Third time here as an out-of-towner. Same great hospitality and food. Our children were welcomed, and made some wonderful healthy but kid-friendly food. We had halibut, a special chicken Florentine and a flatiron steak. All prepared expertly. Good, complex flavors. Jason, our server, took expert care of us. Thanks again J Bistro! read more

So happy to find good food when at Cedar Point. Refreshing, modern decor, decent wine selection. Small, ever-changing menu but something for everyone. Accommodates small kids food preferences with usual fair, i.e. chicken fingers, buttered noodles, etc. Brussels sprouts, crab Mac-n-cheese, sea bass--everything was excellent. Highly recommend. read more

Very good food, chef-inspired in the heart of Sandusky. Love the atmosphere of this place, cozy yet classy. Love the drink menu. I had a raspberry gimlet and a lavender martini. All three guys had filet and I had the evening special sea bass. Oysters Rockefeller appetizer with the bread and oil, Brussel sprouts (yum), and we split a lemon custard with berries dessert. Total bill for all was $209 which I thought was very reasonable. Waiter was Jason, he was very knowledgeable and extremely competent. Would definitely recommend. read more

Amazing service and food. Flatbreads are fantastic. Great with kids as well. It's #1 on Yelp for a reason!!!

We were staying at Kalahari and we were looking for a nice meal at a non chain restaurant. We read the reviews and liked them. We drove by twice. The sign is subtle and hard to see in the dark. So once in side, we sat at the bar which is very contemporary and upscale, yet the bartender was very welcoming and personable. We had the bruschetta appetizer, which was excellent. For our entrees, we had Salmon Oscar Special and the Filet Mignon, both came with generous portions of cheddar mashed potatoes and a side of vegetables. Steak was one of the best I've ever had. Well worth the money. Salmon was cooked perfectly. We each had three import beers, they had our favorites and our total bill before tip was $105 dollars. Excellent value for very nice meal in elegant surroundings with very friendly staff. We live 100 miles away and we are coming back! read more

Food was ok-We had the cheese platter which was good, but had a weird variety. Drinks were not very good and not proportional. Overall, not worth the money. read more

Wonderful Sea Bass dish & Pappardelle pasta for our birthday celebration. Delicious! Our waiter, Jason, was so pleasant & equally efficient in serving us. Thank you for a wonderful dinner in a clean, inviting, & relaxing atmosphere.Taking the boat over from Kelleys Island was well worth it! read more

I went here with one of my friends this weekend. This place has a fantastic atmosphere and our service was great. We tried the duck and foie gras meatballs and they were delicious! I had one of the specials of the day which was smoked salmon fettuccine and I was very pleased with my meal. The salmon was awesome. My friend had a burger and fries and said it was good too. This place is a bit pricey, but I definitely think it was worth it! It would be a great place for a date because the atmosphere is nice, cozy and romantic. read more

Out of this world! The food is so delicious! The staff is amazing! If I'm ever in Ohio again I will definitely eat here.

Have eaten lunch and dinner there. Spectacular service and upscale cuisine. Deliciously prepared fare. I had lunch twice in the past two months- the tomato bisque, Brussel sprouts were quite exceptional. I would highly recommend. Lastly the decor is quite tasteful - you would think you're dining in a large metro city and not Sandusky ;) Sarah our server was Exceptional with a capital E. read more

Had one of our best dinners ever at J Bistro last night! Celebrated my father's birthday dinner with family and couldn't have asked for a better experience and meal! The food was superb and the service was excellent! We always look forward to sharing a great meal with friends and family whether it's for celebration or just a night out this is the place to go. read more

What a little gem in the middle of Sandusky! We happened upon this after meeting family visiting Cedar Point. I have eaten at many fine establishments and this easily rivals the best and brightest. Loved the smoked potato soup. Gnocchi was to die for and the smoked salmon was a wonderful compliment. Flashed fried cauliflower was also delicious. The toasted coconut cheesecake was sinfully good, one of the best types of cheesecake I've ever tasted. The service was also great. My only beef concerns pricing. I think it's ridiculous at such a pricey place to charge an extra $2.00 for bread. And while we enjoyed our sea bass, it was a special not listed on the menu. We presumed it would be in the same price range as the main dishes, around $25.00 so we were shocked to get the bill and find it was $36.00! The server should definitely mention the price when she advertises the specials. read more

Honestly, this is the new "it" place in town. So many great items to mention; our family began with the bruschetta, which was unique and better than any I've ever had, the hubs got a blackened filet, my son got lobster risotto (an entire tail), they have an excellent wine and cocktail menu, and my personal favorite was the flour-less chocolate cake. Both the garden and beet salads were delicious, the garlic cheddar mashed potatoes were good w/out being overwhelming, and the bourbon mashed sweet potatoes were to die for. The former executive chef from Bay Harbor now runs J Bistro, and he brought the former GM of BH, who now runs J Bistro's front of the house. Definitely hit BH if you want King crab legs, but for everything else, J Bistro tops it, hands down. Perfect food, drinks, and service--you will not be sorry. Oh, and Happy Hour was jumpin' on Friday! read more

This place is putting Sandusky on the culinary map. Went to a Great Lakes beer dinner last week and the food was amazing. They had even scored Engine #20 which is never available outside of the brewery in Cleveland. The chef is creative, the food is top notch and the live music on weekends is great. I love the sea bass and my wife loves the scallops with Ohio sweet corn risotto. The lemon velvet Cream dessert is over the top. Service i is quite good and the wine list is well balanced with good depth. The crab pizza with their house olive oil crust is too good to miss. read more

This establishment truly deserves a 5 star review (even though I can't exactly figure out how to do 5 stars on this website. My daughter and I had a lovely dinner there. The food was absolutely superb; the service was fantastic (very attentive but not cloying); the jazz duo was great and really added to the mood of comfortable sophisticated elegance; and the decor was contemporary, warm and inviting. read more

Very nice date night for our anniversary. Quiet and very nice decor. Great service from every staff member. The menu was small but diverse. I'd make the 45 minute drive just for an appetizer and desert because the shrimp tacos were out of this world as was the cheesecake ! read more

Everything about our experience was superb. Our waiter was attentive and helpful, the environment was excellent and the quality of the meals was wonderful. We would definitely recommend this restaurant and will certainly return again. read more

What a gem! We loved this cute little restaurant. We were in town for a conference and wanted to avoid the chain restaurants. It was a little slow for a Saturday night but the food was great! It was easy to find, parking right across the street. The Brussel sprouts app was delicious as were the scallops and risotto. The prices are just under $30 for dinners but I felt it was worth it. read more

Really great food and excellent service right in downtown Sandusky. Stopped by after reading other yelp reviews and was really pleased. The Caesar salad was wonderful! I also have the mushroom flatbread that was just right in size and tasted great. Strong wine menu and exceptional service at the bar was nice. Would go back for sure. read more

J Bistro is a great little spot downtown. Don't leave without trying the Chilean Sea Bass! It is phenomenal.

Great spot for private events! We had our rehearsal dinner at J.Bistro and Jesse did an amazing job putting everything together. The food, service and atmosphere were perfect! Everyone especially loved the brussel sprouts! read more

I recommend the Brussel sprouts, arugula salad, and crabmeat Mac-n-cheese. The menu is small, but wonderful. The staff could not be more gracious read more

Enjoyed an early meal there last night. Service was attentive and thoughtful (Jason?). We enjoyed one of the specials -Cajun Grouper - with shrimp and scallops. It was prepared very nicely. All the fish was appropriately cooked, spiced well but not overstated. We tried the flour-less chocolate cake dessert and it was wonderful. We will definitely return. read more

Food is always delicious! Staff is great! Jason is by far my favorite server! Oh, and try the dirty pickle martini!

I rarely write a negative review for restaurants, but J Bistro really seems to be going downhill. We've eaten there a half dozen times ... and last night probably was our last. It was a Saturday night and we had 7 p.m. reservations. At least 1/3 of the tables were empty, and yet we were kept waiting for close to 10 minutes before being seated. Then, upon ordering we were told they were already out of their Sea Bass special, so we ordered the salmon. Five minutes later the waitress came back to tell us they were out of the salmon. To top things off, when we ordered a second bottle of the wine we were drinking, she came back and told us they were out of that as well. If they can afford to remodel their dining room ... you'd think they could afford to buy enough food on a Saturday night to feed their guests! read more

The food is expensive. Not much on the menu. Barely any craft beer. Not very kid friendly. The sea bass was good, but small portion.

Drove through Sandusky and made the right choice to stop at J Bistro for lunch. Great service and delish food. Brussels sprouts and scallops were standouts but everything we ordered was great. read more

I went here on a date not to long ago, we both had heard great things and thought why not. The servers were great, but the food was down right horrible we will not be back it was cold and looked as if it had been sitting read more

Best food in Sandusky - definitely try the maple Brussels sprouts..awesome! Great service, great food, just an outstanding dining experience. read more

amazing meal at J Bistro....great place for fine dining, near the park and good w kids too!

Great menu and the food is amazing. The space is very comfortable and the staff is beyond welcoming. Highly recommend.

Been here several time. Decor was oddly sterile newness in an historic building, which does not age well. Mostly good experiences but a few clinkers, too. Will go again but always taking a chance with both food and service. read more

We visited this restaurant shortly after they opened. They were located by Jolly Donut on RT 250. I didn't have the greatest experience before- I am convinced I got food poisoning (Sandusky isn't the best place to find fresh saltwater seafood- my dumb mistake)- the hubs just chalked it up to me eating too much. He wanted to go on a date tonight after work; so we decided to give them another chance at their new downtown location in Sandusky. Again- my mistake. We decided to go with beers to drink; and started our meal with smoked oysters (bar snacks- 2 came as a serving). They were creatively displayed on smoking (literally smoking) hardwood chips in a small plate. The "fishy" flavor was pretty assertive, but they were edible. We also ordered cured olives (decent sized portion- larger than the olive offering at Crush, around the block). The BOH staff kindly removed the pits before serving, too! I understand the rustic aspect of serving them pit-in, but a pile of pits isn't very appetizing while you're dining. Next course was salads. The Hubster decided on an arugula, grape, and bacon salad; and I chose the beet salad. Upon table delivery, the server offered s+p. We ignorantly assumed the salads were already seasoned- what legit chef does not properly season all courses?? Minutes later, I requested the s+p. The grapes were not peeled in Hubster's salad; and the beets were flavorless and not seasoned in mine. Next course was entrees- flat iron steak with fries and Colossal shrimp spaghettini. I will give credit where it is due, as the steak arrived to the table as a perfect medium rare, as requested. There, however, was no seasoning on the steak whatsoever. They did add a baby hand sized clump of bleu cheese on top; with another heaping pound of arugula on top of the cheese. The flat iron was also served with underseasoned French fries. The shrimp pasta arrived with a fair amount of sauce; however, it was served on what seemed like half a tub of creme fraiche. The hot pasta was served on top of that, and topped with shrimp and the rest of the tub of creme fraiche, in an ice cream scooped shape. The spaghettini was not overcooked; however, the shrimp were massacred. They were indeed colossal; and by most ignorant American's standards, a value. The shrimp were cooked to hell though... So much so that I had to saw them in half with my knife. They were the consistency of the tiny bouncy balls you get out of a quarter machine outside KMart. I mentioned the shrimp to the server, who said she'd show the BOH staff. I explained that I wasn't trying to be a cheapass just trying to get the meal comp'ed... Apparently, they disagreed. The server came back to clear the table, and explained that they were working on discounting the check. The Hubster and I are foodies; and enjoy well-cooked meals, fine dining or food truck. We don't try to dine at fancy restaurants on a Ryan's buffet budget- we're willing to put money down for good food. I did not pay attention to the menu price for the pasta, but was a bit surprised when the bill came back to the table. The price for the pasta was $30 on the bill; and it showed that $15 was taken off the bill. The pasta was priced higher than the flat iron steak. How does that even make sense?! White truffles were not shaved over it; and the shrimp were definitely not flown in from the coast yesterday. I'm honestly not sure what the "chef" was smoking when he decided on the prices. I would have not have blinked an eye at the price if the shrimp were cooked correctly though. The kicker was that as we were leaving, the Hubster glanced over the menu at the entree prices on our way out. The menu priced the Colossal Shrimp Spaghettini at $28. I'm not a cheapass, so $2 isn't a biggie, BUT the fact that they jacked up MY order of it $2 and then 'discounted' our check $15 is just insulting to my intelligence. The Hubster said they charged us a $2 'Hurt Feelings' fee for suggesting the kitchen's performance was inadequate. I would have been ok with a less than fantastic dinner- flavor and execution wise, but I have a big problem with their shameless display of sheistiness when it came to the bill. J Bistro will never receive our business, or our friends'. We will definitely stick to Crush or Zinc, or a real restaurant in Cleveland. read more