I had read so many differing reviews on Bess Bistro that I did not know what to expect. I live in New York City, but was in Texas visiting, so we made a special trip to Austin to go to Bess.\r
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I was not disappointed. I really loved the decor, and the attention to detail. It was very comforting and soothing. I rarely go to a restaurant where I really love the bathrooms, but I would not mind having a bathroom that looks like that myself. I got to check out the aromas of the Bessence candles, of which there was one in the bathroom as well. The bathroom actually smelled great. I did not purchase them at this time but plan to down the road. \r
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I also liked the fact that the tables had been designed from repurposed materials. There was also a lovely fish tank with some pretty, colorful fish.\r
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The restaurant was not crowded as we were there on a Saturday afternoon during a holiday weekend. The service was friendly and impeccable. I ordered the semolina crusted artichoke hearts with the fried spinach and that was really good, plus the dipping sauce was excellent. I had never had spinach like that before and it was creative as well as rich in flavor. I also had the cobb salad and it was tasty, plus a very generous portion.\r
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For dessert, I had the Tres Leches cake which I felt they did a good job with. I had coffee to drink and the coffee was a rich, dark blend that really tasted good, and my cup was kept full the whole time. The water glasses were as well and the filtered water really makes a difference in the taste.\r
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For all of that food, my bill was well under $30 minus the tip, and we ordered from the dinner menu, so I would have to say it was not overpriced for the quality and the amounts of food we were served.\r
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For me, Bess Bistro was all that I hoped it would be, and as far as the atmosphere and decor, a little bit more. I recommend giving it a chance with an open mind.
Pros: Ambience, attention to detail, bathrooms are super cool.
Cons: Wish I was not so far away
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