Bistro Menil

Blackberry cake @ Bistro Menil, needs a few more berries ;-)Very much enjoyed the ambience, and company including AAEF Board members, Rice Univ., artist moody.Rice.edu/exhibitions/Hayv-Kahraman-foreign-us Thank you to our gracious host Dr. Aziz Shaibani! Hayv K. has a not to be missed exhibition @ Rice, free to the public, now through May 11th.

This is a celiac paradise. Almost everything on the menu is Gluten Free and good w resonable prices

I went here for afternoon tea on my birthday and really enjoyed it. I love the peaceful ambience of the restaurant and it was definitely a more modern take on afternoon tea. We got champagne at the beginning, followed by a cute little cup of tomato soup both very good. Then they brought out the tiered tower of sandwiches and desserts. We got 4 of every sandwich so the portions were pretty good. I will say when comparing it to Hotel Granduca's afternoon tea, I don't think it is as good but still enjoyed it.

I've been to the Menil Collection before and was recommended to try their bistro by several people. When I saw they were partaking in HRW, I decided to finally try this place. I went with a friend of mine who is gluten sensitive and their menu was completely GF friendly. Major plus on their end.- Jumbo lump crab cake with caper and cornichon mayonnaise: pretty good, not too salty. Squeeze of lemon gives it a nice touch.- Crisp duck confit: was really worried about this since the reviews were mixed between crispy and dry. But it wasn't dry this time. Skin was crispy enough and the meat was tender, easy to fall off the bone. I was pleased with how it came out. I got the mashed cauliflower/potatoes and house salad as my sides. I enjoyed those as well.- Crème brûlée: typically not my go to dessert, but I enjoyed this textbook crème brûlée.My friend ordered the 12-hour beef short rib and I was able to try that as well. Not too bad, however could've used a little bit more port wine sauce to top it. She said she enjoyed all her food as well.Overall, pretty good experience. Attentive servers, cleaned courses off fairly quickly, and kept my water filled all night. They take reservations, but it wasn't too busy for walk ins. There is outdoor patio seating. Good amount of parking in their own parking lot (grateful for that). At night, the ambiance is lowly lit, good for date night. I would come back again, but wouldn't say I find myself absolutely craving to come back right away.

Wow what a pleasant patio dining experience for one today!Weather is gorgeous and the staff seated me under the tree, so I would be almost guaranteed longer shade.I had the entire entrance patio to myself, so I felt very VIP!! They have some jazzy elevator music, but I love that because I can chillax without words - sounds like Spanish guitar at times. Staff is kind and welcome and knowledgeable with the menu.I tried the HRW $25 lunch and was impressed with my crab cake - big chunks of crab and I liked my roasted potatoes and salad, almost like a bento plate.Today was an iced tea kind of day and they kept my glass full. I was just enjoying the sunshine, oak trees, and sycamores. I think they just have the standard iced tea, perhaps having some different flavor options might be fun.The lemon tart was delish - crunchy phylo crust and merengue like topping with the tangy lemon filling, just perfect for a breezy warmer day.So much fun to people watch, great crowd of all ages - one human had magenta hair, I felt style envy!Highly recommended for lunch!

Overall, I don't think I would come back, but it was a solid place for lunch, especially if you're in the area or visiting Menil. This review is more of a 3.5.FOODEggplant fries ($12)It wasn't exactly what I was expecting, maybe more breading than I thought? I recommend if you want something crispy/fried that's not fries.Calamari ($12)This was solid, I didn't like the sauce. Calamari was soft and chewy though!Crab cake ($34)I don't like crab cake, but this may have been the best crab cake I've ever had. I tasted actual pieces of crab, and not that much cake. We got it with mashed cauliflower/potato and house salad. The mashed potato had a pool of butter in it, which my mom/grandma did not like.Pizza ($19)I didn't like this, but my mom and grandma enjoyed it. My grandma even had a second slice! It had sausage and mushrooms, but I think the sauce was what put me off.SERVICEOur waiter was friendly and easily resolved an issue we had with one of our dishes. AMBIENCEThere was a lot of natural lighting and the views of the trees/Menil collection was very pretty. It's nice that there's a dedicated parking lot with plenty of spaces. We didn't have to wait for a table at 11:30-12pm on a Saturday.

A nice converted restaurant conveniently next to the Menil Collection, Bistro Menil is a nondescript eatery that offers tasty European inspired dishes.We settled on this place on a Sunday evening. It was a pretty full house, though we were seated immediately. We started off with the papas alinadas as an appetizer which consisted of Spanish style potatoes topped with tuna and egg. It was pretty good. The potatoes possessed a bit of a sour taste and were nice. The duck confit was absolutely delicious. I loved the crispy skin, and it was a perfectly cooked, flavorful, and moist. The dessert of Tuscan lemon almond torte is not to be missed! I love a good almond dessert, and theirs is delicious and top notch with the accompanying dollop of cream.So why the three stars? First, service was super slow. At first I excused it because it was a busy evening, but by the end of our meal, we were the only diners left and it still took forever for the server to attend to us. Secondly, the regular sides were very lackluster and limited, and it was a hefty amount to upgrade to larger and better premium side. Overall an okay place with a charming atmosphere.

Fantastic French bistro hidden away in a neighborhood. Small menu that is well executed and best of all very gluten friendly. Will definitely return.

Came to Bistro Menil for a friend's birthday celebration to have afternoon tea on a Sunday for 2PM. Reservation process was smooth and our table was ready when we arrived. There is a small parking lot available for guests at the Bistro and for the Menil behind the building. There was plenty of parking available when we arrived. I was the first to arrive and as soon as I walked to the host stand, the host had time to say hello but then the phone rang. I was discouraged that he asked me to wait while he took the phone call and unfortunately it took several minutes. Once he hung up, he seated me promptly. The afternoon tea is lovely - you receive either italian soda (lemon or raspberry) or a glass of champagne first. Next, our food arrived and a little while later, we ordered our tea. All of the drinks were delicious and served at great temperatures (hot and cold, depending). The food was also delicious and the perfect portions for the occasion. At times, it was hard to get in touch with our waiter and service was a bit slow, but overall a good experience and I would go again for afternoon tea.

Ok its a great experience. The Sunday brunch is great also had dinner here a few times. Owner stopped by the table and welcomed us. Had a lot of different food on our table. Overall they have some great dishes. Not a fan of the GF Pizza but Everything else is fabulous. Also lots of gluten free options.