We love coming here! Staff is always really friendly, food always great and gets to you fast. French onion soup is amazing!

Disclaimer: My rating is based on the service I received making a take-out order. The Café Bistro menu is one of my favorites! I come here every time I swing by the mall & sometimes, I will use the café as an excuse to come shopping. I'm sure you'll enjoy anything on the menu, but I highly recommend getting the goat cheese panini! Being an active person, setting time aside to leave Yelp reviews is toward the end of my list. Mostly because I feel obligated to leave detailed reviews about my experience. That being said, my experience at the Tacoma Mall Café Bistro really irked me. I tagged along with my cousin, who was doing a little shopping, I decided to drop by the café and order out to have lunch for later. I get to the register and am faced with 2 people--a sparse-haired man and a girl who looks to have been in training. I normally have my Nordstrom card on me but I didn't have it this time. I wasn't aware an ID was needed either as I've never had to go through the process of looking up my card. I politely asked if we could look my card up and the man immediately says "NO, don't look it up!" He spoke in such a condescending manner that it even made me feel uncomfortable. (For reference, the man was Caucasian, a little larger, had sparse, black hair, combed front bangs, goatee, maybe mid-30's.) No problem, I have my debit card. I hand that over and the girl taking my order began asking for the last 6 of my social (to look up my card).. I think she was confused as to what was going on. The man snatches "WE'RE NOT LOOKING UP HER CARD BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T HAVE HER ID!" He spoke as if he were trying to intimidate---taking anger out on my situation to her as if I could not observe what was happening. I was truly offended. I could not believe Nordstrom had hired this man. I am a Nordstrom frequent and have been in contact with countless employees. Not once have I ever been treated like a thief. He had no manners, no empathy, and he looked miserable working there. I felt bad for the poor girl. I'm sadden to leave this review because I love Nordstrom to the core. However, I think the Café management needs to make more careful hiring decisions or have more in-depth training about the Nordstrom value. I will continue coming to this café for the food unless I happen to see him at the front. Otherwise, I will choose the latter and go elsewhere. Shopping and dining out are luxuries and if I can avoid encountering situations like this one, I definitely will. read more

Nock you socks off great. Highly recommend the salmon Niçoise salad. If you are a French onion soup connoisseur you will be truly amazed.

Amazing food. Once we walked thru the doors you could smell the fresh lasagna being made. We got served our food in about 25 minutes which is not bad for a fancey place like this. The lights were a bit dimmer than usual but that's ok. My wife and I enjoyed every bit of the place. We most likely will be back when we are in the area. Also an FYI. If you get the apple pie make sure you tell them to heat it up before hand because the crust was a bit hard. read more

Love this place! I have yet to find anything on the menu that is not phenomenal. I actually look forward to the mall because of the bistro. Have fun! read more

What could have been a great dish ended up being a terrible disappointment. My risotto was undercooked, overly peppered, and my asparagus was burned! The only thing the dish had going for it was that it had a few healthy-sized prawns that were okay at best. To make matters worse, the waitstaff didn't even check in with me as I was obviously having a terrible time with my meal (I was pushting aside the burnt parts). Terrible service, poor quality food and high prices, what happened to the Nordstrom Cafe? It used to be so good... read more

Great staff quality food and nice atmosphere. Prices well it's Nordy's 16.50 for the dip and 3.75 for the great Strawberry Lemonade. Free refills too. read more

I scoured menus online to pick a restaurant to celebrate my birthday. Cafe Bistro was deemed the winner with both grilled cheese and French onion soup on the menu. I'd had a pleasant take out experience in the past, so I was excited to try the table service. (I'd like to apologize for not leaving a raving review at that time. I've added any extra star here to compensate.) This time I had a rather unpleasant host taking my order. I was desperately searching the menu for the most-anticipated grilled cheese sandwich, and I couldn't find it! I ordered my other items, including the tortellini for my one child tagging along. Wait, excuse me, it was a tortelloni as the host bluntly corrected me. Finally, I asked about the grilled cheese. The host says, yes there is grilled cheese. Whew! I thought I missed it. He starts to ask about a soup and drink for the grilled cheese, then I have to stop him to ask, "Is this an adult or child grilled cheese sandwich?" He says it's from the children's menu. I tell him nevermind, since I still have only one child with me. On a positive note, my waiter Kris was totally awesome. He even offered my kiddo Parmesan cheese for her tortellini. That's right; he called it tortellini. Bottom line: your online presence is rather small. Please update all your online menus when you make changes. read more

Fabulous cilantro lime shrimp salad.... And the bread pudding?!? Worth a trip just for that!

3 of us ordered the crab mango salad and hot tea..the salad consisted of literally one cup of stringy unchewable parsley ..one teaspoon of crab..one teaspoon of diced mango..two slices of red onion and one teaspoon of diced mango.on the side were two very thin slices of avacado and there was toast..the cost after tip was $70.00 I realize its lunch at Nordstroms but we expected to at least see crab read more

This is one of my go-to places for extra fancy dessert. The white chocolate raspberry bread pudding is amazing! Like the other reviews state, it is odd to have to pay first, but if you already know what you want it can be sort of nice. The crab bisque is also pretty good! The only down sides are feeling rushed when ordering, hit and miss service, and having to remember to bring cash for the tip. Haven't tried anything else because the prices are a little steep and if I want to spend $$ I'd rather go somewhere with a less weird set up. read more

This place was hard to find. Not familiar with the area, but I'm 9 months pregnant and I wanted pizza. I had to walk the mall twice trying to find it since none of the mall directories had it listed. Finally on their website it mentioned Nordstrom's, then I saw a small floor sign saying it was located upstairs... They make you order and pay when you walk in, but then seat you and wait on you like a restaurant. I had to have my card ran twice to be able to tip the server. Which I thought was incredibly stupid way to run a restaurant. The basic salad was 7$ and had about 14 pieces of lettuce (I did not actually count them). The pizza was good, but was also overpriced for the size. Over all I spent $30 for my solo lunch with no leftovers. Absolutely felt ripped off. The server was nice and attentive though. Hence why I wanted to leaver her a tip, which resulted in my card being ran again to pull money out of their till. Silly. read more

If I'm at the mall this is THE place to eat. The food is always amazing and the service is very good! I love the cilantro lime salad and it is my go to dish if I'm in a salad mood. The shrimp they use are delicious, cooked just right and good size. The only downfall is I hardly ever carry cash and since you pay upfront leaving a tip is tricky...I normally have to plan in advance and make sure I have a little cash on hand. FYI, not all locations use the same meat in the salad (in California the same salad is a chicken salad, not shrimp....but still equally amazing). read more

I had the wild AK salmon with fresh gazpacho salsa! This was AMAZING. My husband had the herb goat cheese chicken sandwich with fries and this amazing olive dip. ALSO Delicious! :0) If you're at the mall, it's the best little place to sneak away to with your family. It stays busy, but hardly ever packed. Make sure you grab a menu and pick your selections while you wait, because you pay up front, then you are seated and served. They also have an amazing breakfast. While it's not on the menu all the time, they serve it ALL the time, you just gotta ask! :0) read more

If you are at the mall in Tacoma this is probably one of the best places around amongst most of the trashy typically mall joints but that does not say much. The food at the Nordstrom Bistro is not bad but definitely does not live up to the Nordstrom name. It is good for a salad or a sandwich and soup and the intimate space offers a great place to relax and talk after being at Nordstrom for an hour or two. The service definitely leaves something to be desired as most of the staff are arrogant and slower than necessary. The prices are so-so and I think that is a great way to sum up Nordstrom Bistro: everything is so-so. If you are going here thinking it is the Nordstrom Grill you will be very disappointed. read more

I was accompanied by my husband around 3:00 pm one evening. The place had about another two couples dinning. We stood there no one greeted us. We stood around for about 5-7 mins total and the waiters and hostess' simply looked at us while they continued their conversation. (They did that multiple times) Finally, another couple came in who just so happened to be Anglosaxon and they received immediate service. Hmmm.. I feel bad for the owner who lost revenue and who knows how many more customers are treated the same. Lastly, the tables were stacked with dirty dishes. That was no surprise since I observed that no one is really doing there job there. read more

The somewhat new menu is horrible. Use to be on our top 10 for best place to eat in Tacoma and to meet friends their, Now its 0. The main entrees are mostly fish/crab/salmon/shrimp. Not everyone wants that. I so miss their prime rib dip which was awesome and the 1/2 chicken dish, and chicken angel hair pasta dish, not to mention others. Our friends tell us the same. Had the quiche and the pastry part was burnt but the quiche part was ok. Wouldn't order it again. So bummed that will not be going back for quite some time until a newer menu comes out hopefully with a better selection. read more

We have been here several occasion. The food is great and so is the service. The French Dip and Salmon with Risotto is a must. But if you get dessert, you have to try the bread pudding with white chocolate and raspberry. It's a nice, quiet place to eat. It's not very private, but that's okay for us. There is not much scenery, but food and service is consistently good. I would recommend this place to my family and friends. read more

This is my go to lunch cafe! Very good food. Love love their fries and house sauce. My kids also enjoy eating here. Great kids meals that come with fruit. Always fast and friendly. read more

Beautiful decor classy yet trendy. Lots of wood paneling and stone. Ambiance was dim mood lighting perfect for a romantic dining. Service was fast, friendly, and with great tending. The Kalamata Olive Dip is so good. read more

My favorite sandwiche, French Dip! I also love the olive dip for the fries. It is one of my favorite lunch spots in Tacoma. Fast, easy and delicious. read more

The little restaurant that could. One of the best places to eat in Tacoma. Never had a bad meal there. Great service and the prices are very reasonable for the delicious food offered. read more

My friends & I come here all the time. Too many to count! The atmosphere is very calming and clean. The food is tasty. I have NO complaints. Every visit I try something new on the menu. If you're contemplating on what to order try the chef's daily special. It never fails to satisfy! Lastly, the staff here are very friendly! They're very understanding and do their best. If you don't know where to eat at the Tacoma mall then go here. Also, try the kalamata olive aioli dip with your meal it's so delectable. read more

First time I've been to Bistro. The waiter and cashier were SO SWEET! One of the best service I've seen. I usually don't pay $15-20 or more a dish...but dang...the angel hair pasta was worth it! The chicken...pasta...sauce...so fancy yet DELICIOUS! And I can't even begin to describe how wonderful the bread pudding was...BEST DESSERT EVER! No joke...I most definitely will be going back soon. :D YOU HAVE TO GET THE BREAD PUDDING!!!! read more

One of my favorite places. Mainly due to the crab bisque being the best soup I have ever had.

Best servers (Stephanie, Diana, Eugene, Chris, I can't remember them all), best manager Michael, best food! Ten stars.

winderful foood, especially the chicken breast with the white sauce, how i love the white sauce. nthe chef is friendly, the service great, it's a treat as it is expensive, but compared to the other places to eat at the mall, extraordinary no children running under toe or yelling, i love children, but at nap and bedtime it is cruel to have them out, when they should have eaten, taken a bath, or their nap, they are tired and upset. nordstrom as always is a delight. sryan. read more