This is a super cute restaurant in downtown Lakeland. It feels like you are at your friend's house having dinner. The staff is very attentive and well trained in the menu. Our server described the dishes perfectly. I tried the Beef Wellington and loved it. I was not crazy about the mashed potatoes I felt like they lacked flavor but the Beef Wellington was the star. We also had the Cherry Roasted Duck. Again cooked perfectly I just wish it was a larger portion. This is on the pricey side so be ready to splurge a little. read more

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Small European style bistro on the north end of downtown lakeland, there can't be much more than dozen tables. Reservations are essential on busy days. The menu is french inspired but portions are over the top even by american standards. The cordon blue must have used two chicken breasts as it was easily 10" long and at least 3" across. Honestly, it's enough for dinner, lunch, and dinner again the next day and that's coming from a guy. The cooking was well prepared, chicken and fish were cooked to the correct doneness, but there's a few places for improvement. Too many things were overly salty and the chef seems to favor garlic to the point that it impairs the flavors of the rest of the food. I would never have described the brussel sprouts as "pan fried", they were boiled and then hit a pan for like 30 seconds. One of the heavily salted items, between the texture and the salt, they were nearly inedible. One quick side rant - do restaurants not understand that we all have cell phones and can google the retail price of a bottle of wine? I'm not paying $10/glass for a wine that is $11/bottle (and probably not buying $11 wine anyway). Cut your prices in half and you'll actually sell so much more that you'll make up the profit in volume. Win-win. For a french menu, I didn't see a single french wine on the list. Hmmm Desserts sounded great, the only one we had was the creme brulee. The custard was perfect with a strong vanilla flavor and you could see the beans in it. The caramelized sugar was too thick. You should be able to crack it by tapping it with your spoon, not have to stab it to force it to break. Anything more than 1 mm is too thick. Getting all frenchie and metric on you. Still, a respectable place. I'd like to see a wider variety of herbs and spices used and tone down the the salt and garlic. This place has michelin potential, but is held back by Food Prep 101 mistakes. read more

Your failure to offer a pick up service is horribly disappointing. I expect more from you. I am aware you need to control for quality but this was a risk the 4 of us were willing to take. The respect built over the years is diminished, greatly. I won't trouble you with the details of why this accommodation was requested. read more

Had a pre-valentines date dinner with my husband and we absolutely loved it. We had the stuffed portabello, the seabass special and creamburle. It was cozy, service was good but the food OMG the food is incredible. Fresh, perfectly seasoned. We will definitely be back read more

Talk about a hidden gem! Very low key entrance on a quiet street. Not the largest place which creates incredible ambiance. I knew exactly what I wanted for the entree but the server (she was incredible) also suggested the poached pear and caprese salads to start. While the poached pear was very good the caprese, with fresh buratta was out of this world! My companion orderd a unique take on chicken cordon bleu and the portion was huge. What brought me here was the roast duck with cherry sauce and it did not disappoint. In fact, it instantly became one of the top 5 entrees I've had in my entire life. Yes, it was that good! They were even kind enough to exchange the potato for the risotto of the day. Finished it off with a scratch made Lemon Blueberry cake. While their wine list is ok and reasonably priced, take advantage of their $20 corkage fee and bring a great bottle to pair with their incredible food! If you don't live in Lakeland, make the drive! You won't be disappointed! read more

The food and atmosphere are wonderful! The deserts are amazing so save room ! Highly recommend!! The service was excellent! My glass was never empty! I don't live close, next time I'm in the area , I know where to eat read more

Food is excellent, atmosphere is great, service is exceptional. All around great place for special occasions. We have had many great times here. read more

Excellent service and wine off the chart It is a destination place for a good meal and a great experience read more

Food is average and way overpriced despite great location downtown & fine dining ambiance. Server was nice and attentive but definitely need to step up food game based on what they charge. read more

Lackluster experience. Waitress couldn't have been nicer, but service in general was very slow. The table next to us came in ten minutes after us and had their drinks, appetizers, and food (they also got steak) before us. Food is not on par for the price point, and quality and plating were not up to a fine dining standard. My husband got Beef Wellington, and said flavor didn't blow him away, it had too much salt, and the puff pastry wasn't browned. I had the filet mignon, which was pretty tasty, but a bit dried out on the top. The Cabernet reduction was ok, but I didn't like that with the plating, my steak was swimming in it. Garlic mashed potatoes were flavorful and had a good texture. The vegetables consisted of mushy cooked spinach with a couple soggy pieces of yellow squash, which was very disappointing. My husband got the tomato bisque and we both described it as canned soup mixed with too much sour cream--and a little garnish on it would've maybe helped the flavor and presentation (it was just a bare bowl of soup). Caesar salad was actually awful. Like the taste of wet lawn clippings mixed with anchovy mayonnaise chunks. Bread that came with the meal was hot and soft in the middle--great garlic butter. Hard to hear my husband right across from me because it's tiny in there and a lot of people, so a bit loud. The art on the wall really wasn't in line with what you'd expect from a higher-end restaurant. We're not planning to return unless we hear about significant changes being made. So disappointed. We really wanted to like this place, in fact, we went here about two years ago and had a similar experience and wanted to give it another chance. read more

Delicious food! Friendly Service, romantic , we loved their escargot , we been there twice already and every single time. We were very impressed. read more

Horrible food poisoning and a rude owner. My boyfriend and I had dinner here last night to celebrate our 3 year anniversary. We hadn't eaten that day in anticipation of enjoying a nice meal. The wait staff was lovely. My sea bass was very good. My boyfriend had the rib eye, which he also enjoyed, and we shared a creme brûlée for dessert. We left after dinner and went straight home to relax. A few hours later my poor boyfriend became violently ill with the worst food poisoning of his life - vomiting in the bathroom for several hours. Needless to say our anniversary was ruined. We called today to let the restaurant know of our experience to hopefully avoid others getting sick, and to ask for a refund of my boyfriend's entree. To our shock, when we called the restaurant the next day, the owner took our call and interrupted my boyfriend's report to him. As he informed the owner that a serious food poisoning incident happened as a result of eating at his restaurant, the owner reacted with incredible rudeness and disrespect toward him. I called back to try to speak with the owner myself, hoping he would listen and take it seriously. He told me to kiss his ass and hung up on me. I called back to let him know that due to his rudeness and lack of regard or remedy for a customer getting sick, I'll be asking my bank for a refund. Needless to say we will not be returning to support a local business that treats its customers this way and doesn't take health and safety reports seriously. read more

High quality food, fine service, limited menu, small, quiet, but pricey during last visit about three years ago.

My wife and I visited Bay Street Bistro for a date night dinner yesterday and had a nice experience. We started the meal with the Escargot. A generous portion of rich tender escargots were marinated in a tangy garlic and white wine butter sauce and sandwiched between airy flakey pastries. Next I had the Tomato Bisque which was creamy and had a rich tomato flavor. I had the Rack of Lamb as my entrée. The tender meat had a light crispiness on the outside and was drizzled with rich balsamic glaze and paired with creamy goat cheese. The side of mashed potatoes was creamy and savory. Finally we finished dinner with Lemon Blueberry Cake. The cake was rich and moist with a creamy lemony frosting and filled with flavorful juicy blueberries. Overall, Bay Street Bistro is a good choice for a nice dinner in downtown Lakeland. read more

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The menu is first rate. Tomato Bisque was very flavorful and smooth. Beef Wellington was large portion, tasty and well prepared. Cesar Salad bland and dry. Chilean Sea Bass presentation was first rate and nicely prepared. Seafood Vol-A-Ventwas exceptionally well presented and full of flavor! Unfortunately the Crispy duck medallions were somewhat underwhelming. Staff were busy yet service was inconsistent. I suspect due to a full house, however, for the price of dinner one expects better. The real damper on what was to be a fun enjoyable evening was the noise level. Difficult to have a conversation due to the volume and echo chamber of the dining room. read more

The prices are high for Lakeland, especially considering that the food is slightly above average. The waitress that served me was very good and polite, really on top of things. The rest of the staff, could not be bothered. The ambiance is fine, but again, average. I do not think I would go back for a meal. read more

We met another couple who live downtown and frequent Bay Street Bistro, for dinner. Cozy place with great ambiance. Lighting was just right as was the level of music. Our meals were amazing and the wine list is extensive. A little on the pricey side, but a perfect place to treat yourself or go for a special occasion. read more

Bay Street Bistro - a woman sitting at a table - New American Near Me - Lakeland, Florida

I was going to hold off on this, but since the owner decided it wasn't worth his time to call me back, I will update those planning for a party. 2021 Christmas, we had a decent time; staff was slow and not as it had been the year before. Drink glasses were left empty for 10 min or more. The appetizers were good but sparse for the size of group. Food was good again quality not what we had before. Now to the real concern I paid $500 for the room (they are closed on Mondays). When it came to paying the bill I based my tip off of the service (better than what they deserved) and a waitress came to me as I was with one of my guest (interrupting me as well) to inform me that I didn't leave a good tip... I went 18% on the bill for service! Again the bill had the $500 room fee as well! I paid a extra to avoid stirring the pot and left. The next day I called to have owner James call me. I even called again since I know people get busy; he couldn't be bothered. BEWARE and make sure service and room fees are separated!! I've been more than fair and for what I paid I could and WILL go elsewhere. read more

I've never been told, "I'm not sure where the confusion lies but the server was not wrong. We can make you another dish, however we will charge you for both." I'm a Lakeland local, and was so excited to finally dine here! My friend to my right ordered the sea bass with cumin, curry, and coriander vanilla burre-blanc sauce. I ordered the sea bass with lemon butter piccata sauce but they brought us both the vanilla sea bass. Risotto was over cooked, pair that with a vanilla sauce, it was a little more like rice pudding with fish. (It tasted as bad as it sounds) I will not be willing to try dining here again, the food was not fine dining quality, the prices were very high and I'm still shocked about the attitude. read more

Very average food at a very high price. Lack luster atmosphere and food. Service was excellent. Will not be returning.

Went there with my daughter on a Sunday night... just arriving from New York. Food is very average, service so-so; garlic bread had no garlic, I spilled wine on the table and had to call and ask the waiter for a replacement clean napkin... had salad and my knife disappeared along with the plate leaving without knife. And again had to call the waiter...Nothing " French " about this restaurant (if only the price, that by the way are up to 20% more than advertised online on the restaurant web site.) Will not be returning... read more

Food was good. Not great. Service was very slow. Very noisy. Impossible to have a conversation with others at the table. Surprised at other reviews that praised service and quiet read more

Very cute small local bistro. Parking available behind the next door building on corner. Scallops are wonderful. Cute decor and great service. One of the better high end cuisine restaurants in downtown. read more

Pear salad- drowned in balsamic. Eggplant entree- drowned in balsamic. If you need to drown your entrees in such a pungent sauce, you're not seasoning your food well. Super expensive and not worth it. read more

Great food! Just around the corner from the hotel! Service was excellent great wine selection

We so wanted to like this place, but the food was just simply bad in most cases. I've been looking for a good Beef Wellington in area so figured we'd make the drive and try this place. Area was dead on a Friday night. Place is small but nice atmosphere. We ordered Escargots and Caprese salad, followed by Obviously Beef Wellington and my wife had Filet mignon, both cooked medium rare with brown sugar mashed potatoes and Parmesan Risotto. Also came with a tomato bisque soup. Things started off well. Bread they brought to table was fresh, Caprese salad was good but nothing special, but the star of the night was the bisque soup. That was unbelievable! The Escargots were a little weird. Sauce was seasoned with way too much garlic which took everything over, but Escargots were well cooked. The filet mignon was perfectly cooked, but again, sauce was a bit too strong, taking away from the seasoning of the steak. Mashed potatoes were horrible! Tasted like a can of salt fell in the pot. Risotto was blend and slightly over cooked. Wellington was a disaster. Brought on a dirty plate and cooked medium well to well done (See photos. Even put a piece of filet next to it to show the comparison). They wrapped it in prosciutto which gave it a weird crunchy texture. Pastry was soggy. Out of all the places in Tampa bay I've had it, this was by far the worst. This place is expensive for the quality you get. Far from worth it. We definitely will not be back. read more

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This was my first time visiting this quant restaurant. The service was phenomenal and the food was amazing. I think there was salt and pepper on the table but I can't be for sure, but I surely didn't need it. I would definitely recommend it. read more

Bay Street Bistro - Crispy duck, mashed potatoes and veg. - New American Near Me - Lakeland, Florida

really disappointing not being able to order food as they don't do carry out. I have never heard of a restaurant that does not do carry out. read more

A wonderful local bistro that constantly surprises us with their food, service, and deserts. They have been remarkably consistent year after year and we strongly recommend spending a evening with them. read more

Food was all great. I had scallops and risotto. Tasted the duck and a few others and it was all good. Dessert good also. Weird atmosphere, doesn't fit the price range. Waitress seemed annoyed, but still did a good job. read more

Great little place!! We went because they had beef wellington. It did not disappoint! We also are escargot and baked brie. Everything was so good. The atmosphere was great. They also had risotto. The last place I had risotto almost turned me off for good. Bay street Bistro brought me back. Great experience! read more

Bay Street Bistro - Beef wellington, risotto, mixed veg. - New American Near Me - Lakeland, Florida

One of my favorite local places to eat. The quiet upscale atmosphere is conducive for conversation and meals shared with friends or that special loved ones. The service is friendly, and you can tell that the Chef takes time, love, and effort in the menu planning, food preparation, and presentation of the meals. French inspired the flavor profiles that go into each dish is purposeful and delicious, and I enjoy introducing friends to this quiet gem in downtown Lakeland. I highly recommend it. read more

I have been dying to go to the Bistro for the Wellington! It is a very intimate place and the staff is amazing!!! We had two appetizers the stuff mushrooms and the Brie. The stuffed mushroom was amazing, the Brie was ok. Then came the tomato bisque, super light and creamy. The disappointment of the night was Wellington it had a sea of Demi glacé that pretty overwhelmed the dish! The pastry was over done on the bottom and mushy on the top. The potatoes had to much garlic and I couldn't eat those. My fiancé had the ribeye that was awesome! So we would go back for a yearly special occasion because it's expensive (320) for four people with a bottle of wine, but I won't get the Wellington. read more

Menu, service-- everything!! It's simply the best in Lakeland, Florida. Give it a try. .

Dinner is always top notched. Megan was awesome and answered all our questions and had great suggestions. Great little quaint setting for a nice quiet dinner. read more

Let me begin by saying the menu pricing was 10% higher on entrees and 20% higher on appetizers than posted on their website. Front of house was nice and inviting and back of house needed work and a cleaning crew. The bathroom was located behind the kitchen where you walked by a cluttered office and table filled with clutter. Sorry you shouldn't expect your patrons paying $100/person for dinner to experience this. While the food was better than average, the portions were small and expect to pay $60 an entree. Service was good. They seemed to have a much older, loyal patron but for younger to middle age customers that are willing to explore and get out of the neighborhood this is not a go to place. One expects more for this price range of restaurant. read more

Visited 5/09/23 with 3 friends. Each appetizer (escargot), soup (butternut squash) and salad (caprese) we shared was great. Entrees including roast duck, salmon and scallops were all very enjoyable. And dessert (blueberry lemon cake) was also delightful. Service (including owner & waitstaff) was excellent. Ambiance was quiet and small city elegant. Highly recommend this bistro for dining in Lakeland. read more

Two words: Mind-blowing This was the best meal I've had in the city of Lakeland. Husband had beef Wellington and I wish I had ordered that, it was delicious. I ordered the shrimp scampi and it was so full of flavor. So delicious! read more

Bay Street Bistro - New American Near Me - Lakeland, Florida

My bff to me out for my birthday. I really wanted to try the beef Wellington but got a little nervous. I ended up getting actually both of us got New York shrimp scampi. This was by far the best steak I have ever had. The shrimp was cooked perfect. We got escargot which good. Pricey but well worth a treat. read more

Bay Street Bistro - New American Near Me - Lakeland, Florida

AMAZING. That's what we said after every dish. Highly recommend! So much care is put into every dish and it shows. Melt in your mouth from start to finish! read more

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