R Bistro

Really enjoyed the salmon. The crisp on the skin side was season very well and made for a tasty dish. Thoroughly enjoyed the spaghetti squash appetizer.

We had a lovely meal and a wonderful experience here. We knew ahead of time about their no substitutions and one-​check-​per-​table policies so that was not an issue for us. We met another couple there to enjoy one more meal before they close. Our waiter was great: friendly, welcoming and attentive. The rolls we got before our meal were warm, crusty on the outside with a fluffy, yeasty center. Delicious slathered in butter. I loved my mussels and frites entrée — the curry cream broth was so yummy! Hubby got the veal chop with Parmesan crust, radicchio sauce and puréed celeriac. Tender, crisp on the outside with a slightly smokey flavor. Desserts included chocolate mousse and a lemon tarte with shortbread crust. Devine. Nice wine menu, too. They will be missed.

My fiancée and I had probably our worst dining experience in Indy at R Bistro. We are both super courteous to a fault, (she’s a local chef), and super nice to our restaurant homeboys. Our appetizers were fine, but really bland. No big deal though, chef’s choice and all that. The server asked us how our appetizers were and we politely told them they were good. This was not enough for him. He stood there fawning over the food so much, I thought he was going to hit us up for Amway. When he was gone, we just sort of giggled to ourselves and let it go. Our entrees came out. I have never had food that was this salty served to me in a restaurant. Neither one of us wanted to say anything and we agonized over it for a while before deciding to tell the waiter. Then we waited for him… and waited… and waited… and waited. He finally came to us and we told him that our dishes were too salty for us to enjoy, all with a large dose of sorries from us. We were then browbeaten by him, while he explained every single person ever in history had liked that dish. Then, like a Scientology recruiter, he stared at us without speaking until I sheepishly asked if we could have them remade. Nope, the chef likes it the way it is and he doubts she would remake it. Uhhh… wha? He then went off to get her, which we didn’t want at all. The chef came out and was wicked condescending and explained that she would comp our meals. No one had ever complained before. My fiancée was super embarrassed, and the other patrons all became super interested in their entrees. All in all a pretty bad experience.

We are saddened to write a one-​star review of R Bistro (a place we have been to several times before and have enjoyed), but our experience tonight has ensured we will never come back. We are not picky eaters, nor do we ever send food back to the kitchen. But tonight, we were served absolutely RAW chicken — not just a little pink, but completely raw — even on the ends (see picture above). The waiter (who was very nice) was apologetic and took away our dishes immediately (there was no arguing with this — again, it was pink). We were brought new dishes, which were cooked, but of course didn’t enjoy them as much as we would have had they been correct the first time (we were still gingerly taking bites to make sure our chicken wasn’t raw).
But even worse than the raw chicken was the way we were treated by the owner, Regina (it is disheartening to note that many other Unilocal-​ers have had similar experiences with «R»). At the very end of our meal (after we had paid and were getting ready to leave), the owner approached our table, offered us a meager apology, but then quickly began to defend why the chicken was raw — she said she wanted to ensure that the «presentation» of the dish was in tact so therefore did not check it to make sure it was cooked. This was surprising to hear from a James Beard semi-​finalist, as serving raw chicken for the sake of «presentation» would be a major no-​no even in an amateur cooking class. Put-​off by her defensiveness, my dining companion informed Chef Regina that we were not sure we would ever come back to R Bistro. Regina huffed and said, «Well, that’s fine.» This was perhaps the most egregious event of the evening, as we would expect any restauranteur who heard a customer say this to immediately apologize/​ask if there was anything she could do to change our minds/​etc., but no such luck.
We are frequent Indy diners and were very disappointed by this experience, and again were saddened to hear that others had had similar encounters. Luckily, there is no shortage of wonderful restaurants in Indianapolis, so next time we will try one of those. So, in summary: raw chicken, raw deal, rude owner.

This is a small, quaint place for couples or family gatherings. The food is outstanding and fresh and the service is great. Reservations are a must.

We went for a glass of wine. We were immediately treated rudely by the hostess/​bartender. She asked if we had a reservation after looking us up & down as if we weren’t dressed appropriately. The restaurant was empty the entire time we were there, a max of 3 tables were filled. We sat at the bar & painfully had a glass of wine. Won’t be back.

We recently visited R Bistro to celebrate a friend’s birthday! The server was very courteous and helpful in answering my questions and speaking with the kitchen about my food allergies. I was able to share the duck appetizer which included a cherry chutney and was absolutely delicious! For my main course I had the Salad Nicoise which was excellent, though a tad saltier than I expected. The tuna was cooked perfectly! The ambiance was great, the music soft enough to enjoy conversation and wine in addition to dinner. Everyone was pleased with their meal. My friend’s raved about their soups and I have high hopes that the next time I visit there will be a gluten free soup of the day!

The food, in truth, merits five stars. The sirloin with shiitake mushrooms was fabulous, as was the pork belly appetizer. The zucchini chocolate cake was fine, but not the melt-​in-​your –mouth variety you typically expect. And they always have the best coffee.
It’s the service that knocks it down one star. I used to go at least twice a month, but I just couldn’t take the service anymore; it’s so snooty! The service is a distraction from the wonderful food. And it’s not just one time with one server; it’s been many servers over the years. They tend to be humorless and self righteous in their interactions. At this point I only go to R Bistro if the other party insists, which is less often now that Indianapolis has so many good restaurant options. R Bistro isn’t the oasis it used to be.
I think Regina is probably a genius, but 75% of the people at my table said the same thing, which was essentially, «We don’t come here very often anymore; the servers make us feel small.» I’m guessing Regina wants this kind of service, as it’s been so consistent all these years; but I also think it’s a mistake.

Always high quality food, creative, and changing. Love the stability of quality and the variety of options. Had a delightful arugula salad with cherries and shaved parmesan recently, and a sweet potato soup that had a fun little kick to it. Zuchini bread w/​orange glaze: super-​yum. Petite, quaint, charming, and always quality. Love.

This is truly the place to go if you want a dining experience and not simply a meal. Interior is sparse clean elegant. Server Ben was superb. Started w an Oregonian Pinot that was light and not too sweet. Ben actually took time to review the entire menu w the chef as was a new week and I was first customer. Every single thing on the menu looked irresistible. Ben’s guidance was invaluable. Bloody Mary shrimp salad had excellent acid w shrimp light and just right amount of oil. Lamb chops were a perfect medium rare and char was perfection. Literally the best lamb chops ever. Was served w cuscus mixed w lemon and mint. Could have eaten an entire plate of just that. Light aromatic the perfect weight and texture on your palate. Fished w chocolate lavender tort and cappuccino which was not too sweet. Spent two glorious hours and never felt rushed. Lovely

I liked the farm– to-​table selection however the food was not great nor was the service. Nevertheless I will give it another shot because I love the ideas on the menu as well as the fact that the menu changes quite often.

Hands down, Indy’s best farm to table restaurant. This place doesn’t even own a freezer, that’s how fresh the food is! The left side of the menu tells you exactly where every single one of their ingredients is sourced from. I got the arugula, almond, and feta salad for a starter, and the chicken fetti as my entrée. I would go back every day if I could afford it! My mouth was still watering as I left. Highly, highly recommend R Bistro! Also, the menu changes every week based on what ingredients are fresh in Indiana right now, so each dining experience will be different!

The Irish menu was excellent! My wife and I had the Lamb Stew with barley-​Lamb was cooked to perfection-​just the right balance of seasonings. A very generous portion of soda bread accompanied the stew-​great comfort food dish. Cod was flaky and delightful. Didn’t try the starters or dessert. As always the bread was to die for-​served warm not too hot and just the right size.

Was super disappointing. Over priced for quality and service. Had a party of 3 and got a song and dance about not being able to divide checks. I ordered a dish that sounded so good only to have it not have any of the ingredients in it. It was a mashed potatoes and cheese filled roll. All 4 were empty of anything … the server assistant filled my water glass to full it overflowed onto table and my sleeve super annoying… we ordered coffee and got exactly one ONE cup. I have worked on Ave for years and was reluctant to try R BISTRO but after both Mimi and Black Market were packed it was our only choice. It was really disappointing. I tipped 20%, the server was pleasant, but I won’t be going back it was just a disappointment all the way around…

This is a restaurant that has received many accolades for its food, and the ego of the owner has been inflated accordingly. This is reflected in their policy of not providing separate checks for each couple in a party of four. No other restaurant I know of has this policy. It is sort of insulting and is why many of our friends will not dine there. We were here only because we had a gift certificate. We like the food and the table service but will never return.

My wife and i visited R Bistro for dinner on Saturday evening 10÷4÷14. For the main entrée, I ordered the Bouillabaisse and my wife ordered Duck breast, My wife raved about how much she loved the duck, and I thought that the Bouillabaisse was excellent. We enjoyed the food but the service was sup-​par. Our waiter, Nathan, was rude and almost ruined our evening. When my wife asked questions about the menu, his answers seemed to imply that she was stupid. I wanted to say something to Regina as we were leaving, but she was busy talking with another customer.
If you like fresh, unique, local food that is very well prepared, R Bistro should be given a try. Usually, service is very good.

I had dinner here Saturday night with a friend; we had been meaning to try R Bistro for awhile and finally managed to do so! I had heard reservations were a must since it is a small place, so never even tried coming on the spur of the moment, but when we arrived for our 6PM reservation, there were only two other tables occupied. By 7PM, things were busier, but there were still empty tables, so it is likely worth a try to just stop in without a reservation if you are in the area.
The menu changes weekly, and as of now, it looks like dinner is only served Wednesday through Saturday nights. The menu is posted to the website if you’d like to check out the options for the week. Everything is seasonal and many ingredients are locally sourced. The menu actually lists where many of the ingredients are produced which is really interesting since the most I’ve seen elsewhere is the farm where the meat comes frome; this is the first time I’ve seen the source of the vegetables.
This would not be a good place for someone who is a picky eater, but if you like interesting food, you will likely enjoy R Bistro. I had a hard time deciding among the five entrees on the menu, but went with the lamb brat which came with grilled vegetables, mixed greens and a blue cheese vinegarette. The lamb brat was seasoned nicely and was lean, flavorful and delicious. The vegetables were wonderful! Acorn squash, portabello mushrooms, corn, onions, etc. all grilled to perfection!
Dessert meant another hard choice, but I opted for the peach cobbler and was not disappointed. It was not overly sweet, so the flavor of the peaches came through beautifully. French press coffee rounded things out nicely.
The wine list is nice, with many reasonably priced options by the glass and bottle.
Service was quite good; everyone was attentive, friendly and knowledgeable about the menu.
Again this would not be a good place for a picky eater. Substitutions are not allowed, and the menu is limited to what is fresh that week. If you have a bit of an adventurous spirit when it comes to food, and are willing to trust that the dishes will be great as prepared, definitely give this place a try!

Fresh, locally sourced veggies and some meats.
The menu is challenging and interesting, combining strong flavors from various regions successfully. I particularly enjoyed the beef tongue.
This is a wine and beer only establishment at this time.

Fantastic, fresh, unique dishes. Everything my husband and I had was absolutely delicious. I had peach caprese starter… A fun summertime spin on the traditional caprese… Just swap peaches for tomatoes. Light, sweet and salty, perfect. I also had a vegetarian entrée of roasted veggies that was simple, yet heavenly.
Our server, Ben, was fun and friendly and made great recommendations. We look forward to seeing him again next time…
We made reservations in 2 weeks while we were still sitting at the table!

Our first time last Saturday and I kinda understand now all the rave about the place. They sure know how to cook. The mussels in a coconut broth was perfection. Just enough coconut creaminess/​sweetness with tad heat compliments the mussel/​seafood taste of the broth. The wife’s fish fillet was perfectly fried, crispy outside yet flaky and moist inside. The potato cake that came with the cake was fried in the same perfection, crispy outside yet soft in the inside. My cornish hen was nicely roasted and the glaze wasn’t overpowering. Rhubarb cake we had for dessert wasn’t too shabby either, flavorful and perfectly baked. No fancy/​artsy food presentation, but they surely score high in flavor and execution. No full bar though, so got to stick with some beer and wine. Service was pleasant, and price ain’t that bad.