Bistro Michel

I predicted this based on their behavior

Unfortunately this update does not come with good news! A fellow foodie and myself have visited this restaurant at least 8 – 10 times now since we discovered it. We’ve enjoyed the experience with a GroupOn, Living Social, or AmazonLocal deal and without.
Love that the restaurant serves you and then leaves you without any unnecessary pestering as some restaurants can do. We have pretty much always been greeted by the manager/​owner which I think is actually a nice touch. but whomever starts your service should end your service or at least let you know there will be a switch in service.
Every experience has been surprisingly amazing! We literally had our minds blown every time… at the quality of food served. but this last experience was a doozie…
We were told prior to any ordering that the mussels were not in season or currently unavailable from their source. I highly recommend they create a menu with an alternate item such as the prawns that were offered to me in my «mussel and fish risotto». so I got a prawn and fish risotto. The fish was very dry and the risotto slightly under-​cooked for my tastes but the flavors were definitely very present! The Steak Frites came with sliced potatoes instead of truffled french fries because the french fry maker wasn’t working. is what we were told. culinary 101. how to make french fries and cutting up potatoes into french fries isn’t that complicated. truffle flavor was completely lost on the potato slices. We were offered up some frozen french fries that had been truffled up. and they definitely served their purpose. (why not just go with those to begin with)??
We ordered the oyster appetizer which was small but delicious! That pickled onion vinaigrette is delightful! Came with 6 small oysters… but I’ve seen pix of much larger orders so not sure why ours seemed to get shorted. Peach Sangria is pleasantly light and refreshing. made fresh on site. The house-​made ice cream was something we were seriously looking forward to and while they had our favorite flavors. they no longer make the fresh chocolate and caramel sauces to go with… highly disappointing.
All-​in-​all we drove all the way from the Bay area to visit one of our Sacramento favs steep prices and all… and were very disappointed with the entire experience.

We came on a Wednesday night. It was slow, so we were seated immediately. The waitress took our order and the food came out quickly. The food tasted good! But I’m deducting a star for portion and price. I got the pan seared escarole for $ 28 which my entire meal was the size of my fist. (And I have small hands.) My boyfriend got the steak frites and his portion was pretty tiny for $ 30 as well. ½ inch thick, 3 by 4 in in size. Not worth it even with the living social deal.

Went in for lunch based on some positive reviews, but truly either the people whom have had these positive experiences have much lower standands than many or these comments were written by friends and family.
I had a French Dip and fries that looked and tasted just like the sandwiches I’ve had at ⁷⁄₁₁. The difference being, in ⁷⁄₁₁ for the same price I could of feed my family, get a lotto ticket and some gas.
Although ⁷⁄₁₁ did not have the free bug that was in my water between the ice. That is a protein drink I would rather of missed, which led me to wonder if I missed any in the sandwich.
In my oppinion the restaurant needs to be cleaned, decomtaminatedand and should probably be investigated by the health department.
We were the only table there and still the service lacked.

My husband and I had dinner at Bistro Michel early on a Tuesday evening, so it was very slow. Service was excellent and the atmosphere is very laid back, not stuffy like other French inspired restaurants I’ve been to before.
We started with the head cheese small plate, it was very tasty but it wasn’t as good as my grandmothers, but then again, what is?
For dinner I had the seafood risotto and my husband had the chicken. Everything was cooked to perfection and was well seasoned. We finished with the lemon cake. It wasn’t what I expected. It was moist and light with a texture that reminds me of dulce de leche. Very good.
If you find yourself in the neighborhood and want a good meal in a relaxing setting, I would recommend this place.

Several months ago I would have given this place 4 or 5 stars. The owner was fantastic and friendly along with the staff. A unique gem with old world charm. But it appears that ownership has changed and the restaurant is nowhere near what it used to be. They offer only one prefix menu and an incredibly rude staff.
I came in here about a month ago to show a friend who had never been and loves French food. We were severely disappointed by how we were treated the moment we walked in the door. I was confused by the change in menu and asked a few clarifying questions that ended with the server rolling his eyes at me as he walked away muttering «it’s only $ 60», insinuating I was cheap. I assure that this is not the case, as I very frequently have spent beyond $ 60 at this place over the last several years numerous times.
Very disappointing to say the least. This was my favorite little Sacramento spot to sip rosé and eat oysters and mussels, etc… I guess I have to close the book on this one, unless the new owners take note.

This place was totally overpriced. I came here on a day where there was a prefixed menu and I regretted staying. It was $ 60 per person that consisted of a soup/​salad course, an appetizer course and then for the finale the entrée.
There were two choices per course. We had the choice of pea soup or salad and opted for two salads. The «salad» consisted of a few piece of bib lettuce with a sprinkling of chives. Seriously? That’s $ 20 for a plate of lettuce.
I kept my hopes up as I waited for my appetizers to arrive. My fiancé and I each picked a different appetizer so that we could try out both. I got the mussels and my fiancée got the smoked salmon. Both dishes tasted quite good, but the portions were meager. The mussels were roughly the size of a nickel. It tasted so good, I only wish there was more of it. The sauce was just fabulous.
For the entrees, I got some fish entrée and my fiancée got the skirt steak with truffle oil fries. Both entrees were okay. There really was no wow factor for me. I really enjoyed the truffle oil fries thought. They were quite unique and I had never had anything that tasted like that before.

We came here for brunch for my dear friend Kimmie’s birthday. We had a large party and they were able to accommodate us at the bar.
We ordered a bottle of champagne and the bartender was quick to give us a bottle and another half bottle (since we had a large party). I ordered the country fried sausage benedict and it was super delicious. The fried sausage was super crispy and hot and the béchamel sauce was just smokin good. I tried my sister’s vegetarian benedict and that was yummy as well. Everyone seemed to really enjoy their meal.
The service was great. Water cups and mimosas were constantly refilled. I am excited to go back!

Dang what’s with all the bad reviews!!! Well I guess I’m just happy we got food service and great food!
I ordered the pasta of the week which was a carbonara plate! It was amazing!!! The sauce was so rich and smooth I could stop eating! The bacon was crisp and delicious!!! My aunt ordered the French dip. The bread is baked in house and the meat is slow cooked to perfection! There was actually a lot of meat in the sandwich too! The a jus was tasty! It wasn’t too salty or too bland. It was literally perfect! I loved how the bread soaked up the a jus but the bread seriously wasn’t soggy or anything!
We finished our lunch off with some crème brûlée and some house baked cookies.
I was impressed! And tummy was satisfied!
We went for lunch and it was actually kind of busy, about 4 other tables full and the waiter was a little slow at refilling my water but it looked like he was training a new worker so I was not too upset about it. Next time I’m getting the mussels!!!

**FYI — This place only serves 4 course prix fixe dinner now every night they are open**
Came here on the last weekend we can use the groupon that we bought. Got seated right away.
First course:
Chilled English Pea Soup — First time have chilled soup and I honestly said its pretty weird. The taste of the soup was just okay.
House Salad — If the leaves were cut in half, this salad would of been better. It was hard to eat bit into the leaves without getting dressing on your face or it was too big to stuff it in your mouth. Dressing was light and pretty good.
Second Course:
P.E.I Mussels — Wanted to order the Escargot, but they ran out so I opt for the mussel instead. This was probably the best dish of the night. Mussels weren’t over cook and the sauce was ohhhh sooo yummy… especially with the bread it comes with.
House Cured Salmon — I know this dish is supposed to be salty, but man its way salty. Had to drink a lot of water while eating it.
Third Course:
Steak Frites — ordered med rare and the steak was still pretty tough and chewy. The taste was just okay.
Pan Seared Walu — How can you go wrong with fish? This type of fish was very dense. Look more like white meat chicken than fish. This dish is also drench what I think is olive oil. Taste was just okay as well.
Fourth Course:
Crème Brulee — Was okay. nothing impressive.
The service here started out really good… but as the night went on, it took forever. It also took forever for our check to come. Overall, this place was okay. Not sure if I will come back since its all prix fixe for dinner now.

One of the best kept breakfast and brunch secrets in Sacramento. Local spots like this are what make downtown Sac special and give the city character.
My wife-​to-​be and I are huge breakfast buffs. This spot is on our top 5 list.
Quality food — seriously, the chef knows poached eggs and quiche. It’s fresh, local and they switch up the menu.
Top service from staff that cares — the owner actually came out and introduced himself and talked to us. He was engaged and genuine. Made us feel special and welcomed.
The secret is out. If you haven’t yet been here, I’d highly recommend it.

Since I had a great experience for the brunch here, I decided to purchase the special that Living Social had for Bistro Michel.
The specific instructions with my deal stated that I needed to call and make reservations and to state that I had the LS deal, which I did. I made reservations for a Saturday night at seven pm. When we walked in, it was quite surprising to see that the place was quite empty. There was only two tables being occupied, with one table directly behind us leaving as we walked in. Leaving just us and a party of four, seated towards the back of the restaurant.
We ordered the steak with the frites and the pan seared Walu atop of veggies. Their dinner menu is quite lacking in selection with maybe six different items to choose from and quite over priced. We waited quite a long time for our meal, hubby thought that it was due to us having the LS deal, I’m not sure. When our food arrived, my Walu looked great but hubby’s steak looked pathetic. He ordered it medium well and it was quite well done. He and I both agreed that it was over cooked, it was quite tough. Hubby commented that he’s had a better steak at a chain than the steak here. We brought it to our servers attention and he agreed that it looked overcooked. He offered to take it back and bring out another one, when hubby asked if it was going to take as long as the first. Our server agreed it was going to take some time, so we opted to just go with what we had. Our server did offer us a dessert on the house which we didn’t partake. My Walu was great at first, the sauce which was underneath the fish was quite flavorful but interestingly, the sauce and my dish became more and more saltier and I never add salt to my dishes. The fries that accompanied the steak were not crispy but limp from all of the oil. Our server asked if we wanted to box up our leftover, which we passed.
Overall, we were quite annoyed with the whole experience and would’ve loved to have updated my review with a stellar experience. Our food was underwhelming, the wait time after ordering was disappointing, but our server was fantastic. After all, it wasn’t his fault the food was terrible.

I decided to try out this restaurant for date night as there was a good Groupon deal. When we first got there, it was relatively quiet, only one other table was occupied. We went through the side entrance as we didn’t know it wasn’t the main one, so we had to stand there for a little bit until we were noticed by a waiter. It was a little confusing, it would’ve been nice if they’d had a sign or something letting us know we weren’t at the main door. I ordered the fish of the day and my boyfriend ordered their chicken. The food was okay, nothing too extraordinary and portions were pretty small. For dessert, we ordered the crème brulee which was yummy.
I’m not sure I would go back for the food but the music and ambience was very nice and relaxing.

Charming little French restaurant with great service. The waiter was very informative and attentive. The food is great, however a little pricey.
Mussels: delicious, would definitely order it again. Loved the sauce, the bread that came with the dish was the perfect companion to soak up the sauce and devour. Loved having a choice of a large or small order.
Escargot: pretty decent sizes, cooked well & tasty.
Steak & frites: perfectly cooked steak, tender and covered in the lemony butter. Fries in an upscale restaurant are always a treat. They were slightly too salty but each piece was perfectly crisp.
Pasta du jour: pasta of the day was pasta carbonara — this dish was okay. Good, however much too rich for my taste. Carbonara is a simple dish that shines with the use of minimal quality ingredients. They used heavy cream and a large amount of pancetta that drowns out the balance of the dish.
House made ice cream: vanilla & all spice paired with chocolate & caramel sauce. Great ending to the dinner. Ice cream was rich and the sauce was perfect with it. Loved the all spice — if you’re into pumpkin-​esque options, you would too.
Tip: occasionally a groupon is available, making it totally worth it!
Looking forward to trying out brunch.

Dined here with my friend, Diana T. Ditto to her review! However, I will bump up the rating to 4 stars because the fish I had was undercooked, but they prepared a new dish for me to my desires. Great service and food!

This seems like almost two different places. The restaurant where older folks, date couples and quiet dinners happen. Then there’s the bar with drinkers and sports tv, Pretty Woman on the other screen and Duran Duran playing all night. Crazy weird right? They’ve also got this nice cheese fridge with Epoisses, Tete de Moine, next to a book shelf with random reads.
We went to the bar as the dining room was full. Nice Belgian beer list so I got a Tripel to start. Escargot, Garlic Sausage, Steak Frites and Pork Chop rounded out the meal. Everything was fairly solid. Cool to get your more traditional French Bisto meal in this area. Servers were very nice and overall I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. In just a more eclectic way than Id originally thought.

My husband and I came to Bistro Michel for dinner with a Groupon for $ 50. It didn’t go as far as you might expect, however, because the prices here are on the steep side. I think this is because you are paying for the ambiance, which is authentic and really made me feel like I was back in France.
The menu is small but proficient: steak frites, one or two salads, a few specials, that kind of thing. My husband had the steak frites for $ 28 — very good, although again, part of the cost is probably atmosphere. I had the fettucine carbonara, housemade and silky pasta noodles and a surprisingly light sauce. We shared an interesting and delightful cheese plate (choose from 2, 3 or 4 cheeses; we had 3).
The best thing we ordered was the lemon cake: a super-​moist, almost tres leches-​like cake layer topped with lemon curd and chantilly cream, served with raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries. Don’t miss this one! Glad we heard another customer request it and mention how good it was.
If I were a richer woman, I would say I would definitely be back. As it is, maybe I will return for lunch. Great ambiance and food.

When pulling up to Bistro Michel, my initial thoughts were how cute it was. The French bistro definitely has a charm to it and provided a nice dining ambiance. I was really looking forward to checking this place out and while there was no glaring mistakes, it just wasn’t a memorable meal or dining experience. (hence the A-​OK rating).
To start off our meal, we ordered the soup of the day and a small artisan cheese plate. The soup for that evening was a split pea soup which was probably the highlight of our meal. It was warm, delicious but also bacon based so not a vegetarian option FYI. The cheese plate on the other hand though… The presentation, accompaniments, and selection all left something to be desired. Maybe I’m spoiled by the Rind: x
For dinner, my bf and I both ordered the steak and frites. People are not kidding when they say the amount of fries is over the top; it’s almost overcompensating for the rest of the meal. The steak was good but nothing to write home about.
Overall, I’m glad we got a chance to try it out but unfortunately it’s not high up on my list of places to pay a second visit.

Went here for brunch with wifey… left disappointed.
They were out of the quiche… argh! Must not fret… ordered a vegetarian Benedict instead, sub extra salad for potatoes. Wifey had the monte cristo.
The salad was odd… it’s not every day that you ever get served a salad with spinach and lettuce… quite strange if you ask me. The taste was off… the Benedict was pretty good. I’d have to say that the hollandaise was on point… nice portions.
Wifey’s monte cristo just didn’t do it for me. It just wasn’t very good… the jam it was served with was quite sour. Hers came with potatoes so I got to try a few of hers. The potatoes were good… probably the best thing I had at bistro michel other than the delicious orange juice.
Service was good… very attentive. Prices are decent… would I come back again? Probably not. 3 stars.

It’s not often in my past 4 – 5 years as a Unilocal Elite that I give 5 stars for a restaurant but I am going to lay it out there and tell you guys how much I love this place. If I could I would give it a 6 star review of alas Unilocal is limited to five stars. My husband and I had a Groupon for Bistro MIchel and decided that I was time to use our deal.
I want to preface this review by saying that I frequent France often having a number of French relatives and having experienced a variety of French restaurants and cafes in Paris and other towns in Northern France. Coming here kind of brought me back to the fine country with the ambiance and music without having to pay the air fare!
Our waiter was a nice African American gentlemen, I think his name was Mo. He was super friendly and brought us water quickly. He informed us of the specials for the day including the trout almondine and the special soup.
For our appetizers, we selected the escargots (my personal favorite) and bread with butter. Lovely! I could escargot everyday, rich and buttery with just the perfect amount garlic, parsley and butter.
My husband ordered the trout almondine which he could not stop raving about. I had a bite and it was so delightfully flavored. I ordered the mussels in cream sauce. I think I almost jumped out of my seat when I realized how amazing it was. Can I please live here? So good in every way.
The waiter was very attentive and made sure we were enjoying our dinner. He even suggested a good wine pairing for my husband’s fish.
For dessert we ordered House Smore which was a caramelized marshmallow with fudge mousse and graham crackers. It was splendid!
I cannot wait to bring my French relatives here when they visit. I hope they love it as much as I do! Thanks MO and Bistro Michel!