Overall, I really enjoyed eating here for our wedding anniversary. We booked a table for two about a week in advance and had no issues getting the day and time we wanted. We were seated right away when we arrived, which was appreciated. This place is great if you like a slower, more relaxed dinner. Nothing felt rushed. We took our time with an appetizer, then our meals, and finished with dessert, and it felt comfortable to just sit and enjoy the night. I liked everything we ordered. The meatloaf stood out the most. Instead of the typical ketchup-style sauce, it had a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce that honestly reminded me of a big Swedish meatball. It was also very tender. The collards were extremely flavorful. They may genuinely be some of the best I have had. The mac and cheese was good but nothing special flavor-wise. That said, the presentation was excellent. They also surprised us with a complimentary dessert for our anniversary, which was a really nice touch and tasted great. I would definitely come back. read more

Bloomsbury Bistro - Meatloaf, collard greens, macaroni and cheese. - New American Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Very nice place. Very clean. Our server, Pedro was great. I ordered the Paella. I was very disappointed. If you look at the picture here, looks like a plate of risotto. Sure, there are the ingredients of a paella, but the flavor was nowhere near what a paella should be. Stay clear of the "paella". My wife had the Fish Ceviche. She liked it. I don't remember what the couple with us had, but they commented that their meals were good too. Don't get me wrong about this place. It was a good visit and a great time with friends. My meal was the only disappointment. The other 4 people with me enjoyed their meals. read more

Bloomsbury Bistro - Paella - New American Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

We visited Raleigh and were looking for a restaurant that appealed more to locals than tourists. This one definitely fit bill. The restaurant is not too upscale (you're definitely not paying for ambience) and serves reasonably- priced good food, with some creative menu items. read more

Beyond 5 stars. Bloomsbury Bistro was excellent in every way! I had a surprise retirement party here. Brandy, the General Manager, was professional and accommodating, meeting my needs and all requests. The restaurant is very attractive. The owner and chef Stephen Koster took time to meet us and prepared fabulous food, even providing for vegetarian and vegan guests. All guests raved about the delicious courses. The wait staff was expedient and accommodating. Bloomsbury Bistro made the event a huge success! I highly recommend. read more

New Chef/Owner since we were here last. Ambiance seemed a bit more modern also. We had reservations for a Friday dinner. Service (Sydney) was terrific. Husband enjoyed a Manhattan while I was happy with wine. We started by sharing a delicious Olive & Fig Tapenade. Generous portion. Some went home with us. Warm bread followed with a nice chive butter. Food-wise this Chef is definitely king of sauces. The Seafood Broth and Rouille with the Bouillabaisse were fantastic, as was the Ancho Cherry Steak Sauce with the Hanger Steak. Where we both were disappointed was in the quality of our proteins, especially for the price point. Husband described his steak as chewy and fattier than he preferred. With the Seafood, I had a couple mussels that were way fishier than I would expect from fine dining, and the quality of the white fish was also less than I expected for an almost $40 entree. Shrimp were a tad overcooked. Loved the crab claws! And the grilled bread made sure I didn't miss a drop of that awesome broth. Decaf coffee and Coconut Cheesecake were the perfect finale. TIP: we heard others order a burger that wasn't on the menu. Husband would have preferred that had he known. read more

I'd never dined at Bloomsbury Bistro before my Sunday brunch here but it is somewhere I will be back again. The restaurant has a parking lot that it shares with Walgreens and a Barre studio. So parking is easy here! I ordered the French toast as it had mandarin oranges. It was delicious. I also ordered a side of bacon but that was disappointing as it was overcooked and dry. One piece was even burnt. I wouldn't order the bacon again though as it was awful. For dessert I had sorbet that had kiwi; coconut and pineapple. I enjoyed how all the flavors went together. Service was great. read more

See all

Great spot for date night or a random Tuesday for a delicious dinner! Decor is on point and our server Kia was on the top of her game. We ordered a Caeser salad and buffalo Brussels, both of which were very tasty and beautifully presented. For our main courses we got the mahi mahi dish with a perfectly executed yellow curry sauce and perfectly prepared rice, broccolini, cauliflower, and red peppers topped with some cilantro. As well as the best chicken pot pie either of us had tried in several years. Even if it is hot outside don't skip this epic dish. We read the reviews prior and saw some yelp haters but when has anyone believed everything they read on the Internet afterall. Do yourself and party a solid and ask for Kia, she will take great care of you!!! read more

We were in Five Points for an event that ended at 8:30 and looking for a bite to eat. This place was in walking distance, so we decided to pop in for a late night dinner. It's been 10+ years since I have eaten here, but what a forgotten Raleigh gem! The servers were friendly and attentive and the food was up to calibur. We had the Tuna Tataki and the Chicken Pot Pie. The atmosphere was warm and cozy, with just a hint of Olde Raleigh sophistication. It was the perfect vibe for a date night. I am putting this one into the must-return vault. read more

Bloomsbury Bistro - Tuna Tataki - New American Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

Lunch was delicious and service was exceptional the two times I have gone since they have opened for lunch.

Very unimpressed my first time here. Was so excited to try it and hear such great things. It took forever for our food to come. Probably close to 30 minutes for apps and another 30 for entrees. We did have 9 people but the dining room was not busy. Truffle fries had good flavor but were cold when they arrived. The kids steak didn't say anything about a peppercorn sauce, yet it had it when it arrived. My mom ordered the gnocchi. When it arrived the gnocchi literally squished in your mouth like mashed potatoes. Not a hint of firmness. The server told us that they were like soft dumplings and not gnocchi, but the menu said GNOCCHI. It was really strange. The scallops were tender but a but over seasoned. The sweet potato risotto that accompanied the salmon tasted like nothing. It was the weirdest thing. Not a single taste of anything. It was like paste. I usually don't complain too meticulously but I'm a nicer restaurant you expect nicer and more quality food and this was not it. read more

Bloomsbury Bistro - Menu 7.13.22 - New American Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Took friends for dinner at Bloomsbury and it did not disappoint. The food was outstanding. The swordfish was prepared perfectly, the short ribs were fork tender with excellent sauce and the salmon with farro succotash was creative and so good! Service and ambiance were understated but excellent. Will definitely add this restaurant to one of our "regulars". Linda S. read more

A delicious dinner on a recent Friday night at Bloomsbury Bistro. Great service and tasty food. It's a storefront restaurant, with a center bar partitioned from the main dining area. There's additional seating and a private room to the right. Tables are spaced nicely apart and the acoustics are excellent for dinner conversation. Decor is French bistro-esque, complete with white tablecloths to fancy it up. We were seated promptly as soon as we arrived (always nice when reservations are honored). Fresh bread and butter are served shortly after the menus and wine list. We decided to split a fried cheese appetizer. Amy had the crispy eggplant "stack", and I had calves liver. I know, I know... ewwww... liver. But it is actually something I enjoy every now and again. The appetizer is a hunk of Gruyere cheese, encrusted in pistachio crust and then fried to a deep dark brown. It's served over arugula and roasted beets, plus pickled cipollini onion and few dollops of who grain mustard. Best fried cheese I've ever had! And the pickled onions were outstanding. Oniony, yet sweet and then pickled. Yum! The eggplant is a stack of sliced, lightly breaded and fried eggplant, layered with melted mozzarella cheese. The stack is served over a tomato agrodolce, caulilini and toasted pine nuts. The agrodolce is diced tomatoes stewed in vinegar & spices; a unique and pleasing taste. Caulilini is (I've learned) a trendy new vegetable that is a combination of cauliflower and broccoli - it resembles tender shoots of broccoli. All the veggies are stewed together. This is a fantastic dish. The eggplant is crisp and spiced/cooked perfectly. The vegetables a nice savory blend with nicely complements the eggplant without overpowering. My entree was 2 filets of calves' liver, lightly breaded and encrusted in bacon and fried golden brown. It is served over a bed of wilted spinach, tiny chunks of gouda and topped with pickled red onion jam and a peppercorn/vinegar sauce. The liver was cooked perfectly - not tough. I love the earthy taste of liver, accentuated by the bacon. The red onion jam added a sweet and tangy flavor to each bite. Easily the best liver I have ever had (apologies to my late mother-in-law, who used to whip up a mean liver and onions). Lastly, we splurged on creme brulee. A classic preparation in a deep ramekin with a thick caramelized sugar crust and diced fresh fruit as a topper. Plus a cappuccino! Kudos to our server, Laurie, who prides herself on making a great cappuccino - and Amy agrees - it was delicious. The tab including 2 glasses of wine and shared dessert was $88; reasonable for a delicious meal in an upscale yet relaxed setting. We'll be back to explore the rest of the menu. Recommended! read more

See all

We stopped going to this restaurant a few years ago because they menu to seem to get too cute by a half. The wine selection and bar menu remained fairly decent but the dinner menu lost its way. We returned today for a special brunch and discovered that there is a new owner (2020). The brunch menu was very good as well as the food. The service was outstanding! We will definitely be back to try a dinner service. So happy to see the restaurant is in new hands and looks to be returned to its original greatness. read more

I've driven by Bloomsbury Bistro about 100 times and it was about time I headed in. They had a reservation open for Valentine's Day so I decided to grab it. I love that parking is easy and on a cold winter's night it was nice not to deal with downtown parking. The interior is okay, not the most romantic of interiors but still nice. Our server was running around due to the crowd but he was still super friendly and on top of things. For dishes we started off with the fried green tomatoes and the pumpkin tortelloni. Both dishes were tasty! The pumpkin tortelloni had chopped tomatoes on top though which did not go with the sage/apple dish at all. I'm wondering if those were thrown on by accident. For our entree we shared the bone in pork ribeye. The bone wasn't there, but they did split the dish for us so I'm guessing that was why. The dish was cooked perfectly and I loved the risotto it was served with. We ended up splitting a bottle of wine and I thought they had a good variety in their wine list. The only confusing thing was there was no cocktail list. I looked around and noone was drinking a cocktail so we assumed they were beer and wine only. Turns out they do have liquor, but I'm not sure why they don't showcase that as well. We were in the side room so didn't have any vantage point to the bar to see the bottles. I'd say this spot is very old school Raleigh and worth a stop in if you need a break from some of the trendier spots at this higher price point. read more

BB is outstanding! The staff is extremely professional and the cuisine is mouth watering. The interior is upbeat bright and inviting. It's a fun place that caters to everyone's needs! If you have lived in Raleigh for a long time you will be surprised at if you are new to the area be sure you dine there soon! It's certainly worth a visit! read more

This was a quaint little restaurant located just a short distance from Glenwood/downtown. Service was slightly slow, but isn't it everywhere most days. The wait was worth it though. We enjoyed the truffle fries as our starter, which was okay. But the seasonal salad was DELICIOUS!! And the blackened NC catfish left nothing to be desired, it was superb! We left no room for desert this trip, but will be back for sure. read more

Bloomsbury Bistro - Seasonal salad (11/2021) - New American Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Bloomsbury Bistro was a pleasant surprise! My boyfriend and I went last night for dinner and had a wonderful experience. The service was kind & attentive, and the food was to die for. I had the pork chop and he had the salmon. Both the wines we selected were wonderful also. I only give it four stars because the tables were really close together where we were sitting. I felt like I could hear the surrounding tables' conversations better than the person I was sitting with. Overall, would recommend and will return! Our sweet waitress even sent us with a loaf of bread to-go when she boxed up my leftovers. Lovely place! read more

Bloomsbury Bistro - The pork chop - New American Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

Enjoyed dinner at Bloomsbury. The service was excellent, and the food was very good. I had the Steak with truffle fries which were very good and well prepared. The Watermelon Gazpacho was excellent as well! The blueberry puff pasty was a bit dense, and not very good. Very quiet and romantic environment, excellent for a date night! Also, convenient parking!! read more

Limited menu and even more limited non meat options. Expensive for what it is; pretty basic. Service was passable, definitely nothing special. I found the ambiance too formal for my liking . Would go back if invited for an occasion. I wouldn't go back on my own accord. read more

Interesting scenario. The food was very good. We had bid on and purchased a dinner for 6 at a local charity event (drinks not included). Every was great early on but once we presented the dinner card the mood of both the waitress and manager/owner completely changed. Things got very solemn and serious. In the end our total bill was $180, which included $100 in beverages and an included an $80 tip. I added an additional tip of $100 for a total of $280, with $180 being gratuity. The restaurant was empty so just trying to do a little extra. No smiles or thank You's for the additional gratuity. As we walked out the owner/manager asked where did we get the 'coupon'. We explained we purchased it at a local charity auction. Not a friendly experience. Probably won't be back. read more

We visited for the first time on 2/1 and had a perfectly tasty meal! I chose the Chicken Pot Pie and my partner had the Dry Aged filet. We started with very reasonably priced glasses of wine and a basket of bread (which was honestly delicious !). The Chicken Pot Pie was hearty, rich and delicious; I'm usually a "clean my plate" kind of girl and I was too full to finish, even though I wanted to. My partner really enjoyed the filet and the sides. It was tender, smoky and flavorful. At the end, I had the Sweet Potato Bread Pudding with vanilla ice cream and my partner had a dessert wine. For someone who grew up in the Deep South, I judge bread pudding pretty seriously and this one was delicious and a great portion size. The menu is very limited for entrees and there's no variety or listing of available sides so choose the entree wisely. And while it was a great meal, it was also pretty highly priced (especially for the area) so be prepared to spend $$$ for a dinner for 2 if you want to enjoy any extras like wine and dessert. We'll be back to check out the new menu items, have more of that bread :) and hang out at the bar next time! read more

See all

Regrettably my most recent visit was average at best. I have a gluten allergy and instructed my server (who seemed relatedly unfriendly, maybe just a bad day for him?) about it. I was expecting my dishes to have the gluten containing components removed entirely but instead they were left on the plate. I'm alright with this as the staff is probably just uninformed about gluten cross contamination but if I had severe celiac this would be a big deal. Onto the food, I ordered an oyster appetizer which had very flaccid and unappetizing oysters. The fact they were served with fried bread should tell you something. Next came my main entree, a pork chop which I found to be rather bland with the seasoning. There was a nice mustard sauce on top but this dish would've really stood out with some more spices, maybe sage or rosemary. I've had great experiences at Bloomsbury before and will give them another shot but this night was a miss for me. read more

The food was good, but the menu choices were limited and pricey. My grouper dinner cost 35 dollars and I was still hungry after that. read more

We had been looking forward to trying Bloomsbury Bistro based on its recent award as a top restaurant. On that day, we were disappointed, as it did not live up to the award or caliber among the top Raleigh restaurants. We made a last minute reservation for a late Friday night (8:45PM) reservation. Despite it being Friday night, the restaurant had only 3 tables seated... which is odd. Started with cocktails, which were great. Two appetizers, one of which was the pork spring roll.... which was 100% no different than one you would buy frozen at a grocery store (bad). Squash bisque... not very good. Was hoping the entrees would live up to the reputation... Roasted pork shoulder is usually always good... but was very disappointed. It is an indian-style dish, sort of like korma, but they did not come close to pulling it off. The steak was the best part of the meal, but very mediocre for $45. The service was great. In sum, great cocktails, solid service, bad food, and waay to expensive for what it was. read more

Something has changed. I've frequented Bloomsbury Bistro over the past 5 years. It was one of my go-to places to bring out-of-town business guests. The food is no longer appealing. Very few vegetarian options, and meat entries are all about meat and fairly tasteless. The one entree featuring a vegetable was supposed to be cooked, but came out raw. I sent it back and it came out raw with steaming tomato sauce on top. This entree is well known and respected by chefs around the globe. It was awful here. I expected more from BB, but I suppose finding a good chef these days is a challenge with staff shortages. Sorry Bloomsbury Bistro. I hope you see better days...or experienced chefs. read more

My fiancé and I tried Bloomsbury Bistro and it was excellent! The environment is calm and chic and was a pleasure to sit in. Our waiter always had a smile on his face and provided excellent service. The food was served hot and cooked perfectly, nothing overdone. We especially enjoyed the charcuterie board, complete with blue cheese (my favorite) and a whole half-head of garlic! Wow! We will definitely return. read more

See all

Cute local bistro. Take out Service- (-) Forgot the dessert; toast was not updated with latest entrees (+) Manager was very responsive and rectified Toast mistake (-) the comped meal was undercooked. Food- (+) chocolate chess pie was chocolatey and catfish with crawfish had depth of spices but without the heat. read more

This was our 2nd visit to Bloomsbury Bistro, and all I can say is what a disappointment it was versus that first visit. We absolutely raved about it to many of our friends and this time we invited some along with us to enjoy the visit. Our first realization that this time would be different was in looking at the menu and seeing absolutely no vegetarian entrees offered. That was the main reason we came back, they had a nice vegetarian option available that last time. How can any upscale restaurant today not have something besides salad to offer vegetarians or vegans? While the chef tried to be accommodating throwing together a plate using several sides from other entrees, unfortunately that's what it looked and felt like- a plate of thrown together sides. Not well presented at all and didn't feel much love. I ordered the pan seared pork chop and it was OK, not the best or worst I've had. But I ordered it because it came with Nueske's bacon lardons and if you know anything about bacon you know Nueske's is the gold standard! Would have been nice to have a few more of those nuggets with the chop! I also ordered a house Old Fashioned cocktail thinking it's pretty much a standard, can't-really-screw-it-up kind of drink. I don't know what type of bitters they used on it but it didn't taste like a good Old Fashioned should taste. Almost pumpkin spicy. Swing and a miss there. Which just about sums up how we felt about tonight's experience versus our earlier visit. read more

We've gone to Bloomsbury Bistro many times over the years and it is one of our favorite restaurants in Raleigh. We are happy to report that their COVID-19 mandated curbside pick-up is just as impressive as the restaurant experience. The pickup itself was extremely efficient - they asked what car we were driving, and brought the food right out to us when they saw us coming. We ordered the shrimp & grits, Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and lima beans. All were absolutely delicious, and the quantities were more than enough for 4 people. This was great quality and a good deal. We highly recommend you get dinner from them this week. read more

Bloomsbury Bistro - Shrimp & grits, mashed potatoes, lima beans, and roasted Brussels sprouts. All from to-go containers. - New American Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

*This review is from a vegetarian POV* CONS I've been here about 5 times and every time there is one single vegetarian entree on the menu. ONE. This causes a problem when my dining companions want to eat here and I have to check the menu to see what my one option is before I can decide if I'm in or not. There is currently chicken, salmon, pork, turkey, beef brisket, fish, and NY strip steak on the menu along with my single option~ ratatouille. I don't want that so I have to wait until the entire menu changes again before I go back. My other option is to go and have a side of mashed potatoes or a side of corn or a side of asparagus. I realize that vegetarians are not a large part of the population but we love dining with our meat-eating pals and we are happy to spend money on good food so this is definitely a missed opportunity. Also, Bloomsbury Bistro's decor is very dated. It feels like a blast from the past, circa 1995. And the crowd trends toward the 55-85 age range so it can feel weird to be the youngest person in the room by 30 years. PROS When the stars align and the one vegetarian option is something I actually eat, the food is always really great. They also have creative and really delicious desserts. Bloomsbury- if you make it, we will come :-) read more

Decided to meander over to check this place out for the first time after we finished up a movie at the Rialto. We didn't have reservations but they happily accommodated us. The service was professional and attentive and the food was delicious. I had a green curry mahi mahi and my husband had the meatloaf. We couldn't decide whose was better. Go, you won't regret it! read more

Great food, drinks and service! We made a reservation to celebrate Valentines a little early. The staff made us feel special and made sure we were having a terrific time. We'll definitely be back to celebrate another romantic dinner. read more

See all

I love Bloomsbury and consider it more of a special occasion restaurant located at Five Points. The menu is very interesting with Asian influences, classic American and fusion dishes. I had the lamb dish during my last visit and it was such a flavorful dish. We try to get the same waiter each time who knows what we get and he always takes great care of us. I noticed a lot of diners were there prior to a Symphony concert or theater show and then others were celebrating anniversaries and special occasions. The prices of the entrees are in the mid to high 20s and they have a nice wine list. The other menu that looks interesting to me is the bar menu and will have to give that a try on a future visit. The restaurant is always full and I have loved each meal I have had there. read more

See all

Food was lackluster, my fish was over cooked and bland. My husbands steak came out medium (when ordered medium rare) and the sauce was bitter tasting Nothing was horrible but nothing was great...it was just sorta ... "meh". Wish I'd gone elsewhere for a rare date night. read more

Bloomsbury Bistro is soooo good. This is a locally owned restaurant located in Raleigh's 5-points area serves a version of french cooking with a new twist on the menu and its menu changes every 6 weeks. The menu usually has a chicken dish as well as steak, fish, pork. Bloomsbury Bistro will accommodate any dietary needs you have. On this most recent visit, I had the shrimp dumplings "dim sum" style sitting in a soy-black vinegar broth as an appetizer. For the main dish, I had the pan roasted duck breast over mashed butternut squash with wild rice summer bean "Hoppin John." For desert, hot blueberry crisp with pecan streusel topping with a small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Our meal was very good, but expensive. But nice waiters and a wonderful time and a nice bottle of wine to complete the meal. Food A Staff A Decor B Location C Health Inspection Grade 94.0 read more

Bloomsbury Bistro - New American Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Came here for a charity event in the private room on a Saturday evening. The food, wine, ambiance, everything was just terrific! Staff was very friendly and accommodating. Location at five points isn't bad - the strip mall is small and that makes parking a little bit of a challenge. read more

This place is in an unassuming strip mall near downtown Raleigh. Parking was rather tough, even though there's a dedicated parking lot for said strip mall. The place had decent dining room seating, a small bar, and a small TV showing the World Series Cubs game (Go Cubbies!!!!!) I ordered the Slow roasted shoulder of Kurabota pork, which was served over braised cabbage, with Gold beets, horse radish spiked pierogies, and dill crème in some type of broth. The meat was nice and tender and tasted absolutely delicious. They have a pretty extensive wine selection and the wait staff were very attentive and accommodating in my party of 15. BATHROOM REVIEW: Located near the back, the bathrooms are private stalls, one for mens, one for womens. The mens was rather clean and everything was in working condition. SIt or squat? Squat. read more

We dined at Bloomsbury Bistro on Tuesday for the first time... fabulous! Wish we had found it sooner! Chef John Toler is amazing and more than lives up to his exemplary culinary reputation. There were so many innovative, tempting selections that it was hard to choose. Southern girl here selected an entree with her favorites: pork, grits, and greens... and what an amazing, delicious dish. "Hazelnut crusted Heritage Farms pork tenderloin over Anson Mill's stone ground cheese grits with wilted country greens, smoked bacon, pickled Vidalia onion "chow-chow" and sorghum-Dijon jus" Wow! An appetizer of risotto arancini, and pineapple and cardamom "Brown Betty" for dessert rounded out a totally satisfying experience! Along with a great bottle of wine. The service was wonderful, and the atmosphere is a cool combination of cozy, sophisticated, and comfortable. We are already looking forward to our next visit. read more

We have heard about Bloomsbury Bistro for years. But this was our first time and it is incredible. Service is wonderful and friendly and prompt. But the food? OMG. Outstanding! We started with the boy salad and the gazpacho. Both nuanced and wonderful. The chicken with prosciutto and gruyere was unbelievably tender and flavorful. Finally the swordfish with risotto was incredibly fresh and wonderfully flavored. Truly superb!!!!! read more

We ate here for my Birthday. The atmosphere was very nice, low lighting with white linen tablecloths. I ordered the Duck, and my son ordered Steak. The Duck was the best that I've ever had. The Steak was also good. However, this was my Birthday! Unlike EVERY restaurant in the area like Second Empire, Fleming's, and Sullivan's, for example, Bloomsbury does NOT offer one dessert, the customer has to pay. They put a candle in whatever you order, then stick it to you. It's a small thing, but bad business. read more