Clementine’s Belgian Bistro

it’s now closed, probably forever!!! what a shame… i guess the location didn’t do much for them…

Absolute gem in New Orleans’ Westbank neighborhood with all kinds of authentic Belgian fare. But a trip here that doesn’t include a pot of mussels (in one of their four base broths) is like a trip to a sushi bar for tempura. Amazingly fresh, plump and plentiful, the house moules (that’s fancy Belgian-​talk for mussels) rivaled anything my wife and I had in Bruges a few years ago.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the U.S. isn’t exactly overrun with great Belgian restaurants. New Orleans is lucky to have one this authentic and wonderful, and out-​of-​towners shouldn’t hesitate to put it on their must-​do lists.

Wow, the mussels… I can’t stop drooling… how many mussels can you get in a pot?! There were sooooo many and soo good for the price! If you ever crave for delicious mussels cooked in delicious sauce, this is the place to be! And I feel bad for you if you aren’t from the Westbank.
Ok, the restaurant is a tiny cozy restaurant. The kitchen is literally 20 feet away from where you are sitting, which allows you to smell the aromas from your meal being perfected by the chef. There is artwork that surrounds the walls of the restaurant, that I believe is for sale? I’m not sure I see tags hanging on them. The waitress is so friendly and awesome! Her recommendations are right on point with the food. I was pleasantly surprised. I don’t think you can go wrong with anything on the menu.

I love this place. The owners are really Belgian from the Wallon side, so the cusine is authentic. Being that I am very familiar with Belgian food for being in the Belgian countryside so often its nice to have this choice in the NOLA. Its a little hidden gem on the Wank, but a pleasantly surprising one. Great selection of Belgian beers as well!
Eet smakelijk

Went to Clementine’s for lunch the other the day for the first time and it was better than expected. We started off with the mushroom appetizer which was delicious. It was stuffed with Roquefort cheese and I believe it had a top layer of a thick white sauce with the same cheese they put in french onion soup browned. I ordered the pork chop and the other person with me ordered the redfish. Both were excellent but I would give the edge to the redfish dish. It tasted wonderful and you could tell it was fresh. Also the little salad that came with it was surprisingly good due to the oil based salad dressing. I ordered one of there Belgian beers and the waitress brought it out in its official Oktoberfest glass and holder which I thought was really cool. Overall a nice place other than Vietnamese or Chinese food on the westbank.

I hadn’t been to Clementine’s in some time, so I decided to eat there today for lunch.
We arrived at 11:30 and it looked deserted. Apparently they had just opened for lunch and we were their first customers of the day. We decided on the beef stew (there is a fancy name that I cant remember) and the steak frittes.
The beef stew was wonderful. The beef was tender and flavorful and came with a side of stumpf. Stumpf is a type of mashed potato with leeks. It was tasty.
The steak Frittes is a strip steak with fries. I ordered it medium rare. While it was more medium than medium rare, it was great. It was juicy and flavorful. There was a sauce with the steak that soaked into the fries and made them incredible. I highly recommend this dish.
Our meals came with a salad that had a wonderful dressing. I don’t know what the dressing was, but wow, was it good.
Our server was friendly and attentive. This was a very enjoyable meal and I strongly recommend this restaurant to anyone on the westbank and beyond.
By the way, Clementines has an excellent beer menu. The beer aficianado will not be disappointed.

The menu is comparable to something like Le Crêpe Nanou, a restaurant that I very much like, but I would definitely give the edge to Clementine’s. If you like Belgian beers, they have the best selection of any restaurant that I can recall in New Orleans. There are also some very good wines to choose from.
I am definitely a fan of regional cuisine in New Orleans, but after living in other metropolitan areas, sometimes I feel like there is a bit of a lack of quality non-​regional cuisine here. Finding really good Indian, Thai, Chinese, Eastern European, etc, food is certainly challenging. That’s why I feel lucky to have found out about Clementine’s many years ago. I’m giving it five stars because this is definitely tops for Belgian food in the region (perhaps the only one to choose from?) and at the price point, it definitely ranks up there with any Belgian restaurant I’ve been to, and that includes my travel-​time in Belgium. And if you are lucky enough to get the owner (from Normandy, IIRC) Miss Clementine as your server, you are in for a charming and lovely dining EXPERIENCE. We are very lucky to have this restaurant here in New Orleans, and I wish it wasn’t quite the secret that it seems to be.

Escargot, four styles of mussels and frites, Belgian Trappist beer, and crêpes. And you may take the well-​designed and crafted furniture home (but please pay for it first).
This is the only Belgian place in these parts, and I don’t think most people around here even know that it exists. Gracious Clémentine, the ever-​smiling owner, is there doting on her customers and is genuinely happy to see you. The choice of Belgian beer is outstanding. The beef stew is also wonderful.
Actually, everything on the menu is fantastic. We always get talked into dessert. Get the Crêpe Clémentine: Flemish Crêpe, caramelized apples, vanilla ice cream, Grand Marnier brandy. The sum is even greater than all of those delectable parts.
The one small drawback — while the service is friendly and generous, it can sometimes be languid. Especially if Clémentine is the only server that evening, and several tables arrive at once. So you should flexibly anticipate dining in proper leisurely European style. The wait is worth it.