Kiki's Bistro

Protips: Ask to sit along the wall length mural (very Renoir picnic) and take a watery gaze into the copper topped bar.

What can I say about Kiki's Bistro?  This place is just flat out amazing.  We went there to celebrate my in-law's 40th wedding anniversary and could not have been more pleased with this fantastic place.

The ambiance hits us as soon as we walked in.  We were greeted by Kiki himself and told that our table would be ready momentarily.  The bartender recommended some red wine that we ultimately would consume three bottles of during the course of appetizers, entrees, and dessert.  The French onion soup was great.  My oysters & caviar were fabulous, and the escargot seemed to please those who ordered it.  It should be said at this point that our waiter was amazing.  He provided recommendations for each phase of our meal and was completely down to earth about them.  Not snooty in the least.  Of note:  we noticed that the ladies were served before the gentlemen, from orders taken, to wine glasses filled, this guy had his craft perfectly honed.  I wish I could recall his name to give him proper recognition.

On to dinner ... three of our party ordered the steak au pauvre (a favorite meal that my father-in-law cooks at home).  All were pleasantly surprised and remarked about how good it was.  My lamb stew was completely perfect.  The lamb practically melted in your mouth.  The bowl went back to the kitchen white (I used the remaining bread to sop up every last drop of broth).  My mother-in-law's salmon was great too (I got to have a small taste).

Dessert was unsurprisingly great as well.  Of course, we got a creme brulee (with a layer of chocolate underneath) but we also get a pear & almond tart to go with and we all shared.  The brought out a little glass of dessert wine to go with which was a nice little surprise.  I'm not a dessert wine type of person, but enjoyed it just because it was such a nice touch.

Finally, on a lark, my mother-in-law decided that she wanted a picture with Kiki.  He was gracious and obliged.

Bottom line, I wish I could give Kiki's Bistro better than 5 stars, but since that's the best I can rate here, I happily give them all five.  I recommend this place to anyone who wants to celebrate a milestone, impress a date, or just wants some damn good food, wine & service.

Very nice place for a special occasion. Solid French fare (highly recommend the short-ribs), very attentive service, and extensive, relatively well-priced wine list of mostly French varietals. I will definitely be back.