Bistro 118

I’ve never tasted food so bad. I wouldn’t feed what I ate here to my worst enemy. It was bad, like a ghostbusters remake with Melissa McCarthy bad. I don’t understand where all these positive comments are coming from.
What I ordered: Seared Scallops
What I got: Nasty rubbery scallops drenched in prison stew. It was horrible. It tasted like what that old moldy food you forgot in your fridge looks like.
What she ordered: Sesame Tuna Tataki
What she got: Raw, semi frozen, tuna scraps dipped in sesame seed. She also had, WARNING GRAPHIC, nausea and diarrhea the whole next day.
I can’t emphasize enough the fact that you should not eat here.
They have alcohol, so I guess you could support their business that way.

This place is an Asian Fusion restaurant, not french like they posted. One of the worst places I have been in my life. The food are horrible to the point I think it’s insulting to open a restaurant like this. Also, the pics only look good on Unilocal

Next! Poor excuse for a restaurant. The waitress was a sweetheart and I can’t wait for something decent to take over this location.

Food was good and unique. Some plates seemed better than others. I had the curry and it was good, but seemed like it should have had rice. Sushi roll was good, but the salmon nigiri was a little fishy and didn’t seem fresh. The general chicken was excellent and I highly recommend it.
The heat must have been broken since it was freezing and there were space heaters everywhere. I removed a star for the heat issue, otherwise it was good.

What a breath of fresh air, as one would say. This restaurant truly exhibits extraordinary service. The staff was at hand the entire time, as there was never an empty glass or plate. We were suggested to start off with their Mai Tais and I was surprised by just how refreshing they were to the palate. As far as Mai Tais go, they were not too strong nor too sweet but just the right mix and priced at only $ 5. Next, came the $ 3 Sappro, which is an easy choice when you are out at an Asian restaurant. The group I was with even partook in a sake bomb, which the waitress not only counted down but captured the event on snap chat for all our friends to witness. I was excited for the apps to arrive, and I have to say I have been to Kowloons and Bön Chon, among various other Asian restaurants, and Bistro’s crab rangoon was like no other. I would love to expand but I will allow you to have a try for yourself. Following apps, I went for my favorite order out food, General Saos, and it was exceptional. The entrée was not heavily breaded or spicy as to not take away from the simplicity of the dish. Overall, I find myself writing this review and craving more. I will definitely be back and if you find yourself reading this I suggest highly you give the restaurant a try yourself for you will not be disappointed.

Went in for dinner on NYE. The place was empty except for some drunks at the bar. The bartender was nice when she sat us. We ordered cocktails, they were awful. Too strong, and didn’t taste like the liquor advertised on the menu. Very astringent, almost chemical. Ordered apps, and it took an eternity for them. Gyoza finally came out, it was cold. Dumpling sauce tasted pretty good, but the pork dumplings were bland. The other app was some sort of crispy goat cheese. It was just ghost cheese rolled in unseasoned panko, with room temperature sliced bread. We skipped ordering entrees at that point and left for burgers.

We were looking for someplace to eat and wanted to try here because of the good reviews. But, there was only a buffet. Stayed to have a beer, but the normally small draft list was even smaller because they were out of a few beers. Sorry, maybe next year, but probably not.

Eh not the biggest fan of this place. We were hoping to have dinner here. For some reason, there was only a buffet option that night. We passed on dinner and opted for just a beer. They were out of half the draughts that were on tap. The décor of the place was nice though.

Delicious food and great service. The new bartender, Promisy, (she was in training) was on point. She made great recommendations and poured fantastic drinks. I will definitely be back!

I had previously reviewed this new restaurant at least once maybe twice. I was very impressed and gave it a five star rating.
I went to lunch there on Friday. The menu has changed substantially and now is Asian fusion. The service was incredibly slow and the food was at best fair. I was very disappointed. I will not be going back and would suggest that you spend your money in a good restaurant in Salem. I wouldn’t give this restaurant more than one star.

If you are in Salem you absolutely need to eat/​drink here! I spent one weekend in Salem and stumbled upon this place. The food is absolutely amazing, the chef is so creative and puts a little twist on every dish. The bar has some unique infused drinks and the staff is very knowledgeable about what they are serving. I would definitely come back to Salem just to visit this restaurant again.

I’d heard great things about this place. In fairness, I only had two appetizers and two cocktails, but that was enough to know it was only «good.»
The tuna poke half portion was ridiculously small and decent tasting. The oysters were very good, but not great.
My cocktails were good, but not as good as expected. Great location, but no obvious signage from the street makes his place hard to find.
I’d be willing to give it another shot, but I won’t be rushing back.

We went on a Tuesday night around 8 for a light supper and a drink, a plus that they had Ace Pineapple cider on tap-​yum!
We shared:
Curry chicken skewers
tuna tartare
Beet salad
Roasted cauliflower
Fried shishito peppers with bonito flakes
All are very very good, a little heavy on the citrus on the cauliflower and tuna but we cleaned our plates on every dish.
We got an olive oil cake with orange buttercream and macerated strawberries that was worth every calorie.
I didn’t love the stainless steel bar but the bartender was charming and very pleasant to talk to, it was very quiet in there but it was only Tuesday.
I hope this place does well, the food was good and we will definitely be going back!

Best food in Salem!!! Best food north of Boston! Best wait staff too! Love that they allow my Yorkie on the patio! Best entrée is mom’s chicken! I have had it twice! Olive oil cake is great! Potatoa Brava and duck tacos are great too! It is so great to finally have a first class restaurant in Salem!

What a wonderful, classy melting pot of awesome.
Discovered this place on Unilocal,saw «French» combined with «$$» rather than «$$$$» and decided to take the family here for a visit. We didn’t want to just order one thing for person, so ordered a lot, and shared 11 dishes!
Location itself is classy: dark wood and white tablecloths, but still maintains a casual atmosphere, without feeling like you should be wearing a shirt and tie, or gown.
Service is polite and quick, server knowledge of the menu could be better, but since this location is brand new, I will not hold it against them. Politeness though… music was playing a little loud, I asked if it could be turned down. Not only was it immediately turned down, they apologized for the loudness.
As for the food: I will state that I have a heightened sensitivity to salt… but out of cold dishes that I had, most had too much salt for my taste. (Note: for my taste is important, it may be fine for everyone else)
I tried:
Nicoise Salad: Ingredients being on their own rather than being mixed in was a lovely take. But, for $ 15 I would have hoped for a bowl rather than a [small] plate.
Tuna Poke: This seems like a delightfully new take on tuna tartare. Tuna is the same (small cubes) but the seasonings and herbs are different. While this dish should have a noticeable amount of salt, the level for me hid that which made this dish unique.
Green Tea Escabeche Oysters: These were some of the best oysters I have had in my life. They were not transformed to the point where the oysters turned into something else (like squid becomes calamari) but remained very oyster-​y. The dressings, herbs and spices were delicious! Presentation on a bed of ultra-​fine salt was beautiful. And I liked how they were not attached to the shell in any way.
Duck Prosciutto: Creative take on «regular» prosciutto. Orange zest adds a wonderful layer of complexity.
Duck Taco: Wonderful adaptation: a soft shell being grilled keep the taco from falling apart, and at the same time from being limp. Ingredients came together well, but I would have liked some more boldness from this dish.
Flank Steak: Cooked very appropriately. By itself nothing special, but when combined with corn relish becomes divine.
Calamari: Aside from the aili, I would have liked to see calamari transformed more in this dish. Still tasty though.
Kobeyaki Glazed Chicken Wings: Chicken was cooked perfectly, and sauce was delightful, and not too sweet like some Chinese takeout places put on their sesame chicken.
Curry Chicken Satay: Chicken that had Indian flavor rather than bombarding with bold flavor. One of my favorites.
Jamaican Beef Skewers: a BOLD piece of meat (complimenting beef, rather than overwhelming)
Olive Oil Cake: Simple ingredients combined into deliciousness! Who knew sponge cake, with strawberry and a few more simple ingredients could be so awesome! Three thumbs way up!

New restaurants seldom inspire excitement, Bistro 118, however, is definitely an exception. Taking a long weekend in Salem, (3.5 hours from home — :-(…) Bistro 118 was recommended by friends as a «must go». They were right. Service was warm, friendly and efficient, Mgr, Devin stopped by the table to visit, a very engaging gentleman, and later returned with head chef, Trevor, also a warm personality, and incredibly creative in the kitchen.
Our dinner began with two shared appetizers, duck prosciutto and flank steak with corn relish, an incredible heirloom tomato salad followed, and then entrees, Tuna Steak, and a porkchop. Dessert, well, we’ll echo everyone else, absolutely do NOT skip the olive oil cake… amazing.
Sincerely wish we were closer, but certainly now have an excuse ro return to Salem. Can’t wait for our next visit. We intend to work our way through the entire menu. As we were told, so now I tell you, (emphatically) travel to Salem, and when it’s time to dine, Bistro 118 is the place you «must go».

Creative chef inspired menu. Interesting preparations, with some big hits (Duck Tacos, Beet Salad, Green Tea Oysters, Potatoes in Duck Fat, Calamari with Squid ink aolie) some near flavor misses (tuna pote, Cauliflower) but definitely nice to see a restaurant willing to be different and provide some opportunities for culinary exploration. I note that the waiter for our group of 8, Tristen, has been recognized by other reviewers, and I concur that he is passionate about the menu, providing good service and adding to the overall dining experience.

Great Salem dinning! Loved the Green Tea Escabeche Oysters. Also impressed with the infused Bullet Bourbon with Strawberries and Rhubarb !

Excellent overall one of my best experience superbly and the environment was relaxing

Not-​to-​be-​missed culinary experience in Salem! It’s got creative menu, tasty food, perfect location, wonderful table service, and a warm atmosphere great for friend hangout, families, single travelers as well as couples. You just need to be a little adventurous to give this new place a try and you’re gonna love it! Highly recommended.

Bistro 118 just opened this week in the home of Fresh Taste of Asia. We were walking down Washington Street and a well dressed waitress handed us a menu and we were intrigued. So we dined here last night.
The restaurant is quite beautiful inside, dark wood and glass, with large windows overlooking the pocket park where Elizabeth Montgomery’s Bewitched statute stands.
We decided to start with some of their signature cocktails. They have catchy names but we’ve forgotten them now… I started with the gun and Strega drink, which was orangey and a bit too floral/​perfumey for my taste. My wife got the gin, raspberry and rose drink which «tastes like a rose smells, sweet and delicious!» Our party sampled others including a wonderful sazerac and the best old fashioned I have ever had.
We started off with two of the «table» dishes, potato bravas and the shishito peppers. The potatoes were a large portion of duck fat fried potatoes with a Mexican cheese topping that we simply adored. The shishitos were a hit as well except one of the diners would have liked it more seared and a little less oily.
The dinner selections were a little confusing for us. There were several entrees listed, but also many small plates and the table portions. After a discussion with our waitress and the manager we decided on two entrees and two small plates for the three of us.
HINT: The chef told us that originally the thought was the entrees would be large orders for multiple people and be complimented by the other dishes, in order to promote «social dining.». We thought we ordered way too much food and thought one entrée and one lite plate item with one or two of the table plates would have been more than enough.
My wife got the crusted tuna steak, our companion the seared scallops and I opted for the pork belly and the duck tacos. The tuna was perfect with a nice sear on the surface and perfectly done with a rare interior. The scallops were a large portion, artfully arranged and rivaled the best seafood restaurants in Salem.
My two small plates were anything but small. The duck tacos were simply genius. The rich flavor of the duck was complimented by the greens and stuffed inside two corn tacos, delicious. But the crowd favorite was the super thick pork belly. Seared to an actual crust, it was crunchy and succulent, and enough for three to share as an appetizer.
We also had a very reasonably priced bottle of wine, which the ladies enjoyed.
We finished off our meal with the olive oil cake, which turned out to be an oh so sophisticated upscale strawberry shortcake, but rich and velvety and a wonderful ending to our most excellent meal!

Excellent addition to the downtown eating scene. Elegant and sophisticated white linen atmosphere with meticulously prepared food. Cauliflower, po-​boy sliders and most all that we ordered was excellent. Duck tacos did need a bit of help as they were somewhat bland and texturally monotone. Friendly. attentive service. Wine list was a bit limited when we were there, as I think they were still in «soft opening» mode.
I see this as fairly similar to Opus (just up the street) — but in a more mature/​toned down version. I hope these folks can make it. Better signage and a bit of marketing to get the word out would likely help.