Petit Robert Bistro

My wife and I work and live in the neighborhood and decided to give this place a shot. Foie gras with rhubarb compote, goat cheese & beets, onion gratinée soup, grilled lamb tongue, pan seared scallops, profiterole with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce, and a great glass of wine for $100. With the exception of the goat cheese & beets which were bland and way too rich, everything was perfect. The only thing better than the selection and quality was the waiter. We'll be back....A+++ more

I love coming here for special occasions with family and friends. The coq au vin is definitely affordable for a nice dinner out on a college student's budget ($16, not bad). Their salads are also really good, but a bit tiny. Customer service is usually very prompt and polite. I love being greeted at the door by the guy with the French accent! I've also been to the location in Needham, but Kenmore Square is just so much more urban - the Eiffel Tower sculpture outside the window makes you feel like you're in Paris! Pros: Yummy food, good desserts, cute bistro atmosphere Cons: Smaller portions for the price more

We came here because a friend of mine said the food was AMAZING (turns out it wasn't as good the time we went, but maybe you'll luck out). The food was good. I had the steak-frites and in comparison, I've had better at other Boston restaurants. The other restaurant was a better cut, but more expensive, so you get what you pay for. We splurged and got profiteroles for dessert and you really have to order them when you go! They're huge, so you should share them unless you're a better person than me. If I had known, I wouldn't have gotten dinner. And even though our waiter forgot to bring bread to the table until late and sometimes forgot to bring what we asked for, he was cute and French, so we didn't care. Pros: Amazing dessert, charming waiter Cons: I've had better steak-frites, but it was still good more

excellent food, both dining in and takeout more

I have eaten here three times--two years in a row on my anniversary and just a few days ago with my family to celebrate getting my master's. I love it. For French food, it's very reasonably priced - about $16-20 for entrees. The atmosphere is charming, the food is tasty, and the wine menu reliable. I have not had problems with the service--the woman who served us most recently didn't seem to know too much about wine but she was cheerful and we were celebrating so we just picked a pinot noir and it was fine. I would recommend requesting a window table if you are going for a romantic evening--the window seats are conducive to privacy and have a very nice view--inside the restaurant the tables are very close together, much like a real French bistro. I find this restaurant does pacing really well--you won't get your entree thrown at you while you're still eating your salad. The lighting and general atmosphere are also very nice. All of the appetizers are fantastic--I confess I haven't been to adventurous with the entrees but eating with my whole family gave me the opportunity to try some new stuff and it was great. I'm sorry I'm not very good at describing food, but I can say I've never had any complaints about blandness, saltiness, hotness or coldness. I really like it here for a nice but not wildly extravagant night out. Pros: Great food, atmosphere, wine list and prices Cons: menu's a bit heavy for summer dining, but still tasty more

Unbelievably good deal. Great food at a great price (I particularly recommend getting the duck confit). more

Unbelievably good deal. Great food at a great price (I particularly recommend getting the duck confit). more

I've been here a few times since the first day it opened. I enjoy their food. I feel that the food is overpriced for what you get. It is not the best French restaurant I have ever been to. The waitstaff is horrible, however that saves me money on tip when I only have to tip the waitress $1 for her terrible service. I had a dead fruit fly in my water. Pros: soups Cons: waitstaff, price more

I didn't understand why people are so unhappy about their service. Our waiter was serving most of the table on the floor, but answered all our question regarding the menu. I liked the way they serve glass wine. Our server came to our table with the bottles and let us taste it before he generously filled our glasses (almost to the rim). We had potato salad , fois gras, lamb stew, and avocado salad. Potato salad was not what I expected (no mayo, sliced thinly and sauteed in LOTS of oil), but the simple combination of onion, carrot, and herring worked out very nicely. I've never seen such a big piece of fois gras... It was very well prepared, and I enjoyed it, but I still would rather have smaller serving at a lower price. The lamb stew got a bit too strong lamb flavor for me, but my date liked it a lot. There was nothing special about the avocado salad. We had dark chocolate mousse for dessert. It was good, but not like, really really good. And yes, the server didn't come offering to refill my coffee (which doesn't bother me much). I don't think this place is super cheap, but they do give you a fair amount of good food and wine for the price. Pros: good food at a reasonable price Cons: parking maybe? more

My family and I went for a Saturday Birthday Brunch and the food was fantastic. The wait staff was friendly, knowledgeable and very accommodating. With out asking they brought me my desert with a candle in it and happy birthday written in French. The food was out of this world, very tasty and different. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys good food and a classicly simple atmosphere. Pros: Great wait staff, delicious food Cons: a little chilly more

Overall It was a good experience. After we sat down my friends were pretty quick in choosing their dishes but It took one of us to stand up to talk to the manager for him to take the order. We did not know who was our server. The rest of the evening was great. Excellent food and the selection of desserts is great! more

Good wine list: Has a nice variety of wines in terms of style and price. Overall prices reasonable on whole menu. Felt that the menu could have been a little more creative. Especially liked the white chocolate bread pudding.\r I personally prefer Sel de la Terre. Pros: Price Cons: A little cramped more

The menu looked great, so I was really excited to try out this restaurant. Our server started the meal with ""announcements"" and then ""so what do you want."" He told us that it was ""impossible"" to substitute fries for potato soup, even if we paid the higher price. I had to ask to have my coffee refilled three times, and the restaurant was not at all busy. My favorite part was seeing the manager, our server, and another employee laugh and roll their eyes at our party while we ate. I mentioned to the manager at the end of the meal that the service was the worst I had ever encountered, and he smirked and said ""uh ok."" Finally, the server returned to the table to ""apologize"" or rather accost me for complaining to the manager. I felt extremely disrespected and will NEVER go back to this restaurant. \r \r The food was ok, although we waited close to 45 minutes for omelets and salads. \r \r Bottom line, don't bother eating here unless you like to be mocked, lied to, and accosted when you dine out. Pros: Cute interior. Cons: Everyone on the staff. Including the manager. more

I had my worst dining experience in years here. Our waiter told my friend that one of the entrees on the menu was unavailabe, but then we saw him serve it to the people next to us 10 minutes later. His excuse? He just didn't remember that it was available. He refused to make a simple substitution with my entree (the sole), and when it arrived 45 minutes later, it was a burnt piece of salty, congealed oil that barely even resembled sole. I wouldn't come back here if you paid me. more

This is really a gem in the city. The food compares with any of the best in the city at much lower prices. The sacrifice is that the atmosphere is not as nice as a top-tier restaurant but still very good with a casual feel. All the appetizers, entrees, and desserts were top-notch. High recommend this one. more

The food at Petit Robert is amazing and priced very low compared to standard French restaurant prices in Boston. We had the rabit moutarde and the duck confit (both delicious especially the duck). The lobster bisque was not the best I had but definitely on the good side. The escargot were cooked perfectly. The service was fast. Our bread, water and wine glasses were refilled promptly. What confused me was that we did not seem to have an assigned waiter but random people would come up to the table. I am looking forward to trying to skirt stake bearnaise next time... Pros: Food, Wine List, Prices Cons: Too close seating more

Well, all I kept saying to myself while we waited for our food was: ""Yup, this is French."" It reminded me of the service I received at many a restaurant in France. Slow service aside, the food was FANTASTIC!!!! We had Onion soup (good, but not the best I have ever had) steak and Venison Bourguignon. Both of our entrees were fantastic and the fries were great too. Desserts were great too (Lemon Curd Tart & White Chocolate Bread Pudding). The food was great all around and the value was just as great. The lack of parking (especially on a game day - had to drive home the first reservation we had due to lack of parking) is a real problem though!! Pros: Food, Value Cons: Service, Parking more

I've been patronizing Petit Robert since it opened. The food is some of the best I've tasted (esp. the skirt steak with bordelaise, the scallops, the short rib special, and any of the soups and desserts), the service unfortunately has turned this regular away for good. Service has always been poor (we were hoping the mgmt. would work out the kinks but they've failed) but it's only gotten worse. It's too cramped and the waiters are inexperienced. The managers are unattentive and disorganized. I want to come back again and again for the succulent food, but the service is so awful I just can't bring myself to it. While the prices are a fantastic deal for the quality of the food, unless you have extremely high tolerance for bad service, poor mgmt., and don't mind sitting elbow to elbow, go for the food but adjust your service expectations to low. Pros: Food is amazing, Good prices Cons: Service, Crowded, Service more

I waited to add my review until I had been there twice. My first time was amazing, so I had to be sure the next time would be just as good...it was even better! This seems to be the only place in the city that has CHEAP, REAL french food. I am very impressed by the consistancy of the entrees. I also tried the onion soup which was incredible. We (party of 6) did not have to wait long for our table, and the manager was really funny and nice while we waited the few minutes for them to set it up for us. Our waitress was really sweet and knowledgable, and remembered us from when we were there months ago. A very pleasant and overdue dining experience in Boston! Pros: food, staff, ambiance + prices more

Petit Robert Bistro is a great little relaxing restaurant serving beautifully prepared simple bistro fare. The host was extremely accommodating in seating us next to the window. Appetizers are $6-9 (with the exception of foie gras $16), soups/salads are $5-8 and entrees $17-25. The foie gras was fantastic, crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside with a couple of apple slices in a nice cinnamon sauce. The rabbit leg was simply prepared, with a dab of mustard sauce and was perfectly cooked. Pomme Frites are a nice side. The pear tart was little disappointing, go for the chocolate Eiffel Tower. The skirt steak looked fantastic and most of the other tables ordered the mussels. On a Tuesday night, every table was taken, the noise level allowed for conversation and the service was very good. I would recommend this restaurant for a couple or for a small group. Pros: foie gras, noise level, service Cons: pear tarte, location more