The Little Village - Downtown

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Review

239 reviews

#25 of 546 Restaurants in Baton Rouge$$ - $$$, Italian, Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options

+1 225-218-6685+ Add website

Hours

Mon

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM5:00 PM - 7:00 PM5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Tue

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM5:00 PM - 7:00 PM5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Wed

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM5:00 PM - 7:00 PM5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Thu

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM5:00 PM - 7:00 PM5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Fri

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM5:00 PM - 7:00 PM5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Sat

5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

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Ratings and reviews

4.0

239 reviews

#25 of 546 Restaurants in Baton Rouge

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

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PRICE RANGE

$31.00 – $50.00

CUISINES

Italian

Special Diets

Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options

meals, features

Location and contact

447 N 3rd St, Baton Rouge, LA 70801

+1 225-218-6685

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Is this an Italian restaurant?

Yes

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About

The Little Village is a modern take on the original Village restaurant established in 1947. Our longstanding reputation is for serving Baton Rouge's finest classic Italian fare, prime beef, Maine lobster, veal and fresh Gulf seafood. Perfect for a romantic meal for two or the entire family. Remember, "You gotta get the bread!" We offer daily lunch specials, a full service bar and happy hour specials! We pride ourselves in providing exceptional service and food to honor the tradition of good times and good food that was started in the Distefano family kitchen back in 1945. We are a part of the Wayne Stabiler Family of Restaurants. Give us a call to make your reservation today!

PRICE RANGE

$31.00 – $50.00

CUISINES

Italian

Special Diets

Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner

FEATURES

Takeout, Reservations, Private Dining, Seating, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Table Service

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4.0

239 reviews

Excellent

116

Very good

Average

Poor

Terrible

Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.

Chris H

Litchfield688 contributions

Night out in Baton Rouge

Oct 2023 • couples

We made online reservations after reading reviews. Very nice menu in a comfortable setting in Downtown Baton Rouge. Ample parking near by. I would highly recommend.

Written October 27, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

NMkitten

Amarillo79 contributions

All we could talk about

Oct 2023 • couples

WOW!!!!! This place is amazing. Fantastic staff and food. Our server Christopher went above and beyond. He gave us great suggestions and was very attentive. He made the experience so enjoyable. The drinks were great and the dessert even better. An absolutely five star night. Would go back in a heartbeat.

Written October 16, 2023

A M

1 contribution

Even a 1 Star Review is Too High!

Oct 2023 • couples

Even a 1 Star Review is Too High! We had high hopes that we would have an exceptional experience at The Little Village Downtown. Our high hopes were quickly shattered. From the appetizer, to salads, to the entrees, we were highly dissatisfied. We got their famous bread with roasted garlic and it was ok. The bread was good but it was in so much butter that it took away from the taste instead of being a nice compliment. When we cut the bread the table was wobbly and very unstable. Shaky tables are my fiancé’s pet peeve and he had to support the table by holding the leg down with his foot. We couldn’t bring ourselves to finish their famous bread. The salad was nothing special. I barely ate half of it. When my entree came out it was cold and actually had a film coating over the top layer of my sauce with melted butter resting on top. Their Alfredo sauce tasted like creamy butter. It was apparent to me now that butter is the answer to all of their dishes. Butter is a good flavor but everything shouldn’t taste like butter. My fiancé’s medium well steak came out in a pool of grease and blood. When he cut into it more blood poured out. He politely asked the waitress to return it to be cooked a little longer. He waited about ten minutes and his “medium well” steak was return WELL done in about 3 oz of extremely hot grease. The grease was so hot the steak was still sizzling and grease was popping everywhere. The waitress was very brave for handling that highly dangerous plate of scalding grease. She warned that the plates were extremely hot and stated it will burn you if you touch the top plate. She placed the plate in front of him and grease was constantly popping on his arms. I could see the lower layer of the steak was black and the plate was scorched. He asked for her to take the steak away. I took a few bites of my fettuccine and tried to improve the taste with salt and pepper which didn’t help. By that time I couldn't stomach another bite. I wanted to let the waitress know that I was disappointed with my food and that I did not want it. Disappointed was a huge understatement. We waited another 10 minutes and the waitress never returned. She didn’t come back with an apology from the chef nor did the manager come to apologize that we had to return an entree twice. We were just sitting in an empty restaurant being neglected. We decided to leave after being ignored. We left $20 for the waitress and walked out. We sat in the car for about 20 minutes trying to figure out want was still open at 11:30 at night. Then all of sudden we were surrounded by police cars as if we were armed and dangerous. About 3-4 police came to my car to question us. They told us that The Little Village called them saying we ate our dinner and didn’t pay. We told them about our disastrous meal. The officer even admitted he ate there once and the food was terrible. They asked for my license and told us that they were going to speak with the manager to get their side of the story. I sat there shocked, upset, and most of all embarrassed. I’ve never in my whole life been in a situation where I was questioned by the police let alone surrounded by them as if I was criminal. One of the officers asked me to roll my window down and he assured me that we were not getting arrested and that they just had to find out what happened. When the officer returned to the car to confirmed what we told them, stating we didn’t eat the food and that my plate of fettuccine was still on the table as we stated. He returned my license and told us we were free to go. I pulled off and didn’t make it two traffic lights before I was in tears. Crying about how horrible our experience was how we ended our night with the police surrounding my car. I wish we would have just gone with one of our favorites: Stab’s, Fleming’s, or Ruth’s Chris. We would have had a totally different experience. If I could I would have given The Little Village Downtown negative stars. Please spend your time and money at a restaurant where you will enjoy delicious food and be valued as a customer.

Written October 8, 2023

Christopher M

Hershey164 contributions

Good Italian, Reasonable Prices

Aug 2023 • family

Stayed downtown Baton Rouge for a few days. This location was right around the corner. Cozy, good atmosphere. Quite busy on night we went and they had a few issues replacing glasses/utensils but no big deal. Friendly service. Extensive menu and very reasonable prices (most entrees $17 -$25 including salad. Chicken Parm was a good choice. Their baked garlic bread is house favorite. Would definitely recommend if looking fro break from southern or creole food.

Written August 13, 2023

LSUGenie

Baton Rouge23 contributions

Great Dinner & Drinks at Little Village

Jul 2023 • couples

Always excellent food & drinks at Little Village Downtown BR! Nate was a great waiter. He explained the specials & helped in our decisions. We had Osobuco & veal with shrimp & artichoke hearts. Wonderful! The Italian Brownie & Gelato was a great dessert & we always start with the delicious bread with garlic, olives & marinara. The Raspberry Lemon Drop Martini & Plumpjack Merlot were perfect drink selections! We’ll be back soon!

Written July 8, 2023

rmanci704

New Orleans22 contributions

Good food, friendly staff

Jun 2022 • none

The special was a pompino fish. It was cooked very well and tasty. The green beans were cook properly. So many times the beans are under cooked.

Written June 24, 2022

Gil

Washington DC6 contributions

Not what I expected

May 2022 • none

Went to the downtown location for a recent dinner and unfortunately my expectations were lessened when I walked in. I will say the staff was friendly but the seating was cramped and for such a place that lauds itself as "upscale", the tables against the wall were small and you are next to other diners (who by the way were very polite despite the close conditions). It had the vibe of a chaotic roadside diner than a place that charges a premium for it's dishes and the ambiance should reflect that. The fish was talapia, stuffed, which tasted like it was drenched in oil. Unfortunately we won't be back..too many other decent places in the area but we tried. I DO NOT want to discourage you from going or returning if you had a great experience previously. This is my own personal misadventure.

Written May 11, 2022

Crpsgirlonfire

Texas24 contributions

Little Village, Big Disappointment

Feb 2022 • family

We went in with high expectations. We left with regret and disappointment. The cocktails were fantastic. Excellent presentation and flavor. The food, was worthy of kitchen Nightmares. Here is why: they were out of a specific menu item that we didn’t find out about until after r we ordered. The server changed the replacement dish without going over the up charges etc., the daily special that was supposed to be filet mignon with stuffed seafood came without the stuffed seafood, the fried green tomatoes with jumbo lump crab lacked seasoning all around and were very bland, the fried shrimp that we chose after hearing they were out of the crab entree was ridiculously overpriced for such poor quality. Now we don’t mind spending money for a nice meal that was properly executed. But this was without a doubt one of the most overpriced meals we have ever eaten due to the poor quality and missing items. We weren’t even offered a discount, free dessert, etc. Instead the Manager was hanging out at the bar by the service well drinking a bottled beer! Yea he apologized they ran out of the Crab entree. And then when I was almost done with my filet and commented that it didn’t have the seafood stuffing he brought it out on a side plate. Again, very disappointed. Save your time and energy and make the drive to Ruth Criss steakhouse. They value your money and business far more.

Written February 18, 2022

Joe

Saint Francisville8 contributions

Great food & atmosphere - waiters need training

Dec 2021 • none

Love this place but please teach the waiters some basics. Don't clear my plate while spouse is still eating, don't ask if we would like dessert while we're still eating entres and please do not fill wine goblets when we order a bottle of wine. Food is fantastic and love the atmosphere. One other nit - lights were too bright on last visit.

Written December 25, 2021

Lukeanthonywflorida

Saint Francisville577 contributions

Birthday Celebration

Aug 2021 • none

There is only street parking. Had early reservations which were recognized. We were escorted to a 2 seat table of which my wife sat at torn bench seat. Our waitress was pleasant and masked. She took our drink order and appetizer order of Italian cheese bread. Our entrees were veal parm and bougialoni. Both entrees came with a salad. Birthday meal ended with complementary desert. It was 8:30pm when we left and the neighborhood was questionable. I had my wife stay in restaurant, while I walked quickly to our car and them pick her up.

Written August 16, 2021

Joe N

Delray Beach8 contributions

A gem in downtown Baton Rouge

Jun 2021 • none

The concierge at our hotel recommended this restaurant for Italian Food. When we are traveling my wife and I tend to eat light on the way to our destination so we decided to split an entree. We started out sharing a cup of Lobster Bisque, accompanied with a side salad. Our entree consisted of the Louisiana Seafood Medley containing shrimp, crawfish tails, jumbo lump crab, lobster, fettuccine pasta, sweet basil, with a lobster creama, along with a half loaf of their Village Bread, "you got to try the bread." Our server, Taylor made wonderful suggestions and the service was superb. We totally enjoyed everything in this delicious meal and feeling compelled to write this glowing review.

Written June 9, 2021

Kim B

1 contribution

Overplayed

Sep 2020 • business

Restaurant presented high class ambiance yet the facade was an overplayed illusion - Ordered Take Out : Red Drum Almandine, Fettuccini Alfredo, Caesar Salad, and Tiramisu Fish was dripping in grease, Fettuccini was goopy and over laden with sauce, Tiramisu was soggy and flat... Total bill was $45.00 - regrettable experience, sickening stomach response in the wake of a few bites -

Written September 28, 2020

goodjobjoe

Buckeye32 contributions

This was the best meal I’ve had in years!

Jul 2020 • none

This was the best meal I’ve had in years! Our waitress, Michelle was so pleasant and helped us choose what to order. We had to try their specialty bread which was heavenly and the house Gorgonzola Italian dressing on our fresh and crisp salad was excellent! We ordered the Muffaletta sandwich, a treat since we are from Arizona. Very pleasant and relaxing atmosphere with soothing music playing in the background.

Written July 14, 2020

ann2122

Charleston253 contributions

Wonderful meal!

Jan 2020 • none

Wonderful atmosphere (we were seated in private dining room). Started with full loaf of bread with all three sides--absolutely delicious. Lobster bisque, wedge salad and tuna appetizer were very good. Chicken piccatta, lasagna and filet mignon were all delicious. Raven was an excellent server with a friendly smile and very professional. Will definitely dine here again if in Baton Rouge.

Written January 29, 2020