Bistro 24 Express – Newport Beach Library

I love the library! The ambience is great. Now be prepared to get hungry because you can smell the food. I only wanted coffee and instead paid 3.60 for what I threw away. I ordered a café latte with almond milk. Ewwwwwww it was gross. I put in 5 sugar packets and it was still gross. I had my husband try it and he agreed. Not worth the price.

These guys are just great! Awesome food, they’re always smiling, convenient Newport Civic Center /​Newport Center /​Fashion Island location. So grateful for their existence!

Absolutely love this place! It is perfect for a mid-​study snack/​meal. I LOVE the BLTA, it is honestly the best I have ever had. Highly recommended :)
The staff is always so nice and really sweet. Even when I clearly look like I’ve been hitting the books for hours, they always put a smile on my face with how kind they are. This will forever be my go-​to when I’m in this area!

After several hours of studying, I couldn’t ignore my famished, rumbling tummy any longer. I was glad this café is conveniently located in the library on the 2^nd floor. I chose The Newporter Sandwich, which is $ 8.95 ($ 9.87 with tax). It sounded delicious and it was! Service was quick and friendly.

I spend several hours each day at the Newport Beach Public Library, and, when I’m hungry, I have breakfast or lunch (and sometimes both) at the Bistro Express Café. The food is excellent and the staff is awesome! Check out the Classic Breakfast, plentiful and eggs cooked perfectly, or, for lunch, check out the Tuna Melt sandwich (large enough for two people!) Prior to moving to Newport Beach, I used to spend time at the St Petersburg, FL «main branch» public library, where the only thing to eat was stuff from vending machines. We are very, very lucky, here in Newport Beach, to have such a wonderful café in our library.

I love that this little eatery is at arms reach for the library patrons who come here to study or even just enjoy the accommodations Newport Beach Main Branch Library has to offer. One thing that i did notice about the pastry section of the bistro were these tiny flies. I was about to purchase one but then saw these flies and thought, Nah! Who knows if these things had been breeding in the food that was inside the display casing. I ran across this with Corner Bakery in Aliso Viejo, but in their case, they were harboring a variety of crawling bugs that were all over their food items. Word of caution folks, where ever you buy food, make sure u check for bugs or flies where the food sits. Check the floors for any evidence of bug feces too (I’ve run across this) I guess there is really no escaping this. Grocery stores are just as bad, so whether you choose to eat at home or outside, food has to come from the public somehow, unless you grow and maintain your own food supply. On the positive side, bugs can be a great source of low-​cal protein for all you health addicts. Hey at least i didn’t give a 1-​Star rating.
:)
Bön Apetite

Very good food here! Was not busy at lunchtime and ordered up some of the best tasting Tomato Bisque soup i have had! The BBQ chicken wrap also was delicious and i could tell all the food quality was top notch. This is close to the office, i will be returning here often… most likely today!
Prices were also quite reasonable. Tip — if your going to be drinking water, bring your own and sit outside on the patio in the perfect Newport Beach weather.

Nicest staff ever. I requested some changes to my salad, and they were happy to make them.
The salads here are fresh and good. If you’re stress eating or just hungry, there’s a lot of food choices here from the sandwiches, snacks, and drinks.
You can actually call and order ahead for pick up.
Their sandwiches look good, and they have gruyère!

Wow, I’ve never seen a library offer food this good! It’s definitely a step up from what the HB library has to offer in their café. The Bistro 24 Express is located inside the Newport Beach Library so it’s super convenient for library-​goers and anyone taking care of business in the Newport Beach City Hall. & it’s going to be a delicious lunch or snack! :)
I like getting a drink during my study breaks. They have a lot of options for both coffee drinkers and non-​coffee drinkers. I enjoy their hot chocolates which are very rich and delicious, definitely none of that powdered stuff from a packet!
When you’re hungry, they have a lot of options from baked goods to gourmet sandwiches and full on meals. Even their prepackaged salads look super fresh! Seriously the BEST prepackaged salads I’ve ever seen… The prices are very reasonable especially when you compare it to what you would spend in any of the nearby restaurants or markets like Bristol Farms next door.

Excellent location and a great addition to the Newport Beach City Hall and Newport Beach Library facilities.
Clean place, very tasty food, and extremely large portions. The menu is also extremely varied for such a small place. You can get sandwiches, and
Negatives, if there are any, are the hours — they close at 5pm on Fridays, or 8pm during the week, but they stop preparing or serving food about an hour before that, sometimes more. So plan on lunch, not dinner. The staff often seem confused, maybe because of newness or a lack of training. More than once I have ended up with something slightly different than what I ordered, or they made something admittedly wrong. They are always very nice and apologetic and offer to remake it.
Here is a tip — their half a sandwich and soup special is attractively priced, and you don’t have to get the soup (which for some reason is always at about 300 degrees). The pasta, ceasar, and other salads, are also options for this combo, even though they are not advertised.

Excellent service and a great breakfast wrap (otherwise called breakfast burrito.) Just gotta love pleasant service with a smile, plus good fresh food to boot.
In short it is definitely a recommend stop when at the library or stopping by the city offices.

Wow, I couldn’t be more amazed by the customer service from this company! Not only did I receive an email from the owner thanking me for my review and ensuring me that my disappointment with the food prep would be remedied, but I actually saw a change in the staff within a couple of weeks. The new staff doesn’t seem frazzled or overwhelmed-​which also equates to shorter lines, and they’re much more conscientious with the food preparation. I’m so happy the food presentation now matches the quality of their ingredients because now I’m more than willing to dine here every time I’m studying in the library all day.

So if you are like me and you have a long study session going at my favorite Newport Beach Library, what do you do when your stomach starts to growl? Give Bistro 24 Express a try.
I was a little skeptical at first but hungry took over. Although most items are under 10 dollars, I didn’t feel like pay 8 bucks for a sandwich when I know plenty of good Irvine delis that cost less, but you can’t beat the convenience and I can get right back to studying without having to leave the library.
I ordered the Tuna Melt and it wasn’t the best I’ve ever had but it was definately above average. Considering I’ve eaten it here twice this week, I’d say it passed the hunger test. Thank you Bistro 24 Express you saved me. Also, I got a free cookie the last time I went. Awesome!
I recommend Bistro 24 Express the service isn’t super fast, but considering it’s never too busy the wait is minimal.
Written via Blackberry

A very convenient place to eat during lunch breaks between studying or doing business in the civic center. Their sandwiches are delicious and high quality. A much needed addition to the library as there is no place to eat besides Bristol Farms that is walking distance.