We randomly came upon this restaurant late at night after a Friday night concert. Only to realize the place was closing in 30 ish minutes. Upon learning that information we decided not to order any entrees, just desserts. The food was okay. The pricing of this place is insane. Service certainly didn't dictate this level of ambiance. But I would try it again. Hard to give it a full 5 stars when the food was just okay. But the drinks were excellent. read more

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Tonight we had a party of 4 and they squeezed us in. We started with the Caesar salad , onion soup and calamari. All were excellent. For supper we had the salmon chicken and squash risotto. The chicken Marsala was great the salmon was good. The risotto was meh. Then we had the fried banana bread and vanilla ice cream. Wow get this!! Crem brûlée and raspberry mouse all good banana bread was outstanding. For a place that was established in 1996 I have to hand it to them for doing so well. read more

Bizou - The joint. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Stopped by Bizou to grab some take out for dinner and wasn't disappointed. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I went in on a Tuesday evening and it was pretty empty, a few people sitting inside but it was a nice night out so most people chose to sit outside.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The inside is pretty small so if you have a larger group and you want to sit together, just know dining outside maybe your best option.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Anyway! I ordered their garlic bread appetizer, short rib entree, which came with a side of mash potatoes, carrots, and Brussels sprouts; and pistachio cheesecake for dessert. The garlic bread appetizer is a must! It comes with enough pieces for about two people to share and is paired with a fresh bean paste as a dip - trust me it's delicious! The short rib was just as delicious! The Brussels sprouts did seem a bit undercooked, but it wasn't a deal breaker. Finally, the cheesecake was solid was well! Everything was a decent portion size and worth the price in my opinion. If you're in the area and looking for a nice place to dine, you should check them out. read more

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Dynamite dinner during restaurant week. I fear Bizou might be taken for granted because it's been on the Mall for so long. This week's dinner should push it to front of mind. A perfect tomato tart on delicate pastry with caramelized onions, and a cool creamy gazpacho A short ribs entree and lamb ragout-- both outstanding. We split and traded. A perfect crème brûlée. Partner had the fruit crumble/ice cream and raved, though it was not to my taste. The delicate crème brute crushed it. read more

Bizou - Papardelle, and plates being scraped clean - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

This place is delicious. It's probably one of my top places to eat when visiting charlottesville. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's a small, cozy restaurant with amazing food.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service is always great. The menu rotates and I've never had anything here that was just "meh". Everything is so well cooked, flavors paired perfectly, and enough to have space for dessert and not feel overly full. read more

Bizou - Espresso crème brûlée - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Honestly a mediocre meal all around. It doesn't try to be a culinary hotspot (and there aren't many in Charlottesville), but it does try to be elegant without achieving it. The steak choices don't include anything over the top or really all that fun. Steak Frites is a good choice, but nothing fancy. Just a decent piece of steak with decent fries. The pasta is fine, but not great. Overall it's not a bad spot, but it's not a good spot. The service gets the job done and [[HIGHLIGHT]]the ambiance is trying to be fancy...it's not really winning in any one area.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]This place was fine. It didn't blow me away; it wasn't memorable and it lacked an inherent charm that I thought it would possess.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Oddly, as a party of three we were sat at the table at the end of the restaurant -- right next to the bathroom. And I mean right next to, it's unnervingly close.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] At least add one of those little barn doors for the illusion of some separation. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Anyway, the main problem was not the location of the table but merely the size. It could barely fit 2 people, but they sat us three there.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Normally, if it's packed and it's the best that they can do, I'll take anything. But, the couple next to us had the same table + an extra. I thought the host or waiter would ask if we wanted it or offer, but we got it from the couple ourselves. The garlic bread had a weird naan type quality to it, was not what I was expecting when I thought of garlic bread. Our service was ok-- water got refilled once. At least we had 3 cocktails each to keep us hydrated! My salmon was good, the sauce beneath wasn't very flavorful, but it added some moisture which is always appreciated. Anyways, it was good for a night! read more

Bizou - Salk - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Amazing food...we had the crab cake and chicken piccata. Highly recommended...thank you chef!

I think this probably has a lot potential but there were some key elements that were off. I had the Caesar salad to start (kinda odd with the pickled onions and tomatoes but still good). The chicken marsala was not good. Chicken itself was okay but the breading tasted odd as did the sauce, they advertise smashed potatoes but they are just mashed and too runny. And they also advertise oyster mushrooms but they def were not (just regular baby bella or whatever). I asked for pepper and they brought me a container of to go salt and peppers instead of a shaker or just cracking some pepper for me. The service was nice but my server didn't say anything to me about the menu at all (drinks, food, nothing). I think for the price point I would expect a bit better. read more

No way this place should be anything less than 5 stars. We had Saturday brunch as a family and everyone had a different dish. Each was fantastic. Personally I had the huevos rancheros, and it might have been the best I ever had. Lucas, our waiter was super attentive and friendly. Loved it all. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]We grabbed lunch outside at Bizou, and the atmosphere was absolutely on point--definitely a spot for anyone chasing good vibes.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I went with the eggplant Parmesan sandwich, not expecting much, but it completely blew me away. Every bite was packed with flavor, and the bread was spot-on. It came with a small side salad that was just as tasty. Everyone at the table was happy with their meals, too. Whether you're a local or just passing through, Bizou is a must-visit. read more

I never got to try Bizou while I attended UVA, so when my friend and I went back for a visit, this was high on our list to try! The atmosphere inside is a little bit dim and not super spacious, but it's a nice place for a date or a higher end dinner. We both got a drink and I got the pan seared salmon. We both enjoyed our dishes and drinks, just nothing super extraordinary. Our service was just fine as well and the prices were about what we'd expect for downtown Charlottesville. read more

Bizou - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

After reading a few food blogs. E decided to try Bizou as we are new to the area. It's a pretty small restaurants that feels very cozy as the seating area is in the back. Our server was very prompt with taking our order and the food did not take very long to come out. I ordered the shrimp and grits which was different than the normal presentation. I had asked the server if the mushrooms in the dish were larger or small since I'm not a huge fan of them. He told me they were small slivers but when the dish came out there were very large chunks. The beef ragu gnocchi was good but not great. The beef was very tender, but the fried gnocchi did not taste like gnocchi to us. They were more like unflavored large fried mashed potato bites. We're glad we tried it but most likely would rather try some other restaurants in the area instead of returning. read more

Bizou - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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I went here a few years ago and the food and service were significantly better 5+ years ago. For a place that's been in cville for 30 years, I am disappointed with how much they've let their service and food slip. We came in for restaurant week and the inside of the restaurant is really cute, it is an old diner converted into a nicer restaurant. We ordered the mussels & frites to start along with the lamb croquettes. Both of the apps came out within about 10 mins of us sitting which was VERY fast. The other 4 tables in the restaurant were either on apps or on their entrees so it wasn't too busy. Both apps were very good, I would eat both again. The croquettes were the standout, 5/5. The mussels were fine, 3/5 - not the freshest or largest I've had and the fries were machine cut probably pre frozen. For entrees we ran into issues. Despite the quick service for the appetizers, we watched the 4 tables around us go from course to course with no change or any word from our server. After about 45 minutes of waiting around, all 4 tables cleared out and we were the only ones left. They had 3 people working the line and about 6 servers/hosts, so I was shocked our food took this long. We ordered the steak and chicken gnocchi so i understand steak takes a bit but this was outrageously long. One of the servers actually came and awkwardly dropped us off menus and apologized that we had been seated and no one checked on us... this was more awkward when he realized we already had our apps and we were waiting for the entrees to come out. He grabbed the menus and ran off and provided us no update with how long our food would take. When the food came it was clear it had been forgotten. The chicken piccata was fried and cold, and the chicken itself was hard and stringy. It was almost all breading. The gnocchi was awful, it was homemade but tasted like balls of mashed potato with no seasoning. Our server gave us a heads up the dish would be lemony but this was the only discernible flavor. Very bland and boring. My boyfriends steak was the total opposite. Very well seasoned and well cooked and the potatoes were delicious as were the Brussels. He actually used to manage a restaurant and he said the steak was actually really good. It came medium rare but you could tell it sat under their warmer for way too long, the edges had dried out in the time it had sat. But overall it was a solid entree. The desserts came out after a bit of a wait and were uninspiring. The stone fruit hand pie was basically just unseasoned peaches inside plain pastry dough with a cream sauce. Put some cinnamon or cloves in there, please!!! The grilled banana bread tasted freezer burned and looked like it had been cooked then stored cold then reheated. It was very dry. Both were edible but below expectations. We spent $115 for a 3 course meal for 2 with tax and tip included and it was not worth it. Cville has an abundance of good restaurants, specifically with this style of offerings, and Bizou did not live up to expectations. If you want similar options but better quality, try Orzo, the Ridley, Mockingbird, or any of the endless upscale American eateries in the area. Almost all do a better job than Bizou. read more

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My wife and I stopped here for lunch today. I had the chicken Caesar salad which, to my surprise, was made with fried chicken. The chicken was very tender and, all together, a great salad. My wife had the beet salad with goat cheese which was equally satisfying. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance: Good[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Food: Delicious [[HIGHLIGHT]]Cleanliness: Very Good[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service: Very Good read more

Bizou - Beet salad with goat cheese - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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This place is great! I don't say that lightly. Three of us ate there and all agreed that the food was excellent and beautifully presented. The service was also excellent - attentive and discreet. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant itself has a bistro feel.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Well done, Bizou! read more

We sat out on Bizou's patio in the middle of the downtown mall for an afternoon drink - great location! The beer selection was pretty limited, but the prices were good. My husband's drink seemed to have some kind of sediment floating in it - but it wasn't a big enough issue for him to send it back. The service was pretty good, too - friendly staff that were fairly attentive. Definitely got the job done as a nice happy hour spot! read more

Bizou - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

This review is for the brunch and dinner at bizou. For the brunch, I really enjoyed sitting outside during nice weather. The drinks at brunch looked really good and my friend enjoyed hers. I enjoyed the Khachapuri bread boat -- it was a lot of food but really interesting and delicious! My friend who got the French toast was disappointed as it was only one slice of bread for $14ish, so not a very good deal. For dinner, I always enjoy eating the vegetarian specials they have especially the pastas! Their bread is also delicious and so warm! read more

Bizou - Khachapuri - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Came here for a nice Sunday brunch with a friend from high school and we had a great time. We were able to sit outside and it was nice to watch the people walk by. I had biscuits and gravy with a side of bacon and it really hit the spot. The coffee was delicious as well. This definitely is a terrific place for a leisurely meal to catch up with friends. read more

Bizou - a woman standing in front of a store - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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We are from Austin, TX and come to Charlottesville a couple times a year. We come here every time. Very cute inside the restaurant or you can eat outside on the mall. read more

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Came here with friends for restaurant week. The atmosphere inside the restaurant is very diner-esque. They also have casual outdoor seating out in the downtown mall. For the first course, we shared the Peach Salad, Crispy Corn Fritters, and Grilled Oyster Mushroom. Everything was good but not amazing. My favorite was the corn fritters. They were fried well and tasted great in the sauce. For the second course, we shared the Seared Filet of Salmon, Gnocchi Bolognese, and Truffle Mushroom Tamale. The gnocchi and mushroom tamale were good but not memorable. My favorite was the salmon. It was seared nicely, and the sauce was amazing. The sauce tied the salmon, zucchini, and potatoes together really well. For the third course, we shared the Creme Brûlée, Apple Cobbler, Lemon Doughnuts. I love creme brûlée but the one we had was overcooked which was disappointing. The Apple Cobbler and Lemon Doughnuts were pretty good. Warm apple pie a la mode is one of my favorite desserts and their apple cobbler definitely hit the spot. The Lemon Doughnuts with raspberry sorbet were refreshing and unique. The flavors of the dessert were tasty, creative, and fun. Overall, the atmosphere and food at Bizou was enjoyable. Most of the dishes we tried weren't amazing to me but I think it's a solid spot in the downtown mall. read more

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Amazing restaurant week menu. Everything was delicious! And fast. Great service. Would def return.

Fantastic meal and service for a large party this weekend. Bizou always meets my high expectations, and our server Ryan and the team working with Manager Oscar set a new high standard. Highly recommended! read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Great restaurant on the pedestrian mall.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We just walked in. The staff was friendly and nice and the food was excellent. Tried 4 different entrees and all would be ordered again read more

A wonderful place to bring parents visiting UVA. The food was delicious and our server was so kind and prompt. The bread was very light and fluffy, and the steak was perfectly cooked. My mom LOVED her pasta and couldn't stop raving about it. We also sat outside and had a lovely view of the downtown mall and the street performers. An excellent place to eat at when visiting downtown Charlottesville and want something a little nicer without the insane price tag. read more

Bizou - steak frites, Bread Plate, burrata, pasta - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Bizou has an interesting interior shaping, going from like a bottle's neck entrance expanding into a larger bottle's body for the dining area. I like that I can watch the preparation of the food (at the entrance at that). I experience good customer service during my visit; employees help me navigate the menu for Vegan options (the establishment is accommodating for Vegans as best as possible with the available options). I order a Black Bean Soup which is flavorful with varying spices and other small pieces of vegetables. The Black Bean Soup is thinner than thick though reasonably filling (a medium-light weight meal). The establishment takes different forms of payment. read more

Bizou - Black Bean Soup - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

This is a joke. I ordered meatloaf that comes with mashed potatoes and they had the audacity to serve me French fries without asking me if the substitution was acceptable. Don't seat me if you're going to serve me subpar meals for the same cost. Extremely disappointed. read more

Bizou - Meatloaf with French fries? This is an insult and not what I ordered. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

I appreciated the very warm service we got at Bizou when we went for an early lunch this week. The food we had was tasty southern fare, and I especially enjoyed the buttermilk biscuit. It made me laugh that their iced tea can be ordered sweet or "Northern." read more

My boyfriend and I came here for our monthly date night. We decided to do skyline drive this weekend and ended up in Charlottesville because he surprised me with Rocky Horror tickets. We were figuring out dinner and Bizou caught our eyes. We are SO glad we stopped here for a quick bite. The Duck dumplings, the Short rib gnocchi and the grilled banana bread were most excellent. Starter, Entree and Dessert exceeded our expectations. If you have the opportunity, please stop in and try their fare! read more

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Yum! We stopped by after driving back in from VA beach for brunch. Not sure if the brunch menu changes, but i had the banana bread French toast - WOW. So fresh & decadent, but not too rich, was able to polish off the whole thing. Loved the fruit on the sides! Our server was attentive & sweet. The place itself is a little confusing when you first come in because it is a tight area and the indoor seating & bathroom is in the very back & kinda hard to see, but it's a vibe once you get used to it. So good! read more

I used to love this restaurant where the food was always excellent, but on June 1 at 5:30 PM I had one of the most awful meals I had ever imagined for a price that was simply unacceptable. I ate a gnocchi with a Caprese salad, and both were borderline inedible. I don't know what is going on in the kitchen here, but the restaurant must as a matter of survival, bring back the old cook and retrain whoever was in charge on Sunday, June 1 dinner time around 5:30 PM. Food of this quality is simply unacceptable for these prices or at any price actually. read more

Limited menu for lunch. Excellent friendly and efficient service. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Overall, a pleasant al fresco experience.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

Bizou is a nice place for dinner, especially during Charlottesville Downtown's Restaurant Week. Their items are reasonably priced, and the vibes are wonderful for a date night or a nice night out in general. Parking's a little difficult as it's paid parking a few blocks away (difficult to find the place itself), but there is generally always spots available. read more

Located in downtown Charlottesville, Bizou's aesthetics is reminiscent of Europe--narrow entrance ways like the alleyways of Europe. If seated outside, one can enjoy the atmosphere fully--people watching as live music plays in the background. Atmosphere aside, the ultimate question remains: does Bizou deliver a chef's kiss dish to its patrons? I had the opportunity to try three dishes--the pan-seared salmon, the lemon shrimp linguine, and the roasted chicken marsala. The chicken marsala was decent but did not stand out in any particular way with a rather weak flavor profile, dissuading any potential second visitations. The lemon shrimp linguine had a strong citrus tang. Aside from that, there were no strong nor unique qualities meriting a loyal customer. It wasn't until I tried the pan-seared salmon that I thought Bizou was worth a second visitation. The salmon was soft and not too dry, melting in the mouth. The accompanying vegetables of roasted carrots and kale were well seasoned but also laid upon a delicious, tangy sauce. This dish was unanimously the favorite amongst my party of three. For this alone, I think I would consider visiting Bizou again. read more

Bizou - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Absolutely loved Charlottesville. We had dinner at Bizou because we wanted a good meal and reviews were good. They were in the top 10 list of places to eat. I called to make a reservation but it was only walk in service. I wholeheartedly agree with the reviews. Located on the President's mall the ambiance is wam and authentic. The staff was welcoming. As you walk in you see the food being prepared. I started with a generous glass of montepulciano. My husband had a local pale ale. I ordered the shrimp scampi and he ordered the chicken pot pie made from scratch. The food was delicious, made with fresh ingredients and prepared daily. I wanted dessert but I had no room. A fantastic experience further endearing us to Charlottesville. read more

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I've gone here for lunch several times and it never disappoints. Today I ordered off their special menu, a steak sandwich which looked so good I ate it before taking a picture for you. My partner had a fried chicken sandwich where he substituted the slaw for lettuce, they were very accommodating. We got sat immediately and ate outside, despite the wind chill. I got two metropolitans (their take on the cosmo) which were to DIE for and I will definitely be going back just for that drink. Parking wise, it's downtown so there are a lot of options, mostly paid but sometimes you can snag a 2 hour spot if you have a bit of patience. Highly recommend you check out this spot, let me know how their dinner menu turns out if you go! read more

Bizou - Metropolitan (their take on a cosmo) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Bizou has a cute look and bistro vibe with old movie posters. Unfortunately, the food was lackluster. The biscuits and gravy, as well as the eggs Benedict were a 4. But the croissant was really sub par. The croissant sandwich, despite its price tag, was cold, not toasted, and the fruit was not ripe. So unfortunately, I'll have to skip this place next time but with the nice ambiance and decor, I'll rate it a 4. read more

Bizou - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Chef was amazing, helpful and kind. Made some special bread for us. Just really went out of his way to be welcoming. Dude behind the bar with the dark curly hair and beard acted like a total douche, so try to get another server if you can unless you are ok with shitty service. He acted like he could not be more inconvenienced. Maybe he was a homophobe, who knows. Food was amazing, chef was amazing, the rest of the staff was great, but that guy was almost enough to not want to return. read more

My mom and I chose Bizou along Charlottesville's Downtown Mall for dinner on Friday night based on the posted menu. We didn't have a reservation, so we were thankful when we were able to be seated right away. First things first: If it's nice enough, eat outside. The tables inside are absurdly close together. Like, uncomfortably close. To our left, a lady kept diverting her cough germs to us by half covering her mouth so the germs would avoid her family. To our right, an older gentleman made a fist each time he coughed, so his cough germs would expel in all directions. My mom's chair was also right up against the lady behind her and there was no way to adjust it. Obviously they can't control the behavior of customers, but they could maybe adjust the layout a bit. We started with the burrata, which was the highlight of the meal and the only positive note I can mention in here. After that, I ordered the fettuccine and meatballs. There was a lag before it arrived, and I was starving, so against my better judgment, I kept trying to eat it despite an unexpected overpowering taste of spice. When the server dropped it off, I had asked for grated cheese. She was super flustered throughout our visit, and she replied, "It will be a minute" in an oddly intense tone. When she eventually stopped by again, I asked for the cheese again (she forgot) and asked if she could find out where the spiciness was from, since I have a sensitivity to peppers. Turns out it was from red pepper flakes. That was NOT on the menu under the description (see photo attached for proof), and it frankly should have been. Red pepper flakes can alter the entire taste of a dish, and it overpowered every other flavor. I asked her to relay my feedback to the chef, but I'd assume that did not occur...so here we are. Chef, if you are reading this, please either add red pepper flakes to the description, or ditch the red pepper flakes. I left most of the dish behind. She did offer to replace it, but by that time a) the damage was done and b) I did not feel like waiting around in the claustrophobic setting while also adding to her apparently insane stress level. I was hoping she'd just comp the dish, but she didn't. All around, there's no need for me to return. I'm glad other reviewers had better experiences, but this place is not my cup of tea at all. read more

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It's always a delight to randomly stop at a restaurant and find....they know what they are doing. Solid service... well-prepared dishes. read more

Bizou - Delicious Pasta - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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