Le Bistro

Hmm. I just got an email from their proprietor. They are now closed.
Saturday, March 30, was our last day in business. Thank you for thinking of us and please come visit our new restaurant, French 25, opening April 29. Thank you.

Trio of soufflé and chorizo date wrapped in bacon! You can count on Le Bistro to have one of the fanciest menus in Stockton. If you’re looking for a quiet, tablecloth dinner, there’s not many to choose from, and this is one of the better in this town. I believe they change up their menu seasonally too. The bar has big LCD television screens so you can watch the game while you eat if you’d like. The restaurant has been quite empty on the weekday nights that I’ve been, but I’m not sure how it is on the weekends. They also have a prix fixe menu during restaurant week, so that would be a good time to check out!

I frequent many of the top Bay Area restaurants and Le Bistro definitely holds its own on food quality and service. Deeply saddened to see it go!

Took a friend from work for a cocktail since I wanted to thank her and do some catching up. The pink lemon drop was exactly the same as it has been every time I’ve had one… perfect!
Le Bistro is always consistent, food, drink, and service! My only dissapointment was that most everyone there was well over 40, since my companion was young I wanted to show her what a hip place the lounge was but I guess it was a bit past the normal happy hour time when everyone gets off work! Oh well; I guess I can’t control the patron’s age and hipness factor!

Happy Hour Review only– This place is nice for happy hour and I envy their soufflé because it’s light, fluffy, melts in your mouth + all the flavors combined is perrrrrfect. I’ve had some of their appetizers from the hh menu, which is different, but not bad either. I’m sad that they will be transferring their staff & location to the old Paragary’s in downtown Stockton. That means no more souffles :(

Um… Don’t waste your time. Thank God I had a groupon so I didn’t feel so bad about the money I spent on this meal!
First off, when we walked in, it smelled like the sewer exploded.
Second, the food was not what I expected. My husband and I started with the arancini (which we love!) that had a cold piece of cheese inside instead of melted cheese like normal. I would have preferred the ones from Trader Joes. The presentation was beautiful and that’s about all it had going for it. We also got the chorizo bacon wrapped dates. How in the hell do you go wrong with bacon? Well, undercook it so it’s fatty and chewy. I found myself wondering where the date was. My husband asked what the sauce was and I was pretty sure it was grease from the chorizo. Ewww dude.
We shared the beet salad which was bland at best. We wondered why the beets weren’t chilled and they were so paper thin they could barely be picked up with a fork.
I had the lobster bisque which had great flavor. On other reviews read it came with chunks of real lobster. Must have been those peoples lucky day because mine had two flecks at best. My husband got the French onion soup which I liked but he felt was a bowl of soggy bread.
Definitely our first and last trip there. Unless your going for happy hour in the bar and it’s dirt cheap… Pass.
Also, found it amusing the bartender tried to connect with a customer and said,” have a great night Peter.“His name was Brian. Too bad that was the highlight of our trip there.

Their newest happy hour is the reason that they are still in business, in my opinion. Before then the place was pretty empty on a regular basis. Since they remodeled and had this happy hour things have been looking up. They have very good specials and always make a good drink.
Lately they have had better appetizers than food so we have gotten mostly appetizers, which is fine for us since we like variety.
Good place for a cocktail and some food. Not as ‘french’ as it used to be but that is fine with me.
Last thing… Grand Marnier soufflé is to die for!!!

What is this happy hour everyone speakth of? I’ve never been to the happy hour, but maybe when I do I will write a happier update review. I came by with my little because I had a Groupon deal and because I was trying to spoil her.
We tried:
— Mac and cheese (not on menu, I requested)
— Lobster bisque
— Atlantic salmon
I’ve had better mac and cheese, comon now. The other two didn’t have any particular fond memories. And the restaurant was pretty much empty at night. It felt very lonely :(Maybe they were all at happy hour on the other side/​room of the restaurant. I don’t think my little was impressed either. Maybe we’ll come back for happy hour. Maybe.

Great sandwiches tailored for every and anyone! I can only speak on their catering services as I have yet to take advantage of their Happy Hour or cocktails. However, their sandwiches are sure delight! I haven’t had one yet that I have not enjoyed!
Le Bistro catered an event given for homebuyers to interested in purchasing HUD Homes. Le Bistro served boxed lunch and the attendees had an option of Roast Beef, and Chicken. Each boxed lunch was served with a fruit, cookie and bottled water.
I chose the Roast Beef sandwich… it was delicious. From the bread, the sauce and to the meat… it was a great lunch experience of their signature sandwich. I would highly recommend their catering service even at $ 15 per sandwich, but it includes everything you need.

Expensiveeeeee!
Waiter service is awesome. My cup was never even close to half empty.
Recommend the steak dishes. Don’t get the salad…

Very impressed! I hadn’t gone to the restaurant in a long time because my experiences were not worth their price points and the food wasn’t anything special. But this last visit blew me away and Le Bistro is now on the top of my list!
We were no longer greeted by an annoyed hostess. This time the hostess actually acknowledged our kids, a one year old and 5 year old, with excitement and was very welcoming. They also had a great kids menu. The service from our waiter was outstanding for a Stockton restaurant. He brought crayons for the kids and we never felt ignored. Then we learned he used to wait tables in the Bay, which answers our question on where he learned such great waiting service.
Our meals were perfect! I got the Scallop special in a citrus sauce and my husband got the filer mignon. Both were cooked perfectly and accompanied with a great Stemler Pinot Noir.
Overall this was the best meal and experience I’ve had in Stockton and reminded me of the quality of restaurants I used to get when I lived in LA. So happy they hired a new chef!!!

Wow, is this actually a fancy restaurant in Stockton of all places? I didn’t think I’d ever put Stockton and fancy together in a sentence without being sarcastic. I especially didn’t that that it’s be a nice place from the outside. It’s hidden in the back of a sketch looking strip mall off Benjamin Holt. There aren’t any windows either, so it looks a little unwelcoming. Makes sense that there’s no windows though. It’s Stockton after all.
Came her with my gf on Valentines Day. Yep, it was pretty busy at the restaurant, but with the way the servers were organized, we hardly noticed it at all. Service was pretty good. Even though I’m a younger person, I still felt pretty welcome here. Only gripe is that even though I’m 23, they didn’t initially offer me and my gf the wine menu, probably because I don’t look my age. But that’s fine with me since I wasn’t planning on ordering a drink in the first place.
The food here was interesting, but good at the same time. I ordered the pork ribs with mashed potatoes, which is what I got, but I’m sure the name of the dish in the menu sounded much more exquisite. I was expecting a plate of actual ribs with a side of mashed potatoes, but I got one huge rib on top of the mashed potatoes. The meat was super soft. It literally fell off the bone and melted away at the softest touch of my fork. The only strange thing about my meal, is that there were these little black squares of a jelly like texture, and I had no idea what they were. I was too scared to take a bite into it also, so I never even found out what it tasted like. My gf got the steelhead salmon, and it tasted alright. It was on top of some beans that my gf said tasted like pea soup.
For the price we payed, which was around 60, it didn’t really feel like it was worth it. I feel like I could get just as tasty food somewhere else for about half the price. Otherwise, it’s a nice little place in Stockton.

Fantastic place Le Bistro is, i suggest everyone try it out. Best happy hour ever! 4 $ Belvedere cocktails can we say? Faabulous!
Amazing staff they work really hard at keeping costumers happy. If you even kind of frequent this place i garuntee the staff will take the time to atleast remember your name.
For the fellow smokers There’s a sweet back door patio for drankin’ and smokin’.
I think the best part about Le Bistro though is the atmosphere, It’s hard to find places in Stockton where you can really chill out and have a cocktail without stressin about the bar-​keep not giving you attention, and the crowd is super chill, I really love this spot.

Ok, so I came back last night and was surprised that that their HAPPY HOUR MENU was SHORTEN from how it was before, a few weeks ago. =(
UPDATES:
$ 4 Cocktails
only 5 items to choose from: CEO Martini, Madagascar Martini, Reconstructed Margarita, The Refresher, & Southern Peach.
$ 6 House Wine (red or white)
$ 5 Bar Menu (a list of about 10 items, but only the first 5 are $ 5:
Calamari, Truffle Fries, Prince Edward Island Mussels, Chorizo Date Wrapped in Bacon, & Smoked Mozzarella.
Side Note:
–If you’re not happy with their cocktail menu, the bartender is more than happy to mix you a creation of his/​her own. And its ALWAYS really good! Also, it’ll be consider as part of the happy hour deal, $ 5.
–The Bar Food here is DELICIOUS! You MUST order all 5! I love them all! Especially the Mussels and the Chorizo wrapped in Bacon. Its definitely not your typical bar food (like nachos, chili fries, chicken wings, etc). Its more fancy, and I love that!!!
–if you sit at the table, you get complimentary bread and butter. The bread here is sooo good! Its light, buttery, and sweet in the inside, and delicately crispy on the outside! Its by far the best complimentary bread I have tried!
Again, happy hour is from 5pm to closing.

I don’t know. I really wanted to like this place. I just wasn’t that impressed with anything. I was there in July so the menu has changed since then, but everything we tried was overcooked and overspiced. I had «fried» chicken that was so thyme-​y it was almost inedible. My husband’s dish was coated in five spice. Maybe they were just having an off night, but at those prices I’m not willing to give them a second chance.
At least the waiter was nice. And the bread was delicious.
And the bartender was a patronizing jerk. I ordered a cocktail made with bourbon and he asked, «Are you sure? That’s pretty strong.» Yes, I’m a petite woman, and I occasionally drink bourbon. WTF?

I’ve been dying to try this place for a while now and fortunately, I was able to do so during Stockton Restaurant Week!
My boyfriend and I reserved seats online, classed it up and were immediately seated as we entered the door.
We ordered from the Stockton Restaurant Week menu which offered 3-​course meals for only $ 25, which is definitely a steal for a place like Le Bistro where one entrée costs the same.
I ordered the Watermelon Salad, Steelhead Salmon with risotto, and the crème brûlée for dessert. My boyfriend ordered the same, except chose the Pan Roasted Rocky Jr. Chicken instead.
We were given freshly baked bread and a side of butter as we waited for our food and was replenished every time we a piece left.
Everything was DELICIOUS! The watermelon salad included bits of pork belly which made it even more amazing. My Salmon was cooked to perfection and made me a beet lover with its beet chutney. And the crème brûlée: a great way to top off an overall extraordinary meal.
Now I know why people spend so much money and dine at this place: the food is definitely worth it and the service was great!

Le Bistro is Le Fantastic! My husband and I were passing through Stockton and decided to treat ourselves out to a nice dinner. We walked in to the restaurant and I must say the ambiance struck me first. I’m a sucker for any place that has white tablecloths and candles. I know it’s simple but it definitely adds romance points. My husband and I had a hard time trying to figure out what to order cuz everything sounded really good. I decided on the Pan Roasted Lemon Chicken and my husband got the Braised Short Ribs. We shared an order of the calamari while we waited for our entrees. We sure didn’t wait long though. The service here was on point and the food came out in just the right amount of time. Our waiter made sure to refill our glasses at every opportunity.
So the food… Delish! The calamari had a good crunch to it and the thai sweet chili sauce was the perfect compliment. The chicken was cooked beautifully. The lemon added a nice citrus-​y depth to the flavors and it was juicy on the inside. My husband’s ribs were really yummy too. The meat was super tender and the caramelized onions were melt in your mouth good. We were kinda in an indulgent mood so we finished off with the Grand Marnier Soufflé for dessert. It’s a bit of a wait, but hey at least you know they’re making it fresh for you. It was so worth the wait! The perfect ending to our date night out.
They have a happy hour too which I wanna check out the next time we’re in Stockton. We’re talking $ 4 cocktails and $ 5 apps people! What’s not to love!

Tucked away behind Stockton’s 24 hr Fitness is Le Bistro. We came here to enjoy the Happy Hour drinks that you get for half off before indulging in dinner. They make it clear that it’s to be enjoyed at the bar only, so we hit up a couple of appetizers and slammed a couple of drinks down before checking in with the hostess for dinner.
I was surprised to see how much nicer the accomodations were around the corner in the dining area because the bar area did not have the ambiance I expected from a place in this price range. Once we rounded the corner, it was like someone cued the music to play Marvin Gaye’s «Let’s Get It On». Nice.
I ordered the Lobster Bisque to go along with my «Osso Bucco of Braised Beef Short Ribs». When it came, I understood why it was called «short ribs». I questioned the waiter and asked him «Hey…did you short me some ribs?» because I only saw one damn meaty rib on my plate. (See my pic)
He then explained to me that it was actually 3 ribs that they deboned and wrapped it around to form a ball. They left the center rib bone in which makes it appear like it’s one meaty rib. The meat was tender as hell and with the perfect blend of marbling. It had the perfect seasoning made with red wine.
When the Lobster Bisque came out, it looked like a giant egg, sunny side up. It came on a plate the size of a Sombrero with a hole where they filled it with the soup. It was just eh. The lobster chunks in it were the size of salad shrimps.
We came here on a Wed night so it was quite dead and there weren’t more than 5 – 7 tables. The rib was excellent (notice it’s not in plural form), but the other stuff on the plate was just ok. The Lobster Bisque was below average I’d say. The ambiance was very nice inside, but the location could use some improvement. The dinner came out to just about $ 100 before the tip (and not including the appetizers and drinks we had at the bar) so this place isn’t classified as cheap eats. My advice is to come here for Happy Hour and indulge in the appetizers at the bar. Just make sure you don’t come with a big crowd because the bar can only accomodate 6 people at a time.

How many times has Le Bistro been taken over by someone else, remodeled, and advertised in article as a place where they want to keep the good stuff, but add some new? My Godfather used to take me to Le Bistro for birthday dinners until its first renovation. From then on, all I heard from him and others was that Le Bistro is no longer what it used to be. I’ll be the judge of that.
SERVICE AND AMBIANCE:
I went here on a Monday night for dinner. We were seated immediately and there was only a couple other parties in the restaurant.
It feels really out of place for Stockton. It has a classy, contemporary but also comfortable atmosphere that isn’t present at any of Stockton’s similarly priced restaurants. One of the main rooms has a row of booths with huge walls dividing all of them for privacy. Each one is decorated with a fancy lamp, a mirror, and a framed picture. Classy.
Service was also classy. Our waiter was friendly and attentive and very willing to give details on any of the items on the menu.
FOOD AND PRICES:
Bread (comes with meal): Soft, but adequately dense and served with delicious sweet butter. Pretty tasty.
Deep fried brie with fruits: I don’t know where they get these deliciously ripe strawberries from during the winter, but they and the rest of the fruits were very sweet and delicious. As for the cheese, I would recommend letting it sit a little so that it hardens up a little; if you cut into it immediately, a lot of the cheese spills out! For a brie, it was a little lacking in punch, but it was cooked well.
Osso bucco with shallots and mashed potatoes: A little odd for osso bucco, this one is served without a bone (or the delicious marrow!) at all, which disappointed me a lot. It looked overcooked on the outside, but it was very tender. It’s served in a gravy that was good at first, but became a little boring as I finished the meal.
Bananas foster: They’re made in front of you and served with walnuts, just like the old days. Mine was undercooked; the alcohol flavor was extremely strong (almost like drinking a shot!) and there wasn’t any sear present on my bananas or walnuts.
Dinner for two without drinks came out to be $ 110, which surprised me a little, but only because it’s in Stockton.
IN CONCLUSION:
I don’t think it’s what it used to be, but I’ll still go here for an occasion. Trying places in Boston and San Francisco made me realize what a gem Le Bistro once was. If you are in the mood for a classy meal but don’t feel like going out of town, Le Bistro, with its clean, private interior and somewhat modern menu is a decent place to go.

Stop what you’re thinking… YES, I am giving Le Bistro 5 stars, again.
It is pumpkin soufflé’ season and you suckers are missing out. It’s only available for a few months of the year and it is worth every dime.
For those of you that don’t know, Le Bistro has a fantastic happy hour. The setting in the bar is chez magnifique! Cocktails are $ 4 and hor oeuvres are $ 5. The bacon wrapped stuffed dates are heaven in your mouth.
So, run… don’t walk!!! Go hurry! Run Forrest, RUN!