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✔️Breakfast ✔️Brunch ✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in
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Upscale seafood dishes & wine are served at this cozy spot with art-filled walls & outdoor seats.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 211 E Bay St, Lakeland, FL 33801
Phone: (863) 683-4229
Website: http://www.baystreetbistro.net/
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DINNER – Lakeland – Bay Street Bistro
Restaurant Lakeland, FL … Baked brie cheese topped with our locally sourced fresh fruit compote. Served with toasted slices of our freshly made baguettes.
Bay Street Bistro Restaurant Lakeland Florida
Welcome to the online home of The Bay Street Bistro located in downtown Lakeland, FL. Feel free to browse our dinner menu & wine list.
Bay Street Bistro | Lakeland FL – Facebook
Bay Street Bistro is your destination for 5 star quality dining located in Lakeland, FL. French Restaurant · $$$ · (863) 683-4229.
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Reviews
Kasalou B. Bennett
Bay Street Bistro is a place I have visited several times, and it continues to stand out as a welcome change from the usual downtown Lakeland dining options. We need more restaurants like this in our area. If you are looking for an elevated dining experience with attentive service, this is absolutely a place to walk into.
We ordered the blueberry compote brie appetizer and the Saturday night dinner scallop special with apple ginger chutney, risotto with asparagus, and a beautiful cabernet. Here is my honest feedback from our Saturday evening visit.
The Caesar salad was the best I have ever had. I am fifty years old and have lived in New Orleans, Knoxville, and Nashville, and I order Caesar salads everywhere I go. Nothing compares to this one. The Parmesan and the dressing were exceptional, and the crisp lettuce brought it all together. I would stop in just for that salad at lunch. It is that good.
We also tried the squash/pumpkin (unsure) soup. It lacked luster in all departments especially presentation (see pics) not lovely but fell flat in flavor and for the price was disappointing. It needed seasoning or something to bring it forward, like a fall spice, a swirl of crema, or fresh herbs. Even with salt and pepper added at the table, it still felt unfinished. The presentation must be elevated with the same touches. Elevate because we are paying for that experience.
The scallop special was flavorful, but the portion was extremely small. Had I known it would be four small scallops, a very small dollop of risotto that was gone in three bites, and a few sprigs of asparagus, I would have ordered an entrée instead. We do not mind spending three hundred to four hundred dollars when dining out, but it would have been helpful to know the special was more of a “tasting portion” than a full dinner. The apple ginger compote was outstanding, but the plate left us wanting more. Also the presentation was runny scallops and could again be elevated with some wiping pre-presentation.
The blueberry compote brie, which we order every visit, was wonderful as always. The only suggestion I have is to warm the bread that comes with it. It would complete the experience. The warm dinner rolls served before the meal were exceptional, and the house made butter was so good we kept asking for more.
Wine selections were lovely. We tried several glasses priced between ten and twenty dollars and enjoyed all of them.
Our total bill was two hundred eighty two dollars for two and we left three hundred sixty. So here is my feedback on the service. Every staff member was kind and professional, but the number of check ins disrupted the flow of conversation. Our server was fantastic and truly connected with us, and that is who we expected to interact with throughout the meal. Instead, our entrées were brought by two different people and the manager checked on us twice during the main course. Combined with our server checking twice, that was four interruptions. It began to feel like the experience you get at Ace Hardware when three or four people stop you to see if you need help. Being well taken care of is wonderful, but there is a balance. One check in from the manager and one from the server during the entrée would have been perfect.
To sum it up, Bay Street Bistro remains one of the finest restaurants in Lakeland. The Caesar salad is perfection, the brie is consistently excellent, the service is warm, and the atmosphere is elevated. We can’t say enough about the wine selections. A few refinements in pacing, communication, and plate presentation would bring the experience fully in line with the price point and the otherwise outstanding standards of the restaurant. I will absolutely return and continue supporting this gem in our community.
… moreWe ordered the blueberry compote brie appetizer and the Saturday night dinner scallop special with apple ginger chutney, risotto with asparagus, and a beautiful cabernet. Here is my honest feedback from our Saturday evening visit.
The Caesar salad was the best I have ever had. I am fifty years old and have lived in New Orleans, Knoxville, and Nashville, and I order Caesar salads everywhere I go. Nothing compares to this one. The Parmesan and the dressing were exceptional, and the crisp lettuce brought it all together. I would stop in just for that salad at lunch. It is that good.
We also tried the squash/pumpkin (unsure) soup. It lacked luster in all departments especially presentation (see pics) not lovely but fell flat in flavor and for the price was disappointing. It needed seasoning or something to bring it forward, like a fall spice, a swirl of crema, or fresh herbs. Even with salt and pepper added at the table, it still felt unfinished. The presentation must be elevated with the same touches. Elevate because we are paying for that experience.
The scallop special was flavorful, but the portion was extremely small. Had I known it would be four small scallops, a very small dollop of risotto that was gone in three bites, and a few sprigs of asparagus, I would have ordered an entrée instead. We do not mind spending three hundred to four hundred dollars when dining out, but it would have been helpful to know the special was more of a “tasting portion” than a full dinner. The apple ginger compote was outstanding, but the plate left us wanting more. Also the presentation was runny scallops and could again be elevated with some wiping pre-presentation.
The blueberry compote brie, which we order every visit, was wonderful as always. The only suggestion I have is to warm the bread that comes with it. It would complete the experience. The warm dinner rolls served before the meal were exceptional, and the house made butter was so good we kept asking for more.
Wine selections were lovely. We tried several glasses priced between ten and twenty dollars and enjoyed all of them.
Our total bill was two hundred eighty two dollars for two and we left three hundred sixty. So here is my feedback on the service. Every staff member was kind and professional, but the number of check ins disrupted the flow of conversation. Our server was fantastic and truly connected with us, and that is who we expected to interact with throughout the meal. Instead, our entrées were brought by two different people and the manager checked on us twice during the main course. Combined with our server checking twice, that was four interruptions. It began to feel like the experience you get at Ace Hardware when three or four people stop you to see if you need help. Being well taken care of is wonderful, but there is a balance. One check in from the manager and one from the server during the entrée would have been perfect.
To sum it up, Bay Street Bistro remains one of the finest restaurants in Lakeland. The Caesar salad is perfection, the brie is consistently excellent, the service is warm, and the atmosphere is elevated. We can’t say enough about the wine selections. A few refinements in pacing, communication, and plate presentation would bring the experience fully in line with the price point and the otherwise outstanding standards of the restaurant. I will absolutely return and continue supporting this gem in our community.
David B.
Wonderful dinner with friends. Delicious meals. I enjoyed the Steak with scampi sauce and jumbo prawns, amazing. Paired well with a juicy pinot. Great night. Wife enjoyed a vegetarian plate, and one friend experienced the indulgent beef wellington. All around a great time. Highly recommend. We will return.
… moreMike Baduria
A very nice throwback to the days when classic French cuisine had its heyday in the late 70s and early 80s. The menu and wine selection are spot on and magnifique.
… moreL
The outing to Bay Street Bistro truly made my sister’s birthday and New Year’s Eve quite a memorable evening. Chef Kevin prepared some delectable dishes and delivered big flavors as well as portions. Ileana was incredibly attentive and thorough. She knew the menu like the back of her hand and her recommended dishes were on point. We were sad there was no duck or ribeye, but I guess that just means we will have to go back again!
… moreLucas Spano
A true HIDDEN GEM! went here yesterday for my 3rd anniversary, and this place was absolutely AMAZING! the waitress was super nice. The owner came and talked to us. And the Thai chili sauce that came with the ribeye was hands down the best sauce I have ever had in my life!! The steak was so tender and even the broccoli was the best tasting broccoli I’ve ever had. If you are thinking about coming here… DO IT! by far the best place I’ve ever been to
… moreRobert Welch
Delightful bistro. Definitely French inspired, I’m not sure I would call it an actual French restaurant. But definitely worth the visit. The menu is well thought out and the dishes true to the menu descriptions. I had the escargot. A personal favorite. I’ve had this dish countless times. So I have a very good idea of how this dish should taste. I think the snails, themselves, were just on the edge of being overcooked. But the dish didn’t suffer. I think the lemon seasoning is a mistake on the part of the chef. Otherwise I think it was nicely executed. I’ll skip the Caesar salad, not much to say but properly prepared. My lamb was quite good, however the lollipops were very small on the amount of meat. They tried to compensate by proving 8. I think they should have provided fewer but meatier choices. Beyond that, the seasoning was quite nice.
Darian was our waiter, and did a very nice job of explaining the offering and executing the service.
I would definitely come back.
… moreDarian was our waiter, and did a very nice job of explaining the offering and executing the service.
I would definitely come back.
KURAS Design
This wonderful little place is about half a block West of the main downtown but well worth the short walk! It has a true bistro feel with many visual pleasures including Cuban tile floors and beautiful stained glass panels. The service was very attentive and pleasant along with helpful suggestions. First was a tasty Tomato Bisque soup followed by Poached Pear Salad of poached pears, goat cheese, bruschetta, spiced walnuts and balsamic glaze on a bed of organic mixed greens which was delicious. Then, a hard to find, Roast Duck with crispy duck medallions served with a cherry gran marnier balsamic sauce. Finally, a super rich and moist dessert- Chocolate cake with a fudge like chocolate frosting covered with milk, dark and white chocolate pieces! Heaven on a plate! See photos! Yes I did take a bite or two before photographing some things. Can you blame me?
… moreLaurent Serrato
Eclectic menu with French-Italian touches, the duck was crispy skin and tender. Portions generous, wine list decent. Relaxed atmosphere downtown, great for a chill dinner.
… moreTiffney Irizarry
I was very disappointed with my dinner!
The service was great, the bread and pesto were fresh and delicious, and our server was knowledgeable and kind. However, I ordered the Seafood Vol au vent and it was served burnt. I didn’t even recognize my plate when it was brought to me. I didn’t complain at the time because I thought that it wouldn’t effect the taste too much. Well it did! I can’t believe their chef was happy with putting that on the plate. I can’t believe the expediter didn’t say, hey, we shouldn’t serve this. I know at least two hands touched my plate before I received it and no one thought that it was a bad idea.
I should have returned the plate and requested a refund but it was date night and I didn’t want to ruin a great night out with my hubby.
See pics…
… moreThe service was great, the bread and pesto were fresh and delicious, and our server was knowledgeable and kind. However, I ordered the Seafood Vol au vent and it was served burnt. I didn’t even recognize my plate when it was brought to me. I didn’t complain at the time because I thought that it wouldn’t effect the taste too much. Well it did! I can’t believe their chef was happy with putting that on the plate. I can’t believe the expediter didn’t say, hey, we shouldn’t serve this. I know at least two hands touched my plate before I received it and no one thought that it was a bad idea.
I should have returned the plate and requested a refund but it was date night and I didn’t want to ruin a great night out with my hubby.
See pics…
Melanie Smith
Our Wednesday evening visit to Bay Street Bistro was such a pleasurable experience. The food, (Sea Bass and Filet) were Perfect! We just love the intimate atmosphere and service of this lovely spot in downtown Lakeland
… more