Bésame

Address | 110 S Rampart St, New Orleans, LA 70112

Bésame is off the beaten path but well worth the venture for some excellent eats while your in New Orleans. I came across Bésame via a google search for good eats. The excellent reviews and a peruse of the unique menu hooked me. Not far from the Central Business District, Bésame is located in a more industrial part of town that you might not necessarily find yourself in without the intent of going somewhere specific.

Bésame specializes in serving up Latin style tapas spotlighting fresh seafood from the Gulf of Mexico prepared with the flavors of Caribbean and South American cuisine. The setting is very vibrant with brightly colored art work, dinning sets, and walls. It was a fun, bright space to step into.

From the Tapas portion of the menu, we ordered the Crispy Cauliflower—Tempura, Cashew Habanero Crema, garbanzo hash, chimichurri; and Vegetarian empanadas—Sweet potato, beans, soy, curtido, cheese. The crispy cauliflower was absolutely delicious and my favorite dish. The chimichurri added a brightness to the tempura coupled with the pickled onion it balanced the dish nicely. The vegetarian empanadas were also nicely done and really satisfying.

From the Platos, I ordered the Fish & Grits—Pan seared Gulf fish, Tomatillo-avocado sauce, Poblano grits, cherry tomatoes. I really liked the use of traditional southern food, the creamy grits, combined with Latin American flavors of the Tomatillo avocado sauce to really take the flavor up.

Bésame is definitely a spot I would like to return to with a healthy appetite to try more items on their menu and some of their wine or cocktails. All in all, a fun spot with great eats!