's Portuguese roots. Such a small menu should have incredible focus and flavors with each offering . Nothing here was bad but I found little wow factor in anything I tried, even simple dishes like patatas bravas ... certainly not Portuguese .... seemed to be nothing short of over priced French fries. The sardine toasts also flat and mundane. Nice wine list and happy hour here tho. Come for drinks .... options abound nearby for meals.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Another fantastic Emerill’s restaurant. We dined in with 5:30 reservation so we would have plenty of time before the concert at 8PM. We were greeted at the door and welcomed in. Our table was booth style on the bar side. The design of the restaurant allowed bar patrons to enjoy cocktail hour without overflow into the main dinning areas. Although both the bar and restaurant were quite full we could talk in normal voice. Our server Jeremy was excellent. He confirmed the time we felt we needed to be finished as being no problem. The menu is Portuguese with both small plates and entree servings. While we studied the menu I had an excellent glass of Portuguese white wine that exceeded my expectations so I had another with dinner. Jeremy carefully explained each dish we asked about as well as giving his recommendations. He also mentioned some portions were small and the Arroz (rice) dishes were large and for sharing. We decided upon the vinegar potato chips and salt cod fritters for appetizers. Both were outstanding. We shared the Prego sandwich for dinner. The filet was so tender it melted in your mouth. Looking forward to going again to try other dishes. You can expect to pay between $50-$75 per person plus any alcoholic beverages. I highly recommend 34 Restaurant and Bar.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The atmosphere of this place was beautiful. The service was OK. The server seems she didn’t really know what the menu was and was very confused when we ordered angels envy as the liquor for an old-fashioned. The food was OK. It was a little bit overpriced for street food and it was missing a little bit of something.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
Jesus was the best, super helpful and accommodating!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The Good: The staff, sooo friendly and attentive! The manager (I forgot his name) is *chef’s kiss* so kind, genuine, attentive and hospitable. Made us feel like we were invited into his home.
Also, the decor is beautiful! What a vibe! And The Utility Room speakeasy in the back is stunning and so intimate and cozy. Thomas was a phenomenal mixologist who made us custom drinks. We didn’t want to leave!
The Bad: THE FOOD. Very lackluster and disappointing and overhyped. We ordered the salt cod fritters, the lettuce dish, the tomatoes dish, bread service, and Piri Piri chicken since every staff member kept upselling it as soo flavorful and good (LIES) smh.
The fritters and tomatoes were the only flavorful and enjoyable dishes. The Piri Piri chicken was so BLAND!! NO FLAVOR WHATSOEVER!!! I was shocked because the food at Meril’s is actually very flavorful. The chicken was not brined nor well seasoned. They were overly reliant on this bland orange sauce and the smoked charcoal to add flavor. Sooo underwhelming like this is New Orleans not Alaska we like our meat SEASONT (with a T) okay?! PERIODT! 💁♀️It’s like Emeril doesn’t know his customers are going to be mostly local foodies who have acquired a palette that most other cities don’t have so the bar is set very high in The Foodie Capital of the World.
The lettuce dish tasted like a typical michelin restaurant dish. It was very obvious. There was nothing innovative or new about the flavors nor ingredients.
And the bread was COLD!! Like why would you serve cold bread?! Where do they do that at?! That bread should be hot and fresh out the oven as if it were just baked two minutes ago. It also had no flavor. Neither did the butter. I’ve never been to an upscale restaurant that clearly house makes their butter and it tastes completely bland and flavorless.
Lastly, though the staff were extremely friendly, NO ONE KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT THE MENU!! Every single server that waited on us could not answer simple questions about the dishes nor explain the flavor profiles or ingredients nor upsell us on the items with the exception of the manager who was basically our server the entire time. If it weren’t for him, we would have been completely lost navigating this cuisine that was new for the both of us. Please retrain the servers and give them tastings of the entire menu so that they know what they’re selling.
4 stars for effort and for the soulful staff, beautiful decor and speakeasy. But, we won’t be returning for food ever again. Definitely will frequent the speakeasy though!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 4
I don’t even know where to start on this review…so this might be random and all over the place…let’s start…The Hungry Detective and Special Agent Deirdre discovered this little gem from our sever Nash at Commanders Palace and he nailed it with this lead!!!
It all started with the telephone call to Joey who was over the moon and so gracious with the chefs table recommendation…
ATMOSPHERE: This spot was elegant and not pretentious…there is a great bar to your right and super cool glass VIP dining area to your left…we went straight to the kitchen and Phoebe on her last night of service greeted our party. I love the chef/kitchen area and always my first choice when available.
FOOD: We started the night with cured Portuguese ham that was hand carved and handed across the counter…accompanied by bread service and fabulous goat cheese and bougie sardines from Portugal…followed by the salted cod fritter…the chef’s table is absolutely the spot to be where you can see all the action and all the meals being prepared..
MAIN COURSE: A true first and not sure how I feel but we ordered the last Seafood Paella of the night and just in time because word on the street it was going Emril Lagasse’s table…so gracious of the Emril to give up the last Paella for his guests!!! The paella was over the top and served up on a massive black skillet with the forbidden rice!!!
VERDICT: This is a great spot and 34 is guilty as sin for doing everything right and to perfection…Emril is legend and was on site tonight at the head of the table!!! How cool to see Emril at his new restaurant!!!
A note from the hungry detective:: “Don’t be a doubting Thomas…check this place out”
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Quite possibly one of the best restaurant experiences I’ve ever had. Sit at the food bar that peers into the kitchen and watch Master Chef Chris craft masterpieces. Portuguese food at its best!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great staff and food. Loved the Peri Peri chicken, my one recommendation for those planning to dine here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
What a truly amazing meal. Portuguese steak sandwich, potatas bravas and sardine pate! Awesome sangria and old fashioned. The decor is breathtaking and service was top notch as always in an Emeril restaurant! Can't wait to go back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dined to celebrate an anniversary and everything was fantastic. Special shoutout to sommelier on staff, Nicole, who was kind enough to put together a surprise for my wife and make our night incredibly special. From the food, drinks, and to service, everything was fantastic. Thank you 34!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
We all pre-paid $125 for a special 4-course meal. There was no alcohol included. We shared everything. The scallops had no taste with very small pieces of pork belly. None of the food was warm to taste. The pork with the lettuce should have been served individually to each person, definitely not enough. And the worst course of the night was the fish. We even spoke to someone and told her there was no meat on the fish and that it was VERY small for 3 people. She explained that they each day they use fresh fish from the gulf, that is great but our fish was very flat and very small. We saw other fish being served they did not look like ours.
We love going to special dinners around town, we are locals and we did not enjoy this dinner. Extremely disappointed!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 3
Great spot. Loved the pane com tomate, the piri piri chicken are divine. Loved the pastis de nata !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Came in for restaurant week to give this place a try. Everything was delicious! And having just returned from Portugal I was looking for some authentic Portuguese food. I loved the Nola twist of the recipes. Very delicious. Staff was very attentive and helpful! Our glasses were never empty.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is a mid-fine dining experience. Food was OK... not worth going to the CBD for IMO. I could also not like Portuguese food?Either way, I can't get past seeing 2 mice in two different areas of the restaurant.
The wow factor here is the amazing staff. Every single person who worked there was amazing, but everything else was lacking.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 5
We had such a fantastic night out at 34. The food and service was world class. Our servers were outstanding. The cocktails and wine list were perfect. The food was spot on. One of my best dining experiences in Nola, and I’m a local. 5 stars!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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