Le Bistro By Liz

1^st visit was a take out. Didn’t get what I ordered so I had to bring it back. They were happy to fix it and gave me a fresh meal rather than just replacing the item that was wrong. The food was good. I have yet to eat there so I have no comment on the table service.
I’ll post again once I do.

Our usual food crew dropped in here finally. My wife is not fond of French food so it took us a while to try out this place. The atmosphere was quite cute. The music and the indoor patio feel was charming.
French onion soup and charcuterie board were very nice. Overall, the food was very tasty. However they were very salty. I think their ingredients were fresh enough to not have to mask so much with salt. Maybe it was just one off day.
I will visit again with high hopes again

Go on a Sunday or Monday for a free appetizer or dessert. Be prepared for delicious food and excellent service.

Delicious croque monsieur brunch was amazing today, complimentary brunch Caesar? Yes please! The atmosphere is so lovely and service was quick and friendly. I want to go back tonight for supper. They also have Blanche de Chambly on tap… My kind of place.

I worked at the VG Hospital from 1982 to 1985, and then lived in Park Victoria from 1990 to 1997, so between those two experiences I visited the original Le Bistro numerous times. Like most people who were semi-​regulars there, I remembered the potato skins, the croque monsiuer, the Moroccan salad, and the lemon chiffon — along with the creepy fabric figures used as décor. The original was what I would classify as «pretty good», certainly not gourmet food, but a decent midrange choice with unique atmosphere. I was sad when it closed, mostly because it seemed like a fixture for the little old ladies who lived in the apartments above that always seemed to be there with their drinks and cigarettes regardless of the hour.
My return this time revealed no ladies who lunch — in fact, very few customers at all this lunchtime — but an atmosphere that seemed very similar, thankfully sans the creepy fabric people. The menu was somewhat familiar but lacked a few of the choices I was hoping to see, and many of the items I did see on the menu seemed like odd choices for a french-​themed bistro. Far too many items had onions in them where they didn’t belong, even the croque monsieur, which crossed them off my list, sadly. I ended up with the seafood minestrone, which was vaguely canned-​tasting and rather bland. My companion had the fish and chips, which looked like a better choice. Bread with the meal was a warm loaf, apparently freshly baked from frozen, while a piece of something came with the minestrone that resembled a length of french bread crust put under the broiler with cheese — not awful, just strange. Overall, the menu seemed unadventurous and the seasonings rather bland, odd for a french-​themed kitchen.
Summing up, it was a bit disappointing based on that first visit. It probably deserves a follow-​up and another chance.

First visit to Nova Scotia, ate at about ten restaurants but Le Bistro was the only one we returned to… on the same day no less.
Great food, great service and perfect atmosphere!

I had been wanting to go here forever. I always walk by this place and notice the cute red and white checkered table cloths and tell myself I have to try this place!
So 2 years later I finally did.
My overall experience was just okay. The atmosphere was nicely decorated and well-​kept to make it seem like you were outside (the revealing glass to let the sun shine through and the trees). but it’s not quite the same feeling as sitting outside. Nice try.
They had a lady playing piano and singing lovely music. but for a Friday night there was maybe 3 tables at about 8PM. I felt really bad for her — she was talented and the resto was dead… even on a Fri night.
My boyfriend and I ordered an appetizer and our individual meals. For the appetizer, we had the snails… which were okay. They were smothered in cheese and you could have replaced the snails for mushrooms and I wouldn’t have noticed the difference. For our individual meals, we had the two most expensive entrees: lamb shank and steak (which were actually quite inexpensive — $ 22 and $ 26). Although they were good, we’ve had better and would have paid a few extra dollars elsewhere to have enjoyed amazing food with a lively atmosphere.

Decent food but inconsistent service.
Food (²⁄₃ stars) .Most things on the menu are pretty tasty. However I would stick to simple items. For example croque monsieur = delicious. Calamari = greasy rubber tubes. The complimentary bread was terribly dry. I mean thanks for the free bread but no thanks the dry mouth!
Atmosphere = (¹⁄₁ star) Feels like your sitting somewhere in Paris. Nice and bright. Relaxing
Service (.5÷1 star) Off and on. Depends on what waiter/​waitress you get. It can make or break the experience.
Main Enjoyment: The food items that taste good and the bright atmosphere
Main Complaint: The inconsistent servers.

I recently visited Le Bistro for a women in business event with speakers. The mimosas were divine and I had a warm brie wrapped in delicious pastry with a tart berry relish on the side. It was the perfect brunch on a chilly day. I loved the atmosphere — very busy, lively venue and I thought it was an interesting location for a speaking event. The owner was mulling around chatting with folks which was a bonus! :)

Back in the late 90s I used to live a block over and would come to this location at least weekly when it was just «Le Bistro» (without the Liz), for its cozy, nice atmosphere and delicious potato skins. Then it became a restaurant called Trinity for awhile I think, which I had been to once, and that didn’t excite me as much. Then I moved away for several years. After being back in Halifax for over a year again, I finally was able to convince my partner to try it here on a Friday after work. Happy I did.
The «new» Liz Bistro is back to the original Le Bistro French style, but with a few possible more touches added. Red & white checkered table cloths. Some have big red umbrellas over them. There’s a solarium section to your left when you come in, to give a really nice feel with natural light and small white lights strung up at night. A few mini Eiffel Towers statues about. Full bar with all the right elements. The list goes on. I would say the place holds 100 maybe, with at least 20 tables? My only complaint would be that the bathrooms only have one toilet stall in each, so not only could you have a possible wait during busy times, there’s no privacy if you needed it. lol But even the bathrooms are cute in décor.
Very friendly service.
Quite a variety of menu choices made it hard for me to narrow down, and I’m a vegetarian — so impressed by that! Free bread was a mini loaf out of the oven in the same way that Eastside Mario’s serves, although I am NOT comparing these restaurants in the least! (just to give a visual for the bread… lol). We ended up going with small Caesar salads to start (fresh romaine lettuce with a roasted garlic lemon dressing butter braised croutons, smoked bacon and shaved parmesan. $ 6.95. minus the bacon on mine), which were very good. For the entrée, I tried the Pates Seville (Linguine in pesto, virgin olive oil, sauteed with artichokes, pine nuts, sundried tomatoes, sweet peppers and onions. $ 13.95) also very good, with a slice of garlic toast. My partner tried the Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef tenderloin tips stewed in a rich thick broth of smoked bacon, garlic, vidalia onions, tomatoes and mushrooms served with fresh smashed russet potato and sprig of rosemary for garnish on top. $ 15.95.) He had never tried this before in his life and had no idea what to expect. He didn’t realize it was sort of stew-​like/​a wet dish, which he doesn’t like, but he said there was nothing wrong with it. Although it’s not his type of thing, did actually like it, but wouldn’t order it again. Also, the mashed potatoes were 100% hidden from view when it was placed on the table, being fully under the beef. For dessert we gave in and split a Crème Brulle (Traditional crème custard with vanilla bean, topped with a crisp lavender sugar shell. $ 7.50), which was very good as well. We also split a bottle of the Citra Pinot Grigio I.G.T Delle Venezie, Italy. $ 29. Another very good.
I look forward to getting back here ASAP to try this brie pastry that I saw on the menu, plus the potato skins, risotto balls, spinach dip, not to mention the separate brunch menu on a weekend.

Great spot.
The first thing that I noticed about Le Bistro was the beautiful atmosphere. They clearly took their time thinking up the décor for this place, it had a relaxing ambience and had a definite French feel. Me and my mom, who had mobility issues were greeted by a really sweet hostess who went out of her way to make sure my mom was in a spot that would be easy to get in and out of. Our server was excellent and attentitive as well.
Me and mom both settled on the French onion soup as an appetizer, my mom got the beef bourguignon and I got the papparatelle carbonara.
The French onion soups were both phenomenal, up there with the best I’ve had, lots of cheese, a nice broth, seasoned nicely. Perfect. We were both more than satisfied.
Next we got our mains. The beef bourguinon was served with mashed potatoes, my mom gave me a try and it was just like, the perfect French meal. It had a really nice strong wine flavor to it, and the meat was extremely tender, the preparation of that dish is definitely not rushed and you can taste it!
The papparatelle was interesting. I’ve never had carbonara that tasted like this before but i didn’t mind. it was a really interesting, meaty taste. I thought carbonara was an Italian dish but I felt like this dish had a neat French twist on it (caramelized onions, and it also had a sauce on it which reminded me of an au jus sauce). It was interesting. i felt it was a bit rich for me though and had to stop at about half and give it to mom.
I’d love to come back and try some of their other amazing sounding dishes.

This is my go to spot for business lunches. The service is tremendous and personalized. The food is not only good but unique in the Halifax scene.
Now that I live in the area Im looking forward to checking out its night scene.
I highly recommend coming here. The overall dining experience is excellent.

We had a nice Sunday brunch at this lovely bistro. It has a light, open and airy feel due to all the windows, and the solarium at the front. Service is very friendly, and the menu combines traditional French dishes with more traditional brunch foods. Both the onions soup and the breakfast skillet were excellent. And brunch comes with a free drink, so it’s a good deal.

Phenomenal. My family visited Les Bistro following the theatre. We were stunned by the quality service, food and ambience. The food was presented with care, and was seasoned perfectly; we could not say enough positive things about our server (Michael); and the atmosphere reminded us distinctly of a Parisian bistro. The live entertainment — a classical guitarist — really complemented the overall mood. Finally, a great wine selection and exquisite desserts all made Les Bistro my wife and my new favourite place in Halifax.

My mom and I popped in here for lunch a few weeks ago and had a great experience.
First of all, I love the décor in here — it’s exactly how I would decorate my house in Paris, if I could afford such a thing. The solarium-​like windows make the space feel really bright and open. The guy behind the bar greeted us as we came in, so we felt immediately welcome (and like the staff is on the ball). Our server was good too — friendly and attentive. She recommended the Caesar salad to my mom and she loved it. It looked really delicious from my side of the table! I had the haddock burger, which I had heard good things about during Burger Week. It was very tasty, albeit a bit of an odd choice for a French restaurant. I would be curious to return in the evening when they have live music, and try one of the more traditional French dishes to see if I have the same experience.
So, good service, nicely chilled glasses of wine, tasty food, great atmosphere — really can’t complain! Not an amazing experience but definitely enough to make me want to go back.
PS: not really related to our dining experience, but thought it was worth noting that the owner actually provided some information to me for a recent article and she was awesome to deal with — very helpful and returned my messages really quickly. I think it says a lot about an establishment when the owner is clearly a warm and professional person! Made me want to visit the restaurant more!

My third and final stop on the passport of Burger week 2014 brought me and my father to Le Bistro by Liz for the Haddock burger.
A lighter choice to go along with the beef we had tried twice before already.
A pretty little spot in the main floor of an apartment tower, it attempts to transform you into a Parisian café feel. It’s a pretty good attempt. Sunshine pouring in, and the ability to open it up in the summer I’m sure makes for beautiful evening dinners in the summer.
We were served some chilled water for the table, and ordered the Burger right off the bat with a single side order of fries to accompany.
It didn’t take much time at all for our order to be fulfilled, and in no time at all we were chomping into one of the best burgers I have had in a long time. A Panko encrusted haddock burger is just perfectly breaded for a bit of crunch but none of the heaviness that plagues too many fish and chip dishes. The light dusting of tartar sauce finishes it off for a delicious combination.
The only minor issue was the processed cheese slice on top. Just not needed, doesn’t do anything for the burger.
But overall, a great little spot.
(and this burger is a regular on their menu at 8 bucks a pop)

Had the fish burger during burger week. It was nice to see a place off a nonbeef option for burger week and to see such a nice portion of haddock on the burger for only 5 bucks.

Mike and I stopped here for a late lunch recently. A handsome host brought us to a lovely table in the «atrium»; we had a lovely view of South Park and enjoyed the sunshine. The interior is truly lovely, with black and red chairs and red-​and-​white checkered tablecloths.
A handsome server brought us our menus (do you see the trend here?) and we both chose the beef bourguinon. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by the perfectly tender beef and creamy potatoes.
For dessert we both had the lemon parfait pie. Let me just say that if you like lemon? You will love this dessert. It’s juuust this side of tart and is an explosion of citrus in your mouth. The slices are huge so save lots of room. :-)
Service was prompt and friendly and prices are reasonable. Another restaurant for our must-​revisit list.

A few months ago, I went to le bistro with my mom for lunch. She ordered Salade a LOrange & I ordered Linguine Barcelone. As soon as my mom took a bite from her salad, I knew she loved it. I reluctantly tried some (I was never a fan of salads other then caesars, not to mention this salad has raisins, mandarins & almonds — not exactly my cup of tea). Let me tell you, ever since this salad, I have been way more adventurous with trying new dressings (as juvenile as that sounds). It’s just sooooo good. I crave it all the time. The pasta was good too but honestly, I was so thrown off by the salad I just wanted to eat that.
Then, to my absolute delight, I noticed that their dessert menu had gingerbread (something quite difficult to find personally). It was delicious!
The service was great and friendly… however. I went a second time with one of my friends and it took us a good 20 mins to get service. It wasn’t busy at all when we walked in. We were seated and then the waitress seemed to care less wether a couple of teenage-​looking girls were there. It was almost as if she served us because all the adults were good. That too me is so frustrating and the reason this place lost a star for me.
Food is excellent though and when I’m served by younger-​looking people, they seem waaaay more friendly. Just saying.

Le Bistro by Liz is so, so nice! The atmosphere made me wish I was on a romantic date (instead of an office party!). I’m usually not a fan of eating in a dark setting — but the entire mood that the décor Le Bistro offers is undeniably enjoyable. It’s funky — cozy — classy.
Our server was fantastic. He had great energy and was super personable and attentive. He made us laugh quite a few times — I love when servers do that! The food isn’t the only reason we enjoy eating out so much.
The menu was small but had a lot of different options and was very appropriately priced; ranging from $ 7 to $ 22. We ordered quite a bit.
There are two types of mussels, spicy marinara and classic Chablis sauce, we had the Chablis. It was very flavourful. But, not as flavourful as the escargot; with wild mushrooms, caramelized onions and roasted red peppers, and goat cheese — I couldn’t stop cleaning up the excess sauce with my bread! It was so good, I would go back just for that. We also had an order of potato skins; they were good, but nothing special.
For my main dish I had the «Scallops a La Bordelaise». There was about 5 large Digby scallops with whole wheat fettuccini and chardonnay sauce. It was good — but a little boring; needed a kick to it. Some people in my party ordered the «Club Paris» — a chicken club sandwich served on pretzel bread — it looked really good! Everyone enjoyed their meal — there were absolutely no complaints!
I’m not sure how I had room for dessert, but I did. My friend and I spilt their «famous yummy lemon parfait pie». It was not what I expected; but it was delicious.
I would return here over and over again. It has such a great space. The only negative is their bathroom only has one stall. They were hosting a few holiday parties that night and long washroom waits are not fun!
Bonus: I called to check if they take reservations, they did! And, it was for a Friday night! I was super impressed by this as usually restaraunts won’t on weekends.