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Had a great time at bistro 218! We got the octopus to start which was cooked to perfection along with some great sauce to mix it in! Then I had the steak with some fries which was fabulous and their fries seem like a hidden secret! We finished with a wonderful dessert that had a crispy chocolate shell and soft inside! This place is always dreamy at night and has a wonderful atmosphere to hang out and just enjoy company for a while!
My boyfriend and I snagged a last minute reservation while we were out Saturday night. We sat in the bar dining room which was nice. We enjoy sitting at the bar and having a meal, but this was a bit more intimate and perfect for the night. Sadly, I was way too excited about our meals to remember to snap a pic, but he ordered the steak frites and I had the duck compote. Both were amazing Lastly we ordered the dark chocolate olive oil cake for dessert and it was wonderful as well! Definitely could have eaten it all on my own
Everything was delicious and the service was phenomenal. We went for a friends birthday and they had a birthday card on the table for her, it was a very cute touch. Everything we ordered was a 10/10 and we will definitely be coming back.
This is truly one of my favorite Dinner spots in the 'Ham. The setting is refined, yet comfortable and inviting. The staff and service are quite exceptional and the food is beautifully prepared and presented. A fine wine menu and craft cocktails are complimented by an array of epicurean appetizers. The entrees and deserts are on par with any fine French Creole New Orleans restaurant. Well done folks, I'll be back for more.
Highly recommend! Great date night or girls night spot. Our waiter, Mark, was wonderful and so friendly. The food was outstanding! I will be coming back soon!
If you're looking for an elegant fine dining experience in the downtown Birmingham area, Bistro 218 is an excellent choice. It is described as a French-inspired bistro fare serving entrees such as duck confit in a brick-walled space with a warm and intimate vibe. First, they offer a convenient valet service if you don't want to circle around in search of street parking. This was our second experience and thankfully it did not disappoint. We were promptly seated by a friendly hostess and then greeted by our enthusiastic server, Chad. He was completely knowledgable about the menu items, made recommendations and worked diligently to provide us with a great dining experience. There is an extensive wine and cocktail menu to browse. All entrees are thoughtfully conceived and utilize fresh local ingredients in many cases. Everything is made fresh in house. Our party of four selected a variety of delicious items from the menu including fried green tomatoes, charred Spanish octopus, Maryland style crab cakes, blackened wild Louisiana redfish, chicken paillards with risotto, vanilla bean Crème brûlée and coconut cheesecake. I believe the menu changes daily but seems to include a few standard items. Overall, this restaurant checks all the boxes... elevated cuisine and excellent service in a pleasing environment. We will definitely be back!
Very kind and attentive service and a classy atmosphere. The highlight was the house cured pork belly, which was perfectly crispy and melted in your mouth. It was delicious over grits with a runny egg. The charred Spanish octopus was tender and delicious with romesco and chorizo. The bone marrow was good, but did not stand out in comparison. The BLT salad wasn't special, but the bacon in it was amazing. The red snapper was a bit salty, but it was tender and soft. The beef Wellington lacked complexity of flavor, and the quality of meat could have been a little better. The chocolate olive oil cake wasn't anything special. However, the Caramel French Press Coffee Martini is a must.
Had a wonderful time! Amelia gave us the best service and the food was so delicious. We had a very nice table up on the loft, would definitely recommend opting for that spot. We will absolutely be back!
Really bad food experience this time! The appetizers are, at most, OK. Odd mix of flavors. Some came out kind of cold. My $52 new york strip steak was the worst steak I ever had at an upscale restaurant. The overall flavor was OK, but they turned a medium to medium-rare order into a well-cooked cheap hamburger! My jaw got sore the day after because of how hard that thing was to chew. I could not make a scene during the meeting, so I swallowed it in a one-hour-long process, but in any other situation, I would have talked to the manager. A colleague with whom I shared a few bites of it afterward told me, "That was not a medium-rare". Also, no aging whatsoever; salty seasoning; ...it was an awful thing to eat!! The ambiance is always great. Service is stellar good! Parking wasn't too bad this time. The music, though, was way too loud; we had a hard time talking to each other, and considering we were there for a business dinner, we may have to scratch this restaurant off the list just because of this issue. We'll pass for a while
Elegance .... Seems like a NYC fine dining.... Easy to listen and talk because the noise level is low. Excellent cocktails. My favorite restaurant anytime... but especially for special occasions....
EXTREMELY disappointed...we came for Valentine's Day dinner and I found a hair in my dessert, fingerprints all over every dish I ordered, and food on my wine glass (not pictured)...
Our party of 6 dined here before attending a show at the BJCC. It was the Black Jacket Symphony presenting Jimmy Buffet so of course we wore our Hawaiian shirts. So of course we all got some strange looks since Bistro 218 is a "nice" place. As the evening progressed and the restaurant filled, there were others who were also dressed very casual. So don't fear. You won't get turned away unless maybe if you showed up in a t-shirt, sweat pants and flip flops for dinner. I can only guess, but I'm pretty sure the 218 in their name is because they are located on 218 N 20th Street. They are on a busy section of downtown with valet parking. I was able to find a close spot on the street since we had an early 5:45 reservation. There's no outdoor seating, but inside is very spacious with plenty of seating. There are almost two separate rooms with the bar being in the room you enter. They keep it quite "dark" inside which gives the restaurant a very "romantic" atmosphere. Our tables had a couple of very cool LED table lights. I mentioned a romantic atmosphere but as the night progressed, the dining room got pretty loud. Since we had a reservation, we were seated immediately. Our server Joseph quickly took our drink orders. Being a French bistro themed restaurant, they had a very nice wine list and a short but comprehensive dinner menu. Tammy enjoyed her French martini. We shared a bowl of the seafood gumbo which aside from Tammy's home made gumbo, is probably one of the best seafood gumbos I've tasted. The presentation was beautiful with a single large shrimp centered in the bowl. Tammy also tried the redfish. Beautifully plated on yellow corn grits and green beans, the blackened redfish was delicious. But it didn't compare to my snapper. It was perfectly grilled served on a bed of fingerling potatoes and topped with stewed tomatoes. I could not speak more highly of this snapper. I enjoyed every single bite. Yom Yom Yom Yom! Paul and Linh shared the filet. Kenny and Renee also had the redfish. I heard no complaints from anyone else. Bistro 218 did not disappoint. Being a fine dining establishment, prices will be reflective of the delicious food and exceptional service. Servers were constantly topping off our drinks and Joseph was great. I would not hesitate to return.
An all-around great meal! We tried the Charred Spanish Octopus for an appetizer. The char taste with the romesco and squid ink sauces was a delightfully complex flavor. For entree, I ordered the Blackened Wild Louisiana Redfish, and I would definitely get it again! The blackened seasoning was perfection, and I thought that the fried okra were well done too. We also tried a dessert that I can't remember the name of - it was chocolatey, creamy, and delicious! I really liked the atmosphere - a good combo of formal while being unstuffy. We brought some family that was in town, and we were definitely pleased with the experience! read more
Food first, thoughts after... My husband and I went here recently for date night. Everyone was friendly from the greeter to our server. We were seated at a 2 person table with a window view. Tight corner but still very intimate. The overall restaurant vibes were bright and fresh. We got 3 apps and 2 entrees. The octopus dish was delicious. Brussel sprouts was covered in a rich sweet sauce. We're a savory couple so not too interested. The pork belly was cooked well and topped over grits with an egg on top. Wow! My husband got the duck confit and I got the streak frites. Overall the sauces on both were way too salty so it was hard for us to eat and finish. Reasonably priced as we got 4 drinks, 3 apps, and 2 entrees totaling a little over $200. Overall I still have a great time with my love but unfortunately I don't think we will come back. read more
Our first vid it before a movie at the Sidewalk theatre. Cute place. We had a drink at the bar first. Disappointed that they had so many selections for Chardonnay but none for a Moscato. We were seated upstairs. Food was great. Service was stellar. Will come again. Maybe next time the will offer the Moscato! read more
5 months ago
Had a great time at bistro 218! We got the octopus to start which was cooked to perfection along with some great sauce to mix it in! Then I had the steak with some fries which was fabulous and their fries seem like a hidden secret! We finished with a wonderful dessert that had a crispy chocolate shell and soft inside! This place is always dreamy at night and has a wonderful atmosphere to hang out and just enjoy company for a while! read more
5 months ago
8 months ago
My boyfriend and I snagged a last minute reservation while we were out Saturday night. We sat in the bar dining room which was nice. We enjoy sitting at the bar and having a meal, but this was a bit more intimate and perfect for the night. Sadly, I was way too excited about our meals to remember to snap a pic, but he ordered the steak frites and I had the duck compote. Both were amazing Lastly we ordered the dark chocolate olive oil cake for dessert and it was wonderful as well! Definitely could have eaten it all on my own read more
Everything was delicious and the service was phenomenal. We went for a friends birthday and they had a birthday card on the table for her, it was a very cute touch. Everything we ordered was a 10/10 and we will definitely be coming back. read more
2 years ago
This is truly one of my favorite Dinner spots in the 'Ham. The setting is refined, yet comfortable and inviting. The staff and service are quite exceptional and the food is beautifully prepared and presented. A fine wine menu and craft cocktails are complimented by an array of epicurean appetizers. The entrees and deserts are on par with any fine French Creole New Orleans restaurant. Well done folks, I'll be back for more. read more
If you're looking for an elegant fine dining experience in the downtown Birmingham area, Bistro 218 is an excellent choice. It is described as a French-inspired bistro fare serving entrees such as duck confit in a brick-walled space with a warm and intimate vibe. First, they offer a convenient valet service if you don't want to circle around in search of street parking. This was our second experience and thankfully it did not disappoint. We were promptly seated by a friendly hostess and then greeted by our enthusiastic server, Chad. He was completely knowledgable about the menu items, made recommendations and worked diligently to provide us with a great dining experience. There is an extensive wine and cocktail menu to browse. All entrees are thoughtfully conceived and utilize fresh local ingredients in many cases. Everything is made fresh in house. Our party of four selected a variety of delicious items from the menu including fried green tomatoes, charred Spanish octopus, Maryland style crab cakes, blackened wild Louisiana redfish, chicken paillards with risotto, vanilla bean Crème brûlée and coconut cheesecake. I believe the menu changes daily but seems to include a few standard items. Overall, this restaurant checks all the boxes... elevated cuisine and excellent service in a pleasing environment. We will definitely be back! read more
Very kind and attentive service and a classy atmosphere. The highlight was the house cured pork belly, which was perfectly crispy and melted in your mouth. It was delicious over grits with a runny egg. The charred Spanish octopus was tender and delicious with romesco and chorizo. The bone marrow was good, but did not stand out in comparison. The BLT salad wasn't special, but the bacon in it was amazing. The red snapper was a bit salty, but it was tender and soft. The beef Wellington lacked complexity of flavor, and the quality of meat could have been a little better. The chocolate olive oil cake wasn't anything special. However, the Caramel French Press Coffee Martini is a must. read more
1 year ago
Had a wonderful time! Amelia gave us the best service and the food was so delicious. We had a very nice table up on the loft, would definitely recommend opting for that spot. We will absolutely be back! read more
Really bad food experience this time! The appetizers are, at most, OK. Odd mix of flavors. Some came out kind of cold. My $52 new york strip steak was the worst steak I ever had at an upscale restaurant. The overall flavor was OK, but they turned a medium to medium-rare order into a well-cooked cheap hamburger! My jaw got sore the day after because of how hard that thing was to chew. I could not make a scene during the meeting, so I swallowed it in a one-hour-long process, but in any other situation, I would have talked to the manager. A colleague with whom I shared a few bites of it afterward told me, "That was not a medium-rare". Also, no aging whatsoever; salty seasoning; ...it was an awful thing to eat!! The ambiance is always great. Service is stellar good! Parking wasn't too bad this time. The music, though, was way too loud; we had a hard time talking to each other, and considering we were there for a business dinner, we may have to scratch this restaurant off the list just because of this issue. We'll pass for a while read more
1 year ago
Elegance .... Seems like a NYC fine dining.... Easy to listen and talk because the noise level is low. Excellent cocktails. My favorite restaurant anytime... but especially for special occasions.... read more
10 months ago
2 years ago
EXTREMELY disappointed...we came for Valentine's Day dinner and I found a hair in my dessert, fingerprints all over every dish I ordered, and food on my wine glass (not pictured)... read more
Our party of 6 dined here before attending a show at the BJCC. It was the Black Jacket Symphony presenting Jimmy Buffet so of course we wore our Hawaiian shirts. So of course we all got some strange looks since Bistro 218 is a "nice" place. As the evening progressed and the restaurant filled, there were others who were also dressed very casual. So don't fear. You won't get turned away unless maybe if you showed up in a t-shirt, sweat pants and flip flops for dinner. I can only guess, but I'm pretty sure the 218 in their name is because they are located on 218 N 20th Street. They are on a busy section of downtown with valet parking. I was able to find a close spot on the street since we had an early 5:45 reservation. There's no outdoor seating, but inside is very spacious with plenty of seating. There are almost two separate rooms with the bar being in the room you enter. They keep it quite "dark" inside which gives the restaurant a very "romantic" atmosphere. Our tables had a couple of very cool LED table lights. I mentioned a romantic atmosphere but as the night progressed, the dining room got pretty loud. Since we had a reservation, we were seated immediately. Our server Joseph quickly took our drink orders. Being a French bistro themed restaurant, they had a very nice wine list and a short but comprehensive dinner menu. Tammy enjoyed her French martini. We shared a bowl of the seafood gumbo which aside from Tammy's home made gumbo, is probably one of the best seafood gumbos I've tasted. The presentation was beautiful with a single large shrimp centered in the bowl. Tammy also tried the redfish. Beautifully plated on yellow corn grits and green beans, the blackened redfish was delicious. But it didn't compare to my snapper. It was perfectly grilled served on a bed of fingerling potatoes and topped with stewed tomatoes. I could not speak more highly of this snapper. I enjoyed every single bite. Yom Yom Yom Yom! Paul and Linh shared the filet. Kenny and Renee also had the redfish. I heard no complaints from anyone else. Bistro 218 did not disappoint. Being a fine dining establishment, prices will be reflective of the delicious food and exceptional service. Servers were constantly topping off our drinks and Joseph was great. I would not hesitate to return. read more
1 year ago
I've been here half a dozen times or so and tonight was the best yet. The team did a great job from the seasoning on the ciabatta at the start to the freshness of the "West Indies Salad" and the cook on the chicken paillard, (atop a well-executed "mirepoix risotto" ) my wife and I enjoyed a meal with my father on a random Friday night: no special occasion, the room was clean, quiet, and the mood was just pleasant. Good coffee too! Four stars only because we found the deserts (blueberry tart, peach tart) to be a bit lack-lust, maybe just slightly less than fresh, though tasty. But my dad very much enjoyed the cherry chocolate cake option. And that has been my experience here, the meal is phenomenal up until the deserts, which underwhelm. But this is becoming a go-to place for us, it's classy and never stuffy, always welcoming, and with friendly staff who are relaxed but prompt and professional. Thanks for a good dinner! Reasonably priced for 3 courses for three people! read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
Fantastic dinner experience in downtown Birmingham. Incredible flavors, friendly and attentive staff, and a lovely dining room that's great for an intimate dinner for two or a larger group. Will be back, and I highly recommend for any occasion. read more
8 months ago
1 year ago
Enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Bistro 218. This French-American restaurant has something for everyone! The table enjoyed the octopus, duck, steak, and more. We also enjoyed martinis and red wine. Make a reservation! read more
1 year ago
Yelp! I finally made it to the coveted Bistro 218! Upon my entry, you are inviting with an elegant but subtle holiday flare. Your hostess is pleasant and intentional as she checks my coat. Tonight is holiday girls night out and we are a party of 4. We are timely as posted for our 7:00 reservations. Looking around, you appear to be empty, but in one snap, you filled up fast. Okay! So here we sit, our waiter David, so nice, comes over and offer drinks and starters. However, the server with the complimentary bread has forgotten that we have been here more than 30 minutes. Loss of star. Never fear, there is hope, Chef Saab stops by to greet us and graciously grabs us bread and oil. Aww, thanks chef for your personal touch. The rest of the night is flawless. David got all this. Apps are good, PD chose gumbo, Sanders got Brussels and I got frites. No complaints! As for Entrees, our trio got the redfish set up, grits-okra-green beans with the snapper versus redfish. France's got the crab cake dinner with risotto. Yum! Fancy or not, we here for this food and it is good. The spirits were present tonight, PD got the passion fruit margarita, she enjoyed. Sanders got the holiday special, featuring champagne with rum and cranberry. Christmas is definitely in the air. YALL already know, when I'm made happy, I'll be back. read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
Before we get into the food, let's talk about the service: I'll get right to it: we had the best service that we've ever received in our lives. Mark took care of us from beginning to end with no complaints. He made wonderful suggestions from starters, drinks, entrees, to dessert -- they all were on point. Now as for everything else: I had made reservations for my girlfriend's birthday and, we thought it to be a nice touch that they had separate areas for casual-ish dining and the "more exclusive" experience. We sat alone for about an hour in a nice dining area as we were served water and a delicious French bread which name escapes me. Mark recommended the Maryland Crab Cakes as a starter with a smoky style chili oil and lemon white wine butter sauce. EASILY the best crab cakes we've had. Full of tender, fresh crab meat and the exterior had a light but firm crunch. The entrees were also fantastic. Girlfriend had the Free Range Chicken Paillards that she fell in love with and I had the Steak Frites. The steak was tender and to my liking, although I probably should've went with a medium option rather than medium well. Frites were delicious and didn't taste of any grease whatsoever. Dessert was on the house for her birthday so she chose the créme brûlée. I myself am not a fan of créme brûlée, but she is and she loved it. Drinks were also good! Overall, we enjoyed our experience -- 5/5. We will return. read more
I dined here this past weekend after having this restaurant on my bookmark list for about a year now. I enjoyed the fine dining experience and company of others. The food was good, but not something that I would desire to come back again for. Maybe my expectations were too high to begin with. We had two reservations for a group of 7 and 4. We sat on the second level, which was more like a loft and our waiter was Sebastian. Sebastian had our group and about 3 other tables, so he was super busy but made sure all of our needs were met. He had one or two other people working with him to assist and I was pleased with his service. I ordered the shrimp and vegetable risotto. The shrimp was delicious. The vegetable risotto and sauce wasn't my favorite. The mixed vegetables were undercooked and were more on the crunchy side, which I did not like. The sauce had a vinegary taste that was not pleasant to me. Basically I ate my shrimp and tried to pick the vegetables out of my risotto in order to enjoy the risotto. Overall my dish was $36 and the taste did not reflect the price. I've had better elsewhere. I give this restaurant three stars for the ambience, experience and good service. I'm glad to have tried this restaurant, but I was not overly impressed with the taste of the food. read more
2 years ago
We went for my husband's birthday and had a great experience from start to finish. Mark was an incredible server and did everything possible to ensure we had a fantastic experience. The atmosphere was so cozy and romantic and the food was beyond delicious, from the appetizers all the way to the dessert. So much thought has been put in the flavoring and plating of every dish. Can't wait to go again! read more
3 years ago
Upon arrival to our 5:15p reservation, the hostess took us to a table right next to one of the only other occupied tables in the restaurant. Seeing the entire restaurant was 90% empty, we asked for a more private table. She told us she needed to check her seating chart, then reluctantly took us to a table across the room. Not much common sense. Other than that unfriendly beginning, the rest of the experience was very good. Lucas was our server. We ordered a dirty martini and old fashioned. Good. We ordered the crab cakes, Brussels and redfish. All delicious. Other than the first awkward seating moment, experience was great. Nice music, lighting, and overall ambiance. read more
3 years ago
Came here for the first time for valentines day with my lovely lady. I'd have to say, this is another fine dining spot in downtown that I somehow missed since living here in Bham. But I sure am happy that we stopped on by. Love the atmosphere and dining room set up. The service and staff were friendly and very accommodating. I enjoyed a delicious bourbon cocktail and was beautifully crafted. We then enjoyed the fried seafood appetizer and grilled octopus in squid ink aioli (deliciousss). For our main course, I had the well known and raved about pork chop while she ordered the farmed chicken. Both were very very good entrees. Overall, we had a great time and will definitely be back in the future. Bistro 218 is among the top restaurants in Bham that we would recommend to all foodies and fine diners from near and far. read more
We stopped by here on a Saturday night without a reservation. Luckily, they were able to accommodate us. We were seated in about 10 min. The restaurant was busy. We started with the Fritto Misto. Seafood was fresh, seasoned well, and fried perfectly. Our entrees took quite a while to come out. I ordered the blackened red fish. It was served with grits and fried okra. The dish was very good although it was served lukewarm. My husband's medium well New york strip was served rare. It took us several minutes to get someone but once we did it didn't take too long to receive his correct steak. We both really enjoyed our food. It was clear they were short staffed and doing the best they could so I didn't deduct any stars for slow service. read more
I was staying at near by hotel, and I saw their online menu and they have beef wellington. It happen I was in a mood for it. When I arrived and sat down, I look at the menu, they took it away and replace it with Ribeye. So I order charred Spanish Octopus, - the sauce was good, but the octopus was overcook kinda chewy. Main course, I had Pan seared gulf grouper - Fish was over cook but good flavor and tasty. Dessert, I had molasses ginger cake - which very good, good ginger flavor. I also had a sweet tea, and the syrup comes in separate cup. You control how sweet you want. Hey is sweet tea right, so I pour in all of it. Good tea flavor & it taste good. My server was really good, he kept checking with me to see if everything is good. Excellent service and I would recommend this place. read more
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More info about Bistro 218
218 N 20th St
Birmingham, AL 35203
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(205) 983-7999
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http://bistro218.com
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