Bistro 45

07/05/09

BEWARE!

by jeaniejeans at Citysearch

the owner mixes the leftover wine and liquor at the end of the night and sells is back.

• Cons: you will be ripped off

11/27/08

Horrified

by jennyfromtheblock24 at Citysearch

Went to Bistro 45 based on the reviews on here and never even made it to the table.

We were sitting at the bar waiting for the rest of our party enjoying a glass of wine when something happened.

A gray haired waiter with a mustache came to the bar and asked for a macallan on the rocks. The bartender told him they did not have it. The server then said "F*** these ____ just pour them anything, they won't know".

We paid our bill and told the maitre 'd that our party called and needed to cancel and we left.

There are too many great choices out there for me to listen to that kind of disrespect and language from some rude bitter waiter.

09/16/07

Good food from starters to desserts!

by cjoe at Citysearch

It was our first time at this restaurant, so we didn't know what to expect besides a little higher bill. We had to wait about 10 minutes, which wasn't too bad even though we had reservations. The ambience was pleasant, but a little on the loud side. The air conditioning was set a little too cool for me, but it was probably comfortable for the men in sports jackets. Our waiter was very pleasant and helpful. The food was nicely served and we enjoyed everything we ordered! We had the scallop salad and calamari for starters. Both were very good. For entrees we had the duck breast and the blue nose sea bass. Again both entrees were delicious including the accompanying vegetables. For dessert I had the chocolate soup. This is a small chocolate souffle served with a small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and a small serving of warm chocolate sauce. It was the best! My husband had the Blue, Black & White...or something like that. It was blueberry ice cream inside chocolate ganache with creme fraiche. That was also very yummy.

We were very happy we tried this restaurant and will return on a week day.

08/06/07

Great service, great food.

by gks at Citysearch

We really enjoyed ourselves here. A party of 4 very picky eaters and everyone loved their dishes (I had the scallops and thought they were great - and the risotto with them was wonderful...oh, and the chocolate soup was scrumptious), and had a lovely time sitting outside on the patio....though I do think they could do a lot more with the patio decor-wise. The service was amazing - everyone very attentative and friendly. We brought a bottle of wine with us and also bought one from the wine list, and loved that the corkage fee for the one we brought was then waived. All in all a great experience, for not a bad price

06/24/07

MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD RESTAURANT

by antnana at Citysearch

How do you describe perfection? Bistro 45.

What an adorable off the beaten path treasure.

Very attentive staff and the food, excellent. Presentation, setting, (the outdoor patio is lovely). It was a wonderful time.

If the world famous Fleur de Lis in San Francisco is too far, this is your lucky day.

• Pros: wonderful
• Cons: didn't find one

05/13/07

Great food, atmosphere, and staff!

by valleyval at Citysearch

We had read all of the glowing reviews for Bistro 45 and just had to check it out ourselves. The building is absolutely adorable, a tiny Art Deco gem on otherwise quiet Mentor Avenue. Valet parking available at what I consider to be a reasonable $4.50.

We were warmly greeted by the manager and the owner of the restaurant. Granted, we were checking the place out for a private event so I'm sure we received the best service possible. We were offered drinks and then we were given a mini tour of the space. The main dining room and the patio are both very cute and cozy.

Now onto the food. They had an extensive selection of seafood, we started off with the Tiger Prawn Ravioli and then for the main course I had the Australian Sea Bass and he had the Beef Tenderloin. Both were melt in your mouth good, the creamed spinach (which was really more of a very lightly sauteed spinach with a barely-there cream sauce) was unbelievable. The added touches such as a Blue cheese fritter were just as good and the flavors were very well balanced. Wine selection was also incredible, with a huge number of choices.

For desert, he had the famous Chocolate Soup, which was probably the best chocolate desert we've ever tasted, hands down. I had the Apple Bread Pudding with this incredible nutty caramel ice cream that is better eaten than described!

One more thing to be mentioned: the service staff here is incredibly attentive. We had a few different people checking up on us throughout the night, and not in an overbearing obnoxious way, but in a very friendly way. Bistro 45 works to earn your business and they did a great job!

• Pros: Service, great food
• Cons: Is slightly pricey but WORTH IT!

05/10/07

astro bistro...

by jo_se at Citysearch

I decided after three visits that I was gonna visit this place 45 times this year. So far I'm 11 visits and it's already May, I better get a move on...my best advice for Bistro 45 is go, enjoy the food, and leave the numerical shenanigans by the wayside...

• Pros: Great food, great ambience
• Cons: James and Scott

02/02/07

You will not be disapointed!

by amyjohnsonpd at Citysearch

Me and my husband feel so lucky that we found this Amazing place. It is by far our favorite restaurant. It is quite reasonable for such great food. We have never had a bad, or even mediocre meal here, and we come for every special occasion. We are always in awe, and leave happy and content. Great service, beautiful ambiance. Try it, you will not be sorry.

• Pros: Best food ever. Not over crowded, great service, good price.

12/09/06

Service Above and Beyond

by tibojo at Citysearch

My Girlfriend and I called last minute on a Saturday night for a table and despite the fact that the restaurant was closed for a private party they set up a special area for us. Unfortunately, we finished our meal at the same time the private party was winding down and it had begun to rain. The poor valet attendants were pushed to the limit and we were stuck behind a line of 30 something drunk office folk. Our waiter realizing our situation jumped out the side door and asked the valet attendant to bring our car around. In a nutshell, excellent and attentive service, some solid food, and a comfortable atmosphere. I highly recommended Bistro 45.

10/26/06

Great service, amazing food, friendly atmosphere

by dmenkes at Citysearch

I'm starting to make the rounds around the higher-end restaurants of Pasadena. Though I'm not a local, I come to the area every once in a while and like to try something new. Last night, it was time to try Bistro 45.

In a quaint building on a one-way street, it's easily missed if you're not looking carefully. Valet parking was $4.50 but there was plenty of free street parking on a Wednesday evening. Once inside, the hostess was friendly and we were seated promptly. The lights were dim and tables were candled; but the well-heeled atmosphere was relaxed and warm. We started out with a three-2oz wine sampler, and settled on a nice little Pino Noir for the main course. I started with a house salad and my companion had the tri-tip salad. I tried a bit of the tri-tip and was amazed; never had I sampled such tender tri-tip! On a salad! My salad was simple but flavorful, and was just what I wanted. The halibut was served with steamed spinach that was garnished with a bit of lemon to give it a unique zest, and scalloped potatoes which were tart and complimented the dish nicely. Their Kobe beef was very tender and moist. For dessert, splitting the chocolate soup is recommended. More a chocolate souffle than a soup, the chocolate sauce poured on top would be overpowering if not for a dabble of vanilla ice cream and freshly-brewed coffee. $80pp.

• Pros: friendly staff, awesome food, chill atmosphere
• Cons: $4.50 valet