Delicious cocktails, food and wine; very helpful waitress; nice ambiance, perfect for a special evening out for 6, a really successful evening read more

Firstly, slightly hidden / difficult to find. Food Steak tartare was really good and well worth getting the entree if you are sharing Normally don't order chicken at restaurants as they tend to not be worth it, but the roasted and Peruvian roasted chicken was good, not exceptional. The jus and the cilantro sauces on the side were ok as well. Service Service was good and attentive. There's an "optional" 15% service charge. read more

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Solid cooking and high quality products. I wouldn't said my mind was blown but I had a good time. Staff if very good and the ambience is nice. As starter I had the twice baked cheese souffle with truffle cream. It could have been stronger in cheese intensity but as it was a starter it was ok. I would recommend this dish. My friends had the Jerusalem artichoke (didnt try but it looked good) For main I had the steak tartare. Something was very salty not sure if it was the tartare or the salad so I won't point it was a bit much. Again high quality products but nothing out of this world. My friend had the salmon and the cod dish (didnt try) and side of the smoke potatoes (those were very good, a must if you want potatoes) Overall a good restaurant with a good ratio price/product quality/portions. I wouldn't go out of my way to go back but it's not a bad address. read more

Bistrotheque - Whiskey Peach Sour was very good - French Near Me - London, XGL

I wanted it to be better. Half items from the menu were missing so I asked for recommendations. Steak tartare was good, side salad was so salty I couldn't finish half of it and let the staff know (still got charged for it). Sticky pudding was good, but nothing unreal. Ambience is nice, but I expected a piano :) Overall, can be a decent place but still not there. read more

I first discovered this place when looking for a new brunch place to try with a friend who is just as much into exploring the London food scene as myself. During this first visit as well as multiple future visits I have been eating my way through the brunch menu and been very impressed by a lot of the options. My favourites are the rhubarb pancakes (probably the biggest portion size of the whole menu!) as well as the avocado & poached eggs (I love cornbread and the eggs are poached to perfection!). While the food is amazing, the service can be very hit-and-miss. Mostly my issue with the service was just that I had to ask multiple times for some tap water for the table. However, on my latest visit I was really put off by how clearly the waiter tried to turn around our table as quickly as possible. I had a reservation for 11am. The second we were seated the waiter hovered to take our order. Shortly before noon our plates were almost ripped out of our hands even though I was still eating and the second the plates were cleared the bill landed on our table. I understand that busy places try to turn tables around for another brunch seating, but I don't think it is ok to rush people out after just an hour. read more

Bistrotheque - Rhubarb pancakes - French Near Me - London, XGL

Incredible price to performance, so far Bistrotheque provided my best dining experience in London. The restaurant is hard to find, yes it's one of "those" places like Please Don't Tell in NYC. Sure that's part of the fun, but we ended up blowing 20 quid on the taxi ride (why don't all taxi drivers have GPS, we were going around in circles at one point). Ambiance was somewhat minimalist, cool but a bit cold. The tables were simple marble tops and the walls were all white. Service was good, but the real standout was the food. I started with the spicy squid for an app and had the sea bass as my main. Both were absolutely excellent dishes, very delicate with complex flavors and perfect texture. Definitely a restaurant worth going out of your way for. read more

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Oh-oh Dorothy I don't think we're in North West London any more. Woke up on the wrong side of the Regents Park Canal this morning after a night out. So what better way to christen my newly found one-day status as an EastEnder than to visit East's fashionable restaurant Bistrotheque for brunch. Luckily my friend Al was on hand to indulge my fancy, so off we hopped down Cambridge Heath Road. The place itself is in a converted clothing factory, hidden on a side-street, amongst Cash 'n' Carries and warehouses. It's not very obvious to spot - fine in the daylight, but perhaps a wee bit off-putting to find alone during the dark disco-hours. The entrance is unmarked- but you can hear the chatter from the downstairs bar on the road, and you know you are in the right place. Once inside, and in the upstairs' restaurant we were greeted by a rather cool looking maître d', with oversized med-jar specs. We had been told to book, and so were ushered to our seats very quickly. Although the restaurant did appear busy there did seem to be a few empty tables available for on-the-fly visitors too. The restaurant itself is nice and bright. The walls are whitewashed and the ceilings are covered in industrial looking pipes. The temperature felt slightly warm so I had to strip off a layer, not an easy task as the layer in question was underneath my dress. Although cabaret is held downstairs in the venue, there are limits to my burlesque behaviour - so I have to clarify I did this change in the loos. One look at the menu and it was 'See you later brunch' - it was lunch all the way baby. It was hard to say no - three courses off the set lunch menu comes in at a reasonable £21. If ordering off the standard lunch menu, bear in mind the food is seasonal and varies- my waitress crossed off at least half off the dishes of the normal lunch menu. The food was great value, delicious and amazing quality. Lovely salad to start, then succulent roast beef with trimmings for mains. I'm quite new to eating red-meat after years of abstaining, and I have been disappointed with all the roast beef dishes I have since eaten. However I found this gorgeous and enjoyed the added goodness of the caramelized onions in the gravy. Dessert for my friend was strawberry pavlova and for myself a crème brule, we found both immensely satisfying. Our friendly waitress even remarked that she had never seen a ramekin as clean as mine, and asked if I had licked it. I deny this, it was purely spoon scraping, honest gov. Our waitress also had draped on her person an illustrated tea towel specially commissioned for Bistrotheque and available to buy, however although extremely cool I declined - 6 towels for £30 was still a bit pricey. In fact more than dinner itself. Lunch was just what I needed to defeat the going-out induced hunger. Singer and musician Bishi also agrees as I spotted her settling down to a meal. Whilst snooping at other people's food on their tables I could see that it is definitely worth another visit for brunch - the pancakes and the eggs Florentine looked fantastic. I will be back. One complaint though - 7 hours later and I'm still not hungry. Which is a shame, you may have gathered, I do rather like eating. read more

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So.... My friends chose Bistroteque because apparently it has an amazing Cabaret act downstairs and a live pianist on a grand piano in the restaurant. Unfortunately, the cabaret closed a year or more ago and the pianist only plays on the weekends..... STILL... Was a brilliant meal out for all! Service was slow (pre dinner cocktails took 20 mins plus for example) so why 5 stars I hear you ask..... The ice cream. But, before I come to that I should say I think the burger here is one of the best I've had outside of America. The beef is freshly ground steak meat but done the day before so whilst they won't do you a rare burger they will do it medium rare and its oh so juicy and goooood! I'm seriously fussy about my burgers - the bun was amazingly fresh and doughy and the Gorgonzola was awesome all melty in there... The chicken looked pretty cool too - I stole a bit of my friends but was too distracted by my awesome burger to take any photos - sorry! So, anyway, back to the real deal - THE ICE CREAM I just was minding my own business ordering the banana and peanut sponge with dulce de leche sauce and as an after thought asked for a scoop of the homemade Icecream on the side....... It arrives, I have a little spoon of the ice cream before attacking the very nice looking sponge and BAM. Oh. My. God. It was like they took the best vanilla Icecream in the world and the whipped clotted cream into it and then thought, I know lets whip some liquid meringue/marshmallowey stuff into it too. I seriously was blown away. I gave my pudding to a friend and proceeded to order 2 portions of just the Icecream and then sat there making funny noises ignoring everyone else at the table. When I woke up the next morning, the first thing I did was check out deliveroo and just eat to see if I could order 3 portions of Icecream to my home the next day. The food here is really good but seriously, that vanilla icecream...... I'll be going back and ordering 3 portions sometime soon... I think I have a problem.... read more

Bistrotheque - Banana and Peanut Sponge with dulce de leche sauce and an extra scoop of the best homemade vanilla Icecream you'll ever taste. - French Near Me - London, XGL

Very cool, reasonably priced restaurant and bar. We went here for our anniversary dinner and had a lovely time. The service was spot on, discreet and efficient. I had the prix fixe menu, starting with a pear, stichelton, spinach & walnut salad which was bloody lovely. Jenny had the charcuterie plate, again which was very nice, followed by the half roast chicken. Washed down with a beautiful bottle of Yalumbu Viognier, which I highly recommend. The coffee and creme brulee that finished the meal were also superb. The interior is sparse, industrial, unpretentious. Well worth checking out. read more

Bistrotheque - Happy diner - French Near Me - London, XGL

When I first discovered I was heading to Bistroteque for an evening out with the girls, I was a little dubious as to what to expect but was definitely pleasantly surprised. Upstairs, the venue serves some lovely dishes. The pure white warehouse style decor is very cool but the club downstairs is really where all the action happens! This venue has a range of cabaret shows ranging from burlesque to drag and everything cool and funky in between. We saw an amazing burlesque show - very entertaining and the mojito cocktails definitely help you on your way to having a great night! The crowd is generally very cool - you tend to see groups of arty fashionistas and all the too cool for skool type celebrities and DJ's. Definitely worth a visit but make sure you're up for a lively night. No wall flowers allowed! read more

Bistrotheque - French Near Me - London, XGL

The first time I came to Bistrotheque it was for some drinks in the bar some time ago after a show. It's proximity to one of East Londons most gallery populated street makes it a regular haunt for arty types. The second time I went there for dinner. The restaurant itself is quite minimal, with a black grand piano in the center of the floor with flowers on top. The toilets have some interesting illustrations in black paint. We ordered a bottle of white wine which was quite nice, the bread we got to graze on was quite hard though, i ordered the sardines with orange zest for starter which was pretty tasty, for mains I had mushroom pie which was good. It's one of those hidden gem type places. read more

Bistrotheque - French Near Me - London, XGL

Situated down a pretty horrid side street in the industrial area of Bethnal Green is this cool little haunt compromises of a bar, two dining areas and a cabaret club. It's in a converted factory and the inside of the main restaurant is still pretty stark, but they've made the most of the big spaces and the dark wood and bright white walls cut a clean edge. If you head for the bar you're met with a completely different style with a very narrow room, minimally lit, far darker and more seductive. The velvet stools lining up and the gorgeous bar mirror are so nice. I've tried out the bar before dining and the setting certainly enhances your mood along with the rest of the typically East crowd who hang out there. Design wise it's an inviting space, but the crowd does have an air of exclusivity about them that I can imagine may put some people off. But then again, they don't take reservations for the bar tables which is good. Choose the cocktails if you're going to drink as most off the classic list have an appealing little twist. The Espresso Nut Martini is just one of my favourites. The food is a suave Anglo-French affair and is moderately priced. It changes seasonally and last time we went I played it safe and has the gnocchi that was perfectly cooked. They mentioned that the menu was changing again early December so I'm looking forward to what Christmas offerings they'll come up with. The room is so attractive that I really like it here, the baby grand in the corner is just so sexy. Oh I should also mention that this place is most famous for the cabaret nights, with drag and other such spectacles happening in the cosy, candle lit cabaret room. I haven't tried these out yet as, but apparently they're sophisticated fun not to be missed. Although for such a damn cool place, which is obviously working hard to attract (and welcome) a certain crowd, I do wonder what they were thinking when they decided on the uber tacky name. Ah well, it's comforting to know that even Bistroteque have their bad days. read more

Bistrotheque - French Near Me - London, XGL

This is a great venue tucked away in a nondescript road just off the busy main street. You have to have faith! Follow the understated RESTAURANT sign up the stairs and you'll find yourself in a light, buzzy area half bar, half restaurant. We focused on brunch...eggs benedict, eggs florentine, Smashed avocado and poached egg and pancakes with bacon and maple syrup. It was all good. With a pianist playing in the background, the table opposite working their way through two bottles of wine in less than an hour and the adjacent table enjoying creme brulee directly after their eggs benedict...there was plenty to keep us entertained. A really chilled brunch venue. read more

Bistrotheque - French Near Me - London, XGL

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You know a place is hard to find when a London Cabbie is doubting the address and even up to a half block away, is still thinking you are wrong. At night, the side street its located on can be intimidating, BUT it was there! Had made reservations for a group of 4 on a Friday night dinner at 9:15pm. Walked in to a chic, white restaurant; its beautiful. The place was lively and busy and our table wasn't ready, so we headed to the big bar to have a drink. We only sat at the bar for 5 minutes before our table was ready. They have a good wine selection and I started with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. Once at our table, we were greeted quickly and the table started with Steak Tartare. Very good. For my entree, Half Roast Chicken. Very good. For dessert, I had one of each of the Fromage. Excellent. Good food, service & beautiful decor. Great evening out. read more

I was questioning my Google Maps as I walked down Wadeson Street. There were no signs of any public businesses, just warehouses and flats. As my blue dot was reaching the flagged address on my app, I could hear the sounds of a restaurant but couldn't see any sign of an entrance anywhere. I decided to do a little more investigating and found an open door. A man emerged and told me that Bistrotheque was upstairs and I headed right on up. What I found was a welcoming open space and a very friendly staff. I had a 11:15AM brunch reservation for 3 and they happily walked me to my table. If I had to guess, Bistrotheque seems to be a well-kept secret since you have to be looking for it in order to find it. It's not on a main street where many people walk by so it's not likely that you'll just stumble upon it. As I was waiting for my friends to arrive, a member of the staff took my drink order and asked if I'd like a newspaper while I waited, which I thought was very thoughtful on his behalf. When my friends finally arrived, we decided to share an order of the pancakes, maple syrup, and bacon and each got a dish of our own. I decided to stray away from my typical order of some type of eggs benedict and went with the unique duck hash which was recommended to me by the server. When the food finally arrived, we all decided to share amongst eachother so I got a bite of everyone's dish. The food was very good and overall it was a very good brunch. The pancakes were the highlight for me and thought it was a good idea for all of us to share alongside our own personal brunch dishes. The duck hash was good, but I wasn't amazed by it. Aside from brunch, their dinner menu looked amazing so I may be tempted to head back to try it. As for the atmosphere, this may be the first time I've listened to a live piano player as I was chowing down on brunch. Bistrotheque is great little find in an area you'd never think to find a nice restaurant. Just a piece of advice, if your map app tells you you're in the right place, you probably are... just look for a set of doors and find your way upstairs. read more

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Bistrotheque is a perennially fashionable bar-performance space- restaurant particular popular during Frieze festival housed in an unlikely backstreet of Bethnal Green. Approaching Bistrotheque there is little to give it away amongst the other warehouses. It is announced by a courtyard with a few smokers and a security guard, which was useful as I had arranged to come here with a bunch of friends to see the Lipsinkers Show. We met (after many phone calls confirming the location) in the bar. The elegant bar is in a narrow building with one row of seating against the wall, with the bar along the other. There is low lighting and the décor is a successful mix between warehouse and upmarket. There is a great cocktail list and well stocked bar, which has seemingly contributed to the bar's success. The place has a pleasant, louche ambience. The crowd was fairly mixed, smarter looking people mixed with hipsters. Most people drinking were there for the show. The performance area is next to the bar and is entirely seated. If you're planning to see a show it is worth booking as there are only about 80-100 seats and it often sells out. There's a small bar in here too, although you probably won't get a chance to go to it during the performance (the performance was great and held my attention throughout). There is a cosy, speak-easy atmosphere here which is added to by the bar staff's readiness to keep the bar open for a few after the show ended. I had a great time at the Bistrotheque and look forward to going again. If you're planning to go with a group its worth noting they operate a 'no hen parties, no stags or parties over 10'. read more

Bistrotheque - From Website - French Near Me - London, XGL

When they opened the owners could not afford a sign; now they don't need one. This is a hip, unpretentious, delightful space with good food and very solicitous service. Some websites call the food "French". That seems incorrect. We'd call it nouvelle eclectic. We had the Parmesan polenta, egg and flat mushroom and the steak tartare, chips and salad. Both were yummy and nicely spiced. Then we had a green salad and rice pudding for dessert. The waiter seemed a bit weirded out by a salad for dessert but overcame his anxiety. All in all a very nice place. read more

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First restaurant visited since new Covid measures in place. Incredible food. Friendly staff. Excellent social distancing measures and health precautions in place. Can't wait to come back. read more

What a find! Feels like speak easy come pop up restaurant with no signage outside, up an industrial stair case restaurant with a chef that boarders on Michelin quality. Had the white crab starter - light and Devine, the main of poached pollock and a radicchio and mint salad. Service was fantastic and not to put on as well - details in the design make it relaxed and well thought out. Add in the great collection of gins and whiskeys - this one gets 5 stars - first in 18 months and we will surely return as this is a find! Top marks ***** read more

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The setting is nice. We could hear the piano in the background while eating all sorts of starters - very small portions but quite unusual tastes - we had egg royale with smoked salmon as a main and the pancakes with figs and toasted almonds. Get ready for it because there is a LOT of cream but this is delicious. The plus? The delicious high ranging cocktails and especially the cucumber flip read more

Bistrotheque - The venue is bright and luminous, the cocktails are tasty especially the cucumber flip, the portions are generous and refined. - French Near Me - London, XGL

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Sensational food, funky decor, sneaky hard to find address, brilliant cocktails and a grand piano. Recommended by D1's boyfriend and Jeremy Stopmaster (Stoppleman - the founder of Yelp and my close personal friend), it was a compulsory visit and it delivered. Absolutely fantastic, five people, five cocktails and five amazing meals. Standouts were shallot tarte tatin, smoked short rib and the famous steak tartare. Just wonderful. read more

I'm not sure if it gets any better than Joseph T's description of "perennially fashionable." I could try to top it, but I'd probably just end up using a thesaurus to come up with awkward replacement phrases like "ceaselessly newfangled" or "imperishably contemporary," which sound more like botched plastic surgeries than a delicious savvy incomparable dining experience. So all that said, even with the over-hyped food and mysterious locale, Bistrotheque really delivered. The venue itself oozes cool as the simplistic design of whitewashed brick walls, hanging light bulbs and metal tables direct all of your focus to the food. There are a few other "atmospheres" that have been created in the space including a burlesque bar downstairs and an area of dark wood and chandeliers upstairs. However my focus was purely on the food (surprise, surprise...) and it didn't disappoint: fresh fruit infused cocktails were quickly followed by appetizers of fried squid, pigeon breast and pig's head terrine. You'd think that after the mention of pig's head my appetite would have disappeared, but it was quite the opposite: as my pork chop arrived, I only briefly wondered if it was from the same miss piggy before diving fork first into my pool of pork-liciousness. (I only came up for air during brief but heavenly sips of my cocktail.) Surely a hot spot for romantic dates and groups of foodie friends alike, I would highly recommend experiencing Bistrotheque and all of its glory for yourself. Just make sure you bring your GPS along! read more

I think people need to come here for the adventure alone - that is if you can find it. Our little group of 4 was trundling all over London in our cab trying to find this place and when we arrived, I think our cabbie was just as excited as we were (mainly because it was a 20+ quid ride). But once you walk through the wee garden you know it's all gonna be worth it. You have your choice of the lovely dark brown bar on the first floor or up the stairs to the restaurant. Or, for the very daring, the "Burlesque Room" - but that's for high rollers and let's be honest here, we were starving, so we let our bellies do the leading and rushed up the stairs. The restaurant has a very minimalist feel and you walk through the open kitchen to get to your tables. Really lovely rustic foods but with a twist - and all said and done, a very decent price. We shared the fried squid, pigeon breast and pig's head terrine to start - which were all superb - and for our mains the steak, sea bass, pork chop and lamb. All of us licked our plates so suffice it to say, we were a happy lot. There were a few couples having a romantic tete a tete over a glass of wine, but it also proved the perfect ambiance for our group. I guess as the saying goes, some things are worth the wait (or the hunt!) and Bistrotheque is definitely one of those things. Highly recommended and I will be back (with a GPS) next time I'm across the Pond! read more

Assuming you've found it, you've got a table, you've got friends (or a solo stool at the bar) and you've got the hunger, I don't see what could possibly go wrong here. Bistrotheque is proof that chefs are modern-day clerics- if you stir the right things together, they'll put me under a spell. You know my favorite brunch combo is bloody mary + oysters + eggs benedict (and mac and cheese where available), so it's what I set out to try here. Easily the best eggs benedict I've had... possibly ever. A lovely, buttery sauce, nice little jersey rocks to start, a well-made drink... I really don't have any complaints. The creme brulee had a brulee to win all brulees with vanilla seeds at the bottom for a little surprise. We caught the tail-end of the live piano music and got to hang out for a little longer than we were probably supposed to have the table for as they were changing over for dinner and it was a perfect Sunday in East London. I absolutely love it, despite my friends-that-can't-use-google-maps' complaints, I would be perfectly happy to become a fixture that props up the walls on a regular basis. read more

I met some friends for brunch, but due to a transit snafu, I didn't actually get to try the food. The menu looked fantastic, though, and the coffee was decent. Friendly staff, too. It's a great space, perfect for catching up with friends, if a little hard to find - once you find the address, take the door to your right and head upstairs. read more

Bistrotheque's brunch and dinner are both excellent. While hard to spell and hard to find (keep going, it's down there on the left, welcome to Tower Hamlets) the service is impeccable and from experienced hands. The restaurant is on the upper floor of a large late 20th century light industrial unit. The sort of thing that, in this part of London, was surely built where a bomb once fell. The building was reborn as service industry space in the early 2000s and originally planned as a multi-purpose gallery and restaurant. It is now exclusively the latter. The internal doors are glazed with square-grid wire reinforced glass, the external window panes are held in with original hand-set putty, and the concrete floor is marked with paint and dents from a former life. All very authentic, and the restaurant space itself is respectful to the building's origins: kitchen, bar, piano stage and dining area are all built into one very large room. If you look above the kitchen you'll see it's just a partitioned off area. The metal-truss roof is exposed with naked white-painted ducting visible from edge-to-edge in the style of modern open plan spaces. If it weren't a restaurant this would probably be a software startup's offices. The bar is a large oval pit with iron sculptures and seating for around 25 people, offering space for walk-in diners and the best view into the kitchen. You can make table reservations as well and we ate at the tables in the seated space. The white-paper table cloths have important and pithy life advice written on them of which you should take note. Brunch is incredibly popular here, and with such a large space turnover is rapid and you won't have to wait long even at 11am on a Sunday morning. I had eggs benedict: cooked properly with a sauce on the lighter end of the spectrum and surprise spinach accompanying the ham, and on good chewy sourdough toast. Very well plated. My fellow diners had the slap-up Bistrotheque breakfast, a modest example of a full English that subs out your regular starchy-thing and replaces it with what must be deep-fried potatoes gratin. They call it "layered potato" and it's a thing of golden brown beauty but also a bit like eating a pile of crisps. No slur on the excellent dish, but if you insist on eating with cutlery expect one in five attempts at cutting to result in an explosion of potato bits pinging across the room. Don't be embarrassed if this happens -- look at the floor around other tables and you'll see you aren't the first. Brunch drinks and coffee excellent and a pianist was present. Conversations were interspersed with "is he playing Supergrass?" and similar questions. The music catered for those who grew up in the 90s. Dinner a few weeks later was Mersea Island oysters (from the Thames estuary in Essex, not the Liverpool homonym), salt cod brandade (a kind of rillette), steak tartare, cod and chips, creme brûlée and chocolate pudding. We also had a glass of sweet PX sherry, one of Bistrotheque's Dilligint cocktails -- a close relative of the G&T made with house tonic and dill -- and a bottle of Vin de Pays d'Oc viognier. The fish batter was crispy without pinging around the room when you cut into it. The steak tartare was generous, hand chopped and chunky, with a good strong mustard tang. The other star of the meal was the salty ice cream that came with the choice pudding. An absolutely embarrassing amount of food and drink for two people, so £130-service-included seemed extremely reasonable. They have Gelas Armagnac here but we had to be responsible: the walk home was along the canal. (ps: Thursdays evenings are currently special fish nights. The culinary team do a trip out to the fish docks that morning and serve up what they find for dinner in the bar area. Sometimes a drag cabaret accompanies. It'll be the next thing we try here.) read more

Bistrotheque - Ascending food mountain (at Bistrotheque.) - French Near Me - London, XGL

Delicious. An actual brunch that goes beyond a fry-up or eggs florentine & benedict in London, with the decency to not be over by noon. In fact, it doesn't start till 11, and if you arrive before that on a Sunday you will have no indication from the closed black warehouse shutter that there is a serious restaurant there. Yet it is packed by 12. The birchermuesli was sweetened with an incredible honey that had a toffee undercurrent, the three pancakes were fluffy, and the crumble & custard was delicious. read more

This is one of the coolest restaurants I have ever been to, no joke. Not only is it in a random sort of area, but the fact that you have to walk down an alley to enter just contributes to the overall vibe that it presents. I was in awe of the open-ness and beauty of the space, and it just had a great vibe that is very rare to find. I will definitely be coming here any time I find myself in London. read more

Bistrotheque - perfection - French Near Me - London, XGL

Hidden away down a quiet road on Wadeson Street, Bistrotheque is a bar, restaurant and caberet venue. Being so close to Vyner street, the heart of the East End gallery scene, Bistrotheque attracts an eclectic mix of people, the fashion crowd, artists and regulars combined. The building is an old warehouse, and doesn't feel particularly grand as you make your way through the very rough entrance. The restaurant upstairs is fairly minimal, with a grand piano in the middle, chandeliers and whitewashed walls. The staff are incredible, very friendly and they certainly know what they're talking about when it comes to the food & wine. The menu is geared up for the meat eaters so being a vegetarian the options are pretty slim. The fish is always good though, and everyone raves on about the steak. I know that a lot of people go for the fish & chips, so they must be worth a try... maybe next time. The best time to go has to be a Sunday afternoon for brunch. Work off that hangover with blueberry pancakes and a bloody mary, while listening to a man playing pop covers on the grand piano. It sounds strange, but seriously, it works. read more

Bistrotheque - French Near Me - London, XGL

I suppose it's testament to my age that the ultimate compliment to a spot is to say: "oh! I could totally see a friend getting married here". And Bistrotheque? Bistrotheque is the venue I'd save for a BEST friend's wedding. Because it's stellar. (intentionally) poorly marked, this restaurant on Wadeson Street looks like a loft space. Our gang of 5 walked by hoping it was the restaurant but, without any obvious markers, marched on. Only to eventually return and subtly high-five in excitement that we got to eat *there*. The staff mentioned that it has been around for about 8 years without any obvious signage and just a lot of "word of mouth" and "friends bringing friends". Fun. I felt part of a secret club. The spot is lofty, with high ceilings, white-washed brick, beautiful light fixtures. I love the design of the menus (graphic design nerd right hurr) and the right-off-the-bat offer of flat or sparkling water to wet the ol' whistle. Being right before the restaurant closed for Christmas, the menu was slightly limited, but not in a way that stopped us. Starters included a mushroom burger (meaty portobello was the best component), a cheeseburger (good not great, though the bun was aces), olives (fleshy green and top quality), popcorn, and a caper and herb green salad (fresh and perfectly briny). The fish and chips with battered cod and pea mash was fantastic: the house-made tartar had just the right mix of onion and pickled included, and the fish was cooked to a perfect crisp. The polenta was overkill with butter (or cheese?) (or, possibly: butter AND cheese...AND cream?), and the duck confit, though also tasty, was extraordinarily rich. If I had gone to Bistrotheque with the expectation of a French restaurant (its cuisine is categorized as "French" on Yelp), I would have been disappointed. The real highlights, for me, were the space itself, the staff, and the drinks. On that alone, I'm willing to give the mains a re-try, especially since the night pre-Christmas feels unfairly unrepresentative of an average service. Have heard the brunch is killer, so that's on my stomach's bucket list. Yelp note: who'd ha' thunk that cream, creme de cacao and tequila would make an awesome cocktail? YOU'RE WELCOME, LIVER! read more

Bistrotheque's own baby grand piano was singing next to me during our 1st Sunday brunch. The sonatinas are so familiar as if my own fingers were dancing through the black & white. I was enchanted amongst smiles and conversations. Avacado toast + Raspberries & Mascapone sourdough, and egg florentine with some black coffee embraced my eyes, tonque, and stomach in the Oak Room. We were surrounded by 2 full walls of antique wood panelling. The large mirror reflected our shiny smiles and the colorful freshness. The music is still there, slightly calmer and discrete :) It is an industrial meets bistro look, hidden on the 1st fl. w/o any signs outdoor...yet as you're up the stairs, the original glass panes from 1930 make Bistrotheque a light and airy space. The sun shines on the green leaves and it feels countryside. Good time to start your weekend brunch planning. Thanks for Ronni A's intro. read more

I had been here once before for a large group brunch years ago, but wanted to come in and try it again now that I lived in the neighbourhood. The variations on eggs benedict seem to be the popular item/thing to get. What I REALLY wanted was the duck confit, but they didn't have it that day for some reason. So for some strange reason, I got the pancakes (I think I miss maple syrup on occasion). Given all that pancakes and bacon are, I thought this dish was really accurately priced at around £5. I like it when a place acknowledges what a dish is, in spite of the niceness of the decor and surroundings. The live piano music (Lady gaga's hits from last year, arpeggiated and remade into light background music? sure!) is nice, the service (with their iPads) was good, and overall it was a very pleasant experience. Live out east but need a place to take your parents when they visit? Despite the very hidden entrance (probably bring them with you!), this is your spot. read more

By the time we finally located the entrance, having walked straight past the unmarked door three times, we'd all built up a pretty decent appetite. Bistrotheque managed to satisfy it. Just. Brunch portions were definitely on the small end of the scale, and managed to sate only with a few side dishes. The food was above average, but then again, so was the price. Having said that, while runny yolks are a must, some of the poached eggs were actually a bit undercooked for my liking.The service was fair, but not without very minor niggles: the water never arrived, the tea and coffee came without milk and getting the bill was a challenge. Still, the pianist was fun. And the dinner menu looks interesting. I'll give it a whirl one evening. read more

A beautifully decorated restaurant with good service. The only let down was the food which I thought was over priced and lacking. We ate: Starter: Stone bass tartar Main: Sea bream with fennel and orange & the skirt steak with portobello mushrooms and a shallot butter sauce The starter was nice but nothing special. I've tasted that typical soya ginger chilli sauce in so many dishes before that it didn't come across as anything special for me. The sea bream was a bit too soft, almost mushy, the flavours were rather bland. The skirt steak needed a lot of additional seasoning. It came with a shallot sauce which had only been poured on one slice of the steak leaving the other pieces plain and unloved. Each dish yearned for something else, perhaps a contrasting texture and better seasoning. If I were to come back it would be to sit by the bar with a glass of wine and enjoy the surroundings of this beautiful restaurant. read more

Excellent restaurant - great ambiance, yummy food and good service. Four of us came for dinner and we started with an array of small bites to share: white bait, grilled scallions and Scotch quail eggs. The eggs were fabulous (yolks were perfectly soft, the sausage and breadcrumb casing nice and crunchy). Our mains were also spot on. I had the skirt steak which was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The chips were also the way chips should always be: crunchy and salty on the outside, nice and creamy on the inside. What a fab restaurant! read more

This place is elusive to a fault - nearly impossible to find, you'd never know it was there unless you were looking for it. And even then, we couldn't sort out how to find the dining room while standing IN FRONT of the restaurant. Restaurants that care about being elusive don't impress me. Call me crazy, but I'm more interested in the atmosphere and food. However, our breakfast there was sensational, perfectly poached eggs and parmesan polenta like no other. The coffee was also exceptional, well made and delicious. Brunch prices were reasonable considering the quality of the meal. Too cool for school, but their quality fare will likely mean a return visit. read more

I mean, what the hell? Who would've thought, in Islington?! This place has such a NYC vibe to it -- its spacious & bright & perfect for brunch with friends and work colleagues. The brunch menu doesn't have that many options but if you like poached eggs and avocado, you'll love this place. Farinata, avocado, with crispy chickpeas should be your must order -- absolute bomb. French toast as a dessert is great. read more

Oh baby, the brunch was crazy! (in the best way possible!) I love Eggs Royale. It's safe to say it's one of my favourite dishes ever. Bistrotheque knocked it out of the park. Eggs poached to perfection, a thick and tangy Hollandiase and thick slices of smoked salmon on perfectly toasted muffins. Combined with a reasonably priced pitcher of bellinis (£28.50 and managed to get a good 6 drinks out of it!) that were fabulously made: lots of prosecco and thick raspberry puree, not just a 'hint' of raspberry like the last brunch. The decor was simple-chic and it was quite nice to be nestled away in the corner. The only suggestion I would have is a stronger extractor fan--as we were near the kitchen, we caught very strong whiffs of burnt toast (some rookie...) and it took nearly 20 minutes each time to clear. It did dim the experience a little but not so much that I won't be eager to go back. read more

I would never have thought that this place existed at all if it wasn't for a friend taking me here. My friend lived in Bethnal Green and knew all the little nooks and crannies so I was pleasantly surprised at how cool this place was, considering it's so hidden and looks fairly boring and concrete from the outside. Downstairs, there's a little bar, which is really plush but in a totally understated way. It was quite quiet when we went (a Thursday evening) and the surroundings were understated but elegant. Definitely my kind of place to drink. Upstairs, there's the actual restaurant, which has a completely different feel to the bar. It's very modern and "chic". The food was absolutely superb and they've got a fine selection of gorgeous wines. I had a great time eating and getting drunk at Bistrotheque in such a brilliant and special atmosphere. It felt like I was eating and drinking in a little secret hideout, a perfect evening out. read more

Fantastic spot overall. Very hip without being douchey (well, except for the patron with five buttons on his shirt unbuttoned - chest hair! - but I suppose the restaurant can't keep a guy from letting his douche flag fly). The food was great overall. I went for the prix fixe menu, which at just shy of £17.50 was a pretty good deal. Salad was good. My salmon was a bit undercooked for my liking; the server apologised and promptly got me a new fish. (Believe it or not, I don't think the chef, who was visible in their open kitchen, was too impressed with my send-back.) I think it's worthwhile for a restaurant to note in their menu how they cook a meat, especially if they're in the habit of doing it medium rare. Anyway, once the more-cooked salmon came it was delicious, and while I waited the manager brought some tasty salami for us to munch on. Dessert was a rich but delicate creme caramel. We sat at the bar and, naturally, enjoyed a few bevvies on the evening. I had my first Negroni (the thinking man's drink!) and the lady enjoyed their Cucumber Flip and, later on, their Espresso Martini. The Negroni was decent, but I'm not really a mixed drink/ cocktail guy; I would have gone for a beer, but their prices on beers from The Kernel were extortionate. For about 50p more I got the Negroni rather than a Kernel Pale Ale. All in all it was a great evening. Wonderful ambiance, attentive service, pretty good value. I will definitely come back to this place. read more