Cafe Bizou
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423-3512
Phone: (818) 788-3536
- Price:
- $$
- Best of Citysearch:
- French Food 2004
- Hours:
- Mon-Thu 11:30am-2:15pm, 5pm-10pm, Fri 11:30am-2:15pm, 5pm-11pm, Sat 11am-2:15pm, 5pm-11pm, Sun 11am-2:15pm, 5pm-10:15pm
Editorial Review for Cafe Bizou – by Kim Cooper
The Scene
The elegant dining room filled with jazzy music and colorful French posters gets loud and rather chaotic by early evening, when a crush of well-dressed locals vie for tables. Attentive servers are adept at easing the frustration of a long wait in the bar.
The Food
Chef Neil Rogers features an eccentric take on French cooking, mixing rich sauces with minimalist, artsy presentation. Quality hasn't waned at this original location, despite the addition of two other outposts. Pepper-flecked crab cakes packed with juicy meat float in tangy mustard sauce. Hearty lobster bisque is overly sherried, but equally generous with lobster meat. Delicate sauteed whitefish is nicely complemented by tender house-made pasta and basil-red wine sauce. Herbaceous roasted pork tenderloin, served medium-rare and laced in garlic-cream sauce, is strikingly offset by tart red cabbage shreds and creamy mashed potatoes. Bittersweet, flourless chocolate cake with strawberry coulis makes a delightful finish.
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Insider Tips
When to GoReservations are hard to come by, so plan ahead and consider visiting for a late dinner.
Where to SitThe long front room, looking out over Ventura Boulevard and separated from the main dining rooms by windows, is quieter.
Save MoneyYou can add a special daily soup or salad to any order for just $1.
User Reviews for Cafe Bizou
04/27/2008 Posted by foody2thecore
Here's the skinny - Cafe Bizou has FANTASTIC food, however, it takes forever to get seated EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE A RESERVATION. We have eaten at this place several times, each time WITH a reservation, and have NEVER been seated without a significant wait. I have to say this though - we continue to go back even though the service is mediocre - because the food and $2 cork fee are just that good.
Pros: GREAT FOOD!
Cons: Disregard for those who take the time to make a reservation.
12/27/2007 Posted by vsusa
My friend and I went to a movie in Encino and afterward we decided we were hungry. So we drove down Ventura Blvd. looking for a last minute dinner on a Saturday night. Well, we ended up here and had a really nice dinner. We had to wait an hour because we didn't have a reservation, but we didn't mind...we just had martinis at the bar. We were seated in the main dining room which was completely full. Our server was very sweet. The prices are very reasonable. We shared a bottle of wine (I'll be back with wine in tow as they have a cheap $2.00 corkage fee!) and each had an entree. I had the Crispy Potato Scaled Salmon with spinach and mushrooms in a white wine and port sauce which was terrific. The server recommended it and she was right. I can't wait to go back to have it again! My friend had the Salmon with Citrus Salsa which which was a little heavy on the citrus, but still quite good. Basically Cafe Bizou is a casual restaurant with good food, fast and pleasant service, and good prices!
Pros: Good french food at decent prices, cheapest corkage fee in town
Cons: long waits, not a lot of parking
