Libro At Laurelwood - Memphis

Too many flies at the bar area. The drinks and food was good though.

Libro had all the makings of a hidden Memphis gem but missed the mark with its food in a major way. I was eager to try this new spot out for dinner with my husband and mother-in-law. We dined on Tuesday evening at 6:30PM and were quickly seated in the center of the restaurant. Nestled beside shelves of books, the dining room is spacious and airy yet delightfully intimate. Our server, Matt, was incredibly attentive and well-versed in the menu, which boasted some enticing dishes.Unfortunately, none of it tasted as good as it sounded. My husband and mother-in-law ordered the steak special; I had the seared sea bass. Both proteins were woefully under seasoned and much in need of salt and pepper, inexcusable at $30 a plate. The grit cake served with my sea bass was dry and bland, mitigated only by the miso broth underneath which sadly was also lacking in that rich umami punch. Baked potatoes on the steak plates were also underdone and needed a fair amount of butter and sour cream to compensate. On a lighter note, the tiramisu and coconut sorbet we finished with were lovely.Though the service and atmosphere were excellent, they simply can’t compensate for poorly prepared dishes, especially not when commanding the upscale price point that they did.

Nice classy little restaurant— would be a great date idea. I appreciate that they serve half portions of their dishes. Service is always good, with the added bonus of being inside a bookstore.

I love having lunch in a bookstore. Two of my favorite things, food and books, combined! Win-Win! The catfish was excellent, and so was the service.

Excellent service!! I had the Scottish salmon salad with a caramel latte everything was fresh and delicious and I definitely will be returning.