Artisan Bistro Austin

I’d like to give this place a good review, but was turned away by the owner at 11:30 a.m. on a Sunday. Despite the hours posted here, as well as the signs on the door that said SUNDAY BRUNCH and WELCOME, WE ARE OPEN. He was also quite rude about it. Won’t be going back after that sort of treatment, what a shame. Very disappointed.

This place is quite the find. I felt like I was back in France high quality food. Especial service the Chef himself. We are attending the wine dinner tomorrow and a cooking class on the 19^th treat yourself. If you want the crème de la crème you found it. Here Bön Appetite

Looks like this place is going out of business. The chef does everything — waiting on tables and dishes!
We used to like this place but last night they were out of duck, fish and wine. The only thing he had was beef and chicken dishes and most were stews. The food we got was mediocre — steak and vegetables overcooked.
Sorry to see it go downhill. It was not worth the $ 150 cost (with wine).

Chef Cesidio’s real french food and the casual continental vibe make this my favourite Austin restaurant — a hidden strip mall gem — I’m always torn between wanting to bring everyone here and wanting to keep it secret! The owner/​chef is a dream — the wine is amazing and the always-​changing menu is reliably brill. Book one of their monthly wine evenings immediately — and always, always have desert!

An outstanding bistro; arrive with appropriate expectations and you will come away very satisfied.
The almond croissants were better than many we had in Lyon, and was our initial introduction to the chef. They easily equal the croissants at La Pattiserie in town. What makes them so good is an emphatic but not overpowering butter flavor, carried by a crispy, delicately flaking crust, which sublimates into the finespun layers of cotton-​candy-​reminiscent-​textured interior. The other baked goods are also very good, especially the macarons. He even regularly sells freshly-​rendered duck fat, quite difficult to find in Austin and a wonderful treat to prepare steaks in at home.
The chef was classically trained, so meals we’ve had there are also very good. A few times when I stopped by while he was preparing food, I caught a peek at a few ingredients laying about, and they were all top-​quality.
There is a bit of a culture clash that goes on between some visitors and the chef, and it seems to arise from conflicting expectations.
The sole proprieter/​chef/​sommelier/​waiter/​dishwasher one-​man show restaurant is common in France. Meals are modeled after what we call here the «Slow Food Movement». The chef obviously cares very much about the quality of what he crafts and the enjoyment of his customers.
Our expectations for a sit-​down meal here are the same as those that worked well for us in France, and it meshes well in our experience coming here. We arrive with a sense of adventure for what we will order; whatever is fresh and available that day is what we want, and if one dish is out we’ll happily try another. We’re picky about quality, but not about what we’ll try (and new experiences are always welcome in this household), so this works out for us; your mileage may vary. We settle down at the table expecting around a couple hour leisurely meal savoring the flavors and conversations, preferably even slightly longer if possible; with young children this isn’t always feasible, but they love his creations as much as we do (the pommes frites, lentils and baguettes are an especially big hit with them). Because we are spending such a long time over the meal, we give a lot more time for our bodies to properly sense and signal satiety, so the portion sizes are just right for us. We want to pay fair value to ensure the delivery of high quality skill and ingredients, and Artisan Bistro measures up to some of the more well-​known French restaurants we’ve visited around town and the nation, so the prices to us are not out of line.
The French conventionally hold high expectations for their children’s behavior in public. While I mark Artisan Bistro as «Good for Kids», please don’t take this as carte blanche to let your children romp around like at Phil’s Icehouse. That would totally ruin the ambiance here. If your children don’t find it comfortable to sit at the table and enjoy a lengthy meal, then do them a favor and share the bistro experience with them when they are older and able to appreciate it more.
He runs a delightful little Sunday brunch buffet we’ve been to several times. It’s not an over the top extravaganza like Four Season’s Trio, Green Pastures, Fonda San Miguel, or other places, which suits us just fine when the right mood strikes us. Lots of different kinds of scrumtious pastries, some hot dishes, and some cheese and charcuterie selections, typically in an intimate, unrushed brunch context. It takes us back to many happy lazy Sunday mornings in southern France.
He also offers numerous cooking classes going on almost every week. Taking those is on our bucket list. Various special events are also held; they and the classes are posted on the big blackboard more consistently than on the web site, so be sure to check it out when you go visit. The native French small neighborhood business’ tendency to serve a very local clientele instead of trawling for as big a net of customers across as big an area as possible, shows through there.
Lakeway is fortunate an authentic French bistro experience is so close by, and Artisan Bistro is one of the few businesses I cite as an example of a destination I would drive out from town for (Pao’s Mandarin’s northern-​style dim sum being another example), before we moved out to this area.

We just happened to stumble across this little french restaurant driving thru Lakeway today! Glad we did! The food was so good! Yes it was pricey, but the food is worth the price! We both had open faced sandwhiches, we enjoyed them immensely! You should definitely try the place out! You won’t be disappointed!

we — LOVE — this place…
This is one of those rare special places that has the receptionist/​chef/​owner/​waiter/​bus/​sommelier is one individual. I felt like i was having dinner in a chef’s home, that left my girlfriend and I alone to have a very special evening filled with the finest French food in Austin.
This place can’t be compared to a larger restaurant … amazed to see how intimate and special the experience was. It begins with the simple ambiance, the chef, his knowledge and finally his craft …
A larger restaurant desires and targets a full, packed house. Artisan Bistro does not.
A larger place will most always have everything on the menu at all times. A guest at Artisan Bistro might want to be comfortable with trying another amazing offering if a dish or two are not available.
beef borgonione — perfect
Coq au vin — my girlfriend raved and i closed my eyes with my bite!
pom frit — Sublime
Onion Soup — perfect. i read complaints … I believe that many locals believe that beef-​broth is supposed to be used in the recipe — thus, they miss the salt … this is what French Onion Soup is actually supposed to taste like — copious amounts of bread and cheese … lol
Pâté — made on premises & divine — the accompanying balsamic sweet preserve was heavenly.
Cheese Plate — worthy — terrific selection and the chef made preserve was off the hook.
The price is the price people — stop complaining — go or don’t. Yes, … it is really that easy… This place is not cheap, but you are receiving, in return, the best French food in this area including downtown Austin. I will not knock a star off because of the price.
The portions size of the entrées are not the giant «cheesecake factory» plates I have gotten used to upon moving to ATX from Boston. With that said, the plating is on par with many of the high-​end places that are opening up … small. The quality more than makes up for it and we were full upon leaving. I will not knock a star off because of the portion size.
If i could, I would give extra stars for the food craft and one more for the memorable chef.
Returned for two mornings to have his pastries — OMG.
No way i can drive by there and not stop in — echoing another review — the angels sing when Chef Cesidio is working his magic.

Wonderful experience with a Groupon for a two-​hour Sunday evening (5 – 7) cooking class. Eight of us watched as the chef explained the process for cooking the three-​course meal and then, we ate it. The fare is a surprise, but it’s all excllent. Wine is extra or you can bring your own and pay a corking fee. The chef is really Italian, but has a heavy French accent and is not easy to understand. However, his humor, his willingness to repeat and the visual demonstrations make up for missed syllables. The Groupon for two costs about $ 45 per person and is certainly worth the money.

Love this place! Amazing food! Will definitely be back! Ratatouille, Brussell sprouts, garlic cream soup… Oh my!!! So good!

My rating is based on pastries only… and they are awesome! Authentic, delicious, buttery goodness. The chocolate almond croissant makes me happy.

Great little bistro with a quaint ambiance. Loved all of their baked goods, Yes, a bit overpriced, but nice for the area since there is not anything that compelling in Lakeway.

This place gave up. Went there for Saturday night dinner and found that they stopped serving almost all their main courses. Their air conditioning was out, btw it was out a month earlier too. Not sure what’s going on, but what was once a good place has seemed to given up… Note this review was for a Nov dinner… Hope they got their act back together.

Great ambiance. Great quality of food, great wine selection. Good service. However, somewhat pricy for its offerings. Definitely not for someone w/​a large appetite & a small budget.
Beet & Goat cheese salad — overpriced
Salmon — great choice
Crème Brûlée — temperature was inconsistent

Wound up here by accident and stopped in because of the glowing Unilocal reviews. It was an excellent experience. Both the food and service were outstanding. It’s a little pricey but definitely worth it!

This is a very nice little French bistro in Lakeway. I have been for lunch once and for dinner once. Both times were delicious. For dinner I had the beef filet with pomme frites. The steak was cooked to perfection, very nice quality meat and the fries were to die for. I ate every last one, natch.
My husband had the beef borgonione and he loved it as well. We shared a mixed green salad to start as well. We loved the dressing.
Although we didn’t have any dessert that night, we went back the next day to pick out some bakery items to bring to a friend’s house where we were having dinner. I got an assortment and everyone was very pleased.
We’ll definitely be back again. My next plan of action here is to try the French onion soup. We consider ourselves lucky to have such a high quality bistro in our neck of the woods.

Wonderful meal. Started out with cheese and charcuterie, which was very well done with great condiments.
My son had the duck, which was to die for. The french fries are worth the trip alone.
I had mussels, which were big and juicy and in a fantastic, low-​cal cream sauce (ok, only in my dreams was it low-​cal).
The profiteroles for dessert were airy and tasty.
Also, staff is casual and friendly, but very attentive and helpful.
Great place. So glad we discovered it!

Mon Dieu! You must purchase both the home made caramel sauce and strawberry violet jam. Wow. Get a hunk of quality chocolate and dip it in the caramel. And thank you my beloved Artisan for the lovely little apple filled croissants that saved my life when I packed them for a business trip. I enjoyed one every morning with my coffee and they made me less homesick. Je T’aime!!!

First, the bakery is absolutely top notch. It is worth a trip to pick up some bread or pastries if you are cooking at home. If this were just a bakery review, it would be five stars!
It has been a while since we dined here, so I’m going to be short on detail. The food was good, but we experienced some inconsistency that was troubling. Some dishes were very good, some were only good. The service was very friendly and the ambiance was excellent. I think they have what it takes for five stars and I’m looking forward to a return trip in the future.

I think it’s important to note that the owner personally sent me a follow up note after my review, apologizing that our expectations were not met. It was a sweet note and not defensive, just wanting to understand. I think this speaks very highly of their customer service, and seems right on with the vibe I got while dining there. From Artisan’s perspective, when reservations were made, my friend didn’t really push the idea of vegetarian options; when the subject came up, Artisan offered to make accommodations: typically with a group of 8+ it is a fixed menu, instead they offered an open menu for our group so the Veg Heads would have more options.
PS. Complimentary champagne is something they often offer for a special event/​celebration, not just for regulars, whoop!

It’s Friday night, the wife and I don’t feel like making the pilgrimage downtown, Why not stay in Lakeway, support a local business, and finally have a meal at Artisan Bistro?
Well last night all of the culinary planets aligned, the clouds parted, angels sang, and we had a phenomenal dinner. Less of a dinner, really, more of an experience.
We started with an intense wine & cheese pairing. Bleau, swiss, brie, and one I couldn’t pronounce; paired with two reds, two whites. Sorry, the wine was largely wasted on me. One of the whites was dry, the other less so. Both of the reds remained largely untouched.
The bread, as always, was phenomenal. There was also a small pairing of sauteed onions that complimented the cheese very well. Chef Cesidio and the staff delved into the history of each wine and cheese. It’s always fascinating to connect with your meal on a deeper level.
Protip: Apparently the more subtle cheeses (i.e. swiss) were originally made from a secondary milking of the cow. Farmers were once taxed on the amount of milk they produced, so they would do a small primary milking, then once the tax collector left, they would do a secondary milking and hide it as cheese. THE MORE YOU KNOW!
Though we were quite sated, we still wanted a bit of protein, so we ordered the lamb shank with stewed beans. Perfectly cooked, fall-​off-​the-​bone lamb, though the beans almost stole the show. This was the type of side that made me think, just maybe, that vegetarianism isn’t a godless, miserable, soul-​sucking existence. Vegetarians, go forth, order the lamb shank, eat the beans, and give me the lamb. Together, we can live in harmony!
I’m glad to report that Artisan Bistro’s dinner is every bit as good as their pastries.