It's easy to overlook this restaurant, and that's a damn shame. The chef is spectacular. The wait staff is helpful and attentive. We had a group of 6 and enjoyed a variety of tapas (tropical crab, garlic shrimp, ceviche, calamari steak) and then some of us split a paella for the main course. The waitress helped us order family-style for efficiency. Others in our group ordered the salmon and the trout and said it was great. It's a small restaurant and only serves dinner so you should plan ahead. We are mega fans of seafood, so that's all we ordered, but they have duck and chicken on the menu as well. There was a heated patio space for outdoor seating, too. Byo alcohol, but they did have wine and a small selection of beer. Definitely go try it out. read more

Lola's - Seafood paella (portion) - Spanish Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Something is wrong at Lola's. We have been eating there for decades. But last night! Bad service. Slow. Took all dishes and utensils after appetizers! Weird. Did not give us separate checks after they said they would. Forgot butter with the second bread order. It never showed up. Food: seafood soup had practically no seafood and it was all shrimp. Garlic shrimp were huge peel on shrimp. Wrong. For twenty years it's small peeled shrimp. Duck: full of fat and chewy. Garlic chicken: overcooked and tough as leather. Something is going on. And they were out of pasta shrimp at 5:45. Pasta! Go to the grocery! I hope they fix this. We really like the place. read more

I really wanted to like this place but left feeling disappointed after dining here. My fiancé and I had the sangria which was just ok. I would've preferred it if they mixed the fruits with the whole pitcher they gave us but instead they came out with a glass of already mixed fruit and the refill was just red wine. The food was also kind of mediocre. Seafood Paella was plain, bland. We also got the roasted duck and the duck was drenched in fig dressing we couldn't even taste the duck. Food was also overpriced. Our waiter was very nice though. We sat outside and came in the evening and it was a romantic ambience with the hanging lights. Overall I probably would not come back to dine here. read more

See all

Loved it! Great food - Great service. For tapas we har garlic shrimp, garlic mushrooms and tomato basil salad (caprese). For main we had the trout and garlic chicken. They both came with rice and vegetable. They did double veggie as we didn't want the rice. Veggies were carrots, zucchini and broccoli. Loved it. My only suggestion was that we needed to add a little salt to each dish, but always better to add salt over being too salty! We will definitely go back here. Ty our service was great!! read more

Lola's - Trout and veggies. Garlic Chicken in the background. - Spanish Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

How in the world had I never been to Lola's? We were looking for something new to us last Saturday, and Lola's came to mind. It's located on beautiful Esplanade Avenue and I've heard great things about it over the years. We made a reservation and showed up for an early dinner. The staff was especially warm and welcoming upon our arrival and we were shown to our table. The vibe is very European - I felt like I was in Spain. We were given our menus and our drink orders were taken. I went with their red sangria and wasn't disappointed. Apples, oranges and a smooth red wine - so good. We had the fish ceviche to start, and as I'm doing my best to cut carbs, I had the mariscos soup. The ceviche was a hit and the mariscos soup was delicious! The broth was flavorful and had just the right amount of kick. Im definitely going back, and am committed to trying the paella next time. I'm going to eat those carbs and love them! read more

Like others, I wanted to like it here. But the food was extremely disappointing. Tough, overcooked garlic chicken, mushy old crab tropicale, slow service, overall it is terribly overpriced for the quality, I guess you are paying for the ambience. read more

Small restaurant with inside and outside seating. Probably best to set a reservation ahead of time. Here's your warning..If you're interested in a paella, place your order for it upon being seated because it takes up to forty-five minutes to prepare. It's stated on the menu as well but ours didn't came out until at least an hour or so later. It's worth the wait though because it was so flavorful. There are different sizes from sm to xl, in which there are size displays near the kitchen for preference. My guest and I also ordered the garlic shrimp appetizer, garlic mushroom appetizer and roasted duck breast entree. The appetizers were delicious with chunks of garlic and plenty of sauce. Make sure to ask the server for some hot bread to dip with. If not, ask for some garlic aioli for the hot bread. The duck was underwhelming. It came with four pieces of duck on top of mashed potatoes, asparagus and a minimal side salad. The duck was dry, no flavor even though the menu description stated with a fig reduction sauce. No sauce found anywhere on the plate, for the salad neither. The whole plate was dry. We saw other servers attend to their tables more, in general, than ours. Our server was just ok but definitely could've been better. The food took way too long. We ordered two appetizers but one came out after the entree. I'm glad we enjoyed most of the meal though. If not, we'd be highly disappointed. Oh yeah, be ready to swat flies throughout the entire visit if you're dining inside. It's really not their fault though, I guess, because the door was constantly being used from servers going in and out. read more

See all

Came here two nights ago for a mini girls night with the bestie. I recommend making a reservation ahead of time as they were packed! We got a cute little table outside and the ambiance was so light and fun. Service was a little slow, but I know it was because they were so busy. To drink, I got white wine and she got the white sangria-a touch sweet but still delicious (comes in a small glass so not a huge portion). To eat, we got the mussels as an appetizer, and the flavor was so bomb. They're served cool which I thought was a little odd but they are supposed to be that way as I think they flash cool them after steaming in the flavorful vinaigrette. Feel like maybe they could just pour the vinaigrette over it and serve warm and I'd have loved them even more. For dinner we shared a small seafood paella (it says it's a single serving size but it's actually quite a bit of food so don't go larger unless you use pretty hungry!) flavors were great, all the seafood cooked perfectly, and rice not overly done or in too large a volume in comparison to all the good stuff. Overall loved this place and will definitely be back with my husband soon! read more

Lola's - Mussels In Vinaigrette - Spanish Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

See all

Lola's is a small/intimate space. I'd recommend it for solo outings, small groups, and date nights. I love a restaurant with options and this menu has it. I really like all the tapas. I enjoyed the Lola's Margarita, Crabmeat Tropical, garlic shrimp and the roasted duck. Delicious delicious delicious. We arrived before Lola's opened but the hostess told us he had a table for us in front and by the window. Our waiter was very informative, nice and patient. This was a great experience. read more

See all

I have to say, I have been to Lola's several times and enjoyed everything all 5 times. We love it here and have even celebrated birthdays and anniversaries here! They have an amazing and interesting wine list consisting of Spanish wines, and usually, great food including paella and several different other fun dishes. However, this time that we went, we noticed a significant drop in quality. Upon arriving, we found out they eliminated their cocktail list, including a sangria and paloma we used to love! But no worry, their wine list was still great so we didn't mind ordering a bottle right away. Our server seemed uninterested in us, but that's okay, maybe he was tired or just having a bad night. But the apathy in which he served us was really disappointing, not caring to check in at key points of the meal, and seeming annoyed when we ordered wines by the glass to go with our entrees (after working through a lovely bottle of Xtocolina). When our entrees appeared, my guest's paella was over cooked and sticking to the unseasoned pan, and my duck, which i asked for medium rare, was definitely more medium well. Also it seemed they kinda drowned it in the fig reduction to hide their sins. It was a shame because the appetizers, soup, and wine thus fair had been lovely! We ate what we could enjoy and opted not to bring our leftovers home. We also chose not to get dessert. It was disappointing to see such a drop in quality! I hope that they can tackle these issues and match their performance with their atmosphere soon, because it really is a lovely space with a lovely feel. We miss the Lola's from before. read more

One word sums up Lola's and simple enough it's Brunch! I find Lola's as one of my go-to's whenever I'm asked where we should do brunch. Their outdoor space alongside the sidewalk is adorable. There's something really intimate about the dining setup. Whether it's sunny weather for their unlimited mimosas or slightly chill this is the place to be. Don't worry if it's cold btw as they have plenty of fire pits and heaters along the tables. Grab their unlimited mimosas for $15 a person it's really a steal. Some of my fave dishes are their shrimp n grits with a chorizo based sauce and flamenquin. The flamenquin is so freaking delicious with the multiple layers of prosciutto, fried pork loin, manchego, and jack cheese. As for the shrimp n grits, holy crap is that sauce delicious. I seriously slop it up with bread or anything I can use to clean up the plate with. I'll definitely be back because Lola's is one of my top fave brunch spots in the city! read more

See all

Made a reservation for 7:45 and drove twenty minutes looking forward to a great meal. When we arrived we were told our reservation could not be honored because of the rain, it would be great if when you made the reservation it said "weather dependent". read more

One of the best meals I've had in a long time. Service is superb, outdoor seating, and very attentive waitstaff. We each ordered something different with the garlic mushrooms as the appetizer. Lots of flavor, lots of garlic, great for dipping, and the sauce was excellent on my paella. Solid cocktail menu with something for every taste. A big but not overwhelming menu with plenty of options for paella. I had the veggie which was well seasoned and enough to take home. The wine list was very good and complemented the meal nicely. All around a great time and I will be back. read more

See all

I used to love Lola's. Their fabada, garlic shrimp and Calderata are fantastic. Now I am really on the edge of saying arrogance has gone to their heads. Yesterday was a special occasion. I made a reservation for 8:30. Later I got a phone call from Lola's saying they wanted to cancel my reservation because they "wanted to shut down early. " and "Can you be here within 30 minutes?" No apology. No "but we will comp you a dessert in the future". Just "We closin' early Lucy". Ok. I changed our reservation to tonight. However, I wanted to order paella tonight and they specifically warn you that they require 30 minutes for paella. So I called and asked if I could order a paella in advance. "Um, no, we don't do that". Not "Of course!"". Not "we will need to guarantee that to a credit card." Not "We will place your order the moment you arrive". Just "no". This is the death-knell of a great restaurant. Good food only gets you half way. The other half is Service and I find Lola's increasingly less service oriented. I will update this review after dinner tonight. But it's not lookin good. read more

Lola's - Nice open kitchen - Spanish Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

My son and I got the trout and it was very tasty, my husband got the garlic chicken and he said it was good, but he would not order again. I believe everything was a little overpriced as nothing we had was exceptional including the appetizer of the calamari steak. However, the service was excellent, very proper personnel and the food came out fairly quick and hot. It's a cute little place, not very many tables nor room and it's very trendy but visitors to New Orleans and quite a few locals like the idea of chic, vogue places. I probably would never have a good reason for returning. read more

I absolutely love Lola's. It's great for a date night. I love the intimate ambience. The service is always great. Noelle was really attentive. She has the best personality ever. Every time I dine here I would love to have her as my waitress. It's a must for me to try something different on the menu each time. Tonight I tried the meat Paellas. The paellas was good (chicken was a little dry). The sangria is always good! My friend had the shrimp pasta. I just wish Lolas would have more dessert options. And bring brunch back. read more

See all

Come here hungry!! One of my favorite paella places in the city. Service is great as well. Some nights are crowded, and getting in is easier with a reservation. The paella is huge, and you'll likely leave with leftovers. Perfect balance of saltiness, savoriness, acidity, etc. Favorite appetizer is the Grilled Calamari. Sadly I don't have a photo, but it looks more refined that most fried calamari you'll find at other restaurants. read more

Lola's - Paella - Spanish Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

We were excited to try Lolas for our Valentine's Brunch! We had read and heard about how fantastic this place was and finally had a chance to try it for Brunch. We ordered the bottomless mimosas to start alongside the croquettes and pan con tomate. The croquettes was deliciously crispy and the pan con tamate had a wonderful crisp! Our entrees were the meat omelete and the spanish Benedict. The Benedict was a mixture of beef and chorizo but was hard to find the chorizo flavor. the meat omelet was cooked perfectly, but the arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette was superb. I wish I had this as an entree! Unfortunately the manchego grits and patatas bravas fell flat. The grits had little to no flavor. The patata bravas was almost inedible. Pieces were either cooked half way or raw. overall this place waa a great experience but their sides need much work. read more

See all

Just simply fantastic. Great service, excellent quality and perfect little place! I hope you give this place a chance. We had drinks, soups, and 2 wonderful entree selections for under $100! What a deal. Love it and I hope you try it! read more

See all

I really love this place! I've been here probably 3 times in the last year, and I like to sit outside because the scenery is beautiful. The food takes a long time (especially the paella) but that's because it's high quality and always made to order. I recommend ordering a soup or an appetizer while waiting for the main course. I've tried a few of the soups but my favorite ones are the lentil and fabada. The paella is amazing and is always cooked perfectly. Also, I love their sangria - a bottle of it is around $20 or so which is a great price. The only surprise was that the bread offered by our server was not free - it's not expensive either (I think $.50), just something to keep in mind. Overall a really wonderful experience, I loved my last visit!! The ambiance, food and drinks made for a perfect night. ~~~ for my vegetarians this is great place to visit!! They have an array of vegan soups and vegetarian paellas that I'm sure you'll enjoy! read more

See all

We went to Lola's on a Monday night and it was absolutely lovely. We sat on the patio and we're greeted/ seated immediately. The waitress was lovely and very attentive. Food was out of this world, so good, and authentic. The ambiance was lovely in mid city and almost everyone sat outside it was such a lovely night read more

See all

Solid. Go there with a couple of friends. If you go by yourself - you will be leaving with boxes! Nice and tight inside.. been coming here before the great renovation. nice to see it grown up. always a nice meal. read more

This is a great spot for some outside dining. I loved their sangria and mojito. I also loved the garlic sauce they bring with the bread. The paella is okay, I've had better but it's still pretty decent and takes the cravings away. Location is super cute and great for a Friday afterwork. Service was great, our server was awesome. read more

See all

The food was great. I ordered the seafood paella and I had 2 cocktails. I had a red wine sangria and a version of a French 75 I don't recall the name. The paella was amazing. The sangria was a bit weak but the flavor was good and the French 75 was great. Our server was also really nice and attentive. She even offered to take our picture. read more

We had high hopes for this restaurant, but it failed on two points, food and service. The host who greeted us was polite and friendly, so we were off to a good start. We enjoyed the garlic mushrooms, but our server explained the wine I wanted to order wasn't cold yet (for whatever reason) and recommended a different wine. No problem. I enjoyed the wine. We chose this restaurant because paella is one of their specialty items, and we ordered the seafood paella. That's when our whole dining experience took a hard wrong turn. The paella didn't have the traditional crust on the bottom, but that's not unusual in restaurants, so I decided to be fine with that. However, it quickly became clear that more than half the shrimp in the dish had not been deveined. We pointed this out to our server, and he tried to convince us that this was "just the recipe" the chef used. Then he switched it up to say the shrimp was too small to devein, even though some of it clearly had been. No matter what we said, he insisted this was just the way the dish was made. When we pointed out that the vein is the digestive tract of the shrimp and we prefer not to eat shrimp waste, he suggested we order the veggie paella in the future if we don't want to eat poop. Oh, okay. Finally, he brought out the check without asking if we wanted dessert or anything else. At no point did he offer to make the terrible meal right in any way. (We would have been happy with an apology.) We won't be going back. read more

We ordered the seafood paella. After 1 bite I saw the shrimp was NOT deveined. I immediately sent it back. Even with $125 bill in other food they charged the $30 for the paella. No, I'm so sorry or can I get you something else... our waitress picked up the paella walked away.... still charge me the .$30.00 Extremely disappointed!!!! read more

Place and food wer good ended I recently visited lolas and, while the food was enjoyable, the service left much to be desired. My party and I arrived early and were seated promptly. However, we ended up waiting over an hour for our food, which was quite frustrating. To make matters worse, a party that arrived after us was served first. Despite the long wait, we decided not to complain and had our food packed to go. The dishes were flavorful and well-prepared, but the delay significantly impacted our dining experience. Additionally, we couldn't help but feel that our treatment might have been influenced by our ethnicity, as we are Asian. This added to our disappointment. I hope the management can address these service issues and ensure all customers are treated equally, to provide a better experience for everyone. read more

We came to Lola's for brunch and reserved a table through open table. We were a party of 6 which included children. We were greeted upon arrival and seated within a few minutes. Our server checked on us every few minutes and to re-up my glass for my bottomless mimosa order ( worth it when you have two or more people in your party enjoying it). I ordered the shrimp and grits which was delicious & quite flavorful. My husband ordered the steak and eggs but wasn't very satisfied- he said it was too salty. I didn't get the chance to try it. I was too busy enjoying my shrimp and grits. The kids had waffles with a side of fruits. The waffles were over cooked so they didn't care for it but ate all of the fruits. Overall, i rated them a 4 because of my personal experience and the flavor of my dish. I would recommend Lolas for the shrimp and grits, bottomless mimosas and the atmosphere. Their outdoor seating is a plus too! read more

See all

Enjoyed a delicious dinner with Jodie and Ashleigh. We split a large Paella for dinner and garlic shrimp appetitizer. Both were very good. read more

Lola's - Menu Summer 2024 - Spanish Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

The weather was gorgeous and the outdoor seating was fabulous. Our server was very attentive and made sure everything was to our liking. We tried the smoky and spicy mango mezcal cocktail and a Sazerac. Both were very delicious. The garlic mushrooms and seafood paella was excellent. We will return! read more

Lola's - Medium seafood paella - Spanish Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Lola's, where the garlic soup is bold and the duck is divine! This Spanish tapas bar has a cozy atmosphere that will make you feel right at home. The food is so good, you'll be singing "Ole!" with every bite. I started off with the garlicky and flavor-packed garlic soup, which was cooked to perfection in a rich chicken broth. The combination Paellas was a seafood lover's dream come true with a lot of shrimp, scallops, mussels, also including succulent sausage, juicy chicken, and an array of fresh veggies. But the real star of the show was the grilled duck with fig sauce and mashed potatoes - so tender, so sweet, so delicious! The friendly waitress added to the delightful dining experience and was happy to accommodate our late-night cravings. If you're looking for a place to get your Spanish fix, Lola's is the place to be. ¡Viva Lola's! read more

See all

The food was divine. I hadn't had paella since the Dominican Republic, so being able to have it here was a real treat. The paella takes about 30-45 mins, so be prepared to wait. But just order an appetizer while you wait. But make sure you don't eat too much bread, so you can enjoy the paella. We had the shrimp paella and I enjoyed all of it. Our server was amazing. The fresh sangria not pictured was delicious. The restaurant ephod be great for a first time date or a small group gathering. There was a total of 5 in our group and I was excited that we made reservations for dining. It's a small restaurant, so call ahead to confirm seating or make reservations. Everything about this restaurant was amazing. I'll be back. read more

Lola's - Seafood paella - Spanish Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Oh, Lola?!? What have you done? Used to be a favorite. No more. Way overpriced, and food is just terrible. Went here to celebrate a raise at work. Started by ordering the mezcal mango cocktail. Then had the garlic and mariscos soups. They were both just ok. Had to remind waiter to bring drink. Drink just tasted like mezcal with jarred mango juice. Flat, terrible, and a disgraceful excuse of a $15 cocktail. For entrees, I ordered the duck breast, medium rare, and hubby ordered spinach pasta. I wish I had taken a photo of my entree. It was chopped up, well done, indistinguishable meat drowning in a sweet goopy sauce that I can only describe as bad Chinese food. I can't make this up. Nothing about it resembled a duck breast. Lola should be embarrassed to serve this. Reading through reviews and photos, they clearly can't get this dish consistent or right. I took one bite and sent it back. There was no offer to bring me something else or make it right. Hubby's pasta was mediocre and overpriced at $22 for a small plate of vegetarian pasta. 1 cocktail, 2 pistolettes, 2 cups of soup, vegetarian pasta, and one upset and hungry gal with a raise...all in...$76. Most disappointing is that they clearly don't read feedback and make adjustments and couldn't care less that I left starving. So sad. The love affair is over. read more

We enjoyed a lovely brunch on a beautiful Sunday morning I made a reservation for 11 AM but once i arrived they did not see my name but they still were able to sit me and my friend right away. Our waitress was very pleasant and offered a few suggestions since I wanted to try everything! Started with the Flamenquin. It's fried pork lion stuffed with prosciutto, manchego, jack cheese. It has a side of smoked paprika aioli. *drooling* it was really good! I ordered the veggie omelette and added a biscuit and avocado on the side. The sauce that they put on the omelette was amazing!! All the veggies were fresh and the salad complimented the meal very well. The biscuit. Omg the biscuit. It was so warm, flaky and soft! It was divine. *not pictured* My friend ordered the breakfast platter. She asked for her eggs scrambled and changed the bacon to sausage. She also ordered the waffle side. They brought the food out but her eggs were not scrambled. The waitress did not hesitate to bring the plate back and ensure she had scrambled eggs. They brought the food out quickly and our waitress was so attentive. They have sanitizers at every table. All staff was wearing masks. A must go! They also do bottomless mimosas. You also get a lot of food for the price! Cute outdoor seating! You can't go wrong. read more

Lola's - Veggie omelette added avocado and the biscuit - Spanish Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

See all

4 stars for a delicious dinner. Everything we had was delicious. Wonderful seafood paella. 1 star for the excellent desserts. read more

Seafood tasted old, over cooked and lacked salt. Restaurant itself was freezing. Heard another table ask the server if they could adjust the ac. Service was nice and understaffed. Wouldn't go back for the prices read more

Really wanted to like this place! The meat paella and garlic mushrooms were great and the service was overall really good and attentive. The only reason i knocked off stars is because we intentionally ordered a mahi mahi only ceviche and were brought one mixed with shrimp. I have a severe shellfish allergy, so after examining it for like 2 minutes I asked our waitress to please return it as I was 99% confident it had shrimp in it. She came back a few moments later and said that it only comes mixed and i let her know that I couldn't eat it then but it was just frustrating to know that if I hadn't been paying close attention I could have easily gone into anaphylactic shock as a result of them not informing me they just gave us shrimp anyway (the mahi mahi one is also more expensive so we would have been charged more as well on top of it all). The last thing was that there were 3 items incorrectly added to our bill, our waitress was extremely kind and willing to remove them (they only totaled $1.75 so while it wasn't a huge amount, it still was an unexpected thing that we would have paid for if we hadn't checked). Overall, i just can't in good faith give this place more than 2 stars due to the complete lack of concern for a severe food allergy. If you don't have any allergies though I will say that the food was really good and we enjoyed our paella. read more

Lola's - Meat paella - Spanish Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I've been here for dinner many times through the years and always have had great experiences. Now they are open for brunch on the weekends and I am PUMPED! I cannot believe that they didn't do this before! $15 unlimited mimosas! Outside seating, live music and great service! Obviously their food is amazing. Brunch was perfect! Sitting outside on esplanade in our old neighborhood enjoying the wonderful October weather eating delicious tapas and brunch. I really hope this brunch idea/outdoor seating sticks around! Lola's should have been doing this for years! read more

See all

YALL NEED TO GET HERE ASAP. I've been twice and its been amazing! Tapas on point and now they serve brunch on the weekends. I mean cmon! What more can you ask for? Bottomless mimosas are great if you love to day drink like meee. Okay, so when we went for tapas, we ordered all of the apps. From the antipasto board to the garlic shrimp, it was delish! *chefs kiss* Calamari steak - so tender with the amazing sauce. Crabmeat tropical is a crabmeat mix on top of avocado. The tomato basil was huge! I was thinking tapas style but dang yall. It is a meal. I need to come back for a dinner. Brunch - okay, I mean the vibes of brunch just hits different. Right? Okay, so like you mentally prepare yourself for all day events. Well, this was incredible. We got there and ordered all the apps. I ordered the Spanish benedict. It is a open faced biscuit topped with a spanish sausage and poached egg with a red sauce. The flavors blend so smoothly. I also had a bite of the sandwich. I can't remember the name of it but YOU MUST ORDER THAT without a doubt. If you want to go, I highly suggest making reservations. Just give them a call. read more

See all

This was my first stop in NOLA. We ordered the crabmeat tropical and a combination paella. Service was great, and it's a really cute space inside. If you check in on Yelp, they give you a free glass of sangria which is nice! The meal was very average and did not seem super authentic. The crabmeat tropical seemed like it was made out of imitation crabmeat. The flavor was okay, I think it needed more tanginess to it. The paella is made fresh to order and so it took a while to come out. It came with chicken, pork, sausage and fresh vegetables, shrimp, fish, calamari, scallops, and mussels. The mussels were super tiny and I felt like I didn't see any scallops nor fish. Later on during my trip, my uber driver told me that this was mainly a spot for tourists. read more

Lola's - Crabmeat tropical - Spanish Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

See all