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    ChouChou French Bistro

    4.1 (154 reviews)
    Open 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    ChouChou French Bistro Photos

    Business Info

    CHOUCHOU FRENCH BISTRO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Upscale
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Mari A.

    Did not yelp this place prior to dining. I was expecting French tiny meals but instead huge portions! Service is great to me however our server gave the wrong entrees to a few people in our group. Nice resto overall and tasty. I ordered tuna tartare, salmon en croute, and molten chocolate for dessert, all yummy, truly a 4.5.

    Beef Bourguignon
    Steve L.

    Made reservations for a Saturday night. They were packed, which is good I suppose. This is the space that Stella Alpina had before they moved. We like how it is brighter. I will note and you should be aware that they put the tables in there pretty close so you are essentially right next to your neighbors. If someone got up, they would have to squeeze through a small opening and let's just say a few other diners butt hit our table on both sides. Now the great part... the food is delicious and well prepared. We had the prix fixe menu and added a French onion soup. We enjoyed everything: - calamari - escargot - beef bourguignon - salmon in a puff pastry - desserts Great service and friendly staff. Slight lull between starters and entree but kitchen was most likely slammed. I would definitely be back. Though if you are claustrophobic consider a non weekend night.

    S.F. restaurant week menu
    Lizzie S.

    My parents like this place! It's near where they live in my hometown but we've also gone to their SF location. Service is always good. Lots of families at this location (it is, after all, Burlingame.) Yummy salad--tastes fresh and I like their added added ingredients, makes it feel special. The escargot wasn't overly buttery, seemed less traditional but still good. Rack of lamb is large and flavorful. Sweet creme brulee, warm fluffy molten lava cake. Can't go wrong with anything! We keep coming back.

    Cassoulet
    Sandhya G.

    This is a charming little French place. They also have a restaurant in San Francisco and I appreciated that the Burlingame location was part of SF Restaurant week in early November. Being a French place, I was curious to try their French Onion Soup and the Cassoulet. Both were solid- very good and as expected. You won't go wrong if you order these dishes. My friend had the steak and it was perfectly cooked generous portion with mashed potatoes and broccolini. For dessert, we got the opera cake and the bread pudding. The opera cake was average but the bread pudding was quite nice. They have an extensive wine list (of course of French wines) and champagnes. Our prix fixe dinner for restauarnt week was a great deal - for $70, you got a glass of wine, a starter, main and dessert and all off the regular menu. As far as the inside and ambiance, I thought it was charming. It is brightly lit which I liked. The waiters are French and very sweet. If you want classic French food, you cannot go wrong with this place!

    Duck Wellington

    Tasty food. Tried mussels as well as escargot appetizers. Kind of wish there was more bread given to soak up more of the tasty sauces. Duck confit Wellington was definitely an interesting dish. The duck was cooked well without being dry. Didn't get a chance to try dessert as was too full.

    Mussels
    Haley L.

    I've never been to a French restaurant so I had no idea what to expect but it definitely exceeded my expectations. The set menu is a great price if you're hungry and everyone in your party wants a starter, entree and dessert. Only a couple people in our party did it but it was nice we didn't all have to. For starters, we ordered the French onion soup, escargot, mussels, and crab salad. They also gave us bread and butter which we did ask for more of to dip into the mussels sauce. They were all good but didn't 'wow' me. I wish the crab salad came with more salad lol. The entrees were all perfectly cooked! The duck leg confit was a little difficult to navigate through the bones. It was so tender it fell off the bone but was messy with the pastry puff. The filet was perfectly cooked and the sauce paired well. Other people in our party got the rack of lamb and beef bourguignon and they were both great. I would love to come back and try more of their menu and their extensive wine list.

    Filet
    Joanna S.

    A great meal and nice service from the only server on a slow Tuesday night. A relaxing evening. We started with complimentary warm bread and butter. Then we had excellent deep fried calamari and vegetables. For mains, DH had a really wonderful burger. I had the filet. Both were ordered medium rare and we'd order again! We ended with the warm chocolate lava cake topped with vanilla ice cream. We will be back!

    Duck Confit Wellington
    Christine L.

    I didn't make a reservation in advance for Valentine's Day dinner, but luckily, Chou Chou had a table for our group of 5 at 6:15 pm. The prix fixe menu was amazing. I felt like I was in Paris, enjoying great food and good company. A big thank you to Chou Chou for making our evening special! I was especially impressed with the Duck Confit Wellington--everyone who loves French cuisine should try it. Our server was super sweet and attentive, keeping everything on point. My only suggestion would be to soften the lighting, as the bright white light didn't quite match the cozy, romantic ambiance.

    We visited on Valentine's Day, and only the $85 three-course prix fixe menu was available. It was about 20% more than their regular pricing, but that felt reasonable given the special occasion. We arrived around 6:30 pm and noticed there were about seven available two-person tables. However, the host initially seated us at the least desirable tables. After we requested a change, we were moved to a nicer table by the window. While they accommodated us, the initial seating choice left a slightly negative first impression. For appetizers, my husband ordered the escargot and enjoyed it. I had the onion soup, which tasted a bit bland even for someone who prefers a low-sodium diet. For our main courses, my husband liked the short ribs, and I enjoyed the duck leg confit Wellington. Both dishes were well-prepared but leaned toward the low-sodium side. For dessert, the crème brûlée was fine, while the opera cake was a bit too sweet for our taste. Our waitress was attentive and friendly, though the food pacing was slightly slow. Overall, the food was solidly 4 stars, but the service experience brought the rating down by one star.

    John I.

    My partner and I had been wanting to try this place for a while, as it always looks so cute and cozy from the outside. So when we finally had a free evening to try it out, we were very excited. Unfortunately, it ended up being a pretty disappointing experience. We walked in on a Friday at around 8, and the restaurant was very full. It's hard to tell from the street, but it's actually much larger inside than it appears - however, we later heard they overbooked their max capacity for the evening, and I think that was the cause of our issues for the night. We waited about 15 minutes before anyone even came up to us. Then it was another 15 until we were seated... Another 10 until a waitress came up to us... Ultimately, our appetizers didn't arrive until over an hour after we were seated, and our mains came about an hour after that. I will say, when the appetizers did arrive, they were pretty tasty. We ordered the baked brie and French onion soup - the French onion soup was pretty good, but the baked brie was definitely the standout of our Chouchou experience. It had a light, flaky exterior, with warm, flavorful brie melted perfectly throughout the middle. For mains, we got the filet mignon and the burger. My filet was good and cooked perfectly medium rare, but it was a bit bland in flavor and required some extra salt and pepper to help it along. The burger, though, was disappointing - it was dry and quite overcooked, and lacked any real flavor. We got the molten lava cake for dessert, which was tasty and probably our second favorite item next to the baked brie. While our waitress was kind and clearly doing her best, our experience was pretty significantly hampered by the excruciatingly long waits. Many other tables around us expressed similar disappointment, and several of them ended up asking for their food to be cancelled or made to-go due to the long wait. The fact that both our entrees were also average to subpar didn't help. I'm hoping we just caught Chouchou on a particularly busy night... But regardless, I think it'd be great if they're able to sort out their staffing and booking situation to avoid similar experiences. Would love to be able to come back and have a better experience in the future!

    Chicken
    Pallavi P.

    Celebrated a birthday in the family here. We were seated promptly, and although I had mentioned we were celebrating a birthday on the reservation and when we were being seated, there was no acknowledgement of any sort. Felt weird. The tables are located close together which can make the noise level seem high being in a closed indoor setting. One of our party who needs hearing aids found this particularly uncomfortable. This may not be an issue for most folks, but sharing in case this affects someone else with similar needs. We got some appetizers to share - the fried calamari, tuna tartare and the French onion soup. Of these, the French onion soup had a generous helping of cheese and looked the part, although it tasted rather bland. For the main course we got 1. the filet mignon - the person who got this was very happy with their dish. 2. The rack of lamb, despite requesting this to be medium, this was a mix of chops done medium and some pieces overdone to the point that they were inedible and couldn't be chewed on. Meh! 3. We also got the Beef Bourgnion, which was okay, 4. The chicken which was rated as okay 5. The fish en papillote, which was a special as explained by the server, but they failed to mention its price. We ended up asking for the price and eventually ordering it. The service was spotty, with waters not getting refilled until we asked and no one to check if we wanted more alcohol. Oh well! After waiting for a while for someone to get us the dessert menu, we ordered the opera cake and the bread pudding, both of which were delicious. They finally acknowledged the birthday and gave the birthday person a complimentary creme brulee, which also tasted great. Overall, a good place, but not one that I will want to return to in a hurry given the mediocre food and service here and the multitude of choices available in Burlingame.

    fries with parmesan
    Margaret T.

    I've been on a French kick lately, and have been looking for new restaurants to try. Enter ChouChou French Bistro. Not sure when it took over the Stella (the previous restaurant), but I've definitely seen it in passing for some time now. Service is really good. The waitstaff keep a close eye on you and make sure water glasses are always filled and they'll anticipate what your needs are before you need to request it. They even took trash from someone who wasn't even dining in! An individual dropping off a customer handed the server what I'm presuming to be an empty coffee cup to throw away, but I was taught to not leave outside trash at the restaurant - especially when there's plenty of public trash cans around downtown Burlingame!! I find it rather rude, but staff handled it graciously by taking the cup off his hands. For dinner, there's two menus: a 3-course tasting menu for $65 or an a la carte option. We opted to order a la carte and decided upon the following: 1. Grilled artichoke ($16) - tasted pretty light and healthy. Came with a tangy aioli that ended up being a great dipping sauce for the fries! 2. Chouchou mussels ($16) - comes with a couple pieces of garlic bread. The white wine sauce itself was VERY creamy. I prefer the sauce to be a little lighter, but it was good for dipping the bread in. We also got complimentary bread as a starter, so you can always request more bread if needed. 3. Boeuf bourguignon ($40) - classic French dish made very well according to my fiancé. Beef was very tender and flavor was good. Also came with a scoop of mashed potatoes. 4. Mushroom souffle ($33) - I decided to get this one since it's something interesting and I've never had a savory souffle before. While the first few bites were good, I found myself getting bored of it pretty quickly and wanting hot sauce to spice it up (very Asian of me). My fiancé used the sauce from his dish to give it an extra boost, and he said it was much better. 5. Fries with parmesan ($12) - standard side dish of fries that came with a couple dipping sauces. They can make it extra crispy too! There's outdoor dining with heaters and the interior dining space is cozy. It wasn't a super busy night when we came in, but it can get a bit loud inside. Once it emptied out, it does feel like a nice place to have a chill, relaxing dinner!

    Boeuf Bourguignon/Filet De Boeuf Charolais

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    It was great but it took 25 minutes to place our drink order and the butter and dessert tasted old

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    Great classic French cuisine. Friendly staff that provided great suggestions for folks not familiar with French food. Would highly recommend

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    ChouChou French Bistro Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - ChouChou French Bistro

    Is there a set price for the Thanksgiving menu?

    Do they have a cocktail menu or do they only serve wine?

    As of two months ago, they only served champagne and wine. I hope they get a liquor license for cocktails!

    May I ask how much is the corkage fee?

    I believe $25. Best check with restaurant.

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    Gigi's Cafe

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    Gigi's catered at an event I attended and this was my first time trying their food. The sandwich…read morewas delicious and was a genuinely unique combination of ingredients. Everything tasted fresh and well-balanced. The kitchen sink cookie and guava lemonade were stars on their own. I got to meet the Gigi's owner who was so friendly as well! I'm excited to visit their brick and mortar and make my way through their menu.

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    Embassy Suites by Hilton San Francisco Airport Waterfront

    Embassy Suites by Hilton San Francisco Airport Waterfront

    2.4
    (637 reviews)
    0.9 mi
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    I checked in on the Hilton app the morning of my reservation and even selected my room, but I never…read morereceived my digital key. When I arrived around 10:00 p.m., I had to go to the front desk to check in. The lobby was packed with guests because Hilton was experiencing a nationwide system outage. After waiting in line, I was informed that the ocean-view room I had specifically selected and paid for had already been given away. Instead of honoring my reservation or offering a comparable solution, I was simply assigned a different room. To make matters worse, the front desk associate told me they would waive my parking fee as compensation for the inconvenience. Later, I discovered that the parking lot is open to the public because it is connected to the oceanfront trail. There is no gate, no parking attendant, no security monitoring the lot, and guests are not charged to park there in the first place. In other words, they offered me something that was already free, making it feel like they were trying to appease me without providing any real compensation. The nationwide system outage was beyond the hotel's control, and I understand that. However, giving away the room I had already selected and paid for, then misleading me into believing I was receiving meaningful compensation when I wasn't, was extremely disappointing. I expected much better customer service and accountability from Hilton. I will be making sure to tell all my friends and family what type of experience I had!

    We've stayed at many Embassy suites throughout the country. Most of them are pretty decent. This is…read moredecent as well. It has a beautiful foyer, great dining area and the front office staff is pleasant. You can't go wrong with the manager's reception nightly with small snacks and two complementary drinks along with the buffet breakfast each morning However, the first evening we were unlucky finding the managers reception so we went to the bar to get a couple drinks, and the bartender was not the most pleasant. He walked away from us when we offered to pay with cash and just said that we don't take cash here and we finally waited and asked for him to please come back so we could order drinks with a credit card he did so with not most pleasant attitude. Another issue on our first day was paying for an "upgrade" to a room smelling deeply of recreational marijuana, which we do not partake in. We are also traveling with a child. We are given furniture that is worn and tattered a bathroom with no stopper and a lightbulb that wasn't working we called maintenance that day my husband left shortly maintenance arrived pretty swiftly however he had to change the bulb and proceeded to leave his tools and ladder in the restroom. Left the room and didn't say when when he was coming back He did return, he let himself in while my daughter and I were getting ready and changing for the evening. It was quite disarming. I called the front desk to let them know and ask if they speak with the manager, no one followed up with Us quite concerning. I guess the bigger issue is just paying for an upgrade when you feel like it's not even a bare minimum of what your visit should consist of doesn't mean we won't return to an Embassy suites just perhaps not this one.

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    Neal's Coffee Shop

    Neal's Coffee Shop

    3.9
    (478 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$
    Family-owned & operated
    Free parking

    Great for a traditional American comfort breakfast. If you love sitting at the counter and watch…read morethe chefs cook in front of you, you'll love this place. At my seat (depicted) you get live behind the scenes of a kitchen. Me personally, I enjoy watching my food being cooked in front of me, so I enjoyed it. I originally went because of looking at the prices on an image on yelp. It was $16 for sausage, eggs, hash browns, and pancakes. That's a great deal! But, once I got there inflation kicked it up to $18. Not the biggest difference to deter, but just letting everyone know the real price. I got pancakes, eggs, hash browns, and bacon (depicted). The eggs were good, pancakes were very good, hash browns were okay, and the reason for 4 star instead of a 5.... the bacon. The bacon wasn't crispy and cooked to order. It was chewy and I guess they cook it before and then heat it up on the griddle after. It is super noticeable from the taste, but especially from the texture. I would recommend this place to anyone, but just be aware with the vital advice I wrote.

    Neal's Coffee Shop is a step back to the '60s and early '70s. My parents (who were born in the…read more1920s) would have liked it. My pork chop dinner included soup or salad, slice of toasted and buttered sourdough, potatoes or rice, vegetables and choice of dessert. All for just under $30 before tip. The meal was as expected for a '60s coffee shop. Salt is the dominant seasoning. The turkey and rice soup was a smart way to use leftover ingredients. The boiled red potatoes were good. The two thin pork chops were supposedly marinated, but I couldn't tell from tasting them. They were over cooked--dry, tough and needed some herbs. DH had the cheeseburger with potato salad and praised the meal. He also devoured my dessert--ice cream with chocolate sauce. Service was friendly and efficient, making me want to return. Next time I'll have something like a sandwich or burger.

    Photos
    Senior plate- Turkey, mash, mixed veggies, sourdough toast, cranberry sauce, salad and ice cream- $11.95 DEAL!
    Senior plate- Turkey, mash, mixed veggies, sourdough toast, cranberry sauce, salad and ice cream- $11.95 DEAL!
    Neal's Coffee Shop
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    ChouChou French Bistro - french - Updated August 2026

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