La Belle Helene in Uptown Charlotte, NC

La Belle Helene is an upscale, French brasserie in the Uptown district of Charlotte. The restaurant opened its doors in the summer of 2018. Inside the restaurant, you will immediately notice a long bar area. This is a perfect for a beverage after work with friends or coworkers. The decor inside was beautifully done. I particularly like the large light fixtures and copper pans around the kitchen area. There is indoor, outdoor, and private room seating available. Helene is open for lunch and dinner during the week, but has different hours on the weekend. They do offer a Sunday brunch, which is popular in Charlotte.

Interior of La Belle Helene

Helene's menu offers many seafood, beef, chicken, lamb, and meat options. Their lunch menu is on the lighter side and does contain options for some dietary preferences. However, I would not suggest this restaurant for dinner to someone who is vegetarian or vegan. During my recent visit for dinner, our group ordered the Scottish Salmon, LBH Burger American, and Hand Chopped Beef Tartare. I was unimpressed with the portion size of the salmon, but my friend thought the dish was very tasty. My wife and I shared the burger and tartare. Their burger was well spiced and delicious. The artisan bun was a great compliment to the two thin 4 oz. patties. The side of pomme frities were also very good. We thought the beef tartare was good, but not amazing. It was very tender, but not as flavorful as I would have liked. Our other friend also ordered the burger and thought it was wonderful.   

LBH Burger American

Beef Tartare and pomme frites

​The beverage list of wines, beers, and spirits is plentiful. You should have no issue finding something you enjoy during a happy hour or with dinner. One of our friends also enjoys their wine spritzers. My only complaint is that there are very few inexpensive wines available by the glass or bottle. We shared a bottle of Pinot Noir with dinner that was on their lower end of pricing at $48. I like having the ability to order multiple wines around $8-10 a glass and $36-40 a bottle. 

The service at Helene was above average from everyone we encountered. We had a team of two servers take care of our table. Our water glasses were kept full and food came out in a reasonable amount of time. 

While our experience at Helene was enjoyable, I felt that our bill was higher than I would have expected. The prices at Helene for food and alcohol are high in my opinion. In addition, we did order the most expensive entrees such as their signature rotisserie chicken or steaks. For the amount of money spent, there are a lot of options around Charlotte.

I plan to return to Helene in the future for drinks and dinner. Their location, atmosphere, and dining experience left a good impression. While I felt that we paid too much for our meal, I hope the next visit will change my perspective.  

Street Sign