Restaurants Search

Today's Events

Tue, Dec 02

Upcoming Events

Thu, Dec 04

Fri, Dec 05

Fine Wine tastings at Christabelle's!

Be Social

Miami New Times Insiders

Christabelle's Quarter

3157 Commodore Plaza

Coconut Grove, FL 33133

786-517-2583
Website

You’ve heard of the Big Easy? This is the Very Big Easy -- three sprawling floors decorated with a gaudy gumbo of flickering gas streetlamps, stained-glass ceiling domes, murals, tapestries, chandeliers, and three 60-foot-long antique mahogany bars (one per floor). An outdoor patio occupies the top level. On weekends the place achieves a madhouse ambiance reminiscent of Friday-afternoon happy hour at Mardi Gras, or down the street at Mr. Moe’s -- which is owned by the same folks as Christabelle’s. There is no rice, beans, and andouille sausage dish on the menu. No dirty rice, jambalaya, crawfish pie, mee-o-my-o. What they do serve are oysters freshly imported from New Orleans, aged steaks and chops, and regional favorites such as gumbo (good), steamed Louisiana crawfish (scrawny), shrimp rémoulade (tasty), and Cajun smothered duck (dull). The food is uneven. Desserts are worse. This grandiose dining establishment is new and ambitious -- lunch, jazz brunch, and live concerts are to come -- which means it probably needs more time to get its footing. A reason for optimism is Executive Chef Alex Patout, who has a strong culinary background and owned a successful French Quarter eatery for 16 years. Doubters might worry if Mr. Moe won’t have more influence than Mr. Patout. Recreating the Big Easy is not as easy as it seems.

Full Review: Christabelle's Quarter (07-19-07)

Cuisine(s): Cajun/Creole
Hours: Daily, 5:30 p.m. - 12 a.m.; Jazz Brunch, Sat-Sun 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Price: $$$
Serving: Dinner
Reservations: Highly Recommended
Parking: Meters, Valet
Payment Types: All Major Credit Cards
Attire: Casual
Features: Wheelchair Access

show/hide reviews (4) Please log in to write your review

Overall:

I want to start off by saying that I NEVER write bad reviews. I am a pretty easy going guy and most of my poor dining experiences I chalk up to being just a little annoying. The worst that ever happens is I just never return. Christabelle's Quarter has broken this pattern. There were some good aspects of the experience. I found the decor to be interesting, I was told the steaks were very good, and the manager provided some comps to rectify the situation at the end of the night. We had seen the restaurant on TV and my wife wanted to surprise me for my birthday. She called over a week ahead for a Saturday night and specifically requested a table upstairs. It is a very popular place on Saturday, so the only times were 6:30 and 9:30 for the balcony tables. No problem, we took the 9:30. My party of 7 arrived at 9:25, were told it would just be a short while and went to the bar for some cocktails. We were having fun at the bar, so barely noticed the first 30 minutes pass. Repeated trips to the host station resulted in a seating at 10:30 on the bottom floor under the stairs. Initial service was confused and sloppy. My wife expressed her displeasure to the supposed manager of the seating. He quickly arranged an open table on the balcony to move us to. We thought things were looking up. Because of the move, there was some initial confusion by the wait staff, which I expected and accepted. At midnight our entrees came except for one which we were told at that time they were out of. No alternative was offered, so my friend shared her husband's pasta. We ordered several portions of mashed potatoes. About 15 minutes after our entrees arrived, a half bowl of fries were laid down and we were told they were out of mashed potatoes. Dessert orders for 7 were taken. The waiter returned with only a slice of birthday cake and one cr�me brulee. Insincere apologies were provided throughout the night, but nothing else outside of the table change to what we originally reserved. At the end, I called the manager over and discussed the night with him. I asked what he was prepared to do. He said he would take off all of the things we did not receive and my wife's entree which was the cheapest dish at only $19. I told him it was not sufficient and he needed to come back with a better plan. In the end, we were not charged for anything not received, comp for my wife's entree, and an additional $25. A small token considering the high prices we paid for everything else. On the way out, the Ma�tre d' asked a friend of mine how the experience was. He told him it was not good, and the Ma�tre d' responded with that we should have stayed downstairs..... Even with all of the problems, I would not have had such a bad experience if they were just a little more courteous and acted liked they wanted our business. They obviously have more business than they need so we will help them with that by not going back. I am disappointed as I had been looking forward to this restaurant. This was our experience. If you still decide to go, I hope your experience is much better. Good luck. Note: I only give the food 3 stars because we simply did not get served most of it. I am sure it has potential to be quite good. The overall 2 star rating was for the atmosphere, otherwise it would have been a 1 for me.
Review by Jim
Overall:

One word "Terrible"

We were excited to try something new. But, this restaurant was not the place. Don't waste your money. Unfortunatly, I don't see this place making it. We need restaurants like you see in Washington, DC and so many other great cities.
Review by Tim
Overall:

Very beautiful place, as for the food, leaves much to desire
Review by Ed Ochoa
Overall:

My boyfriend and I went here on a whim and were seated quickly without a reservation. Our waiter was excellent, the food was brilliant and we loved the atmosphere.
Review by seventhirtyone

Search by...

Restaurant Name

—OR—

Favorites

Critics' Pick (41)

—OR—

Cuisine

African/Ethiopian/Eritrean (1)
American (203)
Appetizers (6)
Argentine (20)
Asian Other (19)
Bakery (62)
Barbecue (18)
Bistro (13)
Brazilian (6)
Breakfast (16)
Brewpub/Pub Fare (49)
Buffet (14)
Cajun/Creole (14)
Cantonese/Szechwan (5)
Caribbean (33)
Central American (15)
Chinese (121)
Coffeehouse/Cafe (42)
Colombian (10)
Contemporary (82)
Continental (12)
Cuban (118)
Czech-Slovak (1)
Danish (1)
Deli (50)
Dessert (19)
Diner (11)
Eclectic (36)
English/Irish (2)
European Other (9)
Fast Food (50)
Filipino (2)
French (54)
Fusion (3)
German/Polish/Russian (7)
Gourmet market (11)
Greek/Mediterranean (35)
Guatemalan (1)
Haitian (4)
Health/Vegetarian (33)
Honduran (2)
Hot Dogs (6)
Indian (16)
Indian/Pakistani (2)
Indonesian (1)
International (55)
Irish (5)
Italian (196)
Jamaican (13)
Japanese/Sushi (114)
Korean (5)
Kosher (15)
Latin (88)
Latin cafeteria (7)
Lebanese (2)
Market (5)
Mediterranean (17)
Mexican (64)
Middle Eastern (23)
New American (3)
New York style Deli (3)
Northern Italian (1)
Nuevo Latino (1)
Other (1)
Peruvian (26)
Pizza (130)
Portuguese (5)
Pub (1)
Puerto Rican (3)
Raw Bar (3)
Russian (3)
Salads (20)
Salvadoran (2)
Sandwiches (90)
Seafood (120)
Soup (7)
South African (2)
South American (68)
Southern/Soul Food (6)
Spanish (34)
Steakhouse (65)
Tapas (17)
Tea Room (3)
Tex-Mex/Mexican (1)
Thai (44)
Venezuelan (3)
Vietnamese (10)
West Indian (1)
Wine Bar (11)
World (1)

—OR—

Neighborhood

(Click

for subcategories)

Coconut Grove/Key Biscayne (77)
- Coconut Grove/Key Biscayne (77)
Coral Gables (128)
- Coral Gables (128)
Fort Lauderdale (1)
- Fort Lauderdale (1)
Miami/Central Dade (278)
- Miami/Central Dade (278)
North Beaches (126)
- North Beaches (126)
North Dade (187)
- North Dade (187)
South Beach (297)
- South Beach (297)
South Miami/Kendall/South Dade (340)
- South Miami/Kendall/South Dade (340)
The Keys (15)
- South Florida (15)
West Dade/Hialeah (258)
- West Dade/Hialeah (258)

—OR—

Price Range

—OR—

Today's Events

Tue, Dec 02

live Dixieland-style jazz

Upcoming Events

Thu, Dec 04

Thursday Night Dinner Party

Fri, Dec 05

Fine Wine tastings at Christabelle's!

Be Social

Miami New Times Insiders

E-mail:

Password:

Christabelle's Quarter

Restaurant Name

Favorites

Cuisine

Neighborhood

Price Range

Features

Movie Keyword

Movie Title

Neighborhood

Clubs / Venues

Event Keyword

Date

Live Music

Artist

Neighborhood

Event Keyword

Date

Category