J Bistro Downtown

Amazing service and food. Flatbreads are fantastic. Great with kids as well. It’s #1 on Unilocal for a reason!!!

Very good food, chef-​inspired in the heart of Sandusky. Love the atmosphere of this place, cozy yet classy. Love the drink menu. I had a raspberry gimlet and a lavender martini. All three guys had filet and I had the evening special sea bass. Oysters Rockefeller appetizer with the bread and oil, Brussel sprouts (yum), and we split a lemon custard with berries dessert. Total bill for all was $ 209 which I thought was very reasonable. Waiter was Jason, he was very knowledgeable and extremely competent. Would definitely recommend.

Loved everything. We split the Brussels sprouts, wedge salad, mussels and the mushroom flatbread. So much food and all dishes were delicious. I look forward to visiting Sandusky again… just to eat here!

Great menu and the food is amazing. The space is very comfortable and the staff is beyond welcoming. Highly recommend.

amazing meal at J Bistro… great place for fine dining, near the park and good w kids too!

Classy, clean restaurant with street and public lot parking located in Downtown Sandusky. The menu is small but offers a great variety of delicious food.
My entrée came out while I was finishing my appetizer — that’s a bit fast for my liking but forgivable. The Brussels sprouts were cooked perfectly for my taste; meaning they had a great balance between crisp and chew. The flavor was non-stop…sweet-savory-sweet-savory…I could have ordered 2 and called it dinner. GET THEM!
I’ve been here twice and I’ve had the bolognese and the burger. I don’t recommend the Bolognese after brussels sprouts… For me the flavors didn’t go together well — but that’s just me. Each one was good on its own. I really enjoyed the burger (yes, even after The brussels sprouts)
My server did an excellent job both times.
I highly recommend this place!

Sarah was our server and she was so amazing! It was a date night for my 11 year old daughter and I. She had never been to a «fancy» restaurant before. And Sarah made our dinner so great! My daughter LOVED the sesame tuna! The brussel sprouts and wedge salad were great! She said the bathroom was so nice and loved the hand soap. Lol thank you for making our Mommy daughter date so nice! Oh and the sticky toffee cake was delicious!!!

I love this place. Will come back here for sure. I love their Pork Rib Rogu. 5 star for this place! Excellent dining experience. Plus the server was so great and accommodating, her name is Sarah.

Best food in Sandusky — definitely try the maple Brussels sprouts. awesome! Great service, great food, just an outstanding dining experience.

We came here the first night we drove to Sandusky. Unfortunately, the Dockside Café closed at 8:30PM for any food so we ended up here. Still, I think we ended up on top with a delicious appetizer choice of ox tail dumplings. I had the fish and chips with perch and my wife had the shrimp ramen. I think we both agreed the fish and chips was the better of the 2. The shrimp ramen was bit stingy with the shrimp and the ramen with beets was okay at best. For my dish, they did my fish and chips to perfection. The fish was nice a flaky inside and crispy outside. For my wife’s dish, the shrimp was really good but the ramen with beet selection could be better. The atmosphere was nice and enjoyed a view of the street through the window.

So happy to find good food when at Cedar Point. Refreshing, modern décor, decent wine selection. Small, ever-​changing menu but something for everyone. Accommodates small kids food preferences with usual fair, i.e. chicken fingers, buttered noodles, etc. Brussels sprouts, crab Mac-​n-​cheese, sea bass – everything was excellent. Highly recommend.

This place has to be one of the best fine dinings in Sandusky. If you are trying to inpress this is the place to go. Great atmosphere great food expect to pay it is pricey.

When I traveled to Sandusky Ohio I never thought I would find a place like this. This restaurant was a great experience since the moment we walked in. Service was great, very friendly staff and quick service… But that is just the beginning, there is a great selection of drinks all of the ones I tried were good. And the food was delicious, I wish I could just keep on eating (The risotto was superb).
I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a fancier dining experience while visiting Sandusky.

We had the pleasure of enjoying great food, atmosphere and company when we recently reserved the dining room and bar for a private, family occasion. Chef Jesse worked with us to adjust the menu to accommodate our needs, even with us being several states away, while Sarah and the staff were great to work with and most hospitable during the evening at the front of the house. Thanks so much! You helped us make a memorable event! I highly recommend J Bistro Downtown for your special events!

Stopped in with family for dinner. Ambience was great. Service was great, staff was super friendly. I ordered the burger meal from the dinner menu and it was delicious. I would highly recommend this restaurant and I would visit again.

Third time here as an out-​of-​towner. Same great hospitality and food. Our children were welcomed, and made some wonderful healthy but kid-​friendly food. We had halibut, a special chicken Florentine and a flatiron steak. All prepared expertly. Good, complex flavors. Jason, our server, took expert care of us. Thanks again J Bistro!

Went here based on these outstanding reviews and I’m glad I did. The first thing I noticed upon entering is the interior decoration… hardwood floors, modern tables and half-​booths, comfortable padded chairs, perfect lighting, not too crowded with tables. The dining area is separated from the bar by a faux wall. The bar looks modern and rich… like a law office.
The food is excellent. Had a gin and tonic… perfectly mixed. Bread service… delicious. Had a wedge salad that was excellent. Chilean sea bass as an entrée. This dish was out of this world. My only complaint is that the mushrooms/​sauce was to salty. We notified the waiter so hopefully that will be corrected. Otherwise, the food is A rated.
The service was excellent. Timely service, but didn’t come around too much. Drink refills without asking. Please and thank yous. This guy was trained right.
What a surprise for Sandusky! Will be back if I’m in the mood for some fine dining. P. S. Perfect spot if you want to go for a date, although it will accommodate families just fine.
I would give it 4.5 stars but it won’t let me.

This place is swimming in 5 star reviews and they deserve every one of them! Went in a group of four and EVERY dish was a hit. Like, not even exaggerating, some of the best food I’ve ever had.
Started off with a Manhattan on Market since that’s my favorite drink. The cocktail is served ‘up’ so if you want it on the rocks be sure to mention it. That said, a slightly sweet take on the drink that didn’t at all deter from the kick you expect from the bourbon. Well executed and unique; I would order again.
As a table we split the Crispy Brussels Sprouts and the Crispy Duck Fat Fries. I guess we were in the mood for some crispy deliciousness! The sprouts were the winner in this taste-​off but don’t sleep on the thin-​sliced fries and their ‘fancy’ sauce.
For dinner I ordered the Manicotti that includes braised veal, wild mushrooms and a truffle parmesan that took the dish to a whole different level. This dish was simply one of the best things I’ve ever eaten in my entire life.
After taking a bite or two of our entrees, all four of us had the same reaction, «mmmmm, you HAVE to try this» and quickly portioned off samples to each other. The overwhelming response was that all four dishes, Manicotti, Fish & Chips, Cod Special and Sea Bass Special were perfect!
If we had to choose which dish was the winner, the Manicotti with it’s mix of meat, cheese, noodle and pungent truffle kick takes the cake. If you’re looking for a meal that’s a step above I couldn’t recommend J Bistro Downtown more.
Chef Jesse Harris and his wife (sorry but I forgot her name!) were both so friendly and accomodating that I would rank this visit as a top 5 meal of all time!

A bright spot in on Sandusky’s waterfront. It was the only fine dining restaurant open on Monday evening in a quiet town. We settled on the Deconstructed Deviled Eggs for an app. They were a wonderful experience of great complimentary flavors. For entrees we had pasta carbonara and the special Crab Pizza. I would highly recommend the pasta carbonara. It was one of the best I’ve had. Healthy portion full of pancetta chunks and fresh peas. My husband had the Crab pizza which was tasty but any crab that may have been on the pizza was lost in the bacon and cheese. For dessert we tried the Crème Brûlée even though our server tried to guide us to the sticky pudding. I would not recommend the brûlée. It had an unusual texture and taste that was not what we expected. Service was great!

Ordered: White sangria, Crab Pizza, Sweet Corn & White Chocolate Risotto, Veal and Polenta Special, Chocolate Cake (?)
Ambiance: Exactly what you would expect from a classy little bistro: Small romantic tables, muted lights and a classic color-​palate of black/​brown/​beige. Service was top-​notch with a very helpful and friendly waiter and a low waiter-​to-​table ratio. We even had someone playing classical guitar while we ate! The place was maybe only a ¹⁄₃ filled and the tables were generously spaced from each other so it was quiet and music never intrusive.
Food: I must say everything was extremely well-​executed. We sipped on beverages while waiting for our food and we all agreed our drinks were amazing. I personally like the white sangria at Crush better but it was still very enjoyable, my friend had the red sangria which was very rich and had an almost creamy fullness to it which I had never experienced. My fiancé had a pumpkin martini which was very creative and absolutely delicious! The crab pizza was a great appetizer, so packed with flavor with the bacon and bleu cheese but not tasting seafood-​y or imbalanced. It disappeared within 2 minutes and we agreed we could have eaten another as our main course.
As for my main course of veal, it was other-​worldly. I had never had such a succulent piece of meat literally melt in my mouth from tenderness! The reduction/​sauce was incredibly savory and balanced well with the creamy polenta they served it on. I got the risotto on the side and it was very… interesting. As far as risotto goes it was perfectly cooked and creamy; the sweet corn and chocolate gave the dish a dessert-​ish taste which was odd but enjoyable. Finally, we ended by sharing desserts and mine was a chocolate orange cake. It tasted very reminiscent of those chocolate oranges you smash on the table and eat slices of. The orange was a little strong for me but that didn’t stop me from finishing the dish. There was also a coconut cheesecake which was fluffy and tasty (and I don’t even like coconut)!
Overall I’d highly recommend coming here if you’re looking to make an occasion of something or if you have money to spend. This is the perfect place to come, exercise your tastebuds and relax. I’d recommend getting a 3-​course meal as the entrée alone is unlikely to sate a hungry belly. To share an appetizer, one entrée, one dessert, one drink, and + 20% tip, it worked out to be ~$ 55 – 65 for each of us. Unlike restaurants like Crush, I felt every dish deserved its high price-​tag. I would highly recommend this place to anyone and definitely plan on coming back.