We have loved Bijou for years. it is still our favorite Stratford restaurant. We had an excellent time this year. Although we miss the shabby chic of the old place, the decor at the new location is lovely and the seating is more comfortable. The staff is the same and still excellent. Put Bijou on your list for your Stratford visit. read more

Brought my mom to Stratford for the first time for a show. I took her to Bijou to be fancy... and Bijou did not disappoint! Mom got adventurous and had the halibut which she enjoyed every bite with her eyes closed to enhance the flavours she described as phenomenal. I had, the only vegetarian (not vegan...as there is no vegan option on the menu) option, the Ukrainian dumplings... all I can say is WOW!!! The flavours from first bite to final notes were fresh, creamy and delicious!!! The prices were a little steep, and a little taken aback to have to pay for bread and butter, but even their home made focaccia was moist and crispy at the same time and the perfect tool to ensure all the sauce was where it belonged from our plates to our tummies! Our dinner was paired with a bottle of their cabsauv without any regrets. Make the reservation... your taste buds will thank you!!! read more

Bijou Restaurant - Half the focaccia bread and the Ukrainian melt in your mouth dumplings. - French Near Me - Stratford, Ontario

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My friends' food was extraordinary, mine however was predictable. The Ukrainian dumplings had a funny hot edge to them that only a quarter teaspoon of hot chili pepper can impart. I had the marinated olives, imagining them to be as wonderful as the ones I got in Grenada, but what actually arrived in front of me were some way too salty ones that needed to be rinsed to be edible. There was also a plate of deviled eggs that had a pleasing tang to their sauce which I enjoyed. I didn't get anything to drink that could have been better than my Old Fashioned from yesterday's drinks at the Revivalist house. I found out that Carlotta's doctoral thesis was on the deliciousness of that which is not present in Japanese art, as if to create imaginary but unseen sculptural contours. I found that out when we were looking at a bust of Tom Patterson with its beautiful incompletion. I also tend to find that restaurants are not equipped for me, a too tall middle-aged disabled man in his mid fifties. I had to change out my seat from the barstool I had had because my legs couldn't get enough bloodflow, so I found myself gazing upward at my dining companions in starry-eyed wonder. The restaurant was also way too loud for me my voice is too soft for anyone to hear what I was saying so I found myself straining to catch up with the conversations that were happening all around me. In short this restaurant had pretensions above what it could deliver to me. read more

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An excellent French restaurant in Stratford, Ontario. Prompt service (waitress even kept in mind the starting time of theatre productions, it's a theatre town after all; she gave us excellent advice about WHEN to place an order, when to expect our dishes, and when to leave in time to catch the show at Tom Patterson Theatre). The fish is divine (see my photos) as is the confit de canard (French style duck). Flavorful delicious desserts! read more

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This restaurant was amazing. The food was delicious and presented beautifully. The staff were wonderful and we definitely recommend this establishment. Until next time. read more

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Wonderful evening. Top to bottom beautiful restaurant and food. My party of 4 called for same-evening reservations and were nervous they would not be able to accommodate us at such short notice. We called and person on the phone was super helpful and promptly booked a reservation for us! Restaurant is very clean and beautiful rustic decor. Servers and waitresses/waiters were very kind/warm and attentive with all our questions and overall service. Food was exceptional with very beautiful presentation. Only downside was that our mains took a little long to come but it was a Friday evening and this is a small restaurant. Anyhow, it was worth the wait. Will absolutely be back next time I'm in Stratford!! read more

Bijou Restaurant - Bavette Steak - French Near Me - Stratford, Ontario

Came here on our wedding anniversary with high expectations after reading online reviews. We had an okay meal but it was in general quite disappointing. Nice open space room but way too dimly lit with just drop candles on tables - we could hardly see our food! We shared two appies. Shrimp wrap was okay, snap pea antipasto was poor. Just a slice of deli salami, some cheddar cut in cubes, with some garnish and a crisp. The dressing tasted suspiciously like out-of-the-bottle Italian dressing. Mains were also nothing more than okay. I had the scallops that were nicely cooked but served with a rather bland apple slaw and pan seared potatoes that looked exactly like the seared scallops. My wife's duck confit tasted like it had been pre-cooked and re-fired. Service was friendly and fine and the meal wasn't 'bad' but not what we were hoping for. read more

One of my all time favourite restaurants. I have many food allergies and Bijou staff always take care of me. I'm transported back to France whenever I eat here. read more

This quiet and charming French bistro was just the vibe we were looking for during our overnight visit to Stratford, but unfortunately the food left us underwhelmed. I ordered a mushroom soup to start; the broth was nice but it was served with an unnecessary side plate of tempura mushrooms (battered and deep fried) which I barely touched. Hubby ordered the duck liver mousse to start, which for $18 didn't include any bread or crostini (?) which forced him to order the bread plate for an extra $5. There was a ton of mousse in this order (easily large enough for two or more) but it would have been so much tastier with toasted crostini, as opposed to the soft, untoasted bread plate. Onto mains...one of my absolute favourite dishes to order in French restaurants is duck leg confit, which tends to have silky, tender meat and crispy rendered skin. I always order this dish "extra crispy." But what I was served here (for $40) was neither duck leg nor crispy. Hubby and I weren't entirely sure what part of the duck it was. The server claimed it was a deboned duck leg, which is an explanation we're skeptical of, but ultimately it looked and tasted nothing like the duck leg confits I've enjoyed in countless restaurants over the years. I didn't care for it, and while the accompanying beet/chevre was fine, it made for an odd pairing. Husband's octopus entrée, however, was very good. In summary, with all the excellent reviews for this restaurant on Yelp and elsewhere, it's probably worth giving it a go and deciding for yourself. But for me, it was far from a perfect experience. read more

Excellent food, pleasant wait staff with good wine recommendations. Enjoyed the greens, the steelhead, and especially the olives on ricotta appetizer. Oh, and dessert, good dessert. read more

We returned to the Bijou for the first time since the onset of Covid - having dined there many times in past visits to Stratford. We've never been disappointed but this time, we were over-the-top pleased. We had a late reservation but were tired and hungry - so we begged to be squeezed in earlier - - and got the WINDOW SEAT. Best room in the house. We had to promise not to "linger" though since the table was reserved for later. Our order was taken promptly and salads came quickly thereafter. My wife's beef dish was very much to her liking and my steelhead salmon was as delicious a dish as I've been served in any of the hundred of restaurants I've visited - in all 50 US states and 28 countries on four continents! We concluded that Bijou has expanded since we were there last and they've managed to do so without spoiling the ambiance, food quality or service. The Bijou is on our list for a couple of visits during our next year's stay in Stratford. read more

Wow the best meal I've had in years.... drinks great, wine nice pour and delish.. service was right on and amazing thanks Jordon.... But the food took my breath away.... presentation, flavor just wow.... if I lived in Stratford I'd be here once a week... no maybe twice.. just go... go now you won't be sorry read more

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We had a reservation for a party of 12 on a Saturday night.....with a few little mix-ups in plans, we ended up being 10 people and the restaurant staff were very accommodating. They had a prix fixe menu where you could have app and entree for $57pp or app, entree and dessert for $63pp. They were aware prior to arriving that I needed gf and vegan options and the chef made me a delicious dairy free vegetable risotto.....it was a bit too salty but overall flavour was good. They had prepped a wonderful vegan coconut milk ice cream for my dessert. The cauliflower app was a bit bland for me as they had to make it vegan and gf, but others who had it regular really enjoyed it. Everyone enjoyed their food but portion sizes were inconsistent and left a couple of guests (the ones who got smaller portions) disappointed. Service was excellent!! Friendly and quick. read more

During our recent visit to the idyllic town of Stratford, we had a desire to visit one of the finer restaurants the city had to offer, for a night of haute cuisine and enticing atmosphere. There were but a few choices, and after some research we decided on the Bijou restaurant. The reservations were efficiently submitted on the Bijou's user-friendly website, and we received the confirmation email in short order for the evening of June 4th, 2022. Parking was easily located mere steps from the front door, and our immediate impression upon entering the restaurant was extremely positive. Within moments, we received a pleasant and professional greeting and were escorted to our table by an affable host. The décor reflected a very pleasant, understated elegance highlighted by interesting furniture pieces and stylish table settings. To our delight, the table was located in a charming, intimate setting in one of the window alcoves, which suited our romantic night out and enhanced the alluring atmosphere of the evening. We absolutely loved the pleasant, professional greeting and the excellent choice of tables. The magic truly started to happen once we reviewed the menu, based on a theme of local farm to table, which excited and impressed us to no end. The menu had 3-4 choices in every group, which included appetizers, shareables, substantials and desserts. We found this was the perfect amount of dishes to ensure high quality food, while at the same time offering a bit of variety. We started off with the Lonzo & Strawberries and the Duck Grilled Cheese, while we both chose the Duck Confit for our mains. The Lonzo and Strawberries were absolutely delectable and started the meal off brilliantly. However, the Duck Grilled Cheese was the real star of the appetizers, not much to say other than, perhaps the tastiest appetizer we have ever eaten! The duck fat was rendered flawlessly into the bread, resulting in a satisfying crunch and a melt in your mouth quality; absolutely ambrosian. The Duck Confit was equally mouthwatering, as the duck was perfectly prepared, the side salad was highly enjoyable and a scrumptious blueberry sauce tied everything together. We are not normally dessert people but couldn't resist the temptation of the Chocolate Mousse, to crown our grand meal, which delivered in a spectacular, decadent way. The dinner was delicious, the atmosphere romantic and the service impeccable. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience and will definitely be back! Beata and James read more

This was our fourth or fifth visit to Bijou, and once again, it was a memorable meal. Exceptional service, fantastic food. We dined on duck confit or the Nordic trout for mains, steamed cauliflower and hummus to start, cheese board or flourless cake for afters. Each one crafted and presented with care. Throughout, we were treated as if our meal was the only one being prepared....even though the restaurant was full and they were turning away would be diners without reservations. I can't wait for the next Stratford visit so we can dine here again. read more

This restaurant is highly overrated . I ordered escargot and ribeye and they were both terrible! Escargot were suppose to be on puffed pastry but it was sitting on a wonton wrap, it was not your traditional puffed pastry and the presentation was very poor. Just a big pile of stuff in ugly brown colour - they were actually mushrooms and escargot. The "rib-eye " were questionable two small pieces of steak with zero fat content. I don't think they gave me ribeye steak!!!! Anyway the wait staffs were all very friendly but don't waist your money. read more

This place is an absolute gem! We were visiting my sister in Stratford and she recommended Bijou. From the moment we were warmly greeted by Adele we knew we were in for a treat at this quaint bistro. Sam joined Adele in making sure our dinner experience was superb and it certainly was. There were 5 of us and we started with the charcuterie. We were told the chef has won awards on his smoked meats. It was one of the best boards we've ever had. The menu was diverse enough for everyone at the table...from vegetarians to carnivores and everyone was pleased. We had a chocolate and a lemon dessert for the table....again, delicious! We left the restaurant feeling like family and entirely satisfied. We will return here again when visiting Stratford! read more

This was our first visit to Bijou. We knew we were arriving shortly after the theatre dinner rush, so were looking forward to a leisurely foodie experience. We were not disappointed. Everyone greeted us warmly and we were promptly seated at the recommended high top, right next to Gregory Peck. They make a mean Moscow Mule and all the staff were enthusiastic, energetic, knowledgeable and a delight as we all exchanged stories of travel, food, and worldly experiences. We ordered from the blackboard Flight Menu. Our favourite was the cassoulet - absolutely delicious!! We both found the Lamb BLT overly salty for our palettes. However, ended with the creme brûlée, leaving us with "delicious" on our lips. Stratford is an annual event for us, and we are looking forward to adding Bijou to our plans in the many coming years. We would definitely recommend eating at Bijou. read more

Wow! A pleasant surprise in Stratford. Quite possibly the best meal I've had all year. This is a local farm to plate resto with an amazing chef. The food was fresh and original flavored. I was not expecting such an original meal and really was surprised by the quality Service was fast and polite. Waitress was well versed in the menu. Which included prix fixe dinner for $39, a bargain considering quality of the food. I had ravioli followed by lamb chops. Could not get over how good the flavors were! My partner has lobster bisque followed by steak. Dessert was off the chart delicious I've come out of Yelp hibernation just to write this review. If you are in Stratford please check out this place! read more

This is ass good as it gets.Bijou is superb in all respects. Stratford on Saturday night is a difficult place to find a table before the theater. This time we did not have a reservation but maybe that was fortune for us. We walked down Wellington St. and saw this seemingly small plac that offered tapas and a prix fixe menu. Tapas are from 7:30 on so we had the the three course. My wife started with a kale salad that she said she could eat her own weight worth. The main was lamb chops. You don't know my wife but she was holding the chops in her hands chewing off the last morsels of meat. I started with a gazpacho with cilantro-lime sorbet. Wow! My entree was beef tenderloin with Peruvian mashed potatoes... to die for. Our waiter/bartender was professional and personable, as were all the staff. The owner was very attentive and made sure dining at the bar was pleasant for us. (Remember, we had no reservation.) Go out of you way to visit this one. read more

The menu is frequently changing and ingredients are sourced locally. Great dining and food is delicious. Staff is friendly even if the waits are a little long . I would recommend. read more

Bijou Restaurant - Breadsticks . Literally. - French Near Me - Stratford, Ontario

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Friend staff. Great food. Food changes daily but there was plenty of variety. It was a little tricky to find but well worth the exploration down the alley behind the hotel. read more

We are so happy we experienced the Biijou. I have never written a dining review but our food and experience was so great that I must. Everything was delicious. Starting with the specialized dipping bread and oil, butternut squash/pepper soup. Full bar and wine list. The Pan seared pickerel was the best meal I have had in ages .Peach crumble creme Anglaise was the perfect ending. Staff was friendly and efficient. The owner Linda came and introduced herself, making sure all was well with our meal. Keep doing what you do at the Biijou! We will be back! If you want a safe, sanitized, scrumptious meal I highly recommend. Kudos to the Chef John Redmond. read more

Wow - best meal I've had in a while! From the French onion soup to the roasted parsnips in the short ribs, and the incredibly fresh honey on the cheese plate, the food was super yum. Great service and overall vibe; I'd happily return. Followed by a beer and live music at Mercer Hall made for a fun night in Stratford. read more

Delicious meal, the vast array of positive reviews are very much warranted. Will come back the next time we are in Stratford!

Best value for money among the upper tier restaurants in Stratford. Bijou is among the best fine restaurants in Stratford. Of these, it is both the most casual and the most affordable. Whether the food is better or worse than a Rundles or Old Prune is harder to say. If you are only going to go to one, pick this for its value for money. We've gone a half dozen times over the years. Delicious dishes with depth, complexity and freshness adorn the menu, featuring local produce and livestock, seasonal, and with a new French style. The wine menu is good but not super, it is a little limited in selection but they do have bottles that you rarely see yet a connoisseur knows are from strong vineyards. On our last visit we enjoyed the appetizers the most. The ceviche was the brightest, most acidic dish I've ever tasted, memorable in its audacity, and just stayed on the right side of the sanity line. The trout cakes, my favourite dish of the night, had the right blend of savoury comfort and complex sauce and garnish flavours. The entrees - ribeye steak and veal schnitzel - were good-but-not-great. The sauces were exceptional but we do make a better steak at home with modern searing approaches and the best local meats. The desserts, very nice. And the wine choices were excellent. If you want to have a nice meal, in a casual atmosphere, with the sort of flavour profiles that you can only find at the best restaurants, Bijou is an excellent choice. read more

I almost took a star away from Bijou because they never have a vegetarian option - but when I ask they always have one. And they made the most amazing gnocci EVER. It is the kind of food you dream about afterwards. It was tasty delicious happiness. It was so good I ate lunch there the next day (when I had this fantastic garlic soup that I am still smiling about). And the desserts were even more amazing (if that is possible). I'm on this horrible diet (lost eight pounds in 2 months! yay me!) And that makes me very careful about what I eat (and very sad, because I miss yummy fantastic food). The desserts at Bijou are so good that I had dessert for lunch (and I don't make exceptions often). If you can only eat at one restaurant in Stratford, you should pick Bijou. read more

Had wonderful garlic soup and a raw tuna appetizer, amazing beef and halibut main courses, but the desserts were awful. Don't waste your money on them but the main courses were wonderful. Would recommend the restaurant but don't be in a rush as they are a bit too busy to be very attentive, and forget the desserts. read more

I wanted to love this place...but like so many small town restaurants they try and pose as if they are a NYC amazing restaurant...and in reality the fish is canned and the wine and beer list fit for football game-not a fine dining restaurant. Sorry but when your bill for two people is several hundred dollars I want to be wowed and Bijou does not do it. Staff was nice- but not knowledgable about food- and it seems like they are using their children as child labour to staff the place...but they were nice. I did like how the menu was set up..."choose 2 or 3 dishes" and pay a certain price...but i struggle with these small town restaurants with so much fish on the menu- that everyone KNOWS they cant get it fresh! Silly us we tried the fish anyway. The octopus was tasty, tuna was OK, mussells standard, but like the two stars says..."Ive had better". The duck prosciuto not worth it...serving was for a 2 year old...(2 bites! and not tasty.) But the lamb and mushroom ravioli redeemed the meal for us..they were well executed and normal size portions. Then...to be disappointed again by the creme brulee...which was not lavender nor lemon in taste...the best thing about it was that it was a decent size. Last thing...they sneakily charge you for WATER. one of my pet peeves is having the waitress phrase the water in a way as if tis standard choice...then you see it on your bill. 20 bucks for water...Meh thinks not Bijou. read more

Excellent service, warm atmosphere, and very accommodating staff. We came late with 2 kids and a baby, no kids menu but they supplemented and tried very hard to please the kids. We ate amazingly delicious short ribs from the prixe fixed menu and they got us out in time for the show at 8, never feeling rushed. My father thought the lamb chop portion was small but absolutely excellent in flavour. Everything had amazing flavour from the beet salad to the dessert taster. Would absolutely come back again. read more

This has become my go to place when in Stratford. I am on a deeply restricted diet, I have fatty liver and I have diabetes, so no oil and very low-carb. I usually get the trout and it is always delicious and they have allowed me to not have to eat the request appetizers or the desserts when what was on offer would not fit my diet. One of the owners is a trained dietitian, so she always does me right, checking in with the chefs if there's something I can have with slight modification... so like the other night I was able to have the fisherman's stew (slightly modified) and the appetizer... read more

Bijou Restaurant - French Near Me - Stratford, Ontario

I was visiting family in Stratford and they took me to the Bijou for dinner. I had been there a couple of years ago and loved it. This time my experience reconfirmed why I loved this restaurant. First, the owners have created a casual relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, from their personal and welcoming attention to the amazing staff that combine professional service with friendly conversation. And the chef's culinary creations. The mushroom escargot tart. It was a combination of flavours and textures is more than pleasing to the palette it is also very generous in size. I could go on about the other dishes we had at our table but they were all a gourmet experience. This meal was paired with the perfect wine, chosen by one of the owners out of their well thought out and always pleasing wine selections. I have eaten in a number of well known and wonderful restaurants around the world and Bijou is right up there with my most valued culinary the experiences. Can't wait for my next trip to Stratford. read more

They did not respond to their email reservations and then we called twice to confirm. However they let someone else take our reservations (we made reservations for a group of 5, somehow they gave it to a group of 3) and did not do anything to make amends or apologize for their mistake. read more

Great meal. Rich flavours and nice size portions. A great selection on the prix fix menu. Very busy place. Servers are attentive and polite. read more

Bijou Restaurant - Pan fried beef tenderloin! Yum. - French Near Me - Stratford, Ontario

The only reason it doesn't get 5 stars is they just can't carry an oaky Chardonnay! But according to our waiter Oaky Chardonnay is just not in. Don't tell Sonoma County that. read more

Bijou made magic with local ingredients. We went for lunch before Christopher Plummer's excellent one man show. A perfect pairing - Plummer's literary smorgasbord resting atop a riot of market fresh flavours, all intelligently assembled by young masters of their respective fields. Some younger than others.... Garlic Soup - Even the croutons had layers and mystery.... Tomato Salad! - Extra punctuation justified by the tomatoes themselves, let alone the soft sheep's cheese, a dollop of which also found it's way into the soup. I hope someone tells whoever grew these tomatoes that they have found their calling, and should keep doing exactly that. Schnitzel - Every piece of pork aspires to be this, with the possible exception of the double smoked bacon chunks in the salad. Tiny roast potatoes and cubes of celery root to round it out. Get extra bread to dip and don't send any of the sauce back to the kitchen. Only after you appreciate the bread on its own though. Whitefish poached in rice wine over almost crunchy tendrils of boutique cabbage, delicate mushroom and corn from the very stalks you drove by on the way there. (We verified this by barbecuing in the husk and taste testing the corn from the farmers market for dinner - definitely the same vintage....) Chocolate Mousse - multiple layers within each ingredient; texture and temperature contrasts - could have spent the afternoon on that alone. Coffee - that lovely thick, warm, nutty stuff that I wish I could figure out where to buy again now that My Dog Joe in Hamilton seems to have switched suppliers. Maybe gotta go to that funky little bicycle themed coffee shop in Dundas I've heard tell of, but that's a whole other topic. (Just looked it up - Domestique-Café Cyclo Sportif) Staff - made us feel welcome and at home, and refrained from guffaws over my uneducated wine choice. I vow to do better next time (in other words, I might ask for some advice - an Ontario Riesling would have been perfect with the Whitefish, but, having just discovered them, being fresh back from Mosel and extensively testing our local varieties with very favourable results, I was a bit Reisling-ed out, chose the Syrah and now slightly regret the pairing....) Logistics - a bit of adventure finding Bijou at their official address (105 Erie St.) using a handheld map device thingy. The address appears to point to a vast public parking lot beside the Stratford Hotel (107 Erie St.). Turns out that you go 50m straight across the parking lot and Bijou's back door is tucked away in the corner like a little secret entrance. Parking couldn't be more convenient, and the Stratford Hotel dude was really helpful, walking outside to make sure the clueless tourist didn't get lost (probably the 300th time he's done that, judging by his smile...) It looked like you could also come and go through the "front" which might open onto Wellington Street. Maybe - didn't verify this though. Maybe it's just windows over there. We exited through the 105 Eries St. "back" door and went through Alan's Alley to get to Wellington. From there, it's a short walk to the Avon Theatre through the farmers market - worth doing in it's own right - see the corn comment above. Thanks Bijou, for the perfect meal for the situation. read more

Went for our third visit to this place and wondered why we don't come more often! The venison carpaccio with four gras, Muscovy duck and chocolate terrine (more of a ganache really) were all flawless and perfectly cooked classics with enough of a twist to make them more than standard versions of old classics. The wine was delicious and the wait staff remembered us and were very friendly. The only- tiny- disappointment was that the lobster bisque wasn't in the menu that night, but a real five star experience- and reasonably priced too. read more

Good was fantastic and service was excellent. Our food seemed to be a little slower than others. Other than that, an excellent dining experience! read more

Bijou Restaurant is true to its tagline...a culinary gem!!! Our first visit to Stratford & Bijou was such a wonderful experience. The food was excellent from the amuse bouche...appertizers...main. Presentation of the food was beautiful..special mentions to Venison Carpaccio & the pancake stack with Artic Char. The main "Roast Breast of Duck" was so tender. We celebrated 2 milestone "50" birthdays and ordered a cake in advance...and Chef Max should honestly include this unbelievable scrumptious cake of chocolate meringue mousse in their menu, each mouthful melted in your mouth!! Our evening was started on a very positive note before attending the Sound of Music and we had an opportunity to meet Chef Max. A standing ovation to Mark, Linda & Chef Max for sharing this culinary experience with us. We will return to try their Tapas Menu! read more

Our first dining experience in Stratford, we were incredibly excited. I told the waitress immediately I was pregnant and there were things I couldn't eat, she was unknowledgeable about the entire menu and when my meal came it had cavaier on it which i cannot eat. I explained this to her and she was totally confused. I had my meal replaced and the next risotto came out completely under cooked. This meal was over $100 and totally not worth it. read more