C'est Manifique! (Le Bistrot Pierre)

Member Name: alexlea88

Product:	Le Bistrot Pierre
Date:	29/06/09 (31 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Amazing food, great service, fantastic value

Disadvantages: Nothing to speak of

Le Bistrot Pierre is a small chain of French style Resaurants around the Midlands area (including Sheffield and Leamington Spa). The chain is what used to be Pierre Victoire and also used to be called Pee Vee.

The restaurant in Leicester has been voted one of the best restaurants in the region on a number of occasions and every time its featured in the local paper, it has recieved brilliant reviews for the service, food and value.

Decor

The interior of the two restuarants I've been to (Leicester and Nottigham) are uncomplicated traditional French style, with plenty of mirrors, art deco posters and bistrot stype chairs and tables with the occasional booth for good measure. The layout is stylish without being pretentious and is a great surrounding for both lunch, and later on with the lights turned down, dinner. The whole restaurnat floor is impeccably clean and tidy and the tables are laid out with clean glasses and cutlery, with a few table cards telling you what's on (more of that later).

Service

Service is efficient, friendly and polite. There have been a few instances where the staff had made the occasional mistake (such as carrying cutlery by hand) but I think this is more down to new members of staff making genuine mistakes that the restaurnat itself. There has been a number of staff members that we've been served by in our time that are a little bit special in terms of the service thay have provided, but generally, there service is how it should be; you hardly notice it, which is a credit to all involved.

Food and Drink

Where Le Bistrot Pierre scores highly is the quality of the food and the selection available. All the various menus aren't huge, but they are comprehensive in terms of the selection available (various meat, fish and vegetarian dishes) and if anything, we usuallly have touble deciding which dishes to order (which we usually end up sharing). There are also a decent selection of pre-starters and specials on top of the set and a la carte menus.

In addition to the a la carte menu, there is a lunchtime menu which offers two of three courses for roughly £10 to £12 pounds, a pre -theatre menu (up to eight) which includes a glass of wine for about £15 pounds. On top of these, there are speacial set menus on alternative Tuesdays; a Soiree Gatronomique; a five-course meal for about £20, and a Dine with wine menu that offers four courses and a glass of wine with each for about £25.

In all cases, the food is magnificent. Every time we have eaten there, the food arrives promptly and piping hot. Every dish is cooked to perfection and tastes wonderful. In terms of the set menus, sometimes the dishes look on the small side (partly because the accompaniments arrive in separate dishes) but in each case, by the time you've finished, you're full up (although usually with space for dessert in a bit!). Starters are a mixture of classics and traditional French cooking (from mozzarella and tomato salad to rillets or pate) and mains have a wide selection of different cooking styles or sauces in the case of meats, of different dishes in general. Staff are also happy to tweak dishes slightly for children and those who don't have elaborate tastes (although children are catered for as well with smaller portions at a reduced price).

Desserts are traditional French dishes such as creme caramel, creme brulee or tarte tatin with the occasional alternative mixed in with favourites such as sticky toffee pudding or ice cream/ sorbet.

General

Le Bistrot Pierre offers a wide selection of offers to tept you back in. The company runs a loyalty card where you recieve a stamp for every lunch or dinner visit you make, and after nine visits, you can eat for free. In addition, by joining the mailing list you get sent offers and information through the post and by email. On my birthday I recieved an offer of a free birthday offer and the next time a made a booking, I recived a free bottle of champagne for my table (and not the cheapest bottle by any means).

It may be that because Le Bistrot Pierre is only a small chain and geographically limited in terms of the cities it's located in, that it can offer amazing service, food and still take time to look after it's customers. My girlfriend and I always consider it for both a small treat or for a larger celebration and every time we visit, we are made to feel a bit special without it being obvious and put on.

All in all, if you are looking for a place to have a meal, be it a relaxed lunch, or something a little more formal, Le Bistrot Pierre is well worth considering. The French cooking may not be to everyone's tastes, but Le Bistrot Pierre has had us coming back for over five years.

Summary: A brilliant small chain of great French restaurants