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Bistro 197

4.1 (97 reviews)
Open • 4:00 pm - 8:00 PM
Updated 3 months ago

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Bistro 197 Photos

Business Info

BISTRO 197 ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Live music
Trendy
Intimate

Recommended Reviews - Bistro 197

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Reviews With Photos

Steak frites delicious medium rare
Nicole M.

Restaurant is rustic and beautiful. Our service was excellent. The food was amazing. We did not get appetizers bc we really wanted to enjoy our entree. My husband had the steak frites. Was cooked perfect. He really liked it. I had the pork Milanese and it was so delicious. We can't wait to come back to. Oswego to visit this restaurant again.

Menu
Wanda C.

Excellent food. Love the eclectic condiments tonight was blueberry, blackberry butter for the bread, and a curry butter for the steak. Make sure you make reservations if it's on a Saturday night! We saw several people get turned away. Wonderful jazz ensemble started at 6 PM. Excellent ambience.

Bartender's choice, and mint & blackberry muddled bourbon
Mars A.

My wife and I stopped in for dinner while visiting the town, the space was quiet with a upscale look. The bartender, Genevieve, hands down has the best customer service and vibe. She recommended some drinks and guided us through what's the best on the menu. We had a couple of drinks while we waited for our food to take out. Drinks were absolutely amazing. Cajun blue catfish was lacking the Cajun seasoning, but it was cooked well. The rice & beans in the dish had missed the flavor. The Short rib dish had an amazing glaze, but wasn't marinated, but it was cooked well. The pasta had a hint of truffle, but also lacked flavor as the meat.

Menu
Tattiana P.

The atmosphere is a laidback classy feel which I enjoy. It means that you can dress up as you would normally without having to go through the extra bells and whistles. However, the food here always gives up an upscale style and taste that has not disappointed. The menu is known to change regularly which was surprising at first because I wanted to try something I enjoyed eating previously. But my shock was quickly replaced with awe after eating the beef short rib over gnocchi. The meat was so tender that I was able to slice through without a knife or a hint of difficulty. While dining inside we were also able to listen to a few performances by a local artist which was a pleasant change of pace from normal dinner talk. The music was something that was agreeable for everyone and it set the mood for the audience. I'm looking forward to what I'll be able to try on the menu next time!

Helles lager
Stephanie S.

I always have had great meals here and look forward to my visits home to my parents, as we usually dine here at least once. The special Friday night was a beer battered fish (I cannot recall if it was cod or haddock) and I asked our server about the batter, as I've never had a beer battered fish anywhere that wasn't overly battered and the fish dry. She reassured me that it was lightly battered, so I decided to give it a try. It was hands down the BEST beer batter one could hope for. It was light, crispy, and the fish was moist and tender. Two of my dining companions agreed, as they'd ordered the same. We'd also ordered some raw oysters as our starter and they were equally delicious. A truly excellent meal in a cozy atmosphere.

Nashville hot wings with house ranch and pickles.
Daniel L.

This place just knocks it out of the park everytime. Bill and his staff are top notch. The food is exquisite, much thought and care is taken when coming up with and preparing these dishes. I've had brunch there that is wonderful, some fresh hash and eggs if I recall were wonderful. I went on my birthday a week ago and got the Nashville Hot wings and a steak. The wings were very spicy, just perfect, a great combo of hot and sweet as it should be. Wings were perfectly cooked, crispy and juicy. I also got a steak which was perfectly cooked, my wife got the special which was pasta with a nice tomato sauce with cherry tomatoes with a bit of a kick, and topped with ricotta mixed with pesto... it is now my favorite sauce on pasta, so rich and creamy, it was amazing. I hope I can recreate it at home. Also, the drinks are expertly crafted. I'm not a big drinker anymore, but I make sure to try a cocktail each time I come. The Earth gin and tonic is my favorite. In closing, this place is one of the few in this area offering such high-quality fare. I've been all over the country, this is top 5 places in my list. If you're in the area it's a must visit.

Cajun Catfish

Service was amazing, Mark is a very friendly and nice server! Food was fast and delicious, went around 2pm for lunch. Fine dining but comfortable ambiance! Will definitely be revisiting, highly recommend plus drink list is unique and extensive!!

two plates of food on a table

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3 years ago

Amazing, creative dishes! Outstanding French Onion soup! Friendly staff and owners.

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3 years ago

Not very friendly, food was nothing special. Prices above average.. staff should try to smile

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4 years ago

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Sean L.

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7 years ago

Good food, terrible service. Waiter was rude, un-helpful and dismissive of our party. Can not recommend.

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The Flashback Lounge - Great job on the BBQ, slaw, and cornbread guys!

The Flashback Lounge

(8 reviews)

$$

Wouldn't recommend this place! Was excited to go and see their grand re-opening as they had…read moreadvertised they would be having some BBQ specials and new beers. HORRIBLE and rude customer service. Will not go back.

So the reviews here so far range from bizarre to brief, but I wanted to highlight their food more…read morethan most have so far. I'm at my second visit now- Bluegrass, Blues, and BBQ is the event, Boots and Shorts is the band tonight. The wife and I are enjoying the music, and our BBQ plates are long gone. Hopefully they revisit this again, the flavors from the smoked pork, chicken, and ribs were testament to the time invested in their preparation. Our previous visit was on their first shot at featuring local stand up. The jokes were a little rough, but we really enjoyed trying our friend's recommendations for menu options. I'm not a fan of "hamburger pizza" in the least bit, but believe me when I tell you- try the bacon cheeseburger flatbread! I think it's the special sauce, but bacon is rarely a let down either. Their onion rings are easily among my favorites in town, and the chicken tenders are decent too (our friend raved about them, but I think he over sold them a bit- they weren't as mind-blowing as he was talking them up to be, maybe I just got a mediocre batch). Also, even while not being a big fan- the sweet potato fries were a way better option than the regular fries. Unfortunately there weren't any fried cheese curds (of course they're out- they're delicious!), and unfortunately there isn't any room left to stuff more food, but I look forward to being a repeat customer to work myself through their awesome menu and continue to sample the large variety of local beers. P.S. Love me some retro games, but with they'd flash back to the penny or nickle arcade game days...I still suck at most of these.

Colloca Estate Winery - BBQ Brisket Sandwich

Colloca Estate Winery

(51 reviews)

$$

Lovely location, and warm ambience in the Tasting Room. We enjoyed learning about and tasting both…read moretheir red and white wines. Some of their wines are shared endeavors with an Australian winery - Shiraz was very good. They had a small kitchen for foods off the tasting room, but we didn't try anything that day. We will return in warmer weather and enjoy the wine, food and pavilion!

On Father's Day, my daughters and I surprised my husband with Colloca's Father's Day clambake…read more The estate grounds were absolutely breathtaking. The views of the lake were beautiful, and the serenity that this winery possesses is one that everyone should enjoy at some point in time. The clambake was held in their event center, which is GORGEOUS! We were greeted and seated immediately upon arriving. Staff were all so amazing and friendly. Our dinner was served buffet style and was very tasty. We had quite a few options to choose from for the ticket price. After dinner, we stayed and explored the grounds, took a long walk alongside the dock, and simply enjoyed the calmness and tranquility. We actually stayed much longer than we planned, which led to us working up an appetite again. Luckily for us, there is a wood fire kitchen located on the estate, and we were able to have another quick bite before heading home, delicious!!! The options we chose were wonderful! So much so that my husband and I agreed to return for date night (we live an hour away, and it's definitely worth the drive). Collaco helped make this Father's Day one for the books for my husband, and I am so appreciative of their wonderful hospitality as well as their food and drink selections.

Emerald Cocktail Kitchen - Holiday decor mid-December

Emerald Cocktail Kitchen

(61 reviews)

This was my first time here along with my sister in law's. We came to celebrate her birthday, and…read moreso happy we've picked it. The atmosphere was relaxing with each level and their own vibes. We checked out the coffee lounge first and got espresso martini and chatted. The decor was a homey feel and I can see myself coming back meeting up with friends for coffee and catching up. Then we headed to the speakeasy and had the seasonal cocktails and just ordered salads and sweet potato fries. Everything was delicious. The salads and fries were simple and I like my "girl dinner" lol. I was told to come back for their brunch so that's on the list. The atmosphere and vibes were cozy, a great place to unwind and catch up or like us celebrate a special occasion. Both service in the coffee lounge and speakeasy were welcoming. I see that they host tons of events so I'll definitely have to check those out. Also can't wait to check out the rooftop lounge once they warmer weather returns. They are utilizing the space with bubble tents with reservations, so that's a fun idea. A cute and fun spot on Tipp hill to definitely check out.

I was super excited to have dinner here and it did not live up to my expectations whatsoever... we…read moregot there and the speakeasy was closed for a privated event, which is completely fine. Drinks and food was being prepared and served in the core lounge instead and it was a mess to say the least. It took 30-40 minutes for our food to come out and when the Brie board first came out of the kitchen it was sat on the counter for another 10 minutes, leaving the Brie to have a film over the top and was no longer soft. The flatbread was a disappointment, there was no sauce on the pizza and it was just way too bland for the price.... The service was extremely slow with 3 people working and all the customers in the lounge seemed to be sitting around in the same situation that I was in. Won't be coming back...

Bistro 197 - french - Updated May 2026

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