Bistro Le Cep Hours: See Profile   11112 Westheimer Rd Houston TX 77042 713.783.3985 You might also be interested in these:     French Restaurants    ZIP 77042 Profile Description: Bistro Le Cep is an Ideal place to meet friends to enjoy our European-casual style hospitality in a colorful setting. The menu changes with the season, using Texas homegrown argriculture products.   Add Review PROFILE     MY REVIEW: went for lunch and got special, it was wonderful, service is great as well, plan to return many more times NAME: galewind SUBMITTED: 7/11/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: july 2008 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: Having been dinner guests at Le Cep, we could hardly wait to go back again. Being teachers on a modest budget, we have made a commitment to go on Sunday evenings while the restaurant is running the 3 course special. We are eating our way slowly (and appreciatively) through the menu, and have been more than pleased with everything we have ordered. Sunday evening seems to be family night, and we have been so impressed by the wonderful manners and sophistication of taste of the young people seated near us. I wish more families would expose their older children to lovely dining experiences like this. We love the food, the service, and the ambience at Le Cep and will continue bi-weekly visits as our special treat. NAME: MiMi SUBMITTED: 2/14/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 2/10/08 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: I love this restaurant! The food is always excellent. I especially enjoy Sunday brunch here for the $6.95 coffee, raisin bread, eggs, bacon. It can't be beat. I have been here in the evenings too and enjoy their beef filet. Its one of the best in town. The wait staff is excellent and very attentive. NAME: Marva SUBMITTED: 7/27/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 7/07 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: The food is a little pricey, but then again so is every good french restaurant in town. I had the boar with plum sauce & my wife had the veal. The food was good & so was the dessert. I would recommed Bisto Le Cep to my family & friends. NAME: Tim from Alief SUBMITTED: 6/5/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 4/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: A friend took us there for a very tasty, but too hurried lunch and my wife and I decided it was the perfect place for a "special" event, so we scheduled our anniversary dinner there. Yes, the outside is not spectacular. Yes, it is small, but all of that melts away once you get inside. The ambience is homey and warm, with print curtains and subdued artwork. At dinner, service is not fast. That is not why you go there. It is a place to relax. And listening to Joe Tarentino, the strolling accordion player do your favorite French (or pretty much any) favorites is a more than pleasurable way to spend a special evening. The wine selection is adequate for any taste. Our champagne was perfectly chilled and crisp. We ordered escargot for an appetizer. My wife ordered the bouillabaisse and I had the venison in wild mushroom sauce. The escargot arrived in about ten minutes. . They well seasoned and not too chewy, as many tend to be. It took about 15 minutes for our meals to arrive, but the time was spent well, with Joe playing romantic songs for us. Though it is close, it is not loud, and we didn’t have to strain to hear the unamplified music. Our entrees were far better than average, though I could have accepted a little more garlic in the potatoes and mushrooms that were slightly wilder. The bouillabaisse was the best she had ever had, claims Ms. Goozleberry. My venison was tender and cooked perfectly in a warm mushroom brown sauce. Dessert was a chocolate mousse, ordered more for celebration than hunger, but it was smooth and tasty. The prices were mid-range with many entrees under twenty dollars, which is remarkable for food and atmosphere of this quality. I feel that we will have to make this more of a regular place rather than a special occasion place, but I cannot recommend it highly enough for that evening to remember. Enjoy. And ask Joe to play “La Vie En Rose”. NAME: Goozleberry SUBMITTED: 2/11/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 2/07 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: Strong Points the reservations were made for 10 people and they had a lovely table ready when we arrived. Our waiter was very nice and helpful. We ordered from the Sunday Buffet menu and everyone seemed to enjoy the meal. I cannot say it was the best breakfast I ever had but it was beautifully presented and there were no complaints. I found that best deal for the money was to order from the side menus. I had two large buttermilk pancakes with coffee and also got to enjoy the speciality breads that were offered by the waiter. All in all a good experience for a large gathering. NAME: happy diner SUBMITTED: 11/27/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/06 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: Our friends called before 8pm and got us a table at 8:30 Friday, the 6th. It was packed and everyone seemed to be having a good time. We were led to a cozy booth. The acordian player played music of our choice as well as the other patrons. Our friends knew the owners and we had very good service and great food. The dishes we had were Coq au vin, their special Potato crusted Salmon and the grilled pork chop. It was really yummy! I will be curious to see how we are treated without our friends with us. THe owners were very friendly and we will go back. NAME: JAN-JAN SUBMITTED: 10/10/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/06 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Just don't go. Joe Mannke has a loyal crowd from his 26 years at B*eef and Bird. But, it never was that good at his old place and even worse with bad service, food that sits under a food lamp and incredibly aweful service. Go to C*hez Nous if you want excellent French food or P*apadeaux's for better everything but do not let the small, crowded atmosphere at Bistro lead you to believe that you are in Paris. Only the prices and poor service are comparable. NAME: Texastochina SUBMITTED: 9/13/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 9/2006 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: This was my first visit to Le Cep. I was eager to see and taste. We were immediately seated at a not so desireable table. We asked if we could sit one over. A young lady named Jackie rushed over and rudely stated that this table was already reserved, and looked at the table we were not wanting to sit at. We walked a bit further, which she rolled her eyes at. We were not wanting to sit in the line of traffic. She was obviously huffy over this. While this set me off immediately, I was determined to enjoy dinner and ignore her. Next time, we'll make reservations to avoid her eye contact. I drove from The Woodlands, and if I hadn't driven so far, I probably would have left. Our waiter was well versed in all entrees. I had the sauteed snapper with vegetables. My only complaint is that I received one small red potato. It was so good, I could have eaten a dozen. The food temperature was perfect. Dessert was a treat: hazelnut chocolate cake. It was wonderful. Atmosphere was beautiful, but the temperature was very cold. Bring a sweater or jacket. If you come sleevless, you'll want an outside table. NAME: Jeannette Montemayor SUBMITTED: 4/11/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 04/2006 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Joe M. was absent & the staff knew it. Flat cokes & club sodas that had to be sent back (twice!), slow, indifferent service (maybe it was the language barrier?), asking for more bread, asking for more water...Joe Mannke is a world-class restauranteur but perhaps he should be more involved. NAME: FifthGenHoustonian SUBMITTED: 2/9/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 1/2006 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: My husband and i have begun a tradition of going out to eat for Tday dinner. Last year we went to Rudi L*echner's for dinner because it was the only place with open reservations. After that "interesting" experience, I made sure to secure reservations early. Based on the glowing reviews here, I chose Bistro Le Cep for Tday dinner. We reserved seats for the 3:30, last serving of the day. We do not drink, so there will be no comments about wine. Since there were only two of us, we were led to the very back of the restaurant, seated directly infront of the door that leads to the refrigerators and the cooler. It was a bit cool there, but the wait-traffic to the cooler was infrequent, so it was OK. The tables for two are all in a row(there are 3 of them) and they are rather close together. You should be careful of what you say and what words you use, as tyour neighbor is practically eating at your table with you. But everyone was couth, so this was not a real problem. Service was rather rushed and sometimes we felt pushed to provide our choices, but again, I'm sure they were concerned about serving everyone in a timely manner. The first course was a delicious squash, apple bisque, that tasted of cream and cheese. Bread was provided also, and we were surprised at how unpalatable the bread was. The cornbread was wonderfully light, but rather tasteless, the french bread was dry and unflavorful, the blueberry muffins tasted like you'd expect a sweet muffin with a few berries to taste and the raisin walnut bread broke up into thick, dry chunks that were almost inedible. I expected better from a French Bistro. The next course was the salad, which was wonderful. It was crunchy, sweet, spicy, tangy and earthy all at once. The vinagraitte fit it perfectly. For the main course, I ordered turkey with sage/chesnut bread stuffing and my husband ordered the prime rib. Both were accompanied by mashed potatoes, pureed butternut/acorn squash. The turkey was good, savory, moist. I do not like bread dressing anyway, but was still disappointed that there appeared to be NO chestnuts in it. I searched and searched- perhaps they were ground up. The sausage struck the wrong note- it was a moist formed clump on my plate- most unappetizing. Likewise the pureed squash which I hope they refrain from serving in the future. The mash potatoes were really great however. My husband's prime rib was rare; he was not asked how he liked his meat prepared- I attribute this to their rush to get everyone seated, and it is his own fault that he did not send it back. The meat was overall fine, just too rare. We finished with dessert which was frankly disappointing. Again, I expected fresh and interesting choices from this French restaurant rather than Sysco's cider, refrigerated cakes and pies. But again, perhaps it was due to the absolute crush of people they had to serve. We spent $66.00,which is a bit much for an experience I'd rate as "fair". Still, it was better than Rudy L*echner's for Tday! Given the glowing reviews, we do plan to return, perhaps for lunch on the weekend. NAME: DDF SUBMITTED: 11/28/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/24/2005 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: What a wonderful dining experience! Everything we ate was delicious. The chef visited our table, and he answered many questions and told us about the evening specials. We both had the red snapper (evening special) and it was by far the best fish I have ever eaten. The vegetables were perfectly cooked and nothing too heavy. Everything is served fresh and piping hot! The bread was very good also. We will be back! NAME: JS SUBMITTED: 9/29/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 07/2005 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: excellent service, delicious food. we had escargot, duck pate, filet mignon, and quail. they were all good but i must say quail was a little bit saltier than i would like. also it was like more expensive version of fried chicken. i never had quail before so i can't make any comparison. we had creme bulle which was ok. overall, i think it was a very good restaurant and we would definitely go back NAME: french first time SUBMITTED: 4/3/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: apr/2005 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: RUN don't walk! to this place! This restaurant is delicious! I went on a Sunday night, and it must have been fate! Sunday nights, in honor of their 3rd anniversary, they have a 3 course dinner special for $20. Any appetizer or soup or salad, any entree (beef costs $26), and any dessert (amazing selection!) all for $20! Watch out tho when the ticket comes, because both tax AND a 15% gratuity are already added in. First of all, I felt like dining alone that night. The hostess was very kind and allowed me my choice of small tables, and I chose one in the back so that I could comfortably people-watch. The restaurant is a bit cramped, and it seems that the waiters constantly have to weave in and out of the tables, trying to find their way out of the maze. However, it does have a cozy atmosphere and as long as you stay seated throughout your dinner, the small spaces don't bother. This restaurant is easy to miss on Westheimer, but after you pass Beltway 8 heading West, it's on the right hand side. It's got a red roof and additional parking just past the main entrance. The inside atmosphere - the place is nicely decorated with pleasant pictures, and in the back dining room the whole right wall is full of wine bottles. I love the feeling - it's like you're in a French cottage! The service here is excellent - very attentive waitstaff who doesnt' rush you at all and is happy to ansewr and all questions. I had some pretty ridiculous questions (this was only my second time trying French cuisine), but the waiter patiently answered all my q's. The water refills are slow to come by, though, but there is every 15 minutes or so a waiter who comes around with fresh breads (sourdough, white, wheat, and raisin-nut slices) who places the piping hot bread on your plate! The appetizer selection is amazing! I tried the smoked salmon w/ apples and watercress vinaigeratte - a true pleasure. The table next to me ordered a salad w/ goat cheese that also looked amazing, and another appetizer that looked interesting were the stuffed clams (I'll try those next time). I would recommend, if you go on a Sunday night, to order an appetizer instead of a soup or salad - they have more selection and better quantities. The soup looked very small, served in a miniature cup. As for the entrees, they offer everything! Rabbit, veal, fish, sea bass, beef, filet mignon, chicken, shrimp, pork chops, etc.. The meals that I saw coming out of the kitchen to the tables surrounding me all looked amazing. The sea bass, however, seemed to be in small portions, so I stuck with a dish that looked unbeatable - the rabbit w/ mustard sauce. DELICIOUS rabbit, melted in my mouth! It was pot-roasted in the mustard sauce, and I found myself dragging my meat pieces across the dish in an attempt to scrape every last remnant of the delicious sauce! This was by far one of my favorite dining experiences! My rabbit entree came w/ spaetzle, a German type of pasta that was buttered and had a nice zing to it. Also, it came with green beans. Nothing special about the vegetables, but when I dragged them through the rabbit mustard sauce, they become amazing! Other entrees that looked similarly good on the tables around me: I would suggest trying the filet mignon, the pork chops, and the wild boar. Stay away from the sea bass and the sauteed shrimp - they didn't look like anything special, were in small quantities, and had boring sides. The veal also looked in small portion, but it looked pretty good. Then the dessert menu! Amazing! I had a tough time deciding, but settled on the almond and pear tart. By the way, I don't think you can go wrong with any of their desserts! My almond and pear tart was served warm, drizzled in caramelized sauce, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. Delicious! I can't say enough about this dessert - I revelled in every single bite. The table next to me got a decent-looking chocolate cake (I beleive it was Hazelnut Mousse) and the woman got creme brulee, which she said was amazing. I saw the meringue - icecream dessert too, which looked gigantic, but I do not like meringue so I steered clear. On the whole, a wonderful dining experience! Take your time at a meal here to truly enjoy the dining expereince! Be sure to try the rabbit w/ mustard sauce, and be sure to come on a Sunday to get the best deal! I paid $29.50 for my whole dinner, but it would've come out to about $38.00 if I'd gone any other night. Love htis place and will return very soon (and on a Sunday!) NAME: NewFrenchLover SUBMITTED: 2/15/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 2/05 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: We booked for our anniversary on a Friday evening as everyone recommended this bistro. We found it pleasant inside, but very crowded, with lines of people waiting for tables. My husband had a nice meal, but I was very disappointed. I had smoked salmon with watercress vinaigrette and apple Calvados, but the watercress was old and yellow and the apple Calvados was just two slices of apple on the side. My main course was rabbit and I found pieces of eggshell in the sauce. The final blow came when the waiter lifted the plates off the tablecloth and we saw two dirty black rings where they had been! We couldn't wait to leave! We've been to far better bistros than Le Cep and we won't be going back there. NAME: Francophile SUBMITTED: 1/10/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: January 2005 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: What a contrast ! Pity the outside is not as inviting as the inside. decor is charming and "cosy" - tables maybe a little too close together. Wait staff are friendly, but not patronising and obsequious, and we appreciate that. I cannot stand waiters "hovering" and interupting private conversations with meaningless, overfamiliar remarks such as "everything OK here folks" - (if it were not, believe me, they would know about it ) - one of the main reasons we no longer frequent some of the supposedly "tonier" French restaurants in town - Food IS French provincial, the Coq au Vin is outstanding- and the sea-bass is best around.Mashed potatoes -especially used to mop up the juices of the Coq au Vin - are excellent, and the breads are TOO good. I had not realized until I saw the other reviews that the chef is from Rotisserie for Beef & Bird, frankly I find the food at "Bistro" better, simpler, and not drowned out in too rich & overwhelming sauces (which,to my taste,was a fault at Rotisserie - hope he doesn't go back to that.) The value given and perceived here is very good - prices are modest - ambiance is warm and unpretentious - truly a lagniappe. NAME: P&B SUBMITTED: 11/23/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: October 2004 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: My family and I recently celebrated my birthday at Bistro le Cep and it was wonderful. My son came home from college and requested this restaurant for our dinner. We had the snapper special, the veal special, the pork chop and the rabbit in mustard sauce with the house salad. All were wonderful. We finished with deserts of sorbet, peach tart and a cheese plate with port. The wait staff were extremely professional. Chef Mannke was there visiting the patrons and he should be proud. We miss Beef and Bird, but this is fine alternative for this brilliant chef. NAME: Wests SUBMITTED: 11/14/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/2004 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: I dined at this restaurant when it first opened and found the food and service excellent, however my guests and I were disappointed on our last two visits. The entire staff seemed indifferent and the quality and preparation of the food was poor. NAME: stuartclnc SUBMITTED: 10/21/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: October/2004 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: Nice atmosphere, but inconsistent in the quality of food. I had the veal and the duck (Orange)and although the duck was excellant and in generous portion, the veal was tasteless and in ridiculously small serving that were no bigger than a small MacDonald hamburger patty. For over $13, I expect a bit more than 4 bites. The duck was served with red cabagge and lentils -- not very imaginative but edible. The veal came with carrots and spelze -- again, tastless without even a hint of flavor. Overall, this place is average and does not scream at me to come back. NAME: John SUBMITTED: 5/14/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 5/2004 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: Outside it is an ugly looking place. Inside it is way too small for my liking but looks nice, cozy. Food is exelent as well as service. Sunday special was just great deal. Though they try to put as much people on Sundays as possible they can fit inside their rooms. Wine specials I believe are on Mondays. Anyway, I liked it very much. NAME: Alex R A SUBMITTED: 4/11/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: Sep/2003 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: An excellent restaurant. I have had their Rabbit, Veal Shank, and Sea Bass entres. All were well prepared, presented and flavorful. Sunday nights they have a special of three courses salad (or appitizer), main entre, and dessert for $20. A bargin. NAME: PK SUBMITTED: 10/13/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/03 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: Excellant starters (try the mussels or escargot) wonderful choice of entrees,have enjoyed several and all were perfectly prepared. GREAT PRICES and excellant wine list too. Bread to die for, desserts: try the apple pie, nice suprise! Make a reservation, lunch too. Don't judge this spot by the curb appeal, this is a diamond in disguise. NAME: SelectiveGourmet SUBMITTED: 10/5/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/2003 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: I worked and lived in Houston, used to drive past Bistro Le Cep because it didn't seem worth going in. Finally one night I walked in and it is now my favorite French restaurant. Sat at the wine bar because I was alone. Chatted with the Wine Manager Sonny, had a wonderful meal. My work took me to Dallas. I made a special trip to Houston just to dine at this wonderful restaurant. I am now in San Antonio and am making a special trip to Houston the July 4th weekend just to have another wonderful meal and sample some fine wines at Le Cep. NAME: Thekingman SUBMITTED: 7/2/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: sept. 2002 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: This restaurant is excellent. Wonderful service & ambience. Had the escargot which were perfectly done and swimming in butter and garlic. Followed it up with the boullabaise which was filled with seafood and had the perfect blend of tomato and saffron. Joe Mennke was working the tables just like the old days at Rotisserie for Beef and Bird. This would be a great date place for a romantic dinner. I'll be back. NAME: BluesBoy SUBMITTED: 5/12/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: May 2003 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I haven't eaten much French food, because some French restaurants make you feel like an idiot, but I liked Bistro Le Cep. The restaurant is charming inside, with beautiful wood everywhere and cute table set ups, window curtains, etc. Not at all what you might expect when looking at it from the outside. You forget you're on Westheimer, and can imagine that you are in France. The service was impeccable even if the waitstaff was a little detached (maybe that is by design). That is fine with me, just an observation. I had the Coq au Vin, which was absolutely fabulous! For non-french food eaters...this is basically a chicken stew/soup, with a dark rich sauce (roux) that is made with wine. There were pearl onions, mushrooms, potatoes, etc. The chicken was so tender, it almost melted in my mouth. My fiance had pan-seared flounder which was perfectly cooked, and came with roasted vegetables. He ate the whole plate, even though he had eaten all day thinking we were not going out to eat that night. Pricewise...it is a little pricey for us $15-25 entrees, but I understand that being that it's French food. There were a lot of game entrees, which I am not ready for, but I could eat the Coq au Vin once a week and not get tired of it. I did not try the pate...maybe next time. If I don't like liver, why would I like goose liver? NAME: debntexas SUBMITTED: 3/5/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: 02/2003 FREQUENCY: Visited once ©Copyright 1991 - 2008 B4-U-EAT.COM. All rights reserved. Design and database by B4-U-BUY