Bayfront Bistro

Bayfront Bistro was okay, but not great. A bit overpriced and also a bit underwhelming.
Pretty view if you’re at the right tables.

Overpriced poor quality food. Salad OK, Cuban terrible, expensive and meat was stringy.
The check was $ 37.00 gave the waitress a fifty she wanted know if I wanted change… A$ 13.00 tip for crappola food???
Needless to say, she did not get that TIP!!!

Sad to say not their best effort! Long wait for food delivery with no explanation from server. Special sea bass portion very small with undercooked carrots featured as part of the special plate for $ 40. Butterfish entrée was good. Expected much more from this highly rated restaurant.

Amazing atmosphere. Food is always good, and beautifully presented. I come here every time I’m in the area. There’s always exceptional service as well. Definitely a good idea to dress on the fancier/​more formal, business casual side. The wine and champagne list is very impressive – about 8 pages long! Martinis and other mixed drinks are also quite tasty! Would recommend.

If you’re looking for a nice dinner on the island, I highly recommend Bayfront Bistro. Specializing in seafood, the chef puts a unique twist on traditional dishes. We shared the muscles, wedge salad, French chicken, and tiramisu. All were amazing. The dressing on the salad was truffle ranch — I could probably eat it everyday for the rest of my life.
What really exceeded our expectations this trip was the service. Matthew, our waiter, was beyond accommodating and attentive, he was friendly, talkative and funny. After informing me they were out of both bottles of wine we wanted to order, he offered to ask his manager to give us the more expensive bottle for the lower price — and they did! Our total ended up being just over $ 100, which was pretty affordable for everything we tried.
They also have brunch and $ 9 bottomless mimosas on the weekends. I’ve also heard rumors of a coupon in the Ft Myers paper for 2 dinner entrees and a bottle of wine for $ 50, so keep an eye out for that!
Named one of the top 10 waterfront restaurants in the country by trip advisor, Bayfront Bistro definitely stands up to the title.

Wonderful atmosphere. We ate here before a dolphin cruise on Christmas Eve. The food was delicious. My Asian calamari was great. It built in heat as I ate it. My son’s bay burger was outstanding, with Gorgonzola, bacon, and an egg on it!
My wife had a better fish taco at a cheaper place the day before, but it wasn’t bad. I wouldn’t hesitate to come back!

This place is ok. 3 is for service. Waitress was cool but un attentive. View is worth the drive. Burger is very good. Desert was good had lava cake. Overall decent.

Everyone in our group had something so incredible that we all ended up sharing.
The filet was out of this world and the snapper was absolutely perfect and on top of really flavorful risotto.
The crème brûlée was the best I’ve ever had and the service was just perfect! So accommodating.
Best in the area!

Elegant upscale place, on the estuary. Wonderful varied menu, plus extensive wine list. Outdoor seating is a nice option. Very good service. A respite from casual beachybplaces. Din’t miss this

The seating was wide open and they wouldn’t sit us where we preffered
Hostess seemed rude.
Food was great and waitstaff was ok

My husband and I went to Bayfront Bistro for lunch and it was delicious! I had the Caesar salad and Asian calamari. The calamari was out of this world! I highly recommend it! My husband got the lobster bisque and patty melt. The bisque was divine and was so buttery! They also gave us bread with oil and seasonings! The waitress talked us into the key lime pie to take home and I’m so glad we did! It was also great! To top off the entire meal, they gave us complimentary champagne as we visited while on our honeymoon. We will go back!

Cuisine, service, atmosphere – all excellent.

Lobster bisque ridonk! Lobster scampi tortellini tasty and filling. Divers scallops perfectly cooked but odd seasoning. Crème brule yum. Would return. Atmosphere delightful.

Took my wife to Fort Myers Beach for her birthday… long weekend. Met my aged parents there also for dinner one night. Since we weren’t familiar with the area, we relied on the recommendation of someone we met who said Bayfront Bistro was a great place.
Got there on a Saturday night and since it was in September, it wasn’t very crowded. Atmosphere is very nice… we were sat by a young man, maybe a manager who said he would get us water. He said Sara would be right with us… he brought our waters and also said Sara would be right with us. It took her a good 10 minutes to come to us and ask if we wanted drinks. We waited another 10 minutes for four drinks. My elderly mother likes olives, so she asked if she could get olives for her drink. She said, no problem, left, and never returned with the olives. So, we finally ordered and these other folks are correct… pricey is not the word. The average entrée is about $ 36…if you want a martini, you’re talking $ 12. At those prices, the service has to match the inflated cost. It took at least 30 more minutes to get our meal… food was really good…3 out of 4 of us liked our meal. Then, we sat… with dirty dishes in front of us for another 20 minutes. We were going to order dessert, but didn’t feel like waiting another 20 minutes for it, so we all got up to hunt for our missing waitress… as we were heading to the exit we caught her attention.
Maybe it was a bad night for everybody, but our first impression wasn’t good. If they had $ 4 drinks and $ 10 entrees, maybe we would have been more accepting of the bad service, but when you’re paying $ 52 for a steak and a martini, you better be all over me.
Not only will I never go back, but if you know anything about elderly people, they’ll be talking about this experience with everyone who’ll listen, so I guarantee mom and dad won’t be back.

We live in the area and rarely make it over to Ft Myers Beach during the season. But now that it’s summer and restaurants aren’t very crowded we tried Bayfront Bistro out and it was outstanding. Our party of four all had different entrees and all of us were very happy with what we got. I had the Diver Scallops; probably the best scallops I’ve ever had. My wife had the pork pot roast, something they’re noted for, and that was very good too. Crème brûlée for desert was excellent.
Note that they take reservations; probably a good idea during the season. It was very slow the Saturday we were in but I imagine that it’s packed during the winter. Very scenic location on the harbor side of FMB. Pace of the meal was leisurely but I’d still consider our service to have been pretty good. This place is a little pricey though; a party of two won’t get out of there for less than $ 100 especially if you have a drink or two with dinner. But it’s a great place for celebrations and special occasions. I highly recommend it. We’ll be back.

We try to avoid going to the area during season but today, April 18 (Saturday) we took a drive over from Cape Coral, looking for someplace to enjoy lunch on the waterfront. We ended up at Bayfront Bistro and had a pleasant experience. I’d give 3.75 stars if possible.
When we arrived we chose to sit outside, and although there were few people at 1:00 we were not given a choice seat overlooking the entire marina at the one empty 4-​top. In fairness to the venue, we didn’t ask if we could sit there, and perhaps it was reserved (not sure if they take reservations) but it would have been a terrific view. Instead we were seated on the narrower part of the deck at a 4-​top, which wasn’t quite as good a view but we could see a few boats without obstruction. There were two large parties dining on the deck, and while the remainder of the restaurant wasn’t very busy, the service was slow. This didn’t bother us since we were in no hurry, but if we’d been on a schedule it would have been a problem. We also had a new/​in-​training server who was pleasant enough but so soft-​spoken we had to ask him to repeat himself a few times, and he was clearly nervous about placing things, moving things etc. He wasn’t positive what half of the 8 dessert offerings were when he brought the try around. Again, not a big deal for us but could be a problem for some.
We started with a cup of clam chowder that was surprisingly good, being that we’re from Massachusetts and are somewhat spoiled by access to excellent clam chowder. This was a tiny bit sweet and had a touch of sherry or something similar, adding a nice accent to the creamy, not-​too-​thick broth. There was a good ratio of clams and potatoes too. The cup was only about ²⁄₃ full for $ 5, so a little skimpy as far as value goes. Fresh bread with seasoned olive oil was also provided.
Our entrees were fish tacos and shrimp scampi. Loved the jicama/​cuke slaw that came alongside the tacos; the jicama, carrots and onions gave it a nice crunch and the cukes and rice vinegar/​cilantro dressing had an Asian flair. The tacos were simple but good, with small pieces of sauteed grouper atop shredded cabbage and diced tomatoes. Salsa verde served on the side had just a little kick of spicy heat. The scampi came on a bed of fettucine, and the hubby commented on the tomatoes and arugula (very unusual for him to acknowledge veggies!) giving the dish more pizzazz than the standard scampi. He thought there was something special going on with the sauce although to me it seemed like standard, garlicky scampi with a touch of lemon. We then enjoyed a warm chocolate bread pudding topped with vanilla ice cream. All in all, good but not great food — no complaints on the quality, but no standouts either.
The only problem we had was timing. We were literally taking the last spoonful of our chowder when the entrees were delivered — and we tend to be fast eaters. We would have liked a bit of a respite between courses, especially considering after entrees it was a good 15 minutes before we were asked about dessert, then another 10 before it was delivered. Again this may be attributable to the larger parties combined with the waiter-​in-​training, and it wasn’t a big deal for us but might be for someone in more of a hurry.
After lunch we took a few minutes to admire all the boats at the marina. We agreed we’d return to Bayfront Bistro but will definitely do so outside of season, as it must be a madhouse then!

Fantastic view. I had the Florida black grouper topped with lobster salad with risotto and asparagus. Hubby had the special of the day — bacon wrapped diver scallops. My dinner was very delicious. His was good but mashed potatoes were bland — a small quibble. Good salads. Good wine. Not inexpensive but worth every penny.

I continue to frequent this restaurant for so many reasons. The view is unequaled and makes a perfect setting for a relaxing noon or evening meal — but if it’s your first time, arrive before sunset. There is a fabulous and casual bar downstairs that looks out over the marina which is an excellent stop before dinner or even as a destination stop. The service is outstanding, knowledgeable, and friendly making your evening even more relaxed. Last night our waiter was Matt — and he was amazing. Handsome, helpful, and attentive.
Saving the food for last — it is very good and very innovative cuisine. I have never had a bad meal here, ever — and most importantly they are very accommodating of special requests. Twice we have dined with vegans, and once with someone on a restricted diet. Their custom meals were delivered beautiful and had rave reviews.
Last night we tried the special cheese board with 3 cheeses picked by Matt — all delicious. We also had a sampling of the crab cakes with plantains, the tuna poke, calamari, and spicy shrimp appetizers. The shrimp dish was the only thing I didn’t care for. It tasted good… But wasn’t anything special. I expected larger shrimp and a better presentation, but still no complaints. The crab cakes, however — outstanding.
There was a sampling of dishes around the table all were raved about, but especially notable were the butterfish (melted in my mouth), lobster tortellini topped with a lobster tail, and the Florida farm-​raised beef.
And I can personally vouch for the banana bread pudding… Light, not too sweet, and tender topped with caramel sauce. It was delicious !
Im not sure what some of the negative reviews are all about… This is a very nice, very welcoming restaurant. It is not inexpensive, but is certainly not overpriced.

My new husband and I came for Sunday brunch. They had bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Mary for $ 9 so we both ordered that. I got the Eggs Benedict which was amazing. My husband had the Ranchero Taco which was spicy, he enjoyed it. We both split the French toast which wasn’t the best I’ve had but overall our meal was great. We had a window table overlooking the bay and boats. It had all of the ambiance that tourists like us would enjoy.

I visited Bayfront Bistro on Memorial Day weekend with a group of people. This was my second time here. First thing is if you can sit outside, the view is unbelievable.
We ordered sweet fire shrimp, calamari, mussels, Tuna all as appetizers. The shrimp were my favorite. All the rest were great too.
I had the Bistro salad which came with pine nuts, portabella mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and it was excellent.
For my main coarse I had the pork pot-​roast. First time I ever had a pork pot roast which came over garlic mashed potatoes, broccolini and carrots. It was incredible and they give you such large plate that you may have to take some to go.
The dessert tray was tough to choose from but we chose the bananas foster pudding with vanilla ice cream and a molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. They were excellent.
I will definitely be back again !