This outstanding restaurant with excellent service and a charming atmosphere is perfect for the pre-theater dinner. The signature dish is mussels that I highly recommend. My favorites are with the white wine sauce. My husband really enjoyed his Chicken Scaloppine. This restaurant has a nice wine selection to complement the delicious food offerings. I cannot wait to come back! I highly recommend it! read more

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The food, service, and ambiance was amazing. From the friendly and attentive staff to the modern, simple, and classy dining room, we experienced one of our most enjoyable meals. The caesar salad and spinach/arugula salad were fresh, well garnished, and plentiful for a starter course. The focaccia bread with balsamic/oil dip was excellent. Our entrees were the tuscan chicken over polenta and the lamb shank over mashed potatoes. The dishes were rich in flavor, beautiful in presentation, and served pleasantly hot. Our compliments to the chef for this wonderful dining experience. read more

July 31, 2025 - We had an absolutely fabulous dinner at Rene's Bistro! The food was excellent and the service extremely good. The 3 of us started with their gazpacho. It was absolutely delish and so satisfying on such a hot day. Our mains included lobster mac and cheese, cedar plank fish, and mushroom wellington. All plates looked marvelous when they reached the table. There was very little left when we finished eating - a testament to the wonder flavours. It was as good as it looked. We will definitely go back. read more

If you are visiting Stratford ON you must try Rene's Bistro. The food is excellent and the service is warm and friendly. The lemon pepper salmon was the best I've had and my dinner companions raved about the lamb shank and the special cedar plank arctic char. Great desserts as well. read more

This place tends to get packed during festival period, so be sure to call ahead to make a reservation. Food is delicious and with good portion size. There is a variety of mussels to choose from - we went with Mussels Marinieres (with garlic, shallots, herbs) and Spinach Salad. The mussels were really tender and seasoned nicely with garlic and herbs. The Spinach Salad was a nice, light appetizer too. The Atlantic Salmon dish came out as a really big piece of salmon, deliciously coated with toasted breadcrumbs. It came with polenta (which was very firm and excellent) and grilled vegetables. It was my favourite dish of the night. The Seafood Mac & Cheese was too creamy for my liking. It only contained small shrimps instead of a variety of seafood. The Mushroom & Brie Wellington was pretty good - it contained a tender piece of portobello mushroom, wrapped in phyllo puff pastry. It would've been better without the sun-dried tomato goat cheese and black olives tapenade though. The tastes of the sun-dried tomato and black olives tapenade were too over-powering. It would've been better with just regular goat cheese and portobello mushroom. The ambience made a nice candlelit dinner in a dim setting. Overall, it's a good place to dine when you're in Stratford. read more

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We had a wonderful diner here during our "Covid getaway" from Toronto. I had the lobster Mac and cheese and my wife had the grilled salmon on polenta. Both were delicious. Super friendly and attentive service. If I lived in Stratford we would certainly be regulars. Please support local during the pandemic. read more

Rene's Bistro - The bar and open kitchen including the copper pizza oven. - Bistros Near Me - Stratford, Ontario

We came to Rene's on a Friday night 645, and the hostess was happy to suggest items to make sure we made our 8pm show on time. The ambience was comfortable and upscale - the other diners were a mix of pre-theater and locals from what we could gather. The special cream of cauliflower soup with a pesto garnish was good. There was no side of bread, which I found unusual. The entree special maple glazed salmon on a cedar plank was excellent - see picture. My husband's fettuccine with mushrooms was very good as well. The service was excellent. The hostess and server were polite, helpful and quick. Would go again and recommend in a heartbeat. We'd cancelled our Sophisto reservations because we were running late, and we're glad we did! read more

Rene's Bistro - Maple glazed salmon on cedar plank - Bistros Near Me - Stratford, Ontario

Food: The menu had a good variety, from pasta to seafood to beef to vegetarian. I ordered the Mustard Tilapia Special, while the rest of our party ordered: Certified Angus Beef Tenderloin, Herb Pesto Crusted Atlantic Salmon, Braised Lamb Shank and Mushroom and Brie Wellington. We shared a Bruschetta (3 pieces) and a litre of House Red (Frontera Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2015 (Chile). Value: The prices are decent and the portions were a good size. I'm glad we decided to opt out of individual appetizers as we were very much satisfied with the entrée. Service: Amazing service by the hostess and our waitress. They checked up on us from time to time, and ensured the our glasses were constantly full. Though we only ordered entrees and one appetizer and wine to share, the level of service was top rated. Ambience: Very nice bistro with a good amount of space between tables and the lighting is nice and low, but enough for decent Instagram food shots. I would definitely recommend Rene's Bistro if you're in Stratford and you have to try their beef tenderloin (medium rare); it was amazing. read more

This was a fantastic meal in a lovely setting. It's on the high end price-wise but totally worth it for a night out! For apps I had a nice roasted beet salad, my husband had the petatou de chèvre (a delicious potato salad in a mold with a layer of chèvre and tapenade on top - absolutely delicious!) and my son had the very tasty bruschetta that could easily have been shared. For mains the guys had lamb shank on crazy-delicious roasted garlic bread pudding with roasted veggies on the side and my daughter and I shared a wonderful mushroom and Brie Wellington. The kitchen was kind enough to split our meal with no extra plate charge. For dessert we all shared the mango sorbet and the maple bread pudding both of which were delicious and large enough to share. A special shout out to our waiter Barrett who was charming and attentive. read more

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Well, do not stay home from this restaurant on my account. The service was pretentious, while, those in my party loved their portions and entrees. Desserts were fabulous. However, the Coconut Curry was boring. Flat, with little character or spice. It's either coconut or curry. Pick one please, but never bland. If the waiter would have asked me how it was, maybe I would have felt better. But, I'm not one to complain. I ate about a third and that should have been a sign to the waiter that something was wrong. Of the four of us, I was a 2.5, while everyone else was an 8.0. read more

Rene Delafranier is a graduate of the Stratford Chef School. Rene's labels itself as serving French and Italian cuisine, with the use of a local offerings. The menu features mussels served six different ways, which are wonderful, a fabulous list of pastas, and several delectable entrées. Staff are attentive, and knowledgeable. One of the nicest dining experiences I've had anywhere. The restaurant is small, so reservations are a must for popular times. It's located across the street from City Hall and is only one block from the Avon Theatre. read more

Dinner last night at this restaurant was absolutely wonderful. From the house wines (one red, one white), thru to the coffee, we were totally satisfied. My husband had the Mussels and lamb shank and I had the soup du jour (cauliflower) and seafood Mac n' cheese. All of it was delicious. Service was great. We both said we could go back there again tonight and try something different. Loved it! read more

A favourite of mine in Stratford. Definite must us the seafood Mack & cheese followed by the warm banana - ginger cake! Yum! The soup of the evening was cream of cauliflower. Outstanding The ambiance is warm & cozy! Staff are well informed and welcoming. read more

We visit here every time we come to Stratford. The food is delicious, the service is exquisite , the atmosphere is perfect. I had mussels , which you can get one of 6 ways, a delicious tender lamb shank and lemon lime panacotta with Strawberry compote . Yum! I can't wait to visit again! read more

We got there at 5:30, and the hostess graciously gave us a few quarters for the parking meter, as we did not have any coins on us. The service here is amazing. Lots of refills on in-house freshly made focaccia bread and water - they just kept coming! Our waitress was very friendly and informed on the menu. We enjoyed their famous mussels, and their portobello goat-cheese Wellington was to die for. Very good, and great prices too. We will definitely come again! read more

Awesome spot. Just show up. Lobster Mac and Cheese, PEI Mussels, the great food is endless. Amazing food and service

I made a really dumb joke about wanting vegetarian beef wellington on Wellington St and then my dreams came true! It was delicious... mushroom, sweet potato, and brie wrapped in filo dough in a lovely cream sauce! I wish I could eat this daily! Staff was very nice. The interior is a little dated, but it was all charming. read more

Wow. Put Rene's on your list. We had dinner on a Friday night at 8:00. The restaurant is open until 9:00, so that's as late as I would want to start. I called ahead for a reservation, though it probably wasn't necessary. We were seated promptly. Simple setup, good service. We shared two appetizers-a puréed corn soup and a petatou chèvre. Both were light with flavors that melded together. LW had the salmon from the menu and I had the seafood mac and cheese. Both were flavor explosions without being too overwhelming. Dessert was a shared warm pecan cake which was a delight. We've found a new favorite Stratford restaurant! read more

We had a delicious meal of beef tenderloin and lamb shank before a theater performance at 8. Our waiter, Barrett, was busy but most attentive. Their wine list was nice as well. We will be back next time!! read more

We were there all the way from Tennessee for a very special family visit and this dinner did not disappoint. The drinks, wine, and food superb. Frankly one of the best fine dining experiences of my life. We had several courses each expertly prepared and made with loving detail. Will be back. I want to thank to entire staff who treated us so well. read more

Excellent service especially considering they were fully booked. Just 2 blocks from the Avon or Studio Theatres so this place couldn't be more convenient. Great food although a rather limited menu; 3 of our party had the P.E.I. mussels and they were excellent as was the Coconut Curry Chicken. Romaine salads were outstanding. Everything top shelf. A very enjoyable dining experience. read more

Food was absolutely delicious had the Salmon and my dining companion had a beef dish both were cooked perfectly. We went on a Wednesday night and they were busy but we were seated right away. I think reservations would be strongly encouraged on the weekend. Highly recommend read more

It's my daughter's "Sweet 16 Birthday" and we found out the hard way that we should have made dinner reservations - even if it was "Golden Girl Dinner Hour". I had my heart set on trying "Renee's Bistro" and walked in hopeful that we could get a table for two. Alas, they were fully booked. The hostess, Margaret was so sweet in her pink dress and her Doc Marten's with pink laces. She tried to be accommodating by asking us to return at 6:15 in case a table became available. We told her we were starving and she actually offered us bread. We told her we would return. We hit the jackpot at 6:15pm when Margaret greeted us with a big smile and said, "I have a table for you, pretty ladies!" From there, Barrett took excellent care of us - starting with a Key Lime Martini pour moi. We shared a Romaine Salad, which although had wonderful flavour, could have used more green romaine. Too much core for my liking. The talk of the town was around the PEI mussels, so we ordered the MARINI È RES. They were so delicious, I had to fight my daughter to get my share! Although we both gravitated to the Seafood Mac n Cheese, I ended up going with the Certified Angus Beef Tenderloin with bacon and mushroom bread pudding (cooked medium rare). It was PURE PERFECTION to say the least. You could cut it with a butter knife and it practically melted in my mouth! The Seafood Mac n Cheese was creamy and decadent with baby shrimp and lobster bechamel (sauce). Unfortunately, I cannot report on any dessert because we were both pregnant with food babies by the end of our adventure. Renee's staff couldn't have been friendlier and I want to scream from the rooftop how wonderful this restaurant is - not that they need another rave review. We'll be back! read more

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Absolutely outstanding! From the heartfelt and warm greeting Margaret extends to you at the door, to the impeccable customer service and the savoury gastronomic delights that Renée is able to conjure up in the kitchen... This is one of Stratford's finest restaurants. The tenderloin is, without doubt, one of the very best anywhere. Bravo! read more

Excellent menu, presentation, and service. Perfect for pre- or post-theatre, or for dinner for two or a group. Well done! J & L B