Light Bistro

I just learned of the closing… I only stopped by about twice a year but the ford was fantastic.
What a loss… very fine food!

So sad to hear that they’ve closed their doors. We really liked this place.
Good luck guys!

First off, our service was friendly and impeccable. The $ 5 eats and $ 5 or less drinks during happy hour is a great deal. We had the happy hour burger which was a cheeseburger with chili jam… heavenly. Crispy clams was pretty tasty especially for me since I don’t usually like olives but they were a nice combo. The frites hit the spot but the best thing was the beignets. with chocolate ganache and coffee ice cream… omg.
Finally, the intimate setting and location that’s a little off from the hustle and bustle of west 25^th is nice for date night, birthdays, and happy hours that is more relaxed. Definitely will be returning.

Three stars for the food… and two stars for their fantastic service!
I organized a birthday dinner for a large group (15+ people). Not only did they seat us all together in a private room, service was overall impeccable. Food was brought out all at the same time in a timely fashion, and they were more than willing to split up checks. I got the Kobe burger which was good but not mind blowing. Overall people seemed pretty happy with their own entrees, however. Drinks were good, too. I’d go back to try their other small plates.

So I’ve been kind of putting off writing my first review, because I don’t feel like I’m much of an expert in the realm of the «foodie scene» and whatnot… But I’ll tell ya what. If there’s one thing I’m an expert on, it’s fried things. And the fried green tomato BLT was spot on when I came here for a quick lunch yesterday. I mean, I had dental work done not too long ago that makes it kind of hard for me to open my mouth all the way right now, but I was pretty much willing to unhinge my jaw to eat that sandwich, python-​style. Both the people I was with said that their meals — a basic burger and a salad with salmon — were above average as well.
It was a late lunch on a Tuesday, so there wasn’t much of a crowd. The service was super fast, and everyone working there was notably pleasant and friendly, which kicks it up to five stars in my book.
POP! (That was my review cherry.)

Just a little disappointed. We tried Light Bistro’s happy hour because of some good Unilocal reviews and all walked away a little miffed. The place looked fancy. The service was courteous and endearing. However, the food was very disappointing– not bad… Just disappointing. We had a chicken and pepper pizza and mac and cheese with chorizo and neither of which I thought were even worth a second bite. Maybe it was an off day. Maybe skip the happy hour. But ultimately we judged a book by its cover and felt a little cheated.

We had my boyfriend and brothers birthday dinner here with 25 people. Light Bistro did a fantastic job! They were very accommodating and really friendly. Before the dinner I spoke with Lance the manager and he was so kind and thorough in explaining the menu and seating options for us. He really went out of his way to make us feel special even though it was just for a dinner. I appreciate that kind of personal and welcoming touch. Everyone that came to the dinner all seemed to enjoy their meals and spirits. I personally tried a little bit of everything. The crab fritters were money. Definitely would order then again if I went back. The scallops were delicious like everyone had said, so you really can’t go wrong with them. I ordered some New England clam chowder and it was so good I could’ve licked the plate clean. Maybe I did. I can’t remember, too many Moscow mules. I tried some of the fried chicken and mashed and it was awesome. The breaking on the chicken is dangerously delicious, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out it has special powers. Seriously good. Clams were very tasty. The pizzas I tried were the only items I wasn’t impressed with. Don’t get me wrong they weren’t bad, they just left me thinking meh, I’ve had better. My opinion, just focus on the tapas and entrees, skip the pizzas.
Our group was put in the back of the restaurant and it was a very cozy and intimate space. It had a nice fireplace and was away from the rest of the restaurant which was very nice. Overall, I had a great experience here and would definitely recommend this place for dinner or for a dinner party. The room we were in held up to 35 I think he said and the upstairs room held 60 and has it’s own bathrooms for guests which is a bonus. Staff here is super friendly and quick! I was impressed with how efficient the kitchen was with our food and 25 guests!

After seeing the great reviews for this place, I decided on coming here for a group dinner before going out for my birthday. I’m not sure if things have drastically declined since a lot of the reviews I read were written in 2010 – 2011 or if we just had an off experience, but none of us (party of 14) were impressed…
The downstairs is cute and quaint and I’m sure it would have been a different atmosphere if we had dined there. We were seated upstairs, which was nice since we had a big party, but was also awkward, b/​c we felt like we were just placed in an attic — quiet, cold, just awkward.
Food: Shared the fingerling potatoes and spinach and ricotta pizza with a few friends. Potatoes were dry and meh — garlic aoili was delish! The ricotta pizza was good, but legit was just dough, ricotta, and spinach — not much to it. I dipped it in the garlic aoili which made it tastier. Ordered the Risotto primavera as an entrée. It was completely bland. The eggplant and the broccoli looked and tasted like they were old (broc looked like it may have been overdone but it actually tasted pretty nasty too). I asked for hot sauce, which wasn’t brought to me until the end of the meal, so it didn’t really help much. I did have extra garlic aoili on the table so I mixed some with the risotto, which kind of helped. Moral of the story? Ask for a side of garlic aoili to enhance flavor that’s lacking. Everyone at the table pretty much had the same experience with their food that I did. Items that people really did enjoy included the margherita pizza and the apple and walnut salad.
Drinks: the specialty drinks were pretty tasty– the margarita was good. I had a few vodka waters and they were made pretty strong which was good.
Service: We didn’t have the best service. The waiter was kind of awkward and seemed out of it. It probably didn’t help that they gave him our entire table with no help, but service was slow, he kept forgetting to bring things over until we requested it twice or three times, and overall service was lacking.
Price: Judging from the quality of the food and service we received, we didn’t really think the prices were worth it. If this was an off night and food and service are usually good, I could see why they charge what they do, but from what we received — not so much.
I doubt I’ll return to Light Bistro– I always like trying new places and it sucks that we had this experience for a birthday dinner– we all went out on empty stomachs after the restaurant –but hey — at least that made for a cheaper night out?
**PERK of this place is that they have free valet parking on Fridays and Saturdays!

We try to make Light Bistro a «go to» every time we visit Cleveland. We love Historic Ohio City and LB is a contributing business that makes the area rich in atmosphere and restaurant experiences. The exposed brick walls, lighting and mullioned front windows, create an inviting and romantic atmosphere. With tapas, pizza and more substantial main courses, the menu has something that should appeal to all. With the food-​rich West Side Market in close proximity, we would expect a much more interesting bread to be served. The baguette was dry and tasteless. Great to stop in for a drink as well. Really like the restaurant and location. By name alone, we would never have gone. Sounds like a generic chain.

This place is non-​GMO, which is the reason my wife will come here with me.
The food is outstanding! The carbonara pizza is thin crispy crust and decadent.
Caramelized scallops are to die for! The preparation I had was with smoked trout, spinach and a corn velouté. It was tied for the best scallop dish I have ever had with a corn bacon scallop I had at Lola once. Really incredible dish.
Blue corn crab fritters in Vietnamese dipping sauce were light and not greasy. The sauce was a perfect compliment.
The service was exceptional as well, from the hostess to our server and the bussers everyone was fantastic.
Based on this meal I will be a new regular here.

There was five of us on a Friday night and we had a reservation for 7pm. We started with a couple of beers and ordered some tapas and a couple of paninis.
I had high expectation for this place considering my other fellow Unilocalers liked this place. It wasn’t a really busy night but we still had to wait for a half hour for our food. The food wasn’t really much to write about, it’s mediocre. I can find something similar somewhere else. I ordered their bacon dates which tasted great however their other tapa selections wasn’t so great. Maybe I didn’t order the right stuff but then again, all of their foods should be good, right? The only nice thing about their dessert is that it came with beignets with coffee flavored ice cream. This was definitely a must to get at the end. A sweet finish to a mediocre dinner. I left the place hungry. I don’t think I’ll come again.
The service was good in the beginning but our waiter disappeared after we ordered our food. We sure had plenty of water to drink though.

If you’re looking for a really nice happy hour with a chic ambience and great food and drink specials, stop in at Ohio City’s Light Bistro. The bar food menu items are $ 5 during happy hour, and it’s not a small list. There is a nice range of choices from a mac and cheese of the day to a specialty burger. We had the very tasty oven-​dried tomato pesto flatbread and the fried clams. There are featured wine pours (a red and a white) for $ 5, outrageously inexpensive beer and many interesting cocktail specials, too. And bonus — it goes past 6pm! Happy Hour is offered Monday — Friday from 2:30 — 7pm. Of course, the dinner menu looked sumptuous too, but we had a date with Ingenuity Fest.
We used to go to Light Bistro all the time for the Vegetarian dinners, but thought they had discontinued them. We were happy to find out they do still run them, they just do not send out emails any more. So we liked them on Facebook to be in the know.
We also learned about their upcoming new restaurant in Hudson, Peachtree Southern Kitchen & Cocktails, which is now on our list to try when it opens this November. We wish them the best on their new endeavor.

I went here for the Happy Hour because I was under the impression that there was lots of good eats. They really only had a few options on their happy hour menu. Most were vegetarian except for the fried clams. They were just OK. It simply tasted like breading. It did come with fried kalamata olives also, which was new to me and added a nice salty touch. The dipping sauce was bland and didnt add much to the dish besides a peace of mind that you were getting sauce. I also had the mojito which was nice and flavorful (you can really taste the sugar and mint!).
Overall, based on this experience and their happy hour options, it was just OK and did not meet expectations. The reviews raved about their happy hour, but looking back at them, they were dated several years ago… I presume that their menu has changed since then.

I returned to Light Bistro for lunch with a co-​worker. Great experience, nice atmosphere, friendly staff. I ordered the BLT with a side of Pomme Frites. The BLT was outstanding… toasted whole grain bread, topped with Bacon, Lettuce and fried green tomatoes. The frites, were thin cut, crispy, and well-​seasoned. Another great meal at Light! My co-​worker and I wandered to the wine room and our server was very accomodating, by showing us around and telling us about upcoming events. This is a great little place. I’ll definitely be back!

Class. That’s the word I’d use to describe Light Bistro. From the moment we walked in and the bartender greeted us with a genuine smile and a «Be right with you guys.» we knew this was going to be good. The atmosphere, reminiscent of the converted rowhouse restaurants we used to frequent while living in Baltimore, is a combination of history and jazz. Exposed brick oozes stories of old Cleveland and a vibe that’s both understated and elegant in equal portions.
The front bar plays host to the after work crowd, an older more sophisticated grouping than you might find at some of the Tremont spots and the back dining area a perfect nook for knoodling. It was earlyish on a Tuesday evening and happy hour was winding down. A two-​top by the big window was perfect.
Our server was a perfect match to the restaurant. He was friendly and attentive in a way that’s most often reserved for the more posh eateries of the area and his attention to detail didn’t go unnoticed come tip time. Waters were constantly filled, empty plates removed with expedient efficiency and clean silverware turned with every course. Like I said, you don’t get this level of service often so you tend to notice it when you do.
So what was the occasion? I just happened to be saying goodbye to my 30s in a Jazz funeral kind of way. Fitting, wouldn’t you say? Our bellies were empty and we were feeling adventurous. The menu at Light would offer up just what the doctor ordered. The menu is ecclectic without straying into weird. There are pizzas, burgers and paninis should you feel like getting your fingers a bit buttered and plenty of variety in the larger plates if you’re there to make a night of it. We skipped around the menu like a well-​worn mix tape:
The Starters:
Crispy Fingerling Potatoes — I love potatoes and these were perfect. Golden fingerlings baked and flash fried arranged around a centerpiece of ridiculously smooth garlic aioli. Crispy with flecks of salt clinging to the skin. This dish was simplicity done right.
Crispy Clams — If you’ve sworn off fried clams as rubbery and tasteless you owe it to yourself to give these a try. Golden fried strips of the mollusk interspersed with lightly breaded and dried olive rings and a schmear of garlic aioli (see above). The clams were tender with just the right amount of chew and the saltiness of the olives added the seasoning.
Apple Salad — Symmetrical leaves of fresh green Bibb lettuce arranged bowl-​like around a «slaw» of finely julienned granny smith apple dressed in herb vinaigrette. The apple was the star here and the hint of cilantro was a welcome distraction. The roasting of the walnuts and the fresh Monchengo cheese turned the dressing into a creamy concoction I’d eat on any salad. I devoured the entire thing.
The Mains:
The Classic Burger — He who paired breakfast and a burger was a brilliant (and probably large) man. A soft brioche bun, a perfectly seasoned and cooked to order two-​finger thick patty of juicy sirloin and the crispy bacon and oozy yolked egg. American cheese to keep things grounded. This burger is a contender. The fennel and red onion slaw added a nice acidity and was the perfect interbite palate cleanser.
Roast Kurabuta Pork Loin — The only misstep of the meal, the sliced pork loin was slightly dry, cooked just past medium. Still tasty, the spoonpushed horseradish mustard helped make up for the lack of moisture with a pleasant bite and the bits of crispy ham added a great textural element. A bit of of the red cabbage slaw with each bite made this one an upscale German comfort.
Our experience at Light Bistro was top notch. In general, the food was expertly prepared with ingredients that school your tastebuds in the art of fresh and the service didn’t skip a beat. This is the kind of place that makes me happy to be an adult, a place where I don’t feel like I’m the parent chaperone at a school dance. The kids can have their hipster dives. I’ll take this place.

This was my second time here; hadn’t been in since winter. Got to sit on the patio this time. It’s not a very scenic patio with views of the rear of Dave’s Supermarket. It’s also within ear shot of the St Ignatius HS football field and associated game noise (tonight lacrosse), but that adds to the neighborhood atmosphere actually. The food was great. My friend and I each got the hanger steak ($ 24). They were cooked perfectly. It was served on a delicious mushroom and bacon marmalade with Baby Bok Choy. I wish the portion had been a bit bigger; the flavors could not be savored long enough.

One of my favorite spots in Ohio City. When the area’s food takes a backseat to booze and W. 25^th turns into wreck of bar-​hopping madness, Light Bistro keeps the food in focus and delivers some of the best dining in Cleveland. The food is expert level across the board, the ambiance is perfect, and the bar serves up great cocktails and beers.
I’ve been to Light Bistro for dinner and happy hour plenty of times. It’s always great. My last late-​night meal experience was no different. We popped in for some drinks and a late dinner. I completely forgot that it’s restaurant week and we were greeted with a pre fixe menu that I couldn’t pass up. I decided to order the Braised Pork Belly
(with Ramen Salad, House made Kimchi), Herb Roasted Hanger Steak (with Potato Cake, Bacon and Mushroom Marmalade), and the Pear and Apple Crisp for desert.
None of these dishes are unique to Cleveland and I’ve been harsh on restaurants that play follow the leader by serving up the same old steak cuts and pork belly appetizers. I’m not going to be hard in this case since restaurant week menus are more about offering an inexpensive, full dining experience that showcases the general style of the restaurant versus putting its best dish out on display. With that said, I know Light Bistro can stretch well beyond the offerings and I wish they had. The entrees on the normal menu are generally great – it changes regularly but I’ve never found it to be a copy-​cat act. I would actually argue there are a few Cleveland joints copying Light Bistro.
At any rate, the pork belly was perfectly cooked, the kimchi was flavorful, and the noodles had a fresh ramen texture. The hanger steak was a hanger steak, but it was cooked beautifully mid rare (as ordered). I was happy with the flavor and the sweet potato cake worked wonderfully with the mushroom marmalade. The desert was also quite good. It came out piping hot – fresh from the oven. After it cooled, I tasted a great homestyle crisp. This desert differed from the rest of the Light Bistro style of cooking since most of the items are not «homestyle.» But it was a nice way to round out the meal.
Service was great as usual and everyone had a fantastic time. I’ll continue going to Light Bistro often.

I came here last night for a bachelorette party and at first, I was surprised we picked light bistro for dinner instead of all the other «more known» restaurants in ohio city. The second you enter the room, there is such a claasy, romantic atmosphere. The front of the room seems like a more casual, happy hour atmosphere and when you walk through the hallway (and the hallway is filled with wine cabinets where you can explore different wine from. bubbly wine, organic wine, etc.), you enter the back room. The backroom then has about 4 – 5 tables and it transforms into a reallyyy classy atsmophere.
Our server was AWESOME. He was so nice, so funny, and everything was on spot. The foods came out right on time, they were very considerate with a huge group of us, he filled our water everytime it was empty and he doesn’t forget to ask if there’s anything he can do for us. We were served by 3 – 4 people. 1 person who fills our water and ordered our wine, 2 people to make our orders and serve our dishes, and 1 person who came by about twice to ask how our evening was.
Now…onto the main event: THE FOOD.
These are all the TAPAs we had: fingerling potatoes, marinated mushrooms, corn on the cob, salad, and clams.
Everyone LOVED their tapas. I believe every single one of us finished every bit of our tapas and didn’t leave any leftovers. I had the fingerling potatoes with garlic aioli and it was SPLENDID. These are such good tapas. 1 thing though. I don’t think their tapas beat Bodega’s (on coventry)
Then, the ENTREEs. I had the pork loin with bacon and banana peppers. The bachelorette sampled 3 people’s dishes: my pork loin, a salmon main course, and a short ribs main course dish. According to the bachelorette, she thought the short ribs was the best. because she liked the short ribs so much, she’s planning to change her food order for her wedding! As for my pork loin, i loooooved it! The bacon pieces was crispy and delicious. The sweet potatoes were sweet and a perfect addition to the meal. And the pork loin was made to perfection. It was made MEDIUM and it was sooooo good. If I didn’t have the tapas, I would’ve finished the pork loin with a heartbeat. My friend who had the salmon actually finished her entire meal too!
Overall, the service was great, the staff was great, and the food was AMAZING. I will definitely either be bringing my boyfriend here or at least making an appearance to their happy hour again!

Are we allowed three updates for one place? I guess we are.
I just want to chant «Hap-​py Hour! Hap-​py Hour!» every time I walk up to Light Bistro. But, I think I might need to change that chant to «Lamb Ka-​bobs! Lamb Ka-​bobs!» Or, if you ask my boyfriend, he might say the Chicago dog is really where the chant needs to be…
Regardless, all of these items are $ 5 on the HH menu.
No, I’m not kidding you. Add that to high-​end beers, wines and martinis all ridiculously priced at $ 5 as well and you’ve got yourself a party. But, when your fabulous, handcrafted cocktails are even cheaper, at a $ 4 price-​tag, your just asking yourself for the ultimate happy hour love.
I’m sorry, but in my opinion, this is *the* destination for an upscale, fine-​dinning, local-​loving happy hour in Cleveland. You will not find a better deal.
In fact, just from this awesome experience, I think I’m going to sit at the bar from now on – no matter what. Their ‘tender teaches cocktail design all over the country and he’s awesome. End of story.

Overall, I was pleased with Light Bistro. Dinner started with a selection of tapas plates: I thought the Bacon-​wrapped Dates were far too charred on the outside – basically obliterating the taste of the bacon. The combination of the dates, almonds, and cheese was good, though. The Lamb Meatballs in Mint Tomato Sauce were excellent, something that I would definitely recommend. The Mussels + Frites were not good – the mussels seemed slightly overcooked and the shoestring potatoes – more garnish than food – ended up being an oily mess in the middle of the plate. I enjoyed the Bag of Fresh Potato Chips – simple, crispy, and not too oily.
For a main course I had the Pan Seared Grouper with Pulled Pork and Ravioli. This dish seemed more like three random items stacked on top of each other rather than a single coherent dish. On top, the pulled pork was a little dry and lacking in taste. The grouper in the middle was pretty well prepared and probably would have been fine in a larger portion on its own. The ricotta ravioli on the bottom was okay, but also seemed disconnected from the whole. On the other hand, on another occasion at Light I had the Roast Pork Loin, which was tender and juicy – so much so that I was tempted to have it again on my second visit (and now regret not).
Dessert was five fresh chocolate chip cookies. Served hot with the chocolate still melting throughout. I went ahead and paired it with a glass of organic milk.
I really liked the service at Light Bistro. The overall environment is a little more relaxed than a formal restaurant but the service seemed to retain a deliberate formality, particularly noticeable as the server is setting your plates and silverware (and even more so the bread plates, butter, and butter knives) on your table in a very deliberate manner. The food could use some improving in some areas, but the restaurant seems like it would be a pretty decent place to gather with friends and enjoy some tapas and wine or drink. The wine list (probably about the right size for a bistro) has a number of medium to medium-​high priced selections.