Bess Bistro

I wasn't fond of this place before because I thought the food was overpriced, but we recently returned with some friends because they wanted to try Bess for the first time. Unfortunately our experience was even worse then the previous time. The service was poor at best. When we walked down the stairs and sat at the bar, the place smelled like a college bar and not like an upper end bistro. They served my wife a glass of wine that tasted horrible and unlike most restaurants, they didn't replace the glass with an alternative drink and then charged us for it. Things continued to get worse from there. Our entres came out, but the waiter forgot to order our side dishes. When we asked about them he said they would be right out, but we were finished with our meals before they made it to our table. He then proceeded to charge us for them. To make things worse the food was horrible. We ordered the pork (Which was their specialty) and it was way too salty. When we finally got our tab the price for such poor service and even worse food made my stomach turn. I will never go there again and based on the limited number of people at the tables, I think Austin is figuring out that this place just doesn't cut it!! Cons: Bad Drinks, Bad Food, Poor Service more

The appetizer and dessert were amazing, but I was underwhelmed by the main course ...I am not sure f this was because of the phenomenal mussels that I had as an appetizer, but the shepherd's pie that I had afterward was very blah...However the coffee flavored creme brulee for dessert was wonderful! Also the decor was beautiful and the waitstaff was beyond brilliant!!! I highly recommend this place!!!! Pros: Delicious food!!!! Lovely place Cons: Can get a little loud and while some may find it cozy, it can feel a bit enclosed... more

A quick review of my history with Bess. The first time I went there I loved it, went back again and was all in all indifferent about the experience, service was bad and the food was ok, but felt tired. When asked by a friend of mine from out of town what restaurant we should go to, Bess was not on the list, but he said he wanted to try it, so we gave it a go. WOW, WOW and WOW Bess, when did you change your menu? Why didn't you let us know, there was a good chance I was never going to set foot in your restaurant again, but I am so glad I did. We started out with the sweetbreads, which were great (the next time you go in I am going to beg for the chili oil recipe). My friend got the lamb, which looked and he said tasted great. My wife got the salmon, which she loved. I got the seafood risotto, I love risotto, this was some of the best risotto I can remember having. \r \r The service has improved, the last time I was there the hostess seems like she would rather be somewhere else and this time with a nother hostess we felt warmly greeted and taken care of. The waitstaff is good too, the only bump we felt was when we asked the waitress to tell us about the sweetbreads and she didn't really know what to say. But she was great with the wine list (which seems to be updated as well) Pros: food, wine, decor more

The most noticeable improvement is the food. Incredible! Just try the Salmon! Prices are very reasonable considering how delicious the food is.\r \r The service is still lagging. Our waitress didn't seem to have any experience. She served the food and never thought to give us forks and knives. She managed to get our drink order wrong three times in a row. She kept forgetting items ordered... To put things in perspective, it was late night, and we were her last table. I would have just thought it was a bad night for her, or just one bad server, but my friends who go there regularly told me that the service is just like that. And that is too bad. The food is excellent!\r \r Also I should mention that Ralph (from the old Mezzaluna's ?) at the bar is wonderful. While waiting for our guests to arrive, he made us feel welcome, while others seemed to not care that we were there. Seems like they got the kitchen and food down. Now, just hire more experienced professionals like Ralph! Pros: Food, Food, Food Cons: Service, Service, Service more

Great ambiance, pretty good food, slow service, LOSE THE VALET PARKING GUY\r Really wanted to love this place, and did love parts of it. Asked to be seated outside and the ambiance was beautiful with lights in trees on terrace overlooking street.. Waiter (cute college student type) seemed a little unsure of himself and service was very slow despite only one other occupied table outside, and they were only having drinks. Appetizer, hummus, very good and plenty for two. Entree, two seared chicken breasts was pretty good, but served virtually cold and swimming in sauce. Sent it back for a warmup and waited 10 min., then was served a ""fresh"" entree--waiter said they diidn't believe in microwaves--and this was lukewarm. (Just nuke it for pete's sake!) Mac and cheese was good and nice and hot. Valet parking guy obviously did not like his job and couldn't care less that I was disabled, juggling a take-out box, purse and walking cane, and when I dropped cane underneath the car, he was too busy talking up a girlfriend to help or even notice. He also told my friend who was driving that she couldn't park anywhere on the street without being towed! Being an Austin visitor, she believed him. Lose this guy!! He tipped the borderline scale from good to not-so-much. Still, will probably go back. more

debated on going, since reviews look like ""love it!"" or ""won't go back"" and little in between. Sadly we will fall into the latter category. Our server acted like it was Day1 - didn't know how to pour champagne and knew even less about it. brought the bottle but no ice bucket - got the bucket after a sloppy pour and included two cup of ice that the bottle sat on - not surrounded by ice/water. We poured our ice water into the bucket then waited 12 minutes for her to return with more ice water for drinking. (Plus, they were out of Moet&Chandon at 6pm at night, and they're right across the parking lot from a wine seller?) Cajun shrimp app was good but the steak was tough, and when dessert was served with soup spoons the comment from our waitress was she ""didn't want to go back down the stairs and grabbed the best she could find."" Incredible. SANDY - IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY - THIS WAS PATHETIC. YOUR PLACE NEEDS GOOD HELP AND SOON. Pros: AMBIANCE Cons: waitstaff/service or lack thereof; food was just ok more

I have been to Bess 4 times now and, like other reviewers WANT to love it, but just can't. I took some out of town relatives there for Sunday ""lunch"" since the placard outside said bunch AND lunch-only to find out after we were seated (with our tepid cups of coffee) that it was bruch only. We got past that and were given warmer cups of coffee and place our orders. 40 minutes later we were still waiting-for eggs. There was no apology or real concern among any of the staff members. They acted as though everything was totally normal. Definitely my last visit. Pros: Ambiance, location Cons: Poor service, limited menu more

First of, let me say that the ambiance is outstanding. It is so intimate and quaint-- they did a fabulous job with the design and decor. And you don't have to yell over loud music to talk to the people you came with-- which is always a plus. The wine menu is decent. The food menu sounds fabulous- but all 4 times I've been there, the food has been so disappointing!! Most recently the fish I ordered came back overcooked, and luke warm. \r And one of the people I was with had ordered a hamburger that came back overcooked as well. I want to LOVE Bess. I really do. I wish they would work on the quality of their food, because all of the other elements are there (good service, great ambiance, etc). Pros: Great ambiance, good service Cons: Not so great food more

The atmosphere is very comfortable, the staff is fantastic and the food is wonderful. Not to mention very reasonably priced. Went Shopping in Austin with my two best friends and stopped by for lunch and although it's a 2 hour drive for us, we will be back whenever we wish to treat ourselves and that happens pretty regular since we retired.\r Thank you for a great place to enjoy my friends. Pros: Great location, easy parking, easy excess. more

My wife and I took two long time friends and we had an outstanding evening. The wait staff was friendly and attentive without hovering (which I don't like). The background music volume was low enough that we could hear each other. The food was creative and delicious. The salad with fried spinach, the mac-and-cheese and the fresh tuna trio were a few of the things we enjoyed. \r \r That said, the tone and content of some of the negative reviews makes me wonder if something else is going on besides restaurant reviews. One reviewer noted that the folks that wrote positive reviews couldn't spell and implied they were too ignorant to know whether the food was good or not. How silly and elitist is a comment like that?\r \r Pros: Food, Service, Background Music Allows Conversation more

We just moved to Austin and we went to Bess Bistro and loved it!! We have been back twice and we are going for brunch tomorrow morning!!! From the service to the food to the wine this place is wonderful for any and all occasions!! You are free to go casual which makes it even that much better!! My husband and I are very picky and are major foodies!! If you want a great resturant then this is the place!! Enjoy!!!! Pros: service atmosphere food wine Cons: NOT ONE!!!!!!! more

The only thing I can imagine is that the chefs go over and above when Sandra is in the house, because she seems like an honest person that wouldnt hood-wink her clients, yet, that is how I felt. This woman has traveled the world and eaten in some of the bext restaurants there is no way she can think the quality of our food was good. We started with the Hummus appetizer. First it was not cheap, second it was tiny. Literally two tablespoons of each sauce and a just a very few pita points. Total rip off. Still starving...Then lettuce herb salad, small, plain no flavor. For the main course I had the chicken breast w/ polenta - which I hate so i asked for a sub - of course my request was ignored and I got polenta. My chicken was overcooked and rubbery. My friend was just as unhappy with her meal. We didnt stay for desert after such disappointing courses and instead opted to go somewhere else for desert and coffee. Pros: Great location, nice decor Cons: Low quality, small portions, overpriced food more

I recently went to Bess for the first time and I was blown away. The food was home-cooking with a sophisticated twist. The desserts were amazing, and the wine selection was very impressive. The waitstaff was very attentive, but did not hover over you at all times. The atmosphere is cozy and the decorations are so intricate. We already have plans to go again, because we already know what we want to order. Pros: valet parking, attentive waitstaff Cons: too dark inside, too small for big parties more

Terribly disappointing...\r \r After reading many bad reviews I almost cancelled my Valentine's Day reservation but decided to take my chances....not a good idea. \r \r The appetizer was something the most novice of chefs could have prepared. No flavor!\r The soup was the best part of the meal...but it was cold...\r We chose the surf and turf. The Turf was tender...yet again...flavorless. The surf was tough...ok flavor.\r The Dessert was a chocolate covered heart shaped cheesecake....cheesy presentation...ok...but nothing to brag about. \r \r $165-included tip...about 6 drinks between my husband and I. Total disappointment. Wish I would have gone to Eddie V's!\r \r Pros: ambience Cons: food more

I visited Bess's a couple of months ago and was eager to experience the place. Recently, I was talking to friends about this place and decided to give a review. Upon entering, I was enchanted by the underground, French ambience. The bar area is a great place to sit and wait with friends. In fact, I recommend not venturing past the bar area. If you do, you will be disappointed. Upon being seating, we were greeted by a very nice waittress. She did a good job throughout the night, but she could not make up for the lack of flavor and creativity of the menu. We ordered a shrimp appetizer that was swimming in grease. And choosing an entree is a challenge, since their menu has more appetizers and salads than it has entrees. The food choices are all over the map - Italian, grilled fish, steak topped with pompe frittes. After trying to stumble my way through the entrees, I chose the steak entree with the pompe frittes. When the food arrived, the plate was overloaded with french fries and the steak was swimming in sauce. The portion was entirely too large and had horrible presentation. I ate about a fourth of it and was so bored with the flavor that I stopped eating. What is unfortunate is that an actress would turn the restaurant into such a beautiful venue (especially the bathrooms - a must visit in my opinion!) and end up having some of the worst food in downtown. I say, skip food, go for the drinks and to enjoy the views - even some celebs, too! Pros: Atmosphere, Bar Area, Music, Bathrooms, Signature Drinks Cons: Food, Value more

I wrote a previous review in depth and somehow it got erased so I'll keep this short and sweet. Read people's reviews about how nice it is inside and then how bad the food is/was and you'll get where I'm coming from. 3 of our dishes were badly overcooked. The salmon was about a 3.5 oz portion, and the cheese lasagna was bland. Save your money or pony up and go to a nice place with better food. You'll thank yourself. There's a reason so many people have commented negatively on the food. Its not like you see 5 good reviews for every 1 bad one.....its the other way around and it holds true about our experience too. The only reason I gave it 2 stars is because of the service and the atmosphere.\r Items Ordered: Artisan Cheese Board, 2 Cheeseburgers (both badly overcooked), Cheese Lasagna (bland), Salmon (Small: 3.5 oz), Halibut (overcooked), Breaded Pork Cutlet Dish, Mac & Cheese\r Items Recommended: Artisan Cheese Board, Mac & Cheese,\r \r Not sure if this accounts for it but we did go there on a busy Friday night. Pros: Atmosphere, Staff Cons: Food, Value, Wait more

It's a cute little restaurant. The waitress was cheerful and very attentive. The menu is quite brief and the food selection for the most part is on the heavy / rich end of the spectrum. I don't eat a lot of meat, so the menu options weren't ideal for my preferences (pork dominates the menu). I ordered a chicken dish that resembled something I ate at Macaroni Grill 15+ years ago (back in my high school days), only I believe this version was less flavorful (but I can't be sure, I was less of a food snob back then!). I would have preferred a smaller portion of chicken and a real serving of asparagus. The way it was plated, I only ate half the chicken and devoured the four little asparagus spears. My husband ordered a pork dish which was served German style. He said it was decent, but it wasn't something he would order again. Despite the great service, we were underwhelmed with the food. Austin has too many outstanding restaurants for me to return to this one. Pros: ? Cons: valet parking more

wow. tried to make a reservation and the guy on the phone was EXCEPTIONALLY RUDE!!! cant say much about the food since i was never able to set foot in the door and now i definitely don't want to if that's how the service is going to be. more

This was my first time to Bess, and it was a Friday night so we did expect to wait. My friends and I are more than satisfied to start our Friday night off with drinks at the bar. No worries there. We waited about 45 minutes, which really isn't too bad in my opinion. When I don't expect to wait a long time is after we have ordered our main courses. About 45 minutes after we ordered, I noticed none of the tables around me had food on their tables. The waitress told us we were all seated around the same time, but I did feel like there should still have been some progression of food being served. The waitress also made another comment about the kitchen staff snapping at her when she asked about the orders. Hmmmmm...probably TMI on her end, but it did seem obvious that it wasn't her fault since no one else was eating around us. There was no food coming from the kitchen. About 45 more minutes we were finally served, and we might have been interested in dessert, but after being there so long on a Friday night, we were ready to G-O, as we had places to go. The food was okay, not great. There are many other places I would much rather eat in Austin. Pros: Good location. Nice decor. Cons: Long wait for mediocre food. more

I've been there a few times and I must say that the butter lettuce salad will dazzle you. The pork is awesome and the service is amazing! I recommend to anyone looking for a good meal and a good time. more