Julia’s Bistro & Bar

It is a very well designed and quaint restaurant at the roundabout on Blanco. More parking in the back ... but it is dark after hours. We dined on Friday night, and I recommend a reservation. As our first trip, we decided to try a lot of dishes and drinks on the menu.Let's start with the hostess knew us the minute we showed up ... gave her the name and she said "dinner for four". Wow! Drinks to start ... the Smokey paradise was a delicious mix of flavors .. hint of ginger beer and jalapeño (not much heat). Julia's martini was a favorite at the table as well. The VDR blend was rich, sweet and bold.Appetizers ordered: east coast oysters, escargot and hummus. All were excellent! The oysters have the salty water. A note on the hummus ... the carrots are in the hummus, and the dish is served with bread for dipping.We then moved onto French onion soup and the beet salad. The soup had a super rich broth with lots of onions. The beet salad was a green salad with a beet base. However, it was tasty.The main dishes: steak fries, lamb shank and mushroom risotto. The steak was cooked perfectly and covered with butter and pepper. Hint... you can sub with truffle fries. The lamb shank was large and drenched in the sauce ... thick, rich sauce with hints of cinnamon and chocolate. The risotto was my only disappointment .. it was rather flavorless and the mushrooms were mushy.The service was spot on. Efficient but not intrusive.

I would have scored this place a 5 but there was 1 major issue, their restroom. I won't eat in a restaurant with filthy bathrooms. This isn't a hard call. They let you see the bathrooms. If the restaurant can't be bothered to replace the puck in the urinal or keep the toilets and floors clean, then just imagine what their refrigeration and work spaces look like." - Anthony Bourdain The food was exquisite, pricing phenomenal, drinks tasty and packed a punch, ambiance was vibrant, service was excellent. I could see myself going to this place on a weekly basis, but I won't step foot in there until they do something about their restroom situation. It was like going to an outhouse and I'm not kidding when I say this. It was Literally that bad in there. Please get that fixed ASAP. This little restaurant is a jewel and I would love to see it succeed.

I was visiting a friend in San Antonio and she suggested this place for brunch. Because she lives there and frequents the restaurant, i made reservations online -- a very easy process, which included a couple of confirmation emails.Parking is a PITA. We fortunately arrived early enough for me to circle the block (in ever increasing circles) several times before i found a spot. It would be lovely if a caution about parking could be included in the reservation email. When we walked in, we were hit with a wall of clatter/chatter. It is a cute interior with a fun atmosphere and whimsical art on the walls. We were seated, and i appreciated the hanging privacy dividers between the tables along the benches. There were only two setups for the three of us. When the server brought water, we asked for another glass and rollup. When she asked for our orders, we had a few questions and partway through the request, the server wandered over to another table.I wasn't excited about the menu as the selections appeared to be either sweet items or egg items. Since we had met at 1:00, i would have preferred something more lunch-y. They were very accommodating when one friend asked for fries instead of potatoes, and again when the other friend and i wanted to split something (the friend eats tiny meals for medical reasons and can only take home so much food from restaurants on vacation).The Eggs and Bacon Avocado Toast was what i shared with my friend - it is one square of toast, a nice amount of bacon, delightful nuggets of capers, and two sunnyside-up eggs (maybe we got 2 eggs because we were sharing). I don't recall any avocado. It was accompanied by a lightly-dressed romaine salad. Everything was delicious and the unshared plate was a perfect serving for one. However, although the egg was listed in the menu as sunnyside-up, it was very sunny -- the whites not completely done. This was less of an issue for me, but my friend balked. We could have asked for more well-done eggs, but we didn't. No bad on the restaurant.When we left, the restaurant was 90% empty, yet no one bid us a good day or thanked us for coming. Maybe it is a cultural thing, but it made me feel unwelcome.

Small bespoke atmosphere with great service and options. The French Onion soup was a fantastic starter, can't wait to try the trout.

We felt welcome as soon as we walked in. It was hard to make a choice since every single item on the menu looked tempting. Settled on the lamb shank for me and the trout for my partner. With a chocolate old fashioned on the side! Every bite and every sip was perfect. Comfortable seating at the tables, but a little noisy when the place filled up. No matter, it is well worth another trip!

this place never disappoints! Tonight I had the grilled trout and it was spot on delicious. The NYE pre fixe menu may get me out on a night I typically stay in. Great staff and great service - very human-centered experience. Neighborhood place with excellent culinary touch!

Loved this place and will definitely be back! We were looking for a more lowkey brunch spot with good food and affordable mimosas and this checked all boxes. The vibe was nice, our server was super friendly and attentive. Great place to come with friends or even family! This food was bomb though. We ordered the burger and it was probably one of the best I've had in a while!! Perfectly cooked and the egg made it perfect. The fries were crispy and salty, my favorite was dipping them in the leftover yolk. My bf got the croquette madame* which comes with the egg! It was hot, flavorful, and super affordable. We also ordered a bottle of bubbly with guava and orange juice. Only $15, which is normal but still we love not having to pay $30 at a brunch spot for a cheaper bottle of champagne. Great little area to walk around outside or stop inside the vintage furniture store afterwards. Will 100% be back to try out more food/drinks!

How did I not know about this place sooner?? LOVED Julia's Bistro. I happened upon this spot recently and dragged a friend there for brunch. We were lucky enough to snag a table, but you should really make a reservation. We had phenomenal service. They have a great price on mimosas and the food was delicious. I loved the environment of this place. It didn't feel like a typical San Antonio restaurant, there was something extra special about it. I want to return for their happy hour because they have some great deals on drinks & apps! Looking forward to trying more on their menu!

What a gem in Beacon Hill! Please do yourself a favor and pay a visit to Julia's - you won't regret it! The food, cocktails, and service are always 10/10. I love the escargot, caesar salad, and the duck. They also have a great happy hour (although, I do wish they would extended it to two hours instead of one).

Authentic French food in the Alamo City! Added bonus - no frou frou overpricing. The escargot is DELICIOUS! The bread served with it takes me back to France. Servers are fantastic.