Bistro Calais Every Wednesday Evening the Sharon Montgomery Cabaret 7-10 p.m. Hours: See Profile   2811 Bammel Ln Houston TX 77098     FAX 713.529.1314 713.529.8481   Add Review PROFILE Coupon Website  Menu MY REVIEW: I have been to Bistro Calais on numerous occasions. I had to sit down and write a review of the wonderful experiences that I have been blessed to encounter there. Bistro Calais has a home style atmosphere that is very relaxing which makes a great place to take clients. The owners are always there and are very approachable considering your needs. Their wine list is amazing with the recent addition of new world wines. I’ve had the pleasure to sit and enjoy the new live cabaret shows on Wednesday’s, which brings something new to the area. The menu is fabulous and changes bi-weekly. The smoked salmon is the best we have ever had. One of the Owners makes a home made seafood gumbo that is most popular with everyone that I have taken there. Having diner or lunch at Bistro Calais is an experience, not just another place to eat. I also want to say that the Sunday Brunch is incredible; you must try the made to order crepes and omelets. Bistro Calais has recently been awarded Best Brunch 2008 by Citisearch. There is a beautiful garden area that you may take time out when eating your brunch to sit and talk while sipping on a 20 ounce pour mimosa. This is a must visit with friends, family or clients. NAME: Ms. Holliday SUBMITTED: 5/7/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: April 8 2008 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: This was the first time eating at Bistro Calais for all four in our party. We went for their Sunday brunch and it was wonderful! There was an excellent selection of entrees, lots of vegetables, a variety of fruits and cheeses, as well as desserts. The wait staff were professional, courteous, and unobtrusive. We enjoyed the entire visit and food, all of us decided to return for our next brunch outing! NAME: Kim SUBMITTED: 4/29/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: April 2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: My husband and I had a lovely dinner at the bar the other night. We have not been to this restaurant since it changed names. We decided to sit at the bar and have a drink first, and then go to a table, but we enjoyed sitting at the bar and just decided to stay put. We loved everything we had, including the smoked salmon with fried goat chees, capers and red onion starter (we thought the salmon would be warm; it was not; but delicious anyway). I had the duck breast with mango coulis (bascially strips of mango lined up with strips of succulunt duck meat) and it was fabulous; my husband had the bitro cheese burger. We enjoyed the company of the bartender as well as two other guests at the bar (one who lived across the street and made the suggestion to try the salmon starter). We also learned they have jazz playing Wednesday and Thursday nights starting at 7 p.m. (nice that it is early as we both work), so we will be back to experience this entertainment. My only negative comments are that 1) staff should not be allowed to read the newspaper in the front dining room and 2) seat guests up front first so that the restaurant appears busy - people like to see other people dining. Thanks and we will be back! NAME: llitl025 SUBMITTED: 2/11/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 2/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: This place is a GEM! The great French food is reasonably priced and portion are generous. Try to refrain yourself from eating too much of the complimentary fresh baguette. Great wine selection. The unpretentious atmosphere is a French country cafe in a historical cottage. The garden room view is where you want to be. Deffintely a romantic place to take a date for a nice quiet and relax dinner. The service is just right! I own a restaurant in town and highly recommend this place. Try out their Sunday brunch. You wont be dissapointed. NAME: peter nguyen SUBMITTED: 8/9/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: July/07 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: I agree with all of the compliments on the great food and the lovely atmosphere. My purpose in writing is to recommend highly one specific dish, the duck confit. I have traveled to France many times and tried this favorite dish in many restaurants around the country. I have never had any better than what is offered at the Bistro Calais. And the frites (french fries) served with the duck? TO DIE FOR. A French friend of mine told me a well-known little restaurant on Westheimer has the best frites in town. Not so. These are better than in both Belgium AND France and any other place in Houston that offers them. Unless I'm unusally hungry, I can take one duck leg home with me for later and my husband always has to help me with the frites, as the serving is so generous. And finally, I must mention the friendly owners, chef and staff. I visit frequently, 2 or 3 times a month, and I am almost starting to feel like family. NAME: Retha Hubbard SUBMITTED: 5/29/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: May 23, 2007 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: I frequent this restaurant nearly every week, not only for recreational pleasure but as a business destination as well. I find the inviting ambiance rare among restaurants, especially at lunch. The decor is lush, country french with a view (from the back room) to a lovely fountain and court yard. I find that I can visit with my guest/client without raising my voice or straining to hear and the service is conducive to a unhurried, uninterrupted meal. (If you are hurried, let them know and they will always accomodate you). They always have a large selection of quality salads with 3 or 4 daily specials featuring the fresh fish or pick of the day - try the grilled or blackend salmon Chef's home made dressings are some of the tastiest in town. Would highly recommend. NAME: P.J. SUBMITTED: 3/19/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 3/07 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: Valentine"s Day was a beautifully balanced selection of five courses. My wife and I had a Kir Royale, followed by a fine Laffite Poulliac, which complimented the food thoughout.We fully savored the watercrest soup, the duck salad, the scallops, the fillet and the chocolate cake, all plates elegantly presented and a joy to eat.The location of the bistro is unique for its romantic and quiet setting, surrounded by lovely gardens. Service is always friendly and personalized, without being intrusive. I enjoy going to dinner or lunch with my wife and friends at Bistro Calais because one can relax and converse while having a gourmet meal at a reasonable price. This restaurant is not a mass eatery,it is a sofisticated place at a good value. I feel fortunate to have such a place in Houston since as an european I feel at home at Bistro Calais. NAME: Christopher Strang SUBMITTED: 2/19/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 2-14-07 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: I had Valentine's dinner at the Bistro Calais and found it to be absolutely outstanding: beatifully presented and impeccably served. The watercress soup and smoked duck salad were somewhat different from the regular menu and scrumptious. The ambience was romantic and cozy. I had to return the following day in the hopes of having the smoked duck salad again! The chef has an incomparable way with duck as shown by the regular Bistro Calais menu. I found the Valentine's meal one of the best meals I have had in the city and I am quite familiar with all of those inside the loop serving continental cuisines. I will be back. The Sunday brunch at the Bistro Calais is also delicious and great fun. I recommend reservations. NAME: Clarissa SUBMITTED: 2/16/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 02/15/07 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: It is obvious that the person who wrote the last review has a problem spending money. I also dined at Bistro Calais on Valentine’s Day with my friends and had an excellent meal. I thought that the menu and presentation the meal was superb and my complements to the chef and to Bistro Calais for serving such a wonderful meal. I also want to say that I have frequented Bistro Calais restaurant for the past two years and have never been disappointed with the food or service. NAME: JR SUBMITTED: 2/16/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 2/14/07 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: I too had the Valentine's Dinner, but it was nothing less than sumptuous, beautifully presented, perfectly timed, and exquisitely executed. The Watercress soup was full bodied and beautiful. The croutons were a bit sopped, but not worth a complaint. They did not detract from my enjoyment in the least. The Salad (smoked Duck/mesclun greens/sherry vinagarette) was superb. The rich and tender duck combined with the dressing was a perfect marriage. I had plenty of dressing for my taste, but I prefer to not drown my greens beyond recognition. My scallop was not only tender and cooked to perfection, the combination of the snow peas and orange beurre blanc made it the most delicious course and I suggest they add it as an occasional special, and call me when it is available! The filet was divine as usual (I have had their filet before--slightly different execution but same quality of cut, same perfection of cooking--on the equally wonderful New Year's menu) and the lentils were exactly what they are meant to be: an earthy legume with full bodied flavor and a hearty texture. And I have eaten many lentils, in many different restaurants. Of course, the swiss chard was a perfect compliment to the lentils and filet, and was one of my favorite elements of the meal. Perhaps the mousse cake was not quite what I expected for a holiday like Valentine's, where decadence and extravagnace in the sweets department is de facto, but it was tasty and I enjoyed every bite. And after a meal llike that, it would have taken something truly astounding to impress me any further than I had already been. Kudos, Andre. Thank you for a beautiful meal. We will be back! NAME: Food Snob SUBMITTED: 2/16/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: Feb/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: Every meal we have had here has been an experience to remember. We did the chef's table for my birthday. This was served family style and included wines. Every selection was exceptional. From the pate & house made cured salmon to the quail & beef tenderlion to the profiteroles & cake from A*ndres... everything was amazing. We recently went to the Tuesday night prime rib dinner every bite was superb. Their menu is enticing, many reasons to return, the specials are always a delight, more reasons to return... The service is always impecable. They have a coupon on their website for wednesday and thursday nights, a great way to try the restaurant a savings. NAME: Simone SUBMITTED: 8/5/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 08/2006 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: This restaurant is beautiful and very romantic. The service is great, without being too obtrusive. The wine list is superb, offering fantastic french wines at really great prices. The bread and oil they offer before dinner is reason enough to go! Treat yourself and take a date! NAME: Monkey SUBMITTED: 6/26/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: June 2006 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: The restuarant is lovely and the food was good but if your time means anything to you forget it. We went for lunch and there were only about three other tables but it still took two hours. The service is beyond slow. NAME: Dining Diva SUBMITTED: 2/25/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 02/24/06 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Went at lunch from work on a Friday. We arrived at 11:30 approximately, but after being there almost 2 hours, there were only 4 tables filled. Food was great. We both had salad with seared steak, flavorful, wonderful. Reasonably priced, but paper placemats and napkins? Disappointed the only iced tea was apricot flavored. Bread pudding was absolutely yummy. Waiter service was almost non existant. If you have plenty of time for lunch I would recommend it because of the food. But if you're in a hurry... go somewhere else! I guess it was because of the lack of guests, but the temperature in dining room was about 55 degrees. Bus boy was extremely attentive but did not speak English very well. NAME: fridayluncher SUBMITTED: 2/24/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 02/2006 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Loved this restaurant. The prices are more than reasonable and the food is delicious. We've been for lunch several times and for dinner once only. Everything we've tried from sandwiches to entrees has met our expectations. Haven't really notice the bad service, maybe we've been lucky? In any case, we'd love to come and give their brunch a try also. From their website menu, it looks very promising. NAME: Aroundtown SUBMITTED: 12/13/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 12/09/05 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: I have visited the restaurant three times, each with a friend at lunch (weekday and Saturday). I love the atmosphere and the views of the gardens and houses beyond, but I must complain about the service. On all three occasions the restaurant was not very full, but service was slow, except for a bustling busboy and his ever-ready water pitcher. We had to request a refill on coffee. We had to tell the waiter that we were ready to order. We had to ask for ground pepper. One time we joked, "Waiter, waiter, where is the waiter." When the onion soup arrived (it is a Cajun style, not French - a bit thicker, with a purposefully sour flavor), it was tepid, and the bread looked and felt like the cheese had been laid on it earlier and set aside, to be placed, cold, on top of the tepid soup, so the elements did not fuse together well. Salads and the light entrees we have ordered were attractively presented and nicely prepared. I would like to go some evening - I haven't written off the place, but my service expecations are low. Maybe if I go in the evening and start with a glass of wine I won't mind so much! Of its competitors, I prefer Cafe R*abelais for the food and service, and Bistro Calais for the view. NAME: a woman's perspective SUBMITTED: 9/29/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 09/05 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: Strong point - the food was terrific. I had lamb which was cooked to perfection. My friends all had the duck confit which they enjoyed. We shared the heirloom tomatoes/mozzarella and brie to start which were excellent. We all enjoyed the oil/balsamic/herbs de provence - one could taste the lavender - that came to the table with the bread basket. Ambiance was very nice although it was sad that there weren't many diners considering that it was a Saturday night. I ordered a decaf cappucino and implored the waiter to ensure that it was decaf. I usually request their home telephone number so that if they give me caffeine I can call them in the middle of the night to let them know of their error! It obviously was not decaf as I was awake all night with a caffeine buzz from the espresso. I will go back but will absolutely, positively not order a coffee. It wasn't a good cappucino anyway - so I lost a night's sleep to no avail! NAME: Harrogatelass SUBMITTED: 7/18/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: July 2005 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Attentive staff, (I adore the waiter, Bryan - he alone is worth the trip), relaxed atmosphere, nice portions, flavorful, and pleasant overall atmosphere. I will be back! I hear Sunday Brunch is terrific! Bring a group and occupy the back room! NAME: Sweet Virginia SUBMITTED: 3/10/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: March/2005 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: The staff were very attentive, the food very good, the choice of wines by the glass, while limited, was reasonably good. They lack half bottles of wine but I'm sure that will change. The escargots to start were rich, savory and delicious. The moules mariniere -- the sauce is excellent, the moules are hot but too large. I'm told they come from Washington state but I would be happier with the smaller variety. On a mid-week evening there were a few diners early and more coming as the night wore on. The menu looks good, the owner and staff are very willing to make your experience a good one. From what I hear, the kitchen is still a little uneven but ranked five-star the night I was there. NAME: Marcel713 SUBMITTED: 2/16/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 02/05 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: It was an early evening and we were the first patrons of the day. That said, we expected good service and good food. We were half right. The ambience was very warm though not what I would call cozy. There is nice sofa in the bar area to hold those who wait and the interior is dark with beautiful hardwood floors. The back room is the preferred seating area where diners enjoy a beautiful view of the back courtyard overlooking a conservatory that often plays host to weddings and other special occasions. The "by-the-glass" Graves Bordeaux we drank tasted a little "corked" plus the sediment at the bottom of our glasses left evidence that this was the bottom of their bottle that must have been left over from at least the night before. Our second glass of Perrin Vacqueyras was much, much better. The bread arrived but appeared to have been Bunny Bread rolls taken straight from the grocery store package. When asked, the next round was sliced baguettes. The sampler platter appetizer of saucisson, pate, merguez and cornishons was good and a great value that served four, but the main course was both good and bad. The stuffed quail menu special was very good despite the rich sauce, but I was not enamoured with the side dish of the bitter salad and some sort of white bean mish-mash of something or other. Neither was appealing. My dining companion's Striped Bass (the other special that evening) was adequate but nothing to write home about; however, my other companions had ordered the rabbit stew from the menu. They were delighted and even wanted to sop up the sauce with the bread. That was a very good dish and very filling. The three little profitaroles we had for dessert was light enough to cap off the dinner and send us on our way. Indeed the service was good and it was a good value, but the overall dining experience left us wanting more. So, will I return? Probably so, but not any time soon with so many other restaurants that I would rate higher. NAME: The Denver Critic SUBMITTED: 2/16/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: February 2005 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I don't normally post review here, but all of the reviews for this restaurant were drastically different than my experience there, so I felt compelled to write. The menu does "read" very authentic French cuisine, but the execution is terrible. I had the filet w/ fois gra, which I must admit was a good cut of meat...,as for the sauce, think Kraft/Cambells and you're 1/2 way there. My husband and I had 2 apps and 2 entrees and opted out of desert. None of it was up to par with B*lack Eyed Pea, let alone any restaurant in this price range. The wine list, though was decent. Beautiful building/setting. Absolutely terrible food. NAME: restaurant _guru SUBMITTED: 2/4/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: Jan/2005 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: “Absolutely a most go”. This cozy French Bistro in the heart of River Oaks is a warm welcome to the plush neighborhood. The Roquefort salad with seared flat meat is out of this world, by far the best salad in town and great for that low-carb diet as well. When ordering an entrée, I recommend the filet with foie gras….it melts in your mouth. The succulent lamb rack and luscious pork chop have to take the cake, unless they are running the slow roasted chicken special….then you are going to have a hard time picking which one to get. I recommend you bring friends and get all four and have Philip pick your wine. He really knows his stuff. “Bon Appetit”. NAME: Lone_Star_Cowboy SUBMITTED: 1/30/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: Jan 2005 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: I really hope this restaurant makes it! I loved it! Wonderful service, great food (french onion soup and bread pudding especially!) and a lovely atmosphere. The view from the restaurant is beautiful, looking over the historic Bammell Gardens, I will definitely be back! NAME: Brutus SUBMITTED: 1/19/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: Jan/2005 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: This place has real potential, the decor is attractive, the wine selections good although small, the dishes seem authentically French. The one time I was there few other diners were there. A slightly larger selection of interesting salads and breads might help the place. On the whole, a very promising restaurant. NAME: wxs SUBMITTED: 1/17/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 1/05 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Philip and his staff have added another small jewel to Houston's crown of restaurants. This is a charming restaurant with a very pleasant and cozy ambience and food that is above exception. The menu is similar to that at Cafe R*abelais, but unlike R*abelais Bistro Calais serves from 11 AM continuously until 9 PM. The staff is attentive but not hovering. The wine list is very good, prices are reasonable, and the quantities of food and drink served are generous. It would be hard to go wrong here. NAME: A frequent diner SUBMITTED: 12/29/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: Early December 2004 FREQUENCY: Visited once If you don't agree with these comments, agree with them or have additional comments, click here to Add Your Review. Restaurant Owners & Managers Curious about your Activity and Ranking on b4-u-eat? Want to Create or Update your Free Profile Page? Click here to Login. ©Copyright 1991 - 2008 B4-U-EAT.COM. All rights reserved. Design and database by B4-U-BUY