We went as a group of 6 for lunch. I was not happy with the service... Ambiance is nice and food was acceptable. I felt rushed and it ruined the whole lunch for us. read more

Following several recommendations from some people in this board as well as from b4-u-eat.com, we decided to venture from our Inner Loop location to west Memorial area to sample the food at what is supposed to be one of the first French restaurants in Houston. The first impression was very good: the restaurant is located in the small strip on Memorial Drive and has a cozy interior. We ordered Pate du Chef (Chef's homemade pate) and two Soupe de Poisson "Marseillaise" (Fish soup prepared "bouillabaisse" style) as appetizers. Before that a friendly waiter put on our table homemade bread in the form of thin pretzel that tasted somewhat similar to ciabatta, along with olive oil. It turned out later that this bread is one of the best things in that place. The pate was served as two small pieces, without any toast or bread, along with two olives and pickled mini cucumbers. It contained pieces of pecans, which was a nice touch, but otherwise was coarse and not impressing. In fact, it was the worst pate we ever had in any other French restaurant in town. I was hoping that the first impression would be improved by the soup. I was missing a fine fish soup that we used to have at now-defunct Ches George who was a great chef and was producing excellent dishes. Unfortunately, I did not see fish soup in the menu any of presently operating French restaurants. Alas, the soup was a far cry from the delicious dish that George used to make. The soup that I remember used to contain large chunks of fish and other seafood and was full of aroma. The soup I got at Bistro Provence was served searingly hot, based on the ground seafood consistency, with occasional small pieces of fish. It had a strong lemony taste with not particular seafood aroma and flavor. There were also two small bowls - one with shredded cheese, still stuck from the fridge and with garlic-based butter, along with croutons. I was always under the impression that fish soup should be served with sour cream and onion soup with cheese, but I wouldn't be surprised if at that place they serve the same cheese bowls with onion soup, too. The cheese immediately melted in the extremely hot soup, and so with added croutons it resembled the onion soup, after all, with a slight taste of fish. For the main entry I ordered Poussin Rôti (Cornish hen). The menu said it supposed to be "partially deboned". In this case 'partially' was a pretty stretched term, as all the bones of the chicken seemed to be intact. It was OK, but nothing really special, pretty standard. My wife ordered a special of that day - a grilled tuna. It was obviously made in consideration for the taste diet conscious patrons as it contained almost no salt and was of bland taste. Both dishes did not have any sauces, typical for French dishes that we always enjoy to 'clean' with bread at the end. I still don't understand why we decided to order the desert instead of requesting a check and leaving right away. I guess we wanted to get a complete impression from that place. So we asked for two cappuccinos and one Crème brûlée. It had an interesting lavender taste, but not too smooth consistency. In fact, I think that a bakery in a place like The Whole Foods Market makes a better Crème brûlée than the one we had. As for the coffee - if you can call 'coffee' a liquid of coffee color, but with no coffee strength or taste, we could not drink it. For all this 'pleasure', along with a small bottle of Beaujolais, we paid 99 dollars, not including tip. The conclusion - Bistro Provence is not a French restaurant in the common sense of that expression, but rather a nice neighborhood eatery with food specifically designed for people who never, or almost never, went to the 'real' French restaurant and who like to frequent places like Luby's cafeteria. There are many fine French restaurants in the Inner Loop area: Au Petit Paris, Café Rabelais, Bistro des Amis, Philippe Restaurant, Brasserie Max and Julie, that all of them create wonderful French food. It's hard to tell which one of them is better, because each one has its own character and style, but, nevertheless, the food in all of them is superb. Bistro Provence does not fall into this category and definitely does not deserve a drive from the Inner Loop anymore. But if you live in that area - it might serve as a nice imitation of a French restaurant, but no more than that. read more

Came here first so very many years ago when George Guy first opened this Bistro out Memorial Drive, it felt then as it does now, a lovely piece of France... not just the decor and the rafters, but real Bistro food cooked with care. Proud of his son for maintaining the quality! Anyone can throw together a salad with a bit of blue cheese, bacon, apple and mix greens, but their dressing with lemon, oil and a touch of dijon is kind of sublime... The menu says 'fresh' trout amandine, and as the Gulf is a bit far from mountain streams I wondered, but it WAS incredibly fresh and tasty, My husband loved his frog legs, we both enjoyed escargots, and while he scarfed down a freshly made profiteroles dessert covered in chocolate, I found a new Port to love (No idea how to spell it, but it was the last one on the menu).. read more

I brought my mom here for Mother's Day. Reservations were required and a $20.00 deposit per person via PayPal was also required to hold your reservation, which would be deducted from your final tab. It was a pre-fixed meal with you choice one of 3 appetizers, entrees and deserts. Appetizers: I had the salad with blue cheese crumble and bacon and my mom had the lobster bisque. When the waiter brought out my salad, the blue cheese was missing and I thought I had mis-read the menu until the table next to me had gotten their salads with blue cheese. By this time i was 3/4's of the way through with my salad and I had flagged the waiter. He apologized for not putting the cheese on my salad and brought out a huge serving of blue cheese (at this point the effort was a little too late). My mom's lobster bisque was weak like a broth or consume and had no lobster meat in it, however it did have some caviar which did nothing for it. Entree: My mom ordered the beef fillet wrapped in bacon with asparagus & bordelaise sauce. The waiter asked how she wanted her steak cooked and she said well done (obviously on steak medallion like this you don't ask for it to be well done because it's too thick and if you flatten it out to cook it all the way through you can't wrap anything around it. My mom didn't know any better, but the waiter should have). So when her entree came out it was rare in the middle, so she asked the waiter to take it back and when he brought it back to the table it was pounded down and cooked to her liking (The waiter did apologize for this as well and compt'ed my mom's glass of wine). I had the duck leg with orange sauce and spring vegetables. The veggies were fine, but my duck had no orange sauce or glaze unless you count the one mandarin orange slice that was grilled (or they could have put the sauce or glaze on the skin when they cooked it and the removed the skin before they served it). Thing is that I have had better duck l'orange at non-French restaurants, which is one of my main reasons for my low ratings. Dessert: The were only two choices for dessert; Creme caramel, which was a flan, and a chocolate chip bread pudding. My mom had the creme caramel and I had the bread pudding. Once again, I had better bread pudding at a chain restaurant and I was disappointed that the creme caramel was just a flan. For a French restaurant, I was disappointed that they didn't have any of the many wonderful pastries that the French are so famous for. Conclusion: The way they didn't prep my mom's steak to her liking the first time, the weak bisque, the forgetting of my blue cheese on my salad and orange sauce on my duck as well as the lack luster desserts coupled with the portion size and price, I will not be coming back here again (yes, I had already been here once before and the experience was better for me than for my wife who is a vegetarian). Also the bench seating along the wall is very uncomfortable. About a hour later I had to grab a burger because this meal was not very satisfying. If you are looking for a good French cuisine try Bistro Le Cep. read more

Bistro Provence is recaliming the title Bistro, which has been used too casually in upper-crust restaurants to somehow denote passive aggressive menus and cospmopolitian superioirty. Bistro is supposed to make you think stomach filling hearty stew, comfort food, fat man with a belly ponch who cooks the best damn food in the neighborhood, the place you don't tell tourists about so you can keep it your own. You can however drop a dime here. My wife and I spent about $148.00 for two first courses, two entrees, half bottle of winde, and two desserts. But we made an evening of it, and James was extremely attentive since the day before the kitchen had somehow destroyed my lunch order no less than three times. C'est la vie. But this is a cute Bistro. Somehow the strip mall exterior and four lane road in front become non-sequitors to the ambience of a true European feel. Coming into a large living room sized interior, you will most likely make eye-contact with the kitchen staff just over the lare brick counter. The waitstaff is attentive and unique, and the menu is very simple and full of winners. I've been to the lunch here no less than ten times simply because they have daily specials that are always simple and fun. I'm actually not very impressed with the bread (but I make my own too, so...), but the thought is nice, especially on a busy night and food times might take awhile. One note: There is not a single good table in the whole restaurant. The tables are crammed into the front space, and unless you get one of the booth seats agains tthe right wall, expect to move your chair a few times to accomodate passers-by. This is not a bad thing, since developement of restaurants in this country began with large kitchens and small service areas, and kept shrinking the kitchen to put in more tables. There is a movement to go back to the kitchen, not the dining area, being the heart of the restaurant, and that is a welcome change. Standouts do include the goat cheese ravioli, and the only complaint with this dish is the paltry amount of rataouille served alongside. I would eat a quart of the stew, it's absolutely wonderful. The escargot are consistently oversalted, but the garlic is welcome with it. The duck is a treat, and the sauces they pour on specials are always top notch and delectable. Definitely try this place out, and embrace the chef's specials. read more

I came here on Thursday night and enjoyed the food served here. However, there were little things that bothered me here and there thus persuading me to give 3 instead of 4 stars. I came with my boyfriend and we ordered the mussels for appetizer, I ordered the cote de porc a la sauge (grilled pork chop), and he ordered the special of the day, the NY Strip steak with vegetables and an onion sauce. The mussels were sweet and steamed to perfection, but the size of the mussels was a bit disappointing. Cafe Rabelais has gigantic mussels and I assumed that Bistro Provence would also have restaurant grade/size mussels as well. The taste and flavor was definitely evident, and I'd come back to enjoy this white wine broth over a creamy broth any day. The complimentary bread served with an herbed olive oil was also very tasty. My pork chop was cooked all the way through, and I will admit, that it is difficult to cook pork all the way through and still maintain the tenderness. This pork chop was tasty but not very tender... thus, I felt like I was using a butter knife every time I had to cut a piece of pork to eat. My boyfriend's steak came with a plethora of vegetables (a plus for me!) but he said that he had asked for his steak to be cooked medium rare, and it was definitely not medium rare, as he also had to saw through his steak. We noticed a table next to us had ordered a raspberry tart and it looked delicious, so maybe we'll come back and try this place for high-tea, instead of a meal. Overall, taste was there, and I'd come back to give it another try, but maybe order a meat that you can't "mess up." read more

My wife and I were here on Friday and they had a set menu for Valentines Day. This was our first experience here. Simply stated, the food is very average for an above average price. Obviously I am in the minority here, so take this for what it is worth: The salad with Roquefort was bland with little flavor. My experience with Roquefort has always been that it has a very strong flavor, yet this Roquefort was very mild with the rest of the salad not possessing any flavor. If the idea that the Roquefort would contrast with the apple to produce something special, it did not work. Even the apples were too mild to offer anything interesting. My wife had the duck and I had the salmon on this night. Again, it was good, but just not as flavorful as I would have expected from a French restaurant. The salmon was nice but the flavors very mild and something I would have expected in the $15 price range and not the $30-40 range that I was paying. Same for the duck. Perhaps most disappointing was the dessert. The apple and pear tart was simply not good: dry and flavorless. The chocolate/Nutella mousse with raspberry was better (my wife disagreed) but still, this was nothing exceptional and not what I would expect from a restaurant with so many rave reviews (although I am coming to realize perhaps Yelpers are not a reliable bunch). Very disappointed in my $225 meal. read more

review from when it was located on Kirkwood... i took the liberty to treat myself to lunch at bistro provence, a reasonably priced french restaurant close to my offices. bistro provence strives to provide a casual european cafe in the memorial area, but, despite their best efforts, they fall short of their lofty intention. the patio is lined up with blue and yellow tablecloth tables for two, however, the view is of the bistro provence parking lot, and therefore, poor for people watching. the inside decor consists of light red brick, ugly ceiling tiles, lamps covered with white sheets, pots/pans, and more blue/yellow tablecloth tables. for the most part, the decor is fine, however, i found the restaurant somewhat untidy. decor aside, bistro provence's main strength is the menu. bp offers quite a few lunch specials to go along with their regular menu. plus, the bread they serve before your order is excellent here. i ordered ravioles des chevre avec brochette et fuit de mer (ravioli stuffed with goat cheese and shrimp/scallops) which, admittedly, probably sounds better than the actual dish. the shrimp and scallops were large and juicy, but i thought the combination did not work with the goat cheese ravioli. for dessert, i went with creme brulee avec lavendre et miel (creme brulee with lavender and honey) which did nothing more than upset my stomach. however, i should state that i'm not exactly a dessert person. i love the service here, and i liked the fact that people throughout the restaurant spoke in french, but i hesitate to recommend it for anything more than a place to eat dinner with your girlfriend when she is craving french food. the service is wonderful, the prices are more than reasonable, and you get away with saying that you took her to a french restaurant. otherwise, it's alright, but there are better places in town. read more

I have been going to Bistro Provance for 10 yrs and always enjoyed the experience and recommending to others. This last time though It was a bit disappointing. I had a bouillabaisse soup I was very unimpressed with. One piece of bland cod fish, one shrimp and one tired scallop in a murky "fishy" liquid that did not taste right neither looked appealing. As an apetizer I had frog legs that were cooked right however they were majorly underseasoned. I feel this is not the same restaurant I used to love for so many years. Please bring it back to the quality and reputation of the Provance region. This used to be my second favorite French restaurant in Houston, not anymore now. read more

Bistro Provence is darling! I love having mother/daughter time here for lunch. There's a little bit more of a busier crowd in the evening -- very cozy atmosphere for dinner. First and foremost, never eat here if you're in a hurry. It's important to truly linger a bit to enjoy the entire experience. With that said, I love their chalkboard daily menu specials. The french onion soup is divine and I love their salads as well. Personally, I'll go with one other person and just split a pizza and a salad...add 2 glasses of wine and voila -- magnificent dinner. Seriously, some of the yummiest pizzas I've had in town. By the way, the bread they bring out for the table is sooo delicious -- you need to refrain yourself. read more

Small place for a great meal. Excellent menu and nice wine list. Had the French onion soup, duck (Magret De Canard) and a Cotes du Rhone. Loved them all. Very attentive service. Will definately go back. read more

This is a great little french bistro with a focus on delivering excellent food at a reasonable price. It does not look like much (the interior design is unusual), but the focus is clearly on the food. My wife and went there for lunch. We had: -Appetizer: Onion Soup - A little salty, but otherwise excellent -Appetizer: Sauteed Frog Legs - Good -Main course: Duck Breast (we both) - Excellent -Desert: Raspberry Tart - Excellent -Espresso: Good We ended up paying (20% tip included) about $90. A very reasonable price for an excellent lunch. The waitress was French, and next to us was group of French people enjoying their lunch. This all added to the nice ambiance and it is always a good sign if natives eat at their native restaurant. Having eaten there, I know why. I would certainly come here again. The service was excellent. read more

The food was pretty good, not great. My entree was a cooked well, but I felt like my plate seemed a little sparse. Perhaps that's better for my waist line. The service was very friendly and the restaurant is cute and quaint. Nice spot for a date night. I would go again. read more

I love this place. Exquisite french cuisine. A little pricey. Cozy ambiance and their own little mud oven. Great soup and entrees. Well worth the extra bucks. read more

Very authentic, nice service, cute room, tasty and not too greasy. go try! read more

My wife and I eat at Bistro Provence about twice a month. So we obviously like it. Usually we go for dinner, sometimes lunch. I would rate most of our meals there 5-star. Some have been 4-star. And we've had two lunches (a few years ago) that were 3-star at best. Overall, I give them 5 stars because that's usually what we experience. No restaurant gets everything perfect every day. Not even the French Laundry in Napa. But Bistro Provence gets most things right (that is, to my taste) 90% of the time. It has a genuinely bistro atmosphere, and seating both inside and outside. The wait staff, in our experience, are always friendly and attentive. If you don't see your waiter, wave down another. He/she will be happy to help. Besides a printed menu which changes partially from time to time, they have daily chalkboard specials. I don't think I have ever been disappointed by an item on the chalkboard. They will also make substitutions if they can. For instance, if you'd like risotto instead of roasted potatoes, they can do that. If you'd prefer a bordelaise sauce to a béarnaise, they can do that. And for a restaurant their size, they have an impressive wine list. In France, you can have the same dish in a dozen places, and you'll get a dozen variations. At Bistro Provence, you'll get their variation. Most often it's delicious. I particularly like their soups, mussels, escargot, duck, lamb shank, entrecôte, and most of their chalkboard specials, especially the fish specials. My wife (who typically consumes half the volume of food I do) is partial to their salads, their duck liver appetizer, their onion soup, their goat cheese ravioli, and any of their "bird" dishes -- Cornish game hen, quail when they have it, stolen bites of my duck. There's a reason we go to Bistro Provence so often, and the reason is that we enjoy it. read more

I was there today for lunch with my wife. Good food, good service. However, the manager of the restaurant was sitting next to us with her child and another adult, and they were talking loudly and not paying attention to the fact that clients were next to them. This ruined the whole things, because I was expecting a nice and quiet moment with my wife over a good lunch. As client, I do not want to know the problems that the manager of the restaurant is having with the grades of her daughter or to listen to the instructions she had to give to her team. The last and not least, the manager should have stopped by our table and say Hi or sorry for talking loudly read more

We were visiting some friends on this side of town and they suggested this French restaurant. The wife and I were pleasantly surprised by the quaint/cozy atmosphere. She had the stew and I had the duck- both of which were great. Definitely give the escargot a try if you decide to go here. They were some of the best we have had.As with most French restaurants, your dinner bill can run up pretty fast, so be mindful. read more

This place is so intimate and cozy, I wish they served blankets also. I have been here 2 very memorable times. Here is the skinny: Warning: This place is tiny- so come with a small group. The vibe is French Kitchen. Their specials are always presented on a chalk board. The brick oven baked bread is piping hot and delish. The lamb is so tender and yummy, it makes me want to scream, "Baaaaahhhhh!!!" Clams are good. The staff is very knowledgeable about wine and food (pairing, tastes, etc...they know what they are talking about). The staff work together to serve plates, answer questions, etc. I don't mind this- they got the job done. The last time I went, we got stuck next to the kitchen, and it was very busy and loud. I honesty think it was part of the charm because the place reminded me of a little nook in France that could have been someone's personal kitchen/dining area. read more

Goat cheese ravioli with shrimp and scallops with ratatoulle? were amazing! The special- beef medallions were also delicious. Would definitely come back for another try. Reasonable prices too. read more

Terrible experience!! My dads 81st birthday celebration and they didn't want the 8 family members to sit together- seriously. I ordered the trout -a standard menu item not a special- they had "one serving and it was taken"- the New York strips were fatty and unappetizing. I told them it was a birthday celebration and was told "we don't have candles". Terrible experience- food sub par will not ever go back!!! read more

I have eaten here several times, and enjoyed myself very much. The atmosphere is wonderfully cozy, and the service is always impeccable. The last time I ate there I had the Lavender and Honey Duck, and it was amazing. Everything thing I've had there has been delicious. read more

A delightful lunch with my mom! She always has room for creme brûlée and Bistro Provence has FABULOUS creme brûlée.

A neighborhood gem... The service was top notch. Warren, our waiter did a fantastic job explaining the specials for the evening and the menu's highlights. He also timed each course just right so we never felt rushed, a big plus in the get-in, get-out world of Houston dining. Solid French Country classics served here. Duck confit - check, French Onion Soup - they've got that too. All of the old favs are here, as well as, a few surprises too. Be sure to save room for dessert. read more

What a wonderful restaurant ! The lobster bisque was to die for and the chocolate pot for desert was equally delicious. We have been going for over 10 years and would unequivocally recommend this place. read more

We had an enjoyable experience here and will likely return if looking for traditional French food. The atmosphere is cozy and casual; food was delicious. The waiter was helpful with wine selections and tended to us at the right time throughout the night. I had the Soupe de Poisson "Marseillaise" and rabbit stew which were both excellent. read more

Went on the enthusiastic recommendation of a foodie friend. Extremely pleased with food, service and atmosphere. It felt like a neighborhood restaurant in France. Don't let the strip mall location distract you. If you want to mingle with power brokers, go somewhere else. If you want a mini vacation to Provence, this is your place. read more

One of our favorite restaurants for a romantic dinner for two with my wife. Truly a neighborhood gem!

Had lunch here today, and I was not impressed. It was not bad but not great either. I started with the Chefs Pate and was dry and lacked flavor. I had a special chicken dish, which was finished with mushrooms and a red wine Demi glaze. This was ok, the chicken was cooked well, but the sauce was lacking any flavor. I am a big French food fan so maybe I am critical, but I walked out not very impressed. The place is very bistro like and has a pretty decent atmosphere. I would give the overall experience 2.5 stars. read more

Hands down the best french restaurant in Houston. Super quaint little place with french provencial decor. Waiters are all french and are great advocates of their wine selection as well as their menu choices. Everything on the menu, including their specials, are so full of herbs de provence. Very small, intimate yet inviting atmosphere. I love this place and have never been disappointed. Prices are very reasonable for the quality of the food and the portion sizes. Wine pricing is reasonable as well. Escargot are the best I have ever had! You can easily have dinner for two with bottle of wine, appetizer and entree for under $150. If you go for lunch, even more reasonable more like $15-20 a piece. read more

This was like going back to France and reliving my childhood. Great authentic French bistro food. Best French food in Houston.

Quaint bistro, sized right for an intimate experience. First visit there was for my birthday and am wanting to go back. Seasonal dishes, exceptional wine and knowledgeable, helpful staff! read more

Lovely European feel. Rich & flavorful dishes.

Quaint atmosphere. recommend for romantic or small cozy group. Duck excellent! Oysters excellent! menu varies according to season. Staff friendly! Would recommend for off the beaten path mid to upscale dining. read more

Wonderful rabbit stew on the special Julia Child menu. Delicious bread hot out of the oven. Fabulous fresh raspberry tart; not too sweet. We will be back! read more

Goat Cheese Ravioli. Best pasta dish I've ever had in my entire life. That was the bomb.

Absolutely wonderful family-run neighborhood restaurant. Love the authenticity of this place, from the delicious food, affordable wine list and cozy atmosphere. It's a hidden gem. Since we moved near the area, this is our go-to date night spot for dinner. I don't often find myself returning to the same place, but I could soon become a regular here. French speaking staff and chef. read more

been several times and have always enjoyed it. the combination of their bread and escargot is culinary crack and everything i have had there has been good. it is very evocative of a neighborhood bistro in france that just happens to be in memorial. most recently, went for lunch and had an astounding cobia special. as others have said it has a great ambiance, warmth and tastes good. i would like a bit more diversity on the menu with a couple of lighter (in the belly and on the wallet) options but overall a great place. read more

Went here for dinner with my mother and father. The ambiance is nice, but otherwise, a miserable experience! I ordered the cornish hen. There was so little meat, I felt like I only got 2 full bites. Mom ordered the vegetarian pizza, which came out cold in the middle and soupy. My father ordered the lamb chops. These may be the worst food I've ever put into my mouth. Tough and chewy, with no flavor at all. We spent $80.00 on our 3 meals (no drinks, no appetizers, no dessert) and had to stop to get something to eat on the way home. I highly recommend skipping this restaurant. read more

Seriously one of the best meals of my life. Wife's 40th, I was going to be away for several weeks for work, we had an alone date (NO KIDS) for the first time in a while. We live in the neighborhood, but have only been 1.5 times - once many years ago, once just for wine/cheese. Charcuterie - very nice assortment, even the lettuce 'garnish' had a wonderful dressing. Rillets and pate, not usually my favorite, but fantastic. Veal Chop with Cognac/Mushroom sauce - I don't eat veal all that often, but I couldn't pass. I have to say, it was truly magnificent. I usually eat beef medium rare, but asked for this chop to be medium, which it was. The sauce was phenomenal. I like a little salt on my met, and it would have been great to sneak in some fleur de sel, but ... very well prepared. Cheese plate to end - my wife hates blue cheese, but she really enjoyed the Roquefort. Nice brie, and something else. Wine selection is nice. Wish I could have a martini, but not liquor. VERY good. Will return. Madame Guy seems to have all her friends over on Friday/Saturday and she seems to enjoy socializing with any/everyone outside. Very nice. Can't wait to go back. read more