Glowing Review of Figaro Bistro My wife and I, along with friends, recently had the pleasure of attending a 5-course French Wine Dinner event at Figaro Bistro and it was nothing short of extraordinary. Nestled in the charming Hillview area of Sarasota, Florida, this quaint bistro is a culinary gem that truly deserves praise. The start of our culinary journey began with a robust Charcuterie presentation, a delightful assortment of cured meats, cheeses, and flavorful accompaniments. This was perfectly paired with a refreshing Rosé that complemented the richness of the charcuterie. I didn't know it yet, but it set the tone for what was to become an exquisite evening. Next, we enjoyed the Salad au Blue et Noix, which featured delectable blue cheese and candied walnuts. Each bite was beautifully balanced, and the dish was perfectly paired with a lovely Côte de Rhône that elevated the flavors even further. The main courses were astounding and truly the stars of the evening. Having sampled French Cuisine around the globe, I can say the Sea Bass with Parmesan Risotto was nothing short of a revelation. Without hesitation or reservation, it truly was one of the top three entrees I have ever experienced in my life. Everyone at our table wholeheartedly agreed. The fish was perfectly cooked, and the risotto was creamy with a delightful Parmesan kick. It was paired with a magnificent White Bordeaux that enhanced the entire dish. Equally impressive was the Boeuf Bourguignon, which melted in the mouth and was accompanied by a similarly excellent Burgundy Bordeaux. Without a doubt, these dishes showcased the chef's incredible talent and passion for French cuisine. To conclude our meal, (as if we could possibly eat any more) we indulged in a superb Poire Belle-Hélène, a classic dessert that was elegantly paired with Champagne. This delightful finale encapsulated the entire dining experience--rich, balanced, and utterly satisfying. Cozy Atmosphere and Heartfelt Hospitality The atmosphere at Figaro Bistro was cozy and inviting, perfect for an intimate dinner or a special celebration. Chef Ronny, even took the time to come out and engage with us, sharing insights into the various dishes we were served. The new owner Sue and her daughter Erika were genuinely warm, caring, and down-to-earth, adding a personal touch to the evening that made us feel truly valued as guests. Having sampled some of the finest cuisines from around the world, I can confidently say that Figaro Bistro stands out among them. This small, quaint establishment in Sarasota has cultivated a dining experience that's exceptional and memorable. I left feeling enriched, and I can't wait to return to explore more of their exquisite offerings. read more

What a cozy and delightful restaurant in Sarasota. Mother and daughter, Sue and Erika, just started the French restaurant with a French chef and Jerome handling the tables. The bread is a good sign of what's ahead and it was perfect for soaking up all the garlic butter from the 3 escargot orders! By the way there were 4 of us. The onion soup and lobster bisque warmed us up on a cool evening. The Frutti de Mare, lots of mixed seafood, Moules Frites, mussels, with great French fries made a wonderful dinner. We all ordered the profiteroles which were like small mountains! These 2 marvelous women have worked hard to make their restaurant a welcoming place! read more

Figaro Bistro - Lobster bisque - French Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

This place is great. Great food and great wines. Service is outstanding and it's family owned. I absolutely love this place. read more

Figaro Bistro - Sole - French Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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What a lovely bistro Figaro is! It sets a wonderful atmosphere for what you expect to be an exceptional dining experience . Unfortunately, it falls way short in the food department. We didn't have any starters ; we were very hungry and excited for the entree. I ordered mussels and fries and my 3 other friends had the Dover sole with fries and green beans. My pot of mussels was full and hot but absolutely no taste. I kept wanting to throw in more wine and spices. I had to ask for some bread becz soaking up the sauce is the add bonus to the dish but in this case I just ate the bread. So disappointing!!!! The fries for the rest of the table were very salty, which I didn't mind but others finally spoke up and were given new ones with "no salt". Even the green beans were salty but they didn't say anything. Last but not least the Dover dole . A delicate fish that was supposed to in a butter lemon sauce on it ....... not Swimming in a salty sauce .We didn't even consider having any dessert and agreed this was our last trip there. This dinner per couple was over a $100 and it was one of the saddest experiences we've had . Get a new chef!!!! read more

Well last month we had one of our best meals of the year...tonight when we took our best friends I was candidly embarrassed....our server was so enamored spending 15 minutes chatting with a regular couple our food apparently sat under a burner...my wife's steak which was a beautiful cut of meat and perfectly seasoned was actually cold...my seafood dish was lukewarm and I barely ate it because I didn't want to run the risk of getting ill...if you are a regular this is a great spot if not you are treated as an afterthought we are done read more

Confirmed by email with Erika that they would be open New Year's Eve regular hours with their regular menu. Was encouraged to make reservations on OpenTable, which we did 25 days prior. When we arrived, they did NOT have our confirmed reservation and the only meal was prix fixe at $180pp plus tax and tip. Not customer friendly here. Move on. read more

The good, it's a family run restaurant. Their food is very nice, the escargots are great, had a delicious asparagus soup, my husband had a sea bass special with lobster sauce which was very refined, great bottle champagne, lovely ambiance. Service was okay. Nice table setting, cozy place. The weird: We requested butter, they dropped two little butter packets (diner style) on the table! For the cost of a meal at Figaro it should at least have been placed on a butter dish. read more

Me and a few friends wanted to check it out since it's under new ownership. Heard they were from Chicago and figured it had to be great! Service and food! Ordered the daily special, Triple Tail, flavorless. Not very accommodating when filet turned out to be tough and chewy! All very disappointing! read more

A lovely intimate French Bistro with a most gracious host, Jerome, A very nice French Bistro wine list! Food disappointing, No Dijon or Stone Ground mustard w/Pate. No French bread w/butter. Prime Rib special was very difficult to cut for my wife as it was a bit fatty. Beef Bourgogne was good as was the filet. read more

Average service and food, for what they are charging and trying to portray! We were not impressed at all, especially after hearing many people rave about the restaurant! read more

So we have tried several French bistro spots in the area, and so far this is the best of the bunch. Camille and David spared no expense creating a great space and filling it with love. The dining room is bright and airy, and the bar glistens along the far wall. There is outside seating as well. The menu is traditional, but kicked up a notch or two, like Scallops St Jacques with a curry twist, Duck Framboise and Tournedos Rossini There is an ample wine list and Camille favors St Emilion and right bank Bordeaux. We simply loved them and everything about our meal. We will be back! read more

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This little spot gets all the details, right. It's beautiful, the staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and seemed genuinely excited to have use visit. We went for dessert and wine, and both were tremendous! If you're looking for a terrific little French café, with outdoor seating in the middle of Southside village, this is the place! read more

Super delish food!, Charming ambience, lively dining room! Best fine dining in Sarasota! read more

Figaro Bistro - Escargot and Fois Gras appetizers - French Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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What a wonderful French restaurant with great food and awesome French wines. The food and service is impeccable read more

Figaro Bistro - Great French food and wines - French Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

This continues to be one of our favorite restaurants in Sarasota. I'll be honest...Sarasota is not a culinary capital. I might get killed by locals with this comment but you can't really trust the Yelp reviews for this town. The reviews are only as good as how discerning the authors' palates are. Bistro Figaro is a refined restaurant with amazing French bistro food. Our favorite appetizers continue to be the onion soup and the traditional escargot. On this visit, I had the steak au poivre, which is a ribeye. The frites were so freaking good. The au poivre sauce was so wonderful that I wanted to lick my plate. Hubby had the scallop which was fresh and flavorful. We also love getting their foie gras terrine and baguette to go for a lazy Sunday breakfast with our Comtesse du Barry pate that we ship from France. Yum! For dessert, always the profiteroles and we tried the apple tarte. It was huge and so very tasty - crust was like a filo dough. Can't wait to come back! read more

We went with a couple that been there before . They had a great experience, so we decided to try it with them. The owners man the kitchen and the tables, So right away you get TLC The food was home cooked style, fresh, great ingredients. Real French menu items, including a good selections of mussels and sauces. I had cassoulet, sausage and duck served with beans. Crepe Suzette for dessert. Mussels and sauce were excellent as was the duck and sausage meal. Delicious!! Good wine list, great and attentive service, the REAL DEAL. read more

One of my favorite restaurants in Sarasota. Great service. They work very hard and well organized. Nice atmosphere. Small menu which is nice because it's all very good and you know what you're getting. Cool to hear them speaking French to some customers. read more

I am not commenting on the food, service or ambiance because we couldn't go. At 5:30 PM on the day of our highly anticipated reservation for 4, my husband, who is 82, developed a fever and a cough. Of course, he couldn't go out and expose others as well as aggravate his condition. I called at 5:52 to cancel but was directed to a voicemail. I told them we had to cancel our 7:30 reservation. They called later to find out where we were. I explained I had left a message because no one had answered the phone. The man replied, scoldingly, that a phone message was inadequate. We had left our credit card number and, he announced, we had been penalized $100 for not canceling 24 hours in advance. I pointed out that my husband had not been ill 24 hours ago. "Too bad. We've charged you," he replied. And they did. I confess that I'd agreed to cancel within 24 hours, but I've never heard of a place of business not offering to credit a future engagement when illness was the reason. We could demonstrate that we had stayed in our hotel room that night and had ordered dinner for two. My phone records indicate my call on this date at this time. This restaurant's policies are beyond inappropriate. He was rude and angry and unaccommodating. Not an auspicious attitude for a hospitality enterprise. read more

The most delicious French food ever!!! Foie Gras!!! Mussels a la moutarde !!! Homemade frites. Great ambiance... Best French wine. What a wine menu! Service was perfect. read more

WOW !! Felt like I was back in France. Escargot was amazing !! Cheese course just right Filet of beef with seared foie Gras was off the hook !!! Wine list incredible. Service perfect Only down was the use of a melamine plate - really ?? read more

Classic French bistro food, expertly prepared and absolutely delicious. From the escargots to the duck to the profiteroles, the whole meal was perfect. The owner herself, with her associate, served, and they were so lovely and welcoming. Just an all-round wonderful evening. read more

Figaro Bistro is a classy, elegant, calm French restaurant. It is not pretentious. We've enjoyed dinners there perhaps half a dozen times now. It has always been a pleasure to anticipate and in fact. Last evening we each had snails, which are offered cooked in the traditional and in a mushroom sauce. Both are superb. We shared the mussels in saffron sauce as our entrée. This is accompanied by fries. We always regret not leaving "space" for dessert -- a crêpe, for exampl. Last evening's experience was, as usual, beautiful and special in every way. read more

My husband and I had visited Figaro many times but this last dining experience was a great disappointment. I love French Champagne and the male server poured half a glass of the Champagne. Now, to put this in perspective, the price is $24.00 per glass. On our other visits, the female server (which I assume that they are both the owners of the bistro) served a full glass of Champagne. I should have addressed the situation but I felt that I shouldn't have to because at that point we had decided to never return. Our bill on average per visit was $300-$400 including a generous tip. We loved the food especially the mussels and my husband would prefer the seared Fois Gras and not terrine. read more

Our favorite spot for high quality delicious food. Friendly staff & wonderful, cozy atmosphere

This restaurant has it all...great food, excellent service and a very French ambiance. Always a treat to dine at Figaro.

The meal was exquisite! Charming restaurant with wonderful service. Delicious wine. Profiteroles to die for! We will definitely return.

excellent french cuisine!!!! terrific staff!!! worth a visit one of best in sarasota!!! read more

Unbelievable French Restaurant. I highly recommend this. French fries is a must try!!!

Had dinner last night at this small quaint French Bistro. The Escargot done the traditional way is a must. The Moules Marinier were tiny and the French fries were crisp. The Dover sole was not the whole fish, but 2 thin slices ,deboned, not worth the market price. If you must, ask the price before ordering. The wine special was a very decently priced Hermatage. The Profiteroles were excellent. We will be back to try other offerings on the limited menu. read more

Wonderful atmosphere, delicious food and great service. Would come back again!!! Felt that you are visiting Paris read more

Figaro Bistro - French Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Despite a negative prior experience here, I attempted to make a reservation in March as my daughter & granddaughter were visiting. An attempt to make a 6 PM reservation for a Thursday initially appeared successful but then Resy.com offered us 5 PM (too early) or 8 PM(too late). The res was cancelled. My wife then made a 6 PM res for Friday, confirmed by email. When we arrived the proprietress became angry, shouted at us, said this res was also cancelled, since my wife & I had the same last name (this happens when you are married for decades...) There were 3 free tables for 4 free in the dining room. Rather then seek another restaurant at 6PM we reluctantly accepted outside seating on 2 small cocktail size tables pushed together. Needless to say, none of us enjoyed our dinner. We do not intend to return to this restaurant. When we finished, 2 tables for 4 were STILL free in the dining room. They need to teach the proprietress (?owner) better manners and the reliability of confirmed reservations. read more

We were excited to try this restaurant in our neighborhood. Luckily they were able to seat us without a reservation as it was quite busy. Loved the atmosphere. Started with frisée salad with poached egg- the greens were drenched in too much dressing but the waiter instantly obliged with more lettuce . Delicious- my moules Marinier was average - Muscles were small and the sauce needed more wine. French fries were served from a warmer - Wine pours were very exact . My husbands mushroom Risotto was delicious although a little salty and Instead of the promised Parmesan cheese they were slices of yellow cheddar over the top. Albeit nice atmosphere, lovely French hosts, food ?? willing to give it another try - will ask more questions before we order next time. read more

What an amazing gem in Hillview! Amazing food and owners! We had steak frite , and our apps were French onion soup, divine and the pate'. So happy we found this hidden gem! read more

Wonderful food, wonderful service. We've lived here for over a year now and my regret is that we did not come here sooner. My wife and son and I had the country pate and the french onion soup to start. Both were perfect. My son had the moule frite, my wife the black grouper provancale and I had the beef bourginon. The dishes were amazing, truly flavorful. The frites were absolutely the best. For dessert we had creme brule, fromage and molleux chocolat. Again all was wonderful. The service was perfection and the hostess very warm and welcoming. We will be back!! read more

Fantastic meal. Friendly, and surprisingly French speaking staff! Modern, inviting decor. Mussels, frites, swordfish special, profiteroles. Everything was amazingly good. A gem of a find. Will be back for sure! read more

Went there for the 1st time to celebrate our anniversary. The menu is decidedly French, which is not a bad thing. My wife had beef burgougnon and I opted for the fish of the day (yellow snapper with pistou and tomatoes). Also started with escargot which did not disappoint. The wine list is French offering wines from throughout France. I was pleased to see an Alsatian wine by the glass, and since the owners are from the Savoie region, they even had that wine by the bottle (maybe next time). Was also surprised to see a few French beers on the menu...ones that I have not tried before. The hostess/owner was very congenial and had given us a table by the window. I'm not thrilled about the single tables being so close together, but understand in a small space, it's unavoidable. best solution is to eat early to have a little privacy. Dessert was the ever popular profiteroles, which were as good as anything we have had in France. Will be be back? Bien sur! read more

I enjoyed my experience at this restaurant. Very traditional French dishes. There where three of us and we each had a different appetizer, main dish and dessert. There wasn't a single thing we didn't enjoy. Two of us are learning French and the staff were so kind and patient as we tried to order and ask questions in French! I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

The food was good but the service was poor. The waiter was not attentive and they charge for sharing a plate.

My husband ordered strip steak and he could barely cut it. Very tough. I ordered the duck and although it was the first time eating duck I wasn't impressed. Served as 4 small donut hole portions. The rasberry sauce was excellent however. Wait staff not at all attentive. Had to ask for water glasses to be refilled. No cappuccino coffee at a French restaurant! Best part of meal was the Crem Berle which was very good. For the price I wouldn't go back. read more

Wonderful and inviting ambiance, delicious preparations. You will not be disappointed.