Avoid this place. Ignoring some of the other unstellar yelp reviews, I brought my family here when they came to visit because this is a cool looking place from the outside and seems like a nice-casual type of restaurant. Seriously though, heed everyone else and don't make my mistake!
We had a pretty bad experience all around: they were out of some of the wines we tried to order, they messed up one of the orders, the others took forever to come out, the portions were tiny for some meals but not for others (none of it was worth the price though), and our waitress was terrible. My sis is a waitress at a nice-casual place like this, and said she would have been fired if she worked like that. At least we all left with a good story about how bad this place was!
4 stars might be for the lack of places to go at night in Davis, but even so I like it.  Sophie's can be full of  drunkards and Bistro's a great place with appetizers you can go have a couple of drinks with friends at. Very good food and drink menu, great to so-so service...never sit at the bar close to the door...always the sides.  You'll get much better service
Review Source:They have a great location and the design and layout of the restraunt  is nice.  They have a great patio area with plenty of seating.  The quality of food, especially considering it is not super cheap, is extremely poor.  The service has been very bad on the several occasions I've been there.  The waiters don't seem to understand the food or drink menu very well.  The most recent time I went there service was very slow and I had to re-order several times because they had run out of multiple ingredients and draft beers.
In conclusion: Bistro has a great location, nice ambiance and higher cost version of Apple bee's quality food. Â There are much better, lower cost, higher quality food places in Davis.
My friend and I had brunch here one fine Sunday June morning only to discover we should have gone somewhere else. Anywhere else. Between the two of us, we had eggs benedict and heuvos rancheros.
Eggs benedict, what can I say? I would have been embarrassed to put that hollandaise sauce on anything. Not only was it particularly thin, it lacked any remnants of flavor. And the heuvos rancheros?! Oh lord. Can you say tomato sauce from a can?! I can't deal with any establishment that offers heuvos rancheros (or any Mexican-inspired fare) but can't offer me anything spicy to accommodate its mild and flat presentation.
If you can't execute it, don't put it on your menu!
Holy amazing!!! Â We loved this place!!
Our first trip to Davis and we just happened by this hot spot!! Â With our check in we even got 10% off our bill! Awesome!! Thanks Yelp!!
The service was spot on! Â They were very attentive and helpful with the menu recommendations. Â Food was fantastic! Seriously, loved the turkey panini!!
I have a craving and can't wait to get back and have it again!! Â Just need to save up for a few weeks or work some overtime... haha
We had a beer from the brewery right next door, it was a summer beer and I am sorry but I can't remember the name of it. Â BUT, it was great!! On a hot day it sure hit the spot!
Price was a little on the high side for a Saturday bistro spot but we enjoyed it just the same!
I have been a customer of the chain for many years but this is my first visiting this one. When my friend and I walked in, the bartender looked right at us and then turned around with no greeting whatsoever. As we stood there waiting for someone to seat us, he looked at us, again, but still nothing. (Later on I noticed how he failed to a greet a man that came up to the bar to order a beer. No greeting but he took the order from him. After being seated, no waitress came to greet us and I noticed a guy who appeared to be mgmt. as he was walking by. I let him know how the bartender was less than friendly and he immediately apologized. Taylor was friendly and took our order.
When the plate was delivered, the server said "Mt. Ranier?" and I told her it was mine. She then proceeded to very roughly drop the plate in front of me and then quickly turned her back while walking away. She did not say enjoy your meal or give me a chance to  thank her. My friend & I just stared at each other while laughing from surprise.
When Taylor asked how my meal was I told him the sandwich was good but that my friend and I had to laugh at this point. I expect better service at Denny's which is a place I like to avoid. He, again, apologized and told me that he would discuss it with the female about serving etiquette. I let him know what the challenge was on complimenting him when the staff is incredibly rude. From looking at other reviews, it appears Mgmt needs to reconsider hiring a staff that actually appreciates having a paycheck and the clientele that are the reason for having one. This is far from the service that the Bistro was known for in Downtown Sac.
**The food is good but the prices do not reflect the customer service one would expect & pay for.
This place has enormous potential to which it is NOT living up. The food is delicious and the options are good. The slowness of the service is really bad--this is not to say anything about the waitstaff. It seems that there are not enough cooks? It takes too, too long to get an order. It doesn't have to be this way.
I will seldom return. There are many other places to eat in Davis that have equally good food, and superb service.
Bella
The only thing that keeps me coming back is the live music and $12 pitchers of mojitos on Thursdays. Â It's great in the summer to kick back and relax and chat it up. Â I also like to bring visitors here.
However, unfortunately, I ran into some abysmal service on my most recent trip. Â I was sitting and chatting with friends that had just graduated from UC Davis, when a waitress bumped into me, spilling an entire glass of red wine onto my blue button down and undershirt and shattering it on the ground. Â All she said was "you bumped in to me" then kept walking. Â I was incredulous and I just stood there for about 30 seconds dumbfounded waiting for them to apologize or make it right in some way. Â Nothing. Â Someone came to sweep up the broken glass, then left. Â I can't believe it. Â I run off to the the bathroom to try to get the wine out of my shirt (and shorts). Â I take off my shirt to soak it in the sink only to have drunk patrons yell that a "homeless person is taking a shower in the bathroom". Â Truly embarrassing. Â Afterward, I tried to get the attention of the bartender to maybe get a discount or a free drink for all of that, but they're so busy and understaffed that I left after 10 minutes standing there waiting for someone's attention.
Hopefully this is an isolated incident, but it was really upsetting. Â And stories like these are the ones that get told to my friends and make a bad name for a place.
This update is solely for the bar/nightlife. Came on Thursday night for the $12 mojito night and waited 20 minutes to order because they were extremely understaffed. Plastic cups were everywhere, tables and chairs were all sticky, and the drink was hastily made. Being understaffed is understandable, but that does not, however, excuse a staff member yelling, "last call, bitches!!!"
...not classy at all.
Am catching up with my reviews. I frequent places in Davis during the week as I have family who lives there.
I HATE Bistro 33. I want these Sacramento Posers out of town!! Now, first let me say...the servers and security are 'dolls and boyz' simple cool people. Their location and how they use it is fantastic!
BUT(pay attention)...the FOOD is horrible. Horrible is an understatement. I don't want to offend(except the chef and owner!!!)...but the food is soooo bad. The pizza is like eating a fedex package....the fries make me want Oprah to come back....the selection of beers...make me want to live in North Korea(really?....really!!!)...and the salads make a vegan want to report them to PEATA!!!
They must go! We need a better place to do justice to this location(old school Davis residents will get this pun!!!)....
It's a diplomatic 3 stars from me. I've never been utterly disappointed by the food or service here however, when it comes to going for this type of cuisine in Davis, other places stick out more in my mind. I came by here for lunch recently and decided to try the Banh Mi sandwich. I knew full well that this is an expensive Banh Mi sandwich that will be nothing like what I'd get in South Sac. Why did I do that? I was curious to see how Bistro 33 would tweak it. It's a-ok, but the vegetables aren't anywhere nearly as succulent and tangy as an authentic Banh Mi sandwich would be.
That said, the outdoor patio is very inviting. Speaking solely about ambiance and not food, if I wanted to dine alfresco somewhere in downtown Davis, this would be the spot.
Horrible. Horrible. This place should really shut down as a restaurant and operate solely as a bar. Owner obviously doesn't care. I can tell a restaurant with owners who care and owners who could care less. You're better off at Panera right around the corner. If you must go into this place, it should only be for directions to a good place to eat!
Review Source:Went for a drink, part of a tourist's trio - DEVASTATOR.
I believe there's like 6 or 7 shots in there. You can taste the alcohol but it's bearable. The music playing was like a blast from the past of early 2000. It was a vacation from the ratchet music and also a step away from the EDM I always hear.
I used to come here more in the past 5+ years I've been in Davis (lunch dates, even holding a birthday dinner in a private back room/table prior to City Hall Tavern opening, note they charge for cake-cutting) but not so much due to recent dining experiences.
Come here if you want salty flatbreads, standard paninis, weak mojitos, and no Blue Moon on tap. Ever since they took my favorite item off the menu (wild mushroom linguine), I stick to ahi tuna poke, sweet potato fries which aren't such a novelty anymore (although the peach ketchup, malt, or bleu cheese dip options remain fresh), and either the seafood roll, beef dip or Rainier. Sit outside if the weather's nice.
There is a Yelp check-in discount off your total bill.
We rolled into Davis on our way back from the bay area, being unfamiliar with Davis I jumped on my Yelp app and discovered a Bistro 33 two minutes away! Â Super excited, we found parking right in front and proceeded in. Â Let me just say we are fans of the 33rd family, love 33rd St Bistro, Bistro 33 in El Dorado Hills, and loooveed the Midtown Bistro (now closed). Â So we were glad to find a familiar restaurant to dine at.
The overall setting of the restaurant is hip and inviting. Â The patio area is large, open and can seat many. Â We chose to sit inside in a booth near the bar. Â Quickly we were greeted by our server, and we requested mimosas. Â We settled on waffles with berries and chicken sausage and the smoked trout hash with over easy eggs. Â Between ordering and waiting for our food, our server continued to fill our champagne flutes up with bubbly mimosas. Â Side note: the server never informed us the mimosas were bottomless and it was not listed on the menu. Â But we were very delighted that we were not paying for each one we had!
Our food arrived shortly. Â Hubby's waffle and fruit had a great presentation and he dove in. Â My hash on the other hand looked like it had been sitting under the heat lamps for awhile. Â The sauce was stiff and as I broke into the eggs, they were over cooked and had very little yoke running out. Â Not one to complain (much) I also dove on in but quickly slowed down due to the overwhelming fishiness of the dish. Â I am a Huge fan of smoked fish, trout, salmon, oysters etc. Â This fish tasted metallic and old. Â
Service and mimosas were great, food blah. Â But because it is apart of the 33rd family I am willing to give it another try. Â LOL but Not the Trout hash!
I am surprised with the low ratings for this place. Perhaps is suffering from the College Town syndrome, and the abundance of college kids with limited resources. All of us that have been fortunate enough to go to college should understand this.
Having moved from Seattle a year ago, to me this is only a handful of  good restaurants in the Davis area. This town does not have a lot (less than 5) good restaurants to go on a weekly basis. Allow me to start with the negative first. This place is overpriced. Perhaps that is why students and some people rated it so low. Prices are about 15-20% higher than similar places with comparable quality. But hey, this is only one of few places in Davis that one can go and enjoy some good food.
Saying that, the ambience in this place is great, a good place to go on a Saturday night, if spending the weekend in Davis. The patio in the spring/summer and fall season is just a must do, specially during evenings. Some nights during summer season they have live music or a DJ. Food in general is way better than other comparable places around town. I went for dinner only one time and the food was OK. Ever since, my wife and I enjoy ordering small plates and drinks. Our predilection are the tuna salad, Kobe sliders, meatball in a spicy sauce, and several flat breads. Wine selection is decent and one will definitely find something good. Beers selection is good, but if you are not satisfied, go next door to the City Hall Bar (which is connected to the rest) and try one of the many beers on tap. For beer I would recommend the Berryessa IPA. All in all, I would definitely keep coming here.
I am actually shocked at the lower ratings for this restaurant. Â I have to eat in Davis because my son goes to school there. Â Most of the restaurants in Davis cater to students who have few dollars and don't care for flavor. Â Bistro 33 is one of the better eating establishments in Davis regardless of what you order.
Review Source:The food was really bad last night when i went.... and the sweet potato fries that we had were not as good as usual. I also got like really dirty glasses and silverware so it was gross.. the highlight of the night was our great server who did what she could to correct the situation. She was super cooperative so she earned herself a 20% tip for fixing the rest of her staffs Mess ups.
Review Source:Thursday night is Mojito night! $12 pitchers of mojitos...they are ok, but the crowd is the reason to go.
Every time we come to Bistro for dinner, it's hit or miss. They have good food, but the menu changes all the time. The most annoying thing is their selection of side orders for the sandwiches/paninis...they serve french fries, salad, sweet potato fries, chips, and sweet potato tots, however they dont list any of these things on the menu, and everything comes with a different default side. If you ask what it comes with and want something else, its a $2 charge. Who does that? I ordered the french dip sandwich, which I was very pleased with, and it came with french fries. Great, except I wouldve rather had the salad, but didnt want to pay $2 extra. My roommate ordered the Ranier panini, and that came with salad. Ok, not uncommon. However, she wanted the sweet potato tots, which she paid $2 for, and she got about 15 tots. They didnt come in that cool spirally cone thing that my fries came in, no, she got a small bowl of 15 tots. Which is not a lot when you actually see it. And to top it off, they really werent that good, and they didnt come with any side sauces to dip them in besides ketchup (One time we asked for those sauces, and we were told we would be charged for the sweet potato appetizer, $6-$8 extra, but that's a different story)...... We shared my fries, which were also not that good, were pretty soggy, and not at all crispy like the sweet potato fries they serve, which are actually delicious.
I do however have some good things to say about the food! I love their French onion soup. I just tried their French dip, and it was reallllllly good, and they give you the option of having french onion soup (small dipping size) to dip it in rather than the au jus sauce. The Ranier is a good sandwich, and the burger sliders are also good. Their sweet potato fries are amazing, but better when they come with whatever sauces they serve. Happy hour here is tasty, they have good calamari and tacos (but again, Im not sure if any of this is still on the appetizer menu...)
The atmosphere is nice here. Its a little upscale and the outside seating is nice on a warm night. They will sometimes have a live band playing outside so its cool to sit out there and eat while they play.
Apparently on Tuesday nights, they have a promo right now for $25 dinner for two...you get the option of a sandwich, panini, or burger (but they dont say if you share one plate or each get one...the server didnt know either when we asked him about it  -___- ), a bottle of select wine, and a dessert sampler. I would like to try this out one day, but every time I think of coming to Bistro for dinner I have to ask myself if I am prepared to possibly be disappointed or if Id rather go somewhere else :/
If you want an eclectic setting. Â You found it. Â If you are here for food, don't bother. Â I went there this past Sunday Morning, with Matt being my server. Â I ordered 2 eggs scrambled, which came with square cut potatoes and ham. Â The ham and the eggs were plentiful, the potatoes were COLD, the eggs were not even warm, and the coffee---seldom filled.
My guest had ordered medium eggs over flatbread, and got sunny side up. Â So two breakfasts ---both poorly made $34.
Oh, and don't introduce yourself twice, Â Matt. Â It shows a lack of attention.
I will never go there again. Â In fact the word "Bistro" to me is now a turn off. Â Reminds me of "trendy".
I have been here 3 times now: once for lunch, once for dinner and once for breakfast.
Although I love the outdoor seating and I would like to come often to enjoy, the food is pretty bad. It is slightly more expensive than other places in Davis, but that would be okay it if were good. Today I had their Eggs Benedict, and they were the worst Eggs Benedict I have ever had, with stale bun and tasteless Canadian bacon. The side potatoes were okay.
Overall, I think their food is 1 star worthy, but given that their patio seating is so nice, I think Bistro 33 deserves a 2.5 overall. I suggest coming here just for drinks!
Nothing on the menu looked appetizing, so I figured I'd go for the tomato soup, since its a staple and one of those can't-go-wrong items. There was so much oil in it that if I left it unattended, it would just pool up in the top. Even the smell was awful. My girlfriend's sweet potato fries werent bad, but the poor service and awful food are definitely going to keep me away. Its a shame, too, the venue itself is beautiful and every time i drive by the outside i think of how nice a place it looks.
Review Source:Dined here with a colleague and local partner last week. Â Nice atmosphere inside, but would have been even better if it had been nice weather and we could have enjoyed the large outdoor patio. Â We started out with drinks and $4 happy hour appetizers. Â They were all good, considering the price. The calamari was a bit salty and the tuna and swordfish were adequate, but rather plain. Â For dinner I had the dungenous crab cakes which were good, but as the server warned, they were served alone. Â Good thing I had filled up early on the appetizers.
Review Source:If you don't want to be disappointed, ONLY ORDER THE SANDWICHES at Bistro.
I have been here too many times with friend's parents over the course of my undergrad and have literally tried almost everything on the menu.
Their small plates are unflavorful and overpriced, salads are not fresh and unexciting, pasta is overpriced, and burgers-- well there are many other places to get  much better burgers in Davis.
However, all their sandwiches are surprisingly really tasty. I can personally vouch for the Pike's market, Rainer, Gorge, Puget Sound, and Roast Beef as some of the best sandwiches in Davis.
Also, while pricey, Bistro 33 is home to my favorite place to get sweet potato fries.
This place can get really crowded on weekend nights, so be sure to pop in a phone call if you plan on spending the night here.
This restaurant is abysmally bad in nearly every way. The food is either terrible or boring, the waiters are inattentive, and the prices are inflated. The only real positive attribute is the restaurant building itself, which is beautiful. Actually, I take it back. It's really a form of condescension. It thinks it can con people into thinking it's a legitimate restaurant when it's so clearly not.
I went here for lunch with some co-workers and ordered a sandwich with a deceptively intriguing description on the menu. I forgot the name, but it apparently had a special mango mayonnaise sauce. When I got the sandwich, it was a homogenous mix of meat and oil in the middle. No flavor. Just grease and bread. Â Pressed together. I've had microwave paninis that tasted much better, and that's no exaggeration. The side salad was wilted and had an absolutely tasteless vinaigrette. It was a pretty small dish, and I was very hungry going in, but I still struggled to finish it.
Add to that, my glass of water was never refilled, even after I asked twice. I'm not one to be nit-picky about service, but that's just adding insult to injury. They couldn't even give me water to wash down their terrible food.
Have I made my point clear yet? Don't go here for food. Ever.
Why do places like this keep serving food when it's clear that the only thing they're good for is mixing drinks? Because people in Davis keep going -- razzle-dazzled, no doubt, by the fire pit and the live music. Nothing annoys me more than a restaurant that sacrifices food quality and service for ambiance. It's such a travesty because there are so many excellent chefs out there who can't find good work. Also, there are plenty of non-apathetic, professional people who would love to wait at a fine dining restaurant. I'm guessing the owner decided instead to hire the cheapest labor possible. Come on Davis, you deserve better.
Every part of visits to Bistro 33 in Davis rocks!!
The waffles are so awesome it's worth gettin out of bed!! Â The whole menu is delicious, and the staff makes the experience great - laid back, very warm and welcoming!!
The bar is a nice hangout - Not insanely noisy, but great people to be around!!
And Bistro 33 supports!! Â This is one of the few locations in the region to put up a Giving Tree this last holiday season, helping us make sure no Foster Kids went without Christmas!! Â NICE JOB, BISTRO 33!!
Great people, great grub, great ambiance!!... What's NOT to like?!
Bistro 33 was our Earthwatch Group's Plan B Dinner choice last Sunday Night. Plan A was Burgers and Brew, but they had folks out the Door and a predicted wait time that swung wildly between 10 and 45 minutes, and within adjacent spots in the sign-in line. However, all turned out very well in the end.
At first we thought that we would be sitting outside. The nearby fire pit was nice, but it was cold and a little damp outside, and it wasn't going to be pleasant without separate heaters that Bistro 33 didn't have. It was also fun to look at the old City Hall architecture and enjoy the plaza, but this was a night to be inside not out.
Thanks to reservation no-show, the 11 of us snagged a pleasant, roomy, and relatively quiet inside table. This gave us a chance to relax after a hard day in the field, chat, and even listen intently to a Powerpoint presentation that one of the scientists gave off of his laptop.
The food was very good too, although the menu items that were named after Pacific Northwest Sites (e.g., Puget Sound) was a little odd. The price points are also a little higher than I would expect in Davis, although there was plenty of good value selections throughout the menu. Our service was also friendly, attentive, and relatively quick.
Thanks to Plan A, I was determined to have a burger. I chose my favourite blue cheese combination, and I wasn't disappointed. The generous portion of fries were hot and crisp, and it all went well with a pint of Pyramid Octoberfest Beer. My friends enjoyed their dishes too. This all capped a long day, which after or meal and presentation, we were more than happy to go home full, happy, and almost ready for bed.
I've been here twice before and both times I was disappointed.
The first time my friends and I went here for a "Girls' Night Out." We regretted going here right when we saw the menu. This place is merely an overpriced sandwich joint. We were told that they were known for their Panini's and even our waiter told us that it was fantastic. So, I ordered The Puget Sound Panini. Not only was my Panini over-toasted, but the size of it was definitely not worth the price. My Panini was nothing more than an overpriced, sad piece of sandwich.
The second time I came here for a friend's graduation dinner party and the food tasted just as bad. But, to make things worse...we had to wait an additional half hour, even though we made reservations. By the time we were seated, we were all starving. This time, I decided to try their Margherita Pizza and that, too, was a mistake. The dough was so hard that even when using a knife and a fork to cut it into tiny, edible pieces it required a huge amount of effort. The overall taste wasn't that great.
The customer service and the overall atmosphere were okay. Our server didn't come by too often, but enough to get us what we wanted. I didn't like their recommendations because the dishes did not tasted the way they had described it to be. But, I did like how they have a big patio area at the front of the restaurant where you can sit there and enjoy your food (it's less noisy outsider than inside).
I won't be coming back here.
So service is definitely an issue here. When we first arrived the hostess gave us a lukewarm reception as if she didn't want to be disturbed. We opted to wait for a table outside in the  shade due to the fact that it was super super air conditioned inside, there was only one table inside, and lastly because of the flies inside.
Our server was wonderful-attentive, friendly and did not rush us.
The burger was actually very good and cooked as ordered. I can't speak for anything else on the menu but burger and fries were fabulous.
Why the low reviews??
I enjoyed this place. Beautiful patio on a warm sunny day. Good service. Good food, especially the crab and artichoke dip.
Super busy at night, but its like a completely different scene. I guess everybody comes here for drinks. To me, I prefer it on a perfect warm spring or summer day.
I think the low ratings for this place has more to do with the service than the food. I went at 3 pm, and was pleased to find that the place was open for lunch. Since there weren't many people around, the service was great.
As for the food, I found it to be excellent. The classic tomato bisque with basil does not disappoint, the crab and artichoke dip with bread is a great example of California cuisine (flavorful crispy bread slice could stand on its own). The crab cake is how it should be with contemporary take on the sauce. Love the Asian-style chili sauce that added a bit of a kick.
Overall, it's an absolutely charming restaurant that used to be the old City Hall (California Colonial Revival, I think) with a beautifully designed outdoor space (circular fire pit and interesting circular fountain that undulates like a jellyfish and beckons you to come and touch the thin veil of water!) and elegantly designed interior. Even the handles for the beer on tap have character.
The adjunct bar to the main restaurant is a fun place to visit on your way to the restroom. Make sure to look up at the ceiling of the bar to check out the ceiling fans made out of bicycle wheels. And the curtain rods are water pipes.
So disappointed. Â With some an awesome outdoor area, I was expecting better. Â Food is alright, but certainly not worth the price. Â Service in outdoor area is super slow - don't come here if you want to get out the door within an hour.
Came here for lunch, and got a Caesar Salad with chicken. Â Caesar salad cost close to $10 (comes with croutons and anchovies), but $5 to add chicken - rip off! Â The salad was not that large...maybe just a tad larger than a side salad at Pluto's. Â The chicken was warm, which was a plus, but really still not worth the 5 bucks!
Been in Davis for nearly four years, and finally gave this place a go.
Service is sloooooooooooow. Slower than a turtle; slower than a snail, slower than a YouTube video on dial-up buffer!
Food was decent in taste. Portion-sized was pathetic. I particularly enjoyed the Chicken Pesto Flatbread under the recommendation of a friend. Ordered a helping of the Bistro Street tacos, too, which is easily the most regrettable dish of the night. Definitely can't compete with the delicious flavorful ones from the taco trucks, but it's the price that made me throw up. For $12, we got only three small tacos. THREE. WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can get 10 tacos for $12 bucks at the Woodland taco truck!!! Serving it nicely on a fancy white dish doesn't make it worth $12 people.
All in all, avoid this place because it's not worth the money. Decent food. Bad price.
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