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Left Bank was a culinary highlight of my visit to Buffalo.
In addition, it was a comical celebration of the oddities of life and a treat in company and service.
The food first:
The Foccia are terrific. We had the Pesto Chicken Portobello and WOW. It floored me.
We tried the salmon wrapped asparagus in wasabi sauce and it was quite wonderful as well.
The clientelle were a bit drunk sitting at the bar, and they provided (at the begining) annoyance, and at the end entertainment (mostly after deftly reseating ourselves during a lull in the action). The tender was quite comical in dealing with the attending inebriated, but kept a god focus on the others at the bar needing service. Struck a good balance and it was appretiated.
The decor has trendous attention to detail and the bar itself is warm and inviting.
I HIGHLY recommend a visit for a nice sit down and eat drink a beer and hang out evening.
OH, and the beer selection is TOP NOTCH, and I understand the wine is too.
I visited Left Bank on a Wednesday, unbeknownst to me, it was their usual Asian night. After a cocktail at the bar, our table was ready. We started with an Asian themed Tuna Tartare. The tuna was fantastic, placed on a pedastal of steamed rice, covered with a spicy miso sauce. I do not remember the name of what my dining partner selected, but it was a pasta dish with scallops, shrimp, mussels and other various seafood. I, however, can not forget my meal. It was a 10 oz. Kobe beef strip steak over garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus. There was a nice red wine reduction over the steak that complemented the beef perfectly.
The staff was very friendly, the meal was priced right and could not have asked for a better experience. I highly recommend Left Bank to anyone.
I have to admit, it was my first trip to Buffalo. My co-worker and I used Yelp (thanks Yelpers) to find a nice place to eat dinner during our short trip here. Left Bank did not disappoint.
As a Left Coaster, I know good restaurants (San Fran has top notch places) and Left Bank felt like a San Francisco/Seattle restaurant. (The place actually reminded me a lot of Black Bottle in Seattle, WA).
The food was amazing, and the portion sizes were huge but not over priced. We shared the mesclun salad with goat cheese wontons (I NEED to recreate this at home), grilled shrimp on artichoke bottoms with goat cheese, the Parma foccacia (heavenly) and we had to try the chevre mashed potatoes (yes, we like goat cheese).
We were STUFFED and didn't even finish everything. The wine list was varied and most likely complimented the food well (I only had one glass of the Rose - dry and fruity).
Next time I am traveling to Buffalo (for work or otherwise), I might have to skip the wings and head straight to Left Bank.
This is objectively one of the 3 or 4 best restaurants in Buffalo. When you factor in atmosphere, relatively cheap prices when compared with those other places, and portion size, it's head and shoulders above the rest.
Atmosphere is great for anything from a happy hour to an anniversary. A shady open-air patio is open in the summertime, and is always packed. I have never been successful at getting reservations on saturday nights, so be sure you make those well ahead of time.
Ok, so the food is fantastic. Seriously. The ahi tuna tartare is so well balanced and tasty, I could eat it every day. Every time I go there is a different special or soup that I have to try. If I have to stick to the classics, they've got a Red Beans and Rice with Chorizo sausage that puts Nola to shame. Their twin tournadoes of beef with mushroom ragout is awesome, and I've eaten their Penne Arrabiata countless times. It makes me so hungry, I wish I was there right now!
If you're looking for a cheaper alternative to their dinners --reasonable though they are-- try their sunday brunch. Everything's pretty much under $10, and the food is filling, delicious, and served with freshly baked bread of the day (their espresso chocolate bread is my favorite).
Love the Left Bank. Seriously.
Went here on a first date and it set a nice tone. The atmosphere is dignified yet comfortable. All the tables were filled with happily chatting couples and groups. The bar, through which one enters the dining room, was cavernous and no doubt added to the high noise level of this small establishment.
The service seemed a little tense, which was a bit of a damper. It could have been the server's first week, you never know. We had the fondue-for-two for starters, and it offered a yummy arrangement of meat, vegetables and focaccia for dipping. I was surprised that the cheese sauce was not gooey enough to really douse the foods.
My date had the salmon, which he devoured with gusto. I had a special consisting of angel-hair pasta and scallops. It was extremely heavy with garlic, even for French cooking, but it packed plenty of "zing." The mixed-berry tart I had for dessert was also flavorful, and they did not make us feel rushed.
All in all I would say this was a more than satisfactory, if not quite superior, dining experience and I will definitely go back in the future. Reservations are probably a must on Friday and Saturday nights.
I go to Left Bank so often I almost feel guilty writing this review for when you first arrive (and each time you go back) you feel like an old friend.
First things first: make a reservation if you want to eat dinner at a table BUT if you can't get a reservation, they'll serve you at the bar presuming it's not too busy.
The food is phenomenal. I have never had a lack luster appetizer, soup, salad, entree or dessert. I think I've tried everything on their menu at least once. I LOVE the Grand Marnier Pork with chevre mashed potatoes, the Carrot Parpadelle in lobster sauce, the Portabella fries with fondue "for two", all of their focaccia pizzas, and especially their daily soup special(s).
Their brunch is the best I've had. I used to say that about Norma's in Manhattan until I had the absolute pleasure of brunching it at LB. They provide live music (think jazz-inspired trio or quartet.) My favorite dish is their Crab Cakes Benedict. MY GOD! Mmmm.
Assuming you do have a reservation (think two weeks ahead of time for a Friday or Saturday evening), get there early for a cocktail. The bartenders are GREAT! Try one of their many beer/wine options or ask for an extravagant concoction.
The prices are reasonable enough that you could and should order an appetizer or soup, an entree for sure, and maybe a desert to share. They also have an espresso bar.
Their patio, as other reviewers mentioned, is a great place to hang out on a nice evening. In the warm seasons they will also serve your meal outside.
They have two free lots on the same block, same side of the street. It's easily located near the corner of Richmond Avenue and Rhode Island street.
If you live in Buffalo and haven't been here previously, you MUST go. If you're visiting, you MUST go. If you had no prior reason to visit Buffalo, you DO NOW.
I've been told that they don't do paid advertising...and it's clear to see why. They're always full due to their great menu and consistency. Their service (contrary to on review on here) is spot on: who wants to go to a nice restaurant and be rushed? Certainly not me! The service is attentive and professional without being stuffy or rude. Love them.
In a word: GO. In two words: GO NOW!
Back with my family, I had not been in a while.
Bruschetta... A+
Eggplant dish...A++
Wine list extensive and complete. Its all good.
No 5 stars because it took for-freakin'-ever to get our food.
Otherwise go and take friends. Make sure you get the Vino beforehand so you can chillax while you wait.
EXcellent Dining In City of BuFFalo.
Left Bank is The Place you want to go for your birthday. You want to celebrate here.
Left Bank is where you want to go on a real "date" - I mean like get a reservation and impress someone.
I love their food.
**They have amazing Tuna Tartare app. Portabello Fries.
**Everything is of AweSome quality.
I love their wine list.
**They have one of my all-time favorite wines CLOUDY BAY Sauv. Blanc.
**Veuve Cliquot is reasonable here-always a good sign
They have amazing specials nightly. Excellent Service. Great Bar-Great options.
Please go here. Again. and Again.
So far it's the Best Sunday brunch with the best atmosphere (live music, exposed brick,vaulted ceilings) in the city of BLo.
This is one of those classic "Buffy" hotspots that we take out-of-towners to, in order to impress upon them that we actually have good food and a decent scene.
The service can be maddingly slow, and you can NEVER get a table on a Friday or Saturday night unless you call in advance. Howevs, the atmosphere is pretty cool and the food is decent. The "creative"ness of the menu has worn off after so many years, but they do have fairly extensive daily specials to keep one's interest piqued.
The wine list is rather short and sweet, but the bottles are reasonably priced.
this is the only nicer restaurant i went to in buffalo (i am a glutton for wings), so i am ranking this against other places i've been to elsewhere and not just buffalo restaurants.
first the space is very lovely. the dining area inside is set up with three different levels. we were in the back level which was dark, candle lit, and intimate. it is a little loud--we could hear the conversations of many people around us very clearly, including one extra-loud, total dbag of course, that wasnt left bank's fault, but it was a damper on the dinner.
the service was good. one thing--the table was close to the ledge that goes to the kitchen/back. one of the servers and a weird habit of, say when he was filling our water or clearing dishes, putting the empty carafe or dishes on the ledge, and then walking around to the other side of the ledge, and picking them up. I mean, he has to walk around anyway, it's not like someone else is grabbing them from the other side of the ledge, so I didn't see any efficiency in the move. it was a little off-putting.
the food is fine. for the appetizer, we got the egg dipped artichoke/tomato/mozz cheese tower. this was ok, certainly impressive to look at, but could have used something more flavorful. it also did not have enough basil, though i do like those types of apps best when i get basil in every bite, so maybe others would have been satisfied.
the bruschetta of the day was cheese, artichokes, and grilled chicken. again, this was fine, but it tasted more like an open face sandwich on small pieces of bread rather than bruschetta. The chicken was very plain. and i know that there arent strict "bruschetta rues," but i was expecting the chopped up tomatoes and garlic.
We also got the homemade ravioli and the twin angus beef dish. the ravioli was essentially chicken parm wrapped up in a giant noodle. i agree with connor--don't get it. it had lots of cheese, which i enjoyed but would have preferred outside of the noodle blanket, not enough spinach, and the chicken breading didn't stay anywhere near the chicken pieces. the steak was delicious (i would argue they cooked it a little too much for rare, but i like steak still kicking). The mushroom ragout that came with it was good, but there werent very many mushrooms. i thought the bacon with it was tasty, but i dont know if it really made sense with the flavors--it seemed to overpower the ragout/meat flavor if i tried to eat it with the steak. this came with mashed potatoes and veggies that were cooked perfectly--just a little crisp.
So while I loved the space, I would not re-order anything we got save the steak, which makes it a 3-star place.
The food is great and the little patio in the back is super cute. Our party of 4 arrived last night around 9:30 for dinner and the place was still quite busy, but we had no trouble getting a table. They have a great, extensive, but not overly expensive wine selection and our waitress was friendly and helpful. Our meals were easily big enough to have leftovers for lunch and so much of the menu sounded delicious, I'm sure we'll be back during future trips to Buffalo to try it all.
Sublime. Tonight the service was slow but it only matched our pace. The food? Good. Both the salad and entre I had were soaked in dressing, but it was very tasty. The service was on and the ambiance perfect. I will return, and with my better half. Enjoy.
This is the one resturant I have to visit when I'm back in Buffalo. I've been in Denver for 7 years now, and every time I'm home visiting a trip to the Left Bank is always on the schedule. The panko chicken is my staple.
Buffalo, NY
Category: Restaurants
Buffalo, NY
Category: American (New)
Buffalo, NY
Category: Middle Eastern
Buffalo, NY
Category: Restaurants
Buffalo, NY
Category: Restaurants
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