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Bistrot Bistro's menu is drawn from the classic traditions of French country fare, where extended families would share comfort cuisine and fun around the table at a leisurely pace. The wine program focuses on food compatibility, diversity, and above all else, value. A state-of-the-art preservation system ensures that each and every wine featured on our list will be available to you by the glass, at any time.
Four of us spent over $500 on a New Years meal and were surprised when the bill was closer to $600. We were told the unexpected $77 charge was for the 'entertainment' - a jazz duo that played some background music for parts of our meal. When we said this didn't seem right, the owners got upset with us and told us we were wrong. We paid and left, only to be chased down 4th Ave by the owner who threw three $20s at us and said he didn't want our money. We won't be back.
I and my family went there the day before Valentine's Day. The place was packed. Little wonder. Dinner prices are like lunch prices elsewhere, but the food is delicious, with generous portions. The prix fix menu is particularly a good deal. I had the Fisherman Stew. While it can't compare to the one at Henry's Bistro (no one's can), it is still very tasty, with huge pieces of fish, scallops, etc. Very fresh ingredients. My kids had the steak frite. The fries came in a huge container, and while the steaks were not particularly big, they were very tasty, with a prominent charcoal flavour. My wife had the Coq au White Wine. This is the first time I have seen this dish prepared with white wine instead of red, but again, it was delicious. The creme caramel was huge. Service was fine, but because the place was so busy, it was a bit hectic. Also, tables are placed very close to each other, which makes the place feel a bit crowded. After all, it is a Bistro and not a fine dining restaurant, so you can't expect the roominess of an upscale restaurant. Along with that, the noise level is quite high, again fitting for a Bistro. All in all, unbeatable value.
We made a reservation for 10 on a recent Friday night and despite the restaurant being busy at prime dinner time, I was pleased with being seated on time. The restaurant was clean, the decor modern but the seating was tight, amplifying the noise within the dining room. Unfortunately with being a Friday night, the Prix Fix menu was not available. We ordered our meals and were served a delicious garlicky olive tapenade with a baguette as we waited patiently. Our waiter was polite, attentive and very efficient. As we were catching up with one another in our group, I was passed a tablet to view digital photos. The owner quickly came by and placed her kitchen towel on top of the screen and asked me to remind her why we were all here tonight. I was taken by surprise with her inquiry (feelings of being questioned like a grade-school student by the school administrator rather than being treated like a guest were flowing through my mind), I replied we are here for food and company to which she responded please put away your electronic devices and proceeded to high five my friend for putting away her cell phone. To put some perspective on this, we are a group of office professionals in our 30's and 40's and most of us were in fact engaged in conversations. That pivotal moment was where the evening starting taking a nosedive, I did not realize it was offensive to view photos, whether they be in an electonic format or physical copy. My French onion soup arrived, the broth had a nice flavor but I found the cheese very thin, not worth the money they charge. The mac & cheese that came with the duck was bland, the duck was disappointing. Most of the entrees do not come with sides so we ordered a few sides to share. The au gratin potatoes, green salad, carrots and brussel sprouts were good. The ratatouille was ok. Portion sizes are reasonable but when you factor in the price you pay for sides, there are many other French restaurants within the Lower Mainland that offer a better dining experience for a similar price. I rated the service solid as a compromise because of our wonderful waiter and the ambiance solid as you could expect noise in a bistro setting. Being a large group, the automatic 15% gratuity was applied to our bill. After paying my $43 share of the bill (food only, no drinks), I was out the door. This was my first visit to BB and definitely my last, what a disappointment! I would not recommend.
A great neighborhood gem on W 4th! Service is friendly but not overpretentious. It gets super busy and packed so be sure to go early. The food is delicious and so is the wine. And hot french bread? Soo good!! Portions are good, but kind of pricey for my liking. Not bad, pretty good to try on a random night you feel like french food.
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who was disappointed with the fare last night. The food was tasteless, the place was extremely cramped, and the doorway where the made people wait became so cramped that people could not exit. Can't believe what they charged people for their absurd fixed menu that had no price on it. I would have walked out.
My date had the halibut and I had the steak, and it looks like the duck was no better. I will never go back after this awful experience.
Was excited to try the place after reading good reviews and checking out their website, but left extremely disappointed. The place was insanely crowded, once you sat down it was nearly impossible to get up without moving one of the tables beside you. Food choices were limited to three dishes, and frankly didn't taste great. The potatoes and desert were good, but the duck was quite horrible. Prices (fixed price, not included on the menu) were insane, with the tip already calculated in for a party of two so we couldn't even reflect our disappointment.
Overall bad experience with ridiculous prices, limited choices, and sub-par food. DON'T GO.
Read rave reviews here but was extremely disappointed. Restaurant was very cramped (had to move tables to go to the washroom), menu was sub-par (duck was chewy), vegetables were mushy and the bill was absurd. However, the service was at least helpful and polite. But that can't help a restaurant if the food can't speak for itself.
Bottom line: avoid, not worth it
We recently checked out this place on a quiet weeknight, lured in by our love of french food and the $26 prix-fixe three-course meal. The service was fantastic, hands down some of the best we have had in Vancouver. The food was good, large portions, and well priced. Unfortunately none of our dishes were outstanding. At this price maybe they don't have to be, but I was expecting a bit more in the way of food. I've had better Campagne Pate at other Vancouver French Bistros (recently, even) and also I think the roast chicken is better at Provence, here it was delicious on the outside but the actual chicken meat was on the bland side. Try brining the chicken! We had creme brulee for dessert and found it again, good, but not great with a too thick sugar layer on top. The ratatoullie and portabello mushroom dish were very good, and we will most likely try this restaurant again because of the great service, value, and great veggie options.
Maybe this was a twist on traditional French cuisine but I didn't find it particularly French. There was nothing wrong with the main courses, they were just...ok...but not outstanding. We had Crepe Suzette for dessert and it wasn't great, the crepes were too thick and the sauce almost blew my head off, too sweet by European standards, maybe they were catering to the North American palate!
The service was good for us, the waitress seemed a little bit fed up though. We were asked three times whether we were enjoying the meal, and that was too many times. Other customers didn't get the same treatment as we did, much worse, particularly those who wanted two tables put together.
For those prices I would expect a better food experience. So value for money I marked as the worst.
Ambiance, the place was modern, clean and comfortable. None of the decor reflected a French experience. However these days I am happy for not sharing my table with a family of bugs.
I would not go to this place again mainly bases on the value rating. If the food reflects the price then maybe I will consider going again.
I went with two others, we tried the rabbit, the filet mignon, the lamb shank, and the charcuterie platter, as well as the potato and brussels sprout side dishes.
I DO NOT recommend the charcuterie platter, the liver terrine was straight up awful, terribly disappointing. The rest of the platter was ok but you could definitely do better. Too bad because the ingredients were quality and the presentation was lovely.
The rabbit was insipid. Tasted like boiled chicken.
The filet was probably the best dish. Great big piece of meat with good sauce.
The lamb shank tasted like a standard lamb shank, the seasonings were really really mild and almost non-existent.
The side dishes were great.
In summary, this is a good place for a decent sized chunk of good protein for a reasonable price.
I would probably go again and try different things.
Really the food is just not very flavorful or complex - at least not the three meat dishes we had.
The prix fixe deal is worth checking out so I will do that since its right around the corner.
If you are looking to be blown away by excellent french cuisine, go elsewhere. If you want a sort of comfort food meal for a decent price in a really well-run establishment then go here.
First and foremost, I love French food, they KNOW food, they make the best desserts and baked goods in the whole world. I love this place. My dining pal and I checked out their brunch over the weekend and tasted the best goat cheese omelet eva! The wine list was exhaustive and you can order a glass of any of their wines which is too awesome. I did enjoy my chocolate truffle cake but have to say the fruity dessert (can't remember the name) my friend had was best for this summer. The room has some renos that should be done. It was comfortable and not too showy which I like but I still felt some ambiance was missing to go with the splendid food I had. I cannot wait to return for dinner. Thank god for French food, I love them! Délicieux!
Halfway through my meal there was this intense smell of pinesol coming from the back of the restaurant. It was impossible to taste anything after that. I asked politely to please stop the use of the cleaner as a couple of people in our party started getting a headache. The smell subsided and started again after 10 minutes!!!! Who has so little common sense as to use a strong smelling cleaner when you have guests in your restaurant. Most disappointing the servers could not care less!!! I had to ask them twice and the smell still continued With so many choices in Vancouver I will never go back to BB and I would suggest that you spend your money somewhere else where they care about their patrons! Shame on you BB!!!
I've been here a few times now and just love this place! The escargot are wonderful (and cleaned properly - hate those sandy bits when its not done right!), same with the onion tart! Each time, I've gone with friends, and we've always chosen to share several dishes, so I've had the opportunity to taste lots off their menu. The filet mignon was perfect, and I think they might offer the best mashed potatoes I've ever tasted! Desserts were super, too. I highly recommend the sundae!
Nice and friendly staff. A great place to go at great prices if you want to compare it to other French style bistros. I'll be back for sure!
so originally I booked a party of 9 for me and my friends. 7 of us got there and sat down for awhile waiting for the other 2 but later on i got a call from the other 2 that they werent coming.the owner then came over and asked if we should order or wait for them and i told her that they werent coming. almost immediately she wanted to take our 4th table away from us so taht she can save it for 'future' walk-ins. when she saw that we refused she simply said o "my husband just took another reservation so we need the table" and she just dragged it away from us.
for those of you that have been there, are well aware of the tight space and small tables there. there was only enough space on each table to seat 2 people facing each other. so having only 7 of us, the owner came over and asked to take the table away. honestly if she was able to sit us comfortably we wouldnt have minded. however, she was not only rude and persistant about taking the 4th table away, but she made my 7th friend share the one small table with 2 of my friends sitting across from each other. basically she sat at the 'end' of the table but has no room space what so ever. on top of that, the owner arranged my 7th friends seat so taht it was impossible for her to push her chair back because right behind her was the entry partition.
of course during all this non of my friends were pleased with the idea. so while the owner was arranging the tables and chairs, we told her that its really not possible for us to sit there. we even offered to move elsewhere, seeing that there were a 4 and 2 seating in another area of the room where a 7th person can fit, but she made up another excuse saying "those are for regulars"
when we were telling her its not possible for us to sit like this, we were not being rude or raising our voices at all. one of my friends talked a bit more than the rest of us and when we finally got the tables arranged (having a friend have to sit in that 7th squished spot) she told my friend that "you need to watch your attitude"
i heard her saying it to him loud and clear and found it extremely rude and non-professional. we did not mind giving up a table at all, but she did not seat us comfortably and fairly, nor was it right for her to pull out table away just for "future unexpected customers".
later on we had another waiter serve us and his attitude was much better than the owners.
the food was fair. nothing special.
We don't do that well trying to make reservations as we don't like to plan our meals so far ahead of time. Consequently we have only been able to eat here once as it is always very busy.
I had reserved for a birthday dinner and was able to choose the table we wanted which was great. The service was excellent, just the right amount of attention, we were provided with great explanations of the various foods. The wine pairing advice was perfect, just the right wine with each dish.
The restaurant did get very full while we were there and the noise level was a bit high but it didn't really bother us-we were able to converse quite comfortably. The food portions are pretty hefty and we ended up taking some home with us as it was too delicious to leave behind.
We will be back as soon as we can motivate ourselves to make reservations.
Had dinner with a couple of girlfriends on a Friday night. It was my 3rd visit. The restaurant was full and what some would call noisy, I call good energy/vibe. We started off by sharing 1/2 baguette and tapenade, mussels in white wine, and escargots - all delicious. We also shared entrees - beef bourgignon, halibut in tomato broth, and chicken breate - and a couple of side: ratatouille and the best shoestring frites (they're addictive). The bourgignon was nicely robust in flavour, balanced intensity without being overpowering. I expected more of the halibut and chicken. Their flavour was more subtle than the bourgignon as expected but they also lacked that something special that would makes the flabour more interesting that couldn't be easily duplicated at home. These 2 dishes feel more pacific northwest cuisine than French. The wine list offers good options and the service is fine. The food overall is closer to a 3.5 than 3 and the frites are a 5/5.
Food: Had boeuf borgignon (sp?) and it was good but not great. Mash potatos were scandelously rich as noted by previous reviewer. Loved them.
Service: Went on a thursday night and did not have to wait long for a table. The place was packed. Service was solid but I'm glad I read the bill as server charged us for the wrong wine. She was very appologetic and corrected it right away.
Ambiance: As noted by previous reviewers this is a small space and to maximize it they really pack in the tables. Very crowded. If you are slightly larger in size you will not be able to fit in the space between tables to get to the banquette without moving your table to make some room. At most there is 10 inches between tables. At most but probably less, more like 8 inches.
Overall: Solid but not great or outstanding in any way. Would probably consider going back if only due to the price. Dinner for 2 with wine was 80 bucks with tip included.
Came here for my gf's birthday. Food was excellent -- we had the halibut, lobster broth with seafood, and chicken mushroom in cream sauce. Sides are a extra - we had the fries, potato gratin, and couscous - all were very good. Portions are quite big! Service was excellent - despite the noise and bustling, our server was right there everytime. Nice bright lime green walls, comfortable seating. I'd definitely return!
Went here last night for my partner's b-day and was really impressed by the experience.We had very good service from both the owner and our server.The service was very friendly and attentive,with good recommendations for champagne and an alternative starter to their very delicious onion tart (it was not on the menu that day.)
I had the beef bourguignon and it was very generous in size,it could have used a bit more of the wine broth but thats because it was very tasty and I'm being greedy.
My partner ordered the lamb shank and it was good as well,very tender.And we shared an order of the glazed carrots and in my opinion some of the best mashed potatoes I've ever eaten.
Overall it was a great dining experience and am looking forward to trying them again!
My boyfriend called in to make our reservation, and we were pleasantly surprised when we were asked what time we had to get going, so the server could pace our meal accordingly. We had planned to stay at the restaurant for an hour and a half, but we came in about 20 minutes late, so we only had about an hour to spare for dinner. We were served quite well -- our appetizers came about 5 minutes after ordering them. Our mains took a bit longer than that. They arrived about 15 minutes after we finished our appys, which gave us less than 10 minutes to finish our meal. We had reminded them about having to leave before they served the mains, but that didn't work out too well. Can't really make any judgments there either because we were also late.
Service was good. We were attended to even if the place was busy. The food came in big portions, so great value there. However, the food was pretty disappointing. Their pate tasted like meatloaf, and was really dry. Bagguete was good. Steak was cooked medium well even if my boyfriend asked for rare (still good though, and the server was very apologetic and asked if she could do anything about it, but we didn't since we were running late). Creme caramel was not good. the top was over done, and the whole thing tasted more like fried eggs then custard. The lamb, however, was a winner.
Overall, this restaurant has a lot of good things happening for it -- service is good, place looks great and portions are generous. Food needs a lot of improvement, which is probably the most important thing you look for in a restaurant, but I almost forgot about it because of all the other things that were good about Bistrot Bistro.
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