An update: 12 years later, I now have to eat gluten free and dairy free. I was so glad I was able to put together a wonderful meal! My husband and I shared the Calamar Frit as an appetizer, then I had the mussels with French fries. For dessert, I had a chocolate coconut sorbet that was actually creamy! My husband doesn't have food sensitivities, so he had their Steak Frites, and for dessert an Italian dessert with caramel drizzled on top. Everything was very good, but a definite splurge at ~$80 each for the meal. read more

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This is an Island. Great Restaurants aren't ubiquitous. We learn to tolerate it. But.....Wow Prima Bistro. My wife and her girlfriend went a few times because of their French touch menu. She's been raving about their Trout. We went for lunch Saturday and I was pleased it was full of dinners of all kinds. We were promptly sat and given menus. I perused their extensive choices but landed on the trout. Omg! I've never had trout cooked so well and so tasty. With a touch of lemon and dose of capers the trout is pan fried and finished in the oven, (my guess) in what I assume is first class olive oil. The flavor was incredible and the fish melted in your mouth. The fries served with Duck Fat mayonnaise as an add on is sublime. I wish I would have gotten our servers name. She was excellent from beginning to end including chasing me down the street to return the wallet I left on the table. Whidbey Island has at least one great restaurant. read more

We visit Whidbey Island often and always look forward to Prima Bistro. Our go-to's are the crispy pork belly, steak frites, sweet breads, gugourines and the house salad. I don't know what they dress the salad with but it's one of my favorites. The most recent visit we ordered roast chicken, salad lyonnaise and pork belly. read more

Prima Bistro - Roast chicken with polenta, salad lyonaise, and house salad. - American Near Me - Langley, Washington

Beginning to end, replete with lovely views, just a great experience. Excellent food, well prepared and presented, great birthday present for my wife. read more

We had a few dinner spots in mind on a busy Saturday night and decided to try to beat the rush by putting our name down early. We were quoted an hour at the fish house next door, but were able to be seated right away and on the patio at Prima. We thought about just grabbing appetizers here, but decided to go for it and just get dinner. I do think this would be a great spot for drinks and appetizers. We started with the farmers plate and really enjoyed the house cured meats, cheeses, and bread. We also got a basket of fries and were delighted that they came in a bread basket heaping full of shoestring fries. They were delicious and shareable. Three of us went with the trout grenobloise, a pan seared Idaho rainbow trout, lemon-caper brown butter sauce, and potatoes. The trout was a huge portion drowned in a brown butter sauce. It was fine, definitely not the best or worst I've had. The potatoes, however, were all a bit underdone and I think we would have loved a green instead of or in addition to the potatoes. I didn't eat my potatoes at all because they were a bit under and because we had just had fries anyway. The wine list was great and everyone was able to find a glass that they enjoyed. The service was also good, our water glasses never got below half full and the waiter was incredibly knowledgable. I would definitely recommend grabbing appetizers and drinks on the patio, the view is spectacular. If I were to come back I would definitely get a different entree. read more

Food: walks the walk. Authentic French. They take plain food and make it very good with sauces, herbs and gravies. The roasted chicken was superb. I had the risotto vegetarian with ham added. Great. Service was outstanding in a full house. Ambiance was what the name says...Bistro. Worth going out of the way for. Price was in line with product. read more

really good food, nice outdoor seating and our Waiter was exceptional. He was patient and kind and very accommodating. it was a nice, relaxed dining experience and delicious dishes. read more

One hour for dinner service for cold tasteless food never again. Not a good use of $400 I'd say pass

If you're coming to the island & want to experience the local flavors * favorites. this is the spot! Jesse and Chris behind the bar make this place fun with their small town charm. Prima is always a favorite stop when here you guys read more

Reviewed back to 2017, it was the best in a trip of Northwest islands. Either staying Whidbey Island or coming from upper islands, recommend to have a rest at Langley (although it is not on main WA-525). Came here specially for Confit of Muscovy Duck Leg. And found everything else was at great quality and taste. Without reservation, we had to wait for an hour in the afternoon til 2 PM. Ordered clams, the Duck, Lamb Chops, Truffled Wild Prawns and packed a lamb burger (to-go). read more

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Always have good food here. Go-to favorites are the burger (reliably very good) and the chicken liver mousse (decadent). The bar is creative - they once served duck fat-infused mezcal take on a negroni which was amazing. This is a popular place; recommend reservations, but they also do walk ups if you're feeling lucky. read more

My family came here for dinner one night while I was visiting, and we enjoyed our experience! We didn't have too long before we were seated to our table, but that was probably the fastest service we had for the night (as they were quite busy). The two times I've been I've ordered the steak frites and been satisfied with my selection as the steak is HUGE and the shoestring fries and blue cheese sauce are delicious. My dad ordered the mussels and was very pleasantly surprised with how much meat each of the mussel shells packed. A word to the wise--if it's a cold day, definitely try to sit inside as their heaters don't work! Not their fault as they said the parts they needed are back ordered, but we were quite chilly by the end of our meal. read more

Prima Bistro - Mussels - American Near Me - Langley, Washington

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My wife and I come here a couple times per week. It is one of the good restaurants in a very small town. If there is something unusual on the fresh sheet, we know the kitchen is going to turn out something great. We'll often try things we don't normally get, like this croque provencal and quiche. My sister was visiting and I took her here. This is what we had. Bigger than your head. Don't understand people saying the food is small. Small for who? Anyway ... don't miss out on the warmed olive app. Sounds like a ho hum, but is anything but. Staff is awesome!!! read more

Prima Bistro - American Near Me - Langley, Washington

Excellent service. Pretty knowledgeable about food allergen too. The food also tastes reasonably good (though some dishes may taste slightly better at a top French restaurant. Every dish is decent though, definitely recommend if you're in the area. read more

Prima is nicely situated on 1st Street which give its patio a great view of the Sound. We started with the gougeres (a puffy pastry with cheese in the middle) and while the pastry was very well done, there was just not enough cheese to have any of the cheese flavor that should come with this appetizer. The fried rockfish was perfectly done. Tender and moist and the skinny fries were great. Beet Salad as good with a nice use of Bibb lettuce although the beets could have used a bit more flavor. Service was very attentive and friendly. They are quite good at the COVID-19 precautions although there was a party of seven adults at one table and we noted that they menus were not wiped down prior to re-use, at least one one occasion. But in general they acre working very hard to ensure safety in these difficult times. read more

Prima Bistro - Menu - American Near Me - Langley, Washington

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Delicious lunch spot! Their mussels are a MUST if you enjoy seafood! They are so soft and melt in your mouth. The fries were crispy yet soft - just how I like it! Unfortunately it took over 30 minutes for our food to come out, but we soaked in the ocean view and enjoyed the complimentary bread. I tried the fish and burger as well which were also delicious, but not mind blowing. There is both indoor and outdoor seating. Loved the heat lamps and plastic coverings in the outdoor seating area to protect you from the rain. I would come back again for the mussels! read more

Prima Bistro - Mussels with a side of fries - American Near Me - Langley, Washington

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Curry shrimp served cold, with skins on. How am I to taste the curry flavor when I peel it off? Burger was under-done. Hard to read menus and small portion sizes. If the menu said small bites it would be much more understood. Service is ok, empty a drink to get their attention. Drinks were fantastic. Tl;dr: skip the food, drinks are great. read more

just so awful. Waited over an hour for simple Order and then food was tasteless. Tuna nicoise right out of a can. No dressing. Green salad with dry refrigerated for days chicken. Caesar awful. Fried fish dry and overcooked. Fries soggy and under fried. Waiter barely checked in. I had to go up and ask what the problem Was. They had the decency to deduct from bill but it enough. that place is an utter mess. read more

Absolutely awful service. Friday afternoon. Waited 10 minutes for water and menu. Totally understandable except when you have five employees standing around talking about someone's boat party. They were standing right next to us 5 pm. The hostess did not bring menus she joined the boat conversation. After listening to their conversation and asking for menus and Still waiting after she told someone else to bring menus who did not we left. It was 5:15 pm and only the patio was fulled not a single seat i aide was filled. Terrible. We went next door to Saltwater excellent food and service. We asked our Langley resident friends about it later and they said "yes service is poor and food going down hill we never go anymore". read more

Idk what happened but my friends and I were disappointed, dissatisfied and disgusted. I wanted to bring them to saltwater fish house(one of my favorite seafood restaurants here on Langley) but they said the wait was around 1.5hr(actual turned out to be only 30mins, we would have waited if it was just 30 anyways it was too late) saw primo next door and thought to try it out. We arrived a little before 3pm(start of happy hour), sat us down, looked through the menu and saw some things I wanted to try. Our server came by maybe 5mins later and switched the menus to the happy hour menu(much smaller). Ok no big deal but some of the items I wanted weren't available on the happy hour menu. Friend ordered a rosè, server put the order in then came back for food orders. We ordered crispy pork belly, calamari, mussels, fried oysters and chicken liver mousse. The friend who ordered the rosè left to go check out the bookstore nearby told us to call when the food came. We started playing cards they had available and waited about 35min for the food, mind you we never received the glass of rosè. Server came by with a pot of clams and something fried on top, we were confused because I saw only mussels on the menu, he said wrong table. Maybe about 15min later he brings out our orders one by one. Called my friend to come back. The presentation looked sad, nothing vibrant or inviting. From best to worst, oysters were great, calamari was good(nothing outstanding) mussels were ok(flavor decent but just tasted like alcohol, they didn't cook it long enough), pork belly wasn't 'crispy' how it was named and the chicken liver mousse was foul. I tasted the chicken liver first, there was a thick layer of fat on top(maybe to preserve the mousse idk) I dug inside for the mousse and spread it on the bread, I smelled it and it smelled a little spoiled almost fermented. I thought oh ok maybe it's their own special recipe/process. Took a bite and it tasted like how it smelled, I didn't like it. I didn't tell my friends right away I just said it's not my favorite. They all tasted it and they all didn't like it, it tasted spoiled, as a mousse it should be velvety and easily spreadable. We stopped a different server and asked about the chicken liver, if they 'ferment it', she came back and said the chefs said that they don't ferment it, my friend asked if they could taste it, she brings the plate to them. Our original server came back, he said the cooks tried it and nothing was wrong with it, then my friend also stated that this was the first glass of rosè he recieved, the server said I saw the first order, I thought you recieved it, he thought maybe another server brought it, no one did. We told him no this was the first rosè he recieved. He said he will take off one of the rosé off the bill and take off the chicken liver too. Nice of them to take the items off the bill, but the whole experience still left a bad aftertaste. Probably won't be back here, either wait the hour long wait at saltwater or try the pizzeria across the street. Disappointed with the food and dissatisfied so much we left hangry. read more

Yes, yes yes.... Good food, small but very well space management. Nice gluten free options. Cooked fresh, so give 15mins and grab an ice tea. Only issue was bathroom was way far away. Ofcourse I'll revisit. read more

Prima used to be our go to place for special times. Now they pack the place with so many tables you're inches from the next group. I get that they want serve as many as possible but it's no longer comfortable or intimate for a birthday or anniversary celebration. After our last experience we won't be going back. read more

Wonderful meal tonight for my wife's birthday. Everyone seems so happy and "up" at Prima Bistro. Food was really good, and our waitress Mackenzie was just fantastic. So good to see Prima Bistro thriving! read more

This place was a nice find, the food is French, and so was a the menu... they have an amazing wine list and full bar... there is a lunch menu and a different dinner menu... Some things they have not brought back since Covid, but they are working hard on it. The staff was friendly and will help you navigate the menu if your French is rusty....Parking is on the street, and they have a beautiful rooftop seating when weather cooperates. read more

I have never been more satisfied with restaurant food in my life. The oysters melted in my mouth, the calamari tasted FRESH! It's a black and white difference between this restaurant and others (frozen). Normally I don't like tarts; the breading is too much for my taste for others, but this tartlet... oh my god. It was so good and not too much crust. The lemon custard (?) tastes amazing as well! It took a while to get our food but it was worth the wait because of the amazing quality of the food. A little bit on the pricey side (for the oysters/calamari it was $40+), but I can't rave enough about how delicious everything was! Definitely coming back! read more

Prima Bistro - Oysters (left) and Calamari (right) - American Near Me - Langley, Washington

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Our server was awful. It took him a long time to get to us. Walked past us several times. And during the meal never checked on us. Except to see if we wanted dessert. The place was lively and clearly a fav spot locally. But we found the meal was overpriced and mediocre. read more

We came here as a group of seven and ordered a lot of starters and some entrees to share. Lesson learned: restaurants like these will not serve you very much food. If you are genuinely hungry do not expect to be full. The entrees tasted good, we got the trout and the risotto. They charge for bread (not very much of it) Some of the starters were alright, some were prepared poorly: the salad niçoise had canned tuna and soggy green beans. The snails are tiny but tasted good. The farmers plate was very basic. The service was alright. For two people, an entree per person + starter + baguette is probably enough. read more

We stopped by late on a Saturday evening with a group of 5. Thankfully, we got super lucky and they were able to get us seated right away. The service was a tiny bit slow because they seemed rather busy, but all of the food and cocktails were super tasty. We had the special which was pasta with mint tomato sauce and shrimp. This was an unexpectedly great combo of flavors. We also had the mussels in white wine sauce, calamari, crème brûlée, and chocolate torte which were all amazing. The spring reverie was super refreshing and great for anyone who likes citrusy/sour cocktails read more

It's been a long time since I first checked out this place, and I've been back for lunch and drinks a few times since then. Friends have been saying how incredible it is as a dinner spot, and this weekend we finally made it in to see for ourselves. I've always liked it but now I fully appreciate how spectacular this place really is. During C19 they're being smart--gloves, masks, sanitizer, distancing. They've also temporarily trimmed a couple of the more exotic items from their menu, like bone marrow. But they're still the same place overall. We showed up a little early for dinner and they were still able to seat us. We sat very comfortably inside, but it's worth noting that this place has a big deck with a 180° saltwater view. Food and drink like this in an outdoor setting like that is always a great combination. Staff were very genuine, friendly, and fun, all in their own clothes, no uniforms. But what really stands out about this place is the food. There are tons of starters and small plates, as well as a solid lineup of entrees and usually an interesting special. We stayed off the bigger dishes so we could try as many things as we could. Crispy Pork Belly--this is 2 pieces of pork belly cooked to a hard crunch on the edge with unctuous soft fat throughout. It's done perfectly, but I'm on the wrong side of stuff of the love-it-or-hate-it equation with stuff this fatty. Oysters--A dozen Rock Creek oysters on the half shell. They could have been a little colder, but they were certainly in perfect condition. The white wine mignonette was amazing. Burgundy Snail--delicious, covered with all the garlic, herbs, and butter you could ever hope to see. Served in a tiny iron skillet. Castelvetrano Olives--beautiful, delicate flavors. Minimal salt or brininess. Gougeres--Amazing savory puff pastry. Have this on the table at the same time as something served in butter or oil so you can use them to sop it up. Calamar--Feathery light batter (rice flour) and wonderful flavor. The harissa aioli is good on anything (especially the chickpea fries). Chickpea Fries--Masterpieces of food engineering. Insanely pillowy and light, and simultaneously the most filling vegetable dish you can imagine. We were scared we would sink the ferry on the way home. "Island" Caesar--A beautiful classic Caesar. Super garlicky. The half order was easy to wipe out in a few bites. We split a bottle of house sauvignon blanc; it was from a smaller French producer. We also had a beer and a glass of sparkling rose. This was a sprawling landscape of food and drink that took a couple hours to get through, and it was only about $150. We never felt rushed and had an absolute ball the entire time. We'll definitely be back regularly. For more than just drinks and lunch or apps from now on. read more

We had 2 exceptional experiences during our week long stay in Langley. Some of our favorite starters were the Beet Salad & Farmer's Board, a lovely selection of prosciutto, selection of cheeses, freshly pickled veggies and fresh fruit, try the mustard spread too - it has a little kick and is just the right balance on this charcuterie! The breads were fresh from their bakery, Seabiscuit, and make such a difference. Really tops it off perfectly! For entrees enjoyed the Steak Frites, done medium-rare and the Trout Grenobloise - both were expertly prepared. Both visits were fantastic! The staff takes great care of you and the price point is quite reasonable considering the quality of ingredients. I'll very happily take the ferry across from Seattle anytime to experience this again! read more

Great menu. Nicely curated foods. Interior definitively not the owner's focus. Comfortable without style or attention to detail. Even the patio seemed less stylish than the menu would bely. Service? Well not up to the menu either. Perfunctory explanations as if by rote, or kinda a buncha, "I dunno's." Which could have been perky, "Let me get you an answer for that." Wait staff seemed ill prepared or didn't care, much. Pork belly was way to crispy eliminating the succulence. The Niccoise salad was competent, with very fresh greens and our favorite dish was the Sweetbreads, well cooked with a sweet and savory glaze. Serving staff forgot set-ups until after food arrived. Water didn't taste filtered. Chef owner thinks I don't have right to point out decor is pedestrian because well, Covid. Uh, the choices for finishes and furnishings was made years before Covid. My dining experience is shaped by 3 things: food, service and ambiance. Prima Grill really gets the food part. But the Owner's name calling and attitude while claiming getting silverware before the food isn't important during a pandemic gets them one less star. Obviously the staff's training is more of the problem, than the individual team members not doing the service quality food deserves. read more

Prima Bistro - Restaurant in a great walking area, with lots of art and artful urban sights - American Near Me - Langley, Washington

I just had the most AMAZING dinner at Prima Bistro. I'm in Langley midweek alone because it's my birthday and I wanted to visit the town I spent my summers in as a kid. I have such fond memories of Langley and Prima continued those fond memories. I didn't have set plans and decided to stop in when I saw they were open. I got there at 4ish - so right in their happy hour. Daniel was my server and he was wonderful! So warm and friendly. I ordered wine and mussels. Oh SO GOOD!!! Mussels were perfect and bread to sop up that wonderful wine/garlic/onion broth - delicious! I also had the chocolate mousse torte with some decaf coffee for dessert. I am SO full but it was amazing. Wonderfully nice people at Prima Bistro and delicious food. read more

Prima Bistro - Mussels - American Near Me - Langley, Washington

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Went to Primo Bistro on a Monday afternoon. Chris was our server and was great, very friendly and provided great service, we have been in the bar when he was bartending and had the same great experience. My wife and I split the Steak Frite and each had a Caesar salad and both were fantastic, with big portions. The Steak had great flavor and was cooked perfect, the fries were thin and crispy. They have an outside patio, really nice bar and great views from inside as well. Looking forward to going back and trying something else. read more

So we called for reservations for a Weds nite since their website said reservations recommended. Restaurant said no reservations available for 6 people anytime that nite. So we walked in, got seated and by the time we were leaving at 6:30 restaurant was still empty. Why there was a reservation problem I'll never know. Food was good but they nearly missed out on $300 plus bill. May wanna fix that. read more

My overall impression of the food was "meh." It was some of the least interesting French fare I've ever eaten, with a distinct lack of flavor. The mussels came with lots of broth, and a bit of baguette on the side to savor it. The bread was stale and the broth was not worth the time it took to soak into the bread. The Earl Grey crème brulée was missing that earthy bergamot flavor that I so love about Earl Grey tea. Given the high prices here, I won't return. read more

Good food, excellent service and wonderful cocktails and wines at a reasonable price. We enjoyed our dinner at Prima and look forward to going back. read more

Prima has always been a must-do for us the many times each year we revitalize ourselves on Whidbey. Now - with Covid - take out. How would they do? Magnificently! The croque monsieur was perfectly crisp with a crown of bechemel, the salad dressed exactly right. Our cashews were as noshable as always. The service on point! Best of all, the cocktails, which removed a star on our last visit, were remarkable. The 1792 Old Fashioned best in class and the Empress's New Groove very groovy indeed. Brava! See you soon! read more

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We lined up at this restaurant's long lunch queue, like we did at the pizza place across the street. It was a busy long holiday weekend lunch and as expected the few places in Langley were all full. We got seated at the outdoor dining patio. Servers were warm and kind. I asked for a kid menu and she gave me one, and she suggested the special for the day-- a leveled up, open-faced grilled cheese sandwich with special cheeses, prosciutto, roasted garlic, picked and dipping tomato sauce on the side. The others in my party had their cheese burger grilled to order, a tuna nicoise, and for my daughter a perfectly sized bowl of pasta with olive oil and Parmesan with a side of greens. Generous portions, great presentation, very flavorful! The grilled cheese-- an adult version of the classic and the best I've had! Ambiance was nice, our seat affording us a perfect view of the water. What a great find! Hope to be back again soon! read more

Prima Bistro - Open faced grilled cheese with prosciutto, roasted garlic, pickled, tomato sauce for dipping. More yum!! - American Near Me - Langley, Washington

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A dinner to remember. We shared the field green salad with chevre, which was lightly but thoroughly dressed in a generous portion. So good. Then sweet breads, also very good. Then the main attraction: cassoulet, their plat du jour on Thursdays. We ate at the bar because by the time our table was ready, we liked where we were including Gabriel the bartender. Cassoulet is one of those dishes that defines a restaurant's commitment to excellence. It requires a number of high quality ingredients to be prepared individually and come together so that each bite is slightly different and delicious. My previous gold standard for cassoulet was from long ago at Compagne. We ordered it and then found out from the co-owner that her husband, the chef, had worked at Cafe Compagne. So many places take shortcuts on one or two ingredients and still make a decent cassoulet. This dish was the real deal, including a very generous portion, and ample finely ground flavorful bread crumbs that mix in to create the delightful experience of each bite being unique and tasty. read more

Second time around was only better because my B-in-L paid for it. Great location, on the main drag but not in the hub-bub as it is on the 2nd floor. Great seating on the rooftop. Fine cocktails, excellent mussels in a drinkable, light, rich sauce. Excellent service, available but not intrusive. On a nice day it is unbeatable. read more