Downtown Bistro

Someone recommend this to me and the pictures on Unilocal looked amazing. I went there on a Friday night. We made reservations but did not need them. It was very quiet. Maybe only a few tables were filled.
We ordered the short rib ravioli with shrimp. It was an odd combination but we gave it a try anyway. It was absolutely amazing. The ravioli and the shrimp were cooked perfectly. The sauce was light and flavorful. We also ordered the mussels which were also perfectly cooked. They were not only tender but they were the largest mussels I’ve ever had. The serving was so large I hardly put a dent in it. I was also saving room for dessert because it looked delicious in the picture on Unilocal.
We had the apple tart with goat cheese. It was a flaky piece of heaven. The goat cheese did not overwhelm the flavor and added just the right contrast to the apples.

This is an authentic French restaurant (husband & wife are from Southern France). As you can imagine, the French onion soup is exquisite. The short rib ravioli with cream sauce & shrimp is superb. I enjoyed the pan seared scallops with couscous. The servers are very attentive but not overpowering. I wish this was located in our city!

Absolutely delicious! To start we had A vegetable soup, and the shrimp & chorizo. Very good, excellent portions. For entrees, she had the Mahi Mahi wrap, and I did the baked Snapper. Everything was cooked to perfection, which is hard to find downtown at lunch time. Restaurant was moderately busy, but very well staffed and we were taken care of swiftly. Wanted to grab dessert, but no time. I’ll definitely be back for that crème brûlée!

My husband and I ate here for lunch yesterday. I had the lamb chop special and he had the risotto.
The lamb chops were cooked perfectly and were very tender, the flavor was amazing
The risotto was the best we’ve ever had; it had the perfect hint of truffle.
Can’t wait to go back!

I am so happy my boss suggested we go here. This is a cute French place right by my office. The service was outstanding. We didn’t have to wait and the servers were polite and attentive. They give you complimentary bread and bread sticks with some creative butter. For our appetizer we ordered the Bacon Wrapped Dates. Holy mackerel! they were delicious! stuffed with some delicious creamy cheese, you slap on some of the fig jelly and you have perfection in your mouth. I also had the French Onion Soup, which of course, you guessed it, was packed with cheese. It was a tad salty, but overall delicious. I will say though, I wasn’t able to eat my soup lady like lol since it was so cheesy. Then for my entrée I had the Portobello 4 cheese sandwich with fries. Wowzers! not only was the bread beyond fresh, but the cheeses were all such a perfect blend that my first bite was complete perfection. My boss also ordered the creamy risotto, which I snagged a taste of, and that was also perfection. The seasoning and the creaminess were so on point. I can’t wait to go back for another lunch outing. Definitely a great spot.

I ordered the short ribs ravioli and I must say the sauce was a wrong fit. It gave me diarrhea, not sure what part of the food may have caused it. The nutella crêpe was yummy though.

Caminando por Downtown Miami nos encontramos con este maravilloso restaurant Frances escondido en el Corazon de downtown! Oh la la que sorpresa nos llevamos ! Ordenamos los mejillones con queso azul y crema para empezar, exelentes !! Luego ordene filet mignon con pure de papas y esparagos, y tambien la trucha con risotto de portobello mushrooms … Que mas desir … Si nos quedo lugar y ordenamos el clasico crème brûlée … Delicioso todo !! Les recomiendo visitar este acogedor Bistro Y Bön Appetite!!!

I would like to rate them a 5 Because of their Tuna Tartar (excellent texture, freshness, presentation and taste)! We have been there a few Times and ordered almost everything from the menu. Great mussels (Belgian style) — good size and very tasty. Portions are also pretty big.

Beautiful small restaurant, but really good food. I order a fried claim and a steak serve with rice. Great great taste and smell that made me never forget. The claim is so sweet and fresh. Waitress was so friendly and honest. She introduce the Best food ever. It was worthy with my spending

Made Eatstreet order through Unilocal and pre-​paid. The restaurant had a «claimed miscommunication» and had me call Eatstreet, etc before canceling the order. By the time Eatstreet tried to call the restaurant to fix the issue the restaurant had rushed to cancel.
I disagree with the comment from the restaurant below. The review is for the service I received from the restaurant specifically. I understand that the initial fault may have been outside the restaurant’s hands but that does not give them the right to be rude to customers. Telling someone who prepaid that they can place a second order over the phone is not really an option. Be more empathetic to customer problems. It may not have been initially your fault but it most definitely was not mine.

Among my new favorite restaurants in the downtown Miami area. It is a intimate setting, reasonable pricing, and most of all the food is delicious. I would recommend the watermelon salad with arugula.

Ilona was such an absolute gem! My firm was in town and needed a local place to deliver for lunch — Downtown Bistro exceeded our expectations. Ilona made personal contact and we worked with each other directly, exchanging texts and phone calls. She was extremely helpful.
Our order was perfect and the food and presentation were great. Everyone enjoyed their meals and we all appreciated the effort that her and her staff made to ensure that our experience exceeded any expectations! Since this was lunch, we ordered several sandwiches, all of which tasted great and they even supplied us with some delicious chocolate mousse.
Downtown Bistro is HIGHLY recommended — you cannot go wrong.

Having a French boyfriend has its perks. For one, there’s the romance. For two, there’s the accent. For three there’s… all those other things that the French are known for!
The one thing I never would have guessed about dating a french guy in Miami, is how difficult it would be to find a French restaurant of his liking.
«This one is not good.»
«That one is a tourist trap.»
«This one is overpriced.»
«I don’t like their baguettes.»
«Non, non, non!»
After many failed attempts at French dining together, I was starting to give up on the whole idea, until one of his Parisian friends told me about a wonderful little gem called Downtown Bistro.
Could this be true? A French restaurant in Miami that could be approved by mon amour?
We decided to give it a try.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by the lovely Ilona, one of the owners, who welcomed us with a cute «bonsoir, comment ca va?». The place was charming, with a lively bar filled with locals, and bistro tables all around. At the bar, you could see a nice selection of wines, including French favorites like Châteauneuf-​du-​Pape, and several choices of Rose and Champagne.
As we sat at our table, Ilona gave us the history of this adorable little bistro, which she opened together with her French-​American boyfriend, Jonathan, last year.
The pair met in the South of France several years ago, and upon realizing that they shared the dream of opening a bistro, they decided to make it happen together, right here in our city.
«But, with the abundance of French restaurants in Miami, why open another one?», I asked Ilona.
The thing that’s different (and special) about Downtown Bistro, is that their menu is French Fusion. This allows them to serve the traditional French fare that you would come to expect at a bistro (think steak tartare and ratatouille), as well as some dishes from the Mediterranean (think short rib ravioli with four cheese sauce), and unexpected additions, like fried Oreos.
As a result, you can always have a different dining experience no matter how many times you come. And the fact that their dishes are very reasonably priced, makes it a favorite that you can come back to over and over without breaking the bank.
And speaking about the food, did I mention it was divine? Take a look at the pictures of my recommended dishes!
As you can imagine by now, our experience at Downtown Bistro was on point. From the ambiance, to the classic french dishes, to the quirky additions, everything about this hidden gem was exquisite and done with impeccable taste.
Want to know the best part is? My Frenchie loved it! This is great news for me, as I will now have an excuse to have French date night on a regular basis, right here in the Magic City.
Thanks, Downtown Bistro! ;)

I’ve eaten here before and the food and the service were excellent!
Came back today after being turned away from Café Bastille (where the people are not very nice btw and only 2 people are eating) and once again the service here is superb.
I am still waiting for my food but if it is as good as the last time and/​or as good as the service, I can’t wait to start eating.
Not an empty table in the whole place and everyone here seems to be enjoying themselves immensely.
Looks like this will be my new go-​to for an authentic French meal. Bön Appetit!

I love this place if you are in the downtown Miami area go and check it out, great food!!! great customer servicevery happy… I had the roasted Duck delicious…

I work downtown and order from here time to time. The food is always good and consistent. The waiters and waitresses are very nice people and always very friendly. I love the fact that the place is very clean and you can see into the kitchen. If your ever in downtown its a definite place to stop, get a bottle of wine and snack on some yummy frech quisine. Not too pricy either.

A good spot for a fresh downtown lunch. I shared an order of the escargot and had a croquet madame with fries. The escargot was the better of the two dishes, and I was quite pleased with it. Would order again.
The croque madame was a little underwhelming. I did not find it flavorful. For my tastes, the bread was to thick relative to the other components of the dish. It was a massive portion. The fries were thin, crispy, and tasty. Quite good.
I expect that I’ll return at some point and try a different entrée.
As a final note, let me add that the staff was very friendly.

Amazing food and service. This place is very affordable, and you receive a free Mimosa on weekends! The smoked salmon tartine is delicious. I will definitely be back!

They are serving brunch on Saturday’s!
I started my brunch adventure with their bacon wrapped dates. I have to tell you that these little guys were bite size, and the bacon was perfectly crisp. This way you could have maybe two or three and not feel so bad! After that you are trying their bacalo croqueta.
Now keep in mind you are in a French bistro, right? So that means hands down, without a doubt you are eating their Croque Madame (for those of you who don’t like egg — how is this possible — then order the Croque Monsieur). This beauty comes with grilled ham, cheese with béchamel, and, of course, a fried egg on top. This sandwich brought my right back to the cafes in Paris.
By now you know that I have a serious love for BBQ and Downtown Bistro’s BBQ pulled pork sliders do not disappoint. They are served on a sweet bun with caramelized onions and arugula. My only advice is that when eating these sliders be cautious — they are as delicious and messy as a Sloppy Joe!
And for those that are looking for something lighter then you should get their watermelon arugula feta salad. Nice and light, but it does come with a bit of truffle oil! You could also ask for their soup of the day. When I was there they were serving their homemade conch chowder.

We went here for lunch one day, and the food was fabulous! The chicken was my favorite; however, it does take some time to prepare. So, be patient!
The restaurant also has a pleasant atmosphere and attentive service. The waiter even gave me their business card and said to call ahead with our lunch order next time, and they would have it ready when we arrive. How awesome!

I love this little spot for lunch. They have daily specials and FRESH French food. It’s a modern gem in downtown Miami. If you love quality food, this is a great find!
I recommend the soups and sandwiches for lunch.
P. S. they have really friendly service too.

Making great use of the old Cacao Grill space, Downtown Bistro is the epitome of a casual French bistro. Offering everything from fresh salads to sandwiches on crusty baguettes to mussels to steak frites, they have you covered for any craving you may have.
The space has a bit of a rustic feel to it, but the loft-​style set-​up keeps it light and airy. There’re always a few daily specials to check out on table-​side chalkboards as well.
I’ve been 3 times in the last week or so, and have nothing but praise for the friendly staff and great food. The poulet au four (½ roasted chicken with potatoes and veggies) is great, and a large portion for the price. I’ve also tried the brie et jambon sandwich, which was excellent as well.
Prices are very reasonable, with most dishes ranging in the $ 10 – 16 range for lunch (with the exception of the steak frites, which is a little pricier). They also have a great bread service, with sliced baguettes and breadsticks served with a house-​made herbed butter.
Downtown Bistro is a great addition to the lunch scene. They are also open for Heat game viewing during the NBA Finals, though I’m not sure about other evening hours.