Great little Latin spot! We were visiting NO and had dinner. We had the guacamole and the Brussels for apps. Guac was a little bland, but the Brussels had a really good flavor and texture. Daughter had the chimichurri steak, hubs had the paella, and I had the gulf fish. All were really delicious. The Tres leches we shared for dessert was not great. However, I'm not a fan of this dessert to begin with. I was too full for dessert anyway. Still highly recommend. read more

A must try and their happy hour is great. I only had a full day here so I did a lot of research and restaurants. This one came up quite a bit and didn't seem to be the touristy trap restaurant. I had my oysters and other things at those places but this place so far is great. I'm still eating so I'll add more as I go. read more

Bésame - Crawfish queso! Awesome - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Discovered this gem when in New Orleans when looking beyond the standard . A great concept of tapas using pan-Latin American cuisine. The dining room is pretty and vibrant with a prominent soundtrack of classic salsa. Tried the chicken empanadas and they were awesome- well fried and paired by an amazing cream and herb sauce. Also had the pork arepas which were delicious. The corn cake was fried just perfect and sliced into a sandwich of beautiful shredded pork topped with a slaw. Also had Mofongo with succulent chicken with the right sear. The plantains were not as compact as most PR versions but lended great taste combinations topped with pickled onions. Drink menu was well curated and compact. All in all a big rec to anyone considering this place read more

So four people went to the restaurant. We ordered vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Everything was delicious. The service was very good. They were helpful with wine choices. The Bolivian Sour was the best cocktail that our Bolivian friends had with Bolivian Brandy. Cauliflower was people's favorite. Mine was the Brussels sprouts. Highly recommend read more

Bésame - Cocktails before dinner. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Had a great experience on mother's day brunch! food was amazing as were the drinks. service was a bit slow and the place is incredibly loud, but the food and drinks made up for it! read more

Service, food, ambiance all fantastic. Walked in not knowing what to expect but was excited because it was tapas and you can't go wrong with several small dishes to try new things! read more

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Excellent food and service. Mostly small plates, but enough to share. We had crispy Cauliflower, fish and grits, paella and a fish dip. Really tasty! Located about a block off Canal St. in NOLA. read more

I wanted to love this place so badly. The vibes are great, the interior decor is on point, and the music is fun. Unfortunately the two items I ordered fell a little flat. I got the shrimp Arepas and sweet potato empanadas. They did not taste fresh :( the empanada crust seemed like it was frozen for a long time and then deep fried. I'm not sure if I just ordered the wrong things but I think I'll give this place another try just because I really appreciated the vibe of this place read more

This place is AMAZING! Go now. Because it's going to take off, and getting in for dinner is going to be tough. Food is fresh, cooked perfectly, staff is incredible, the vibe is welcoming and fun, every detail is perfectly played out. Mahi Ceviche, Chicken Empanadas, Churassco Steak, and the Cochinita Pork. Do not skip these ^ the pork especially. No knife needed. Falls apart and the slaw is a perfect accompaniment. The tres leches is a twist from the owners families recipe. Incredible! I'm telling you you'll be so happy you went here. Guaranteed. read more

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Totally came across this hidden gem by accident. Our Airbnb was a couple doors down and we drove by in in the Uber. What a blessing. Amazing food and service. Very cute spot and ambiance was excellent. We went to dinner at the four seasons the night before and paid a small fortune and I was not impressed. We had more food and paid half of what we did over there. Definitely a must try. read more

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Went there this morning for Saturday brunch. We have trooped all over New Orleans, trying every fantastic New Orleans, seafood, Cajun, creole restaurant and having the time of our lives. I have to say, though, this Peruvian restaurant outshined every single place we have gone. It's not in the best location and Peruvian doesn't feel especially like New Orleans, but hands-down, an incredible meal, beautiful atmosphere, really gorgeously presented food. If we could make it back before we leave town we would. I would put it at the top of your list if you're looking for a great meal beautifully presented read more

Walked in at 5:45 without a reservation. We were offered bar seating as such, which we happily accepted. Daisy was our bartender and was phenomenal. She's a New York transplant and was delightfully direct and chill despite the Mardi Gras hangover. We had the Paloma, Passionate Llama and Bolivian Sour--all were fantastic and served promptly despite Daisy being the only one behind the bar during the start of the busy dinner hour. Ordered the crawfish queso and churrasco--fantastic and perfect portion to split between my wife and I. Really cool and casual atmosphere with a plethora of Latin dishes to choose from--a nice light alternative to the other typical cuisines of NOLA. Highly recommend, and tell Daisy that Mindy & Jordan from Alabama sang her praises! read more

Excellent New Orleans Brunch! Guacamole and Chipotle Pineapple Margaritas are the perfect start to your Saturday. The Chilaquiles and Breakfast Tacos were crowd pleasers. Service is impeccable with a groovy Latin vibe. read more

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The food choices were plentiful but not overwhelming. Our party of 4 ordered different entrées and all tasted wonderful. Service was excellent and the nicely decorated historical (McCrory's Diner counter sit in) site made our visit even more enjoyable and memorable. read more

Everything was delicious, from the specialty cocktail and sangria to the entree! We had the Peruvian ceviche, crispy cauliflower, and the fish and grits. Service was exceptional with accurate suggestions from the menu. Highly recommend. read more

Bésame - Chipotle Pineapple Margarita and the Gulf Fish and Grits - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

To anyone from CA looking for looking for a taste of home, this is not the place to go. I greatly recommend skipping this restaurant, the food was surprisingly bland considering how beautiful the presentation was. Every resturant will have its own take on a cuisine, but wow was this lacking. I have a such a bone to pick with the tuna ceviche, was that even tuna. The texture and lack of general flavor reminded me of white fish that was dyed red to mimic tuna. The tomatillo marinade taste like earthy water and the pickled onion were no where near pickled. The onion were soggy and lack any acid. The entire dish lacked acid, in a ceviche that seem wildly unreasonable. The pallea rice had the texture and taste of uncle bens rice and I encountered 2 mushy shrimps, I only had 4 shrimps in my dish and was sharing so that was a disappointment. Your chips aren't salted. The drinks were decent and looked nice. The interior cute. And the staff was nice. The food looked bright and tastey but was very disappointing. It was very much a just accept your loses, pay the tab, and hit Popeyes on the way to your hotel moment. read more

Just OK overall. Portions are on the smaller side. Of the 3 ceviche options, the salmon ceviche ruled them all. Seafood paella was ok, nothing memorable. (Mussels were fantastically Tiny and Dried out.) Lively atmosphere, friendly waitstaff, good vibe. Thumbs up on drinks. read more

Unreal dishes here! Chris was an awesome bartender. The seafood was really fresh and the drinks were excellent. read more

Bésame - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Lovely food, nice ambiance, and yummy drinks (plus they offer Mexican coke - hurray!) Another restaurant that is on my must dine at when in NOLA. The CRISPY CAULIFLOWER is a must order. The flavors were unique and fun. CHURRASCO delicious and properly cooked as requested (rare). Didn't get a chance to try their CEVICHES but will add to our dining list. Interior designer has a good eye. read more

Incredible little gem just off canal. This is a spot locals will go to but great for out of towners staying in the area as well. Best and most creative ceviches in town. Churassco with the potatoes is incredible and the drinks are always on point. Nanyo is a great proprietor and the entire staff is friendly and attentive. read more

Bésame - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Lamb lollipops were to die for and the ceviche was phenomenal. Lovely selection of beers on tap too and also fantastic service

Fantastic find in New Orleans! There ceviche was out of this world. And we ordered the lollipop lamb chops...they melted in your mouth. The service was amazing So thankful we were able to eat there! read more

I'm up in the air about this one. It was almost a 4 because of the drinks. Zahara made amazing drinks and her customers service skills were impeccable. Everything was great until the food. The appetizer (crawfish queso dip) was good but not great. The mofungo was ok. A few tweaks and it would've been perfect. The flavor was good but what messed it up was the over cooked steak and egg. It would've been perfect . The breakfast tacos had no flavor at all. If it wasn't for Zahara and those drinks it would be a 2. I would recommend. The scenery was great and maybe on a different night everything would've been cooked perfectly. read more

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We decided to dine in here just because it was one block away from our Airbnb. But the food are AWESOME! I have never had cauliflower cooked this way, it is absolutely delicious! I would say it is a must have if you ever decide to eat here. The drinks are pretty nice too. read more

Bésame - Cauliflower - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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I'd come back to this Latin-style tapas restaurant for their happy hour deals, but would probably pass on their ceviches. We made a reservation for Happy Hour on a Thursday (which wasn't really necessary, but perhaps is on Friday) and had some great drinks and a few bites. Great Latin cuisine has been a bit difficult to find in New Orleans, so we were ecstatic to try Bésame given its reviews. The pineapple margarita was very fruity but had a great kick with the chipotle and the tajin. The seasonal sangria was also fruity with an almost overwhelming taste of guava. Would definitely order these again, especially as they cost $6 and $5, respectively. We split two of the happy hour food offerings (crawfish queso and guacamole) and two ceviches from the main menu (Oaxacan and Shrimp). I will say the crawfish queso has a strong seafood flavor profile, but we're both big seafood eaters so we enjoyed it. It was creamy and spicy, and the pico de gallo on top was refreshing. While we both prefer making our own guacamole rather than buying it out, we admit that it was great. Super fresh avocados sprinkled with lime juice and topped with flavorful pico de gallo. Next up were the ceviches. Both dishes were plated beautifully, but we have to say that they were a bit underwhelming. The fish in the Oaxacan was somewhat warm which was a bit off-putting. The dish was well-seasoned, especially since the guajillo and the mezcal-infused sauce gave it a smoky flavor. The shrimp ceviche was way too fishy and the coconut sauce was bland. It almost felt like it was lacking citrus...I did enjoy the watermelon radish as a topping, both for its taste and the aesthetic. Bésame gets a 4/5 from us. We're hoping that the ceviche just had a bad night because the rest of the food/drinks were great. read more

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Cauliflower and the rum cocktail are excellent. Also had ceviche and was fine. Didn't have the punchy tanginess that I prefer

Had an amazing experience at Besame! Highlights include delicious crawfish queso, juicy pork arepas, and flavorful, tender chimichurri steak. Service was top-notch. Highly recommend! read more

We live out of state and Besame is a must for us. Food, drink, ambiance and customer service are wonderful! Can't wait to come back!

Wow, this place is wonderful. Great happy hour. So good we went back the next day for dinner. Service was fast and friendly. Go eat here! read more

Food was very fresh and tasty. Was a wonderful fund. Service was also great. So happy they were able to fit us in. Great vibe, as well!

All the dishes are super Delicious! I especially like the Paella. The Caribbean fish is also exceptional. read more

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I'm really upset with the people who wrote anything other than a 5 star review for this place. My friends and I ALMOST let their less than ideal reviews keep us away from this gem (that features the best arepas I have ever had in my life). We also had the guacamole with Chicharróns, cauliflower, both types of empanadas, mofungo, and the queso dip. If anything the pork empanadas were a little lackluster MAYBE, but honestly everything else was unreal. I'm so glad we ended up giving it a chance. Now, we just need a nap because what else do you do after filling yourselves with delicious food and drink? I hope this review helps you make the right choice. read more

Everything about our experience here was fabulous. We knew we were in for a great meal with the wonderful smells emanating from the kitchen as we walked the the door. Ambiance was wonderful as was our server who guided us through the menu. The chicken empanadas and ceviche were a spectacular way to start the meal--both were the best I've had. Craft cocktails complemented the tapas plates wonderfully. For main dishes we had the paella and fish & grits--both were very flavorful and we had a great bottle of Tempranillo from Baja California--didn't even know they grew gapes there. Not only the most delicious meal we had so far in New Orleans, but one of the best we've had in a long time. read more

Bésame - Mural commemorating a sit in during the civil rights movement - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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I had really high hopes for this restaurant as I saw it on the New Orleans best new restaurants list. I'm not sure if I just came on a off night especially since all the other reviews are positive? Our reservation was at 7 and we ordered maybe around 715? All four members of my party ordered cocktails, apps and entrees. Our drinks and apps came out pretty quickly. My friend ordered the La Flur de la Bruja and it was honestly the most disgusting drink I've had in a long time... all 4 members of our party agreed. Eventually an hour goes by and we still don't have our entrees? We notice tables that come after us are consistently receiving their apps so it kind of seems like the kitchen was prioritizing pushing apps rather than getting tables turned. Our server doesn't inform us of any food delays and we had to flag him down to ask them he states our food is coming soon (actually 15 min). I taste my fish and you would think I'd scarf it down, but no it's a salt bomb. I asked other members of my party to confirm and sadly they agreed. It's frustrating waiting a long time and receiving subpar food. I will acknowledge that once the GM(?) was made aware of the issue, he was quite apologetic, offered me another drink and comped the fish as well as an app. While I appreciate the gesture, it's New Orleans so with as many good restaurants there are.. this one just isn't it. I understand y'all are 8-9 weeks new but slow service + bad drink + undeniably salty food ain't it. I recommend Costera on Prytania St for great Spanish influenced food as I've eaten there the day before with great service and food. Steak and Potatoes - potatoes quite good, steak well cooked Ceviche - yummy, fish was fresh, sweet potatoes were a nice touch Empanadas - kind of standard read more

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I'll get to the point; no book report here. Saw this in a Resy as a new place to try and sent it to the foodie husband. We went for my bday weekend as a surprise and ordered mostly all the tapas. Since we are greedy we forgot some pics. But we had the Ceviche (forgot the name) it was spicy and good. We felt the tacos (shrimp and fish) was heavily bready (if it's not a word it is today). Flavor of the food was good and dranks was strong definitely adult worthy on them drinks. Will have to be back to try main courses. read more

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Not your typical tapas. The different dishes were sooo good and the cocktails were good too.

Best meal I had in New Orleans! Every bite & sip were impeccable. It bursted with flavor, great atmosphere, and friendly staff! 10/10 will come again next time I visit. We got the crawfish queso dip, mofongo, and flan. To drink a sangria. Everything was perfection, I cannot rave enough about it! read more

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Sat at the bar. Service was great. Bartender gave great recommendations. Had the Peruvian ceviche and some guacamole Lovely setting. Will do again. read more

12/10- cannot recommend this place enough! Best meal we've had in a long time. This spot has been open just over a month- the inside is super cute & trendy. The food is amazing. We got the Peruvian ceviche, guac, fish tacos, and asada sandwich. The seafood is SO fresh, the fish tacos were beautifully cooked (crispy outside & hot juicy inside), the asada sandwich is melty & delicious- perfectly seasoned. Margs are great, too! The chef came out to introduce himself and check on us. Cameron, our server, is so sweet and attentive. Definitely go if you have the chance! read more

What good fortune to find this marvelous place! We were greeted and made welcome on entry to this funky , modern spot . The menu is a creative fusion of Latin inspired dishes - Peruvian, Mexican, Central & South American It would lend itself well to just choosing multiple dishes for everyone to share which is what we basically did. Peruvian ceviche and the guacamole were great dishes to start- cauliflower tacos were delicious though we had the sauce on the side- if you love HOT , go for it!!! The Caribbean Fish ( mahi on this night) was tender and flavorful, Churrasco was the stand out dish for sure - wow! Perfectly prepared steak partnered with chimichurri , Lomo Saltado served with delicious potatoes- and shrimp tacos were so good I didn't share them with the rest of my table . Finally- the flan- is not to be missed. Unique in it's light and airy texture topped with coconut and mint - the flavor thankfully lingered for an hour afterwards . Bésame is well placed near the Saenger, easy walking to the Orpheum , the Civic , or Joy theater and a great space for a gathering prior to a show. The website says they take you to different countries one bite at a time - and they did! Thank you Nanyo! We look forward to visiting again and wish you success! read more

Bésame - Flan- absolutely amazing - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana