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Real People. Real Reviews.®
Categories: French, Adult Entertainment [Edit]
23-27 Wadeson StMon-Thu 18:30 - 22:30
Fri 18:30 - 23:00
Sat 11:00 - 23:00
Sun 11:00 - 22:30
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Great food in a great venue. Go before 7:30pm Mon to Thurs to get the prix fixe menu of £17.50 for 3 courses or go after and pay that just for the main course.
It's a bit tough to find so make sure you write down the exact address and take a map.
Bar downstairs is nice but not open Mondays and the cabaret room do shows on Fridays and Saturdays but book a week or so ahead if you want to go to these. I think they do keep some tickets for diners on the Friday night and there is some sort of Friday dinner deal with cabaret ticket that they do for £30 or something.
Make sure your group does not go over 10 or so people though as they have strict rules on large groups.
Bistrotheque's own baby grand piano was singing next to me during our 1st Sunday brunch. The sonatinas are so familiar as if my own fingers were dancing through the black & white. I was enchanted amongst smiles and conversations.
Avacado toast + Raspberries & Mascapone sourdough, and egg florentine with some black coffee embraced my eyes, tonque, and stomach in the Oak Room. We were surrounded by 2 full walls of antique wood panelling. The large mirror reflected our shiny smiles and the colorful freshness. The music is still there, slightly calmer and discrete :)
It is an industrial meets bistro look, hidden on the 1st fl. w/o any signs outdoor...yet as you're up the stairs, the original glass panes from 1930 make Bistrotheque a light and airy space. The sun shines on the green leaves and it feels countryside.
Good time to start your weekend brunch planning. Thanks for Ronni A's intro.
I really like the look and feel of this place, there is no sign out front so you just have to miraculously know where this bistro is. Its beautiful, a walk thru kitchen and nice lighting. Food is good, grill peach dessert was very nice, great frites... moules a little gritty. The Foie gras tasty and beyond rich. There is a burlesque show underneath the restaurant which is supposed to be very entertaining.
I hate to write a bad review but...
If you like dining in an echo chamber full of starlings then do go, but I couldn't hear the person next to me on sat eve. Starter of squid with chilli was greezy and had no chilli. Main course of roast chicken tasted of very little at all, but they had the grace not to charge for it. Service was touchy-feely and v, friendly. Perhaps I'm getting on a bit for a place like this..
Oh-oh Dorothy I don't think we're in North West London any more.
Woke up on the wrong side of the Regents Park Canal this morning after a night out. So what better way to christen my newly found one-day status as an EastEnder than to visit East's fashionable restaurant Bistrotheque for brunch. Luckily my friend Al was on hand to indulge my fancy, so off we hopped down Cambridge Heath Road.
The place itself is in a converted clothing factory, hidden on a side-street, amongst Cash 'n' Carries and warehouses. It's not very obvious to spot - fine in the daylight, but perhaps a wee bit off-putting to find alone during the dark disco-hours. The entrance is unmarked- but you can hear the chatter from the downstairs bar on the road, and you know you are in the right place.
Once inside, and in the upstairs' restaurant we were greeted by a rather cool looking maître d', with oversized med-jar specs. We had been told to book, and so were ushered to our seats very quickly. Although the restaurant did appear busy there did seem to be a few empty tables available for on-the-fly visitors too.
The restaurant itself is nice and bright. The walls are whitewashed and the ceilings are covered in industrial looking pipes. The temperature felt slightly warm so I had to strip off a layer, not an easy task as the layer in question was underneath my dress. Although cabaret is held downstairs in the venue, there are limits to my burlesque behaviour - so I have to clarify I did this change in the loos.
One look at the menu and it was 'See you later brunch' - it was lunch all the way baby. It was hard to say no - three courses off the set lunch menu comes in at a reasonable £21. If ordering off the standard lunch menu, bear in mind the food is seasonal and varies- my waitress crossed off at least half off the dishes of the normal lunch menu.
The food was great value, delicious and amazing quality. Lovely salad to start, then succulent roast beef with trimmings for mains. I'm quite new to eating red-meat after years of abstaining, and I have been disappointed with all the roast beef dishes I have since eaten. However I found this gorgeous and enjoyed the added goodness of the caramelized onions in the gravy. Dessert for my friend was strawberry pavlova and for myself a crème brule, we found both immensely satisfying. Our friendly waitress even remarked that she had never seen a ramekin as clean as mine, and asked if I had licked it. I deny this, it was purely spoon scraping, honest gov.
Our waitress also had draped on her person an illustrated tea towel specially commissioned for Bistrotheque and available to buy, however although extremely cool I declined - 6 towels for £30 was still a bit pricey. In fact more than dinner itself.
Lunch was just what I needed to defeat the going-out induced hunger. Singer and musician Bishi also agrees as I spotted her settling down to a meal. Whilst snooping at other people's food on their tables I could see that it is definitely worth another visit for brunch - the pancakes and the eggs Florentine looked fantastic. I will be back.
One complaint though - 7 hours later and I'm still not hungry. Which is a shame, you may have gathered, I do rather like eating.
Delicious. An actual brunch that goes beyond a fry-up or eggs florentine & benedict in London, with the decency to not be over by noon. In fact, it doesn't start till 11, and if you arrive before that on a Sunday you will have no indication from the closed black warehouse shutter that there is a serious restaurant there. Yet it is packed by 12.
The birchermuesli was sweetened with an incredible honey that had a toffee undercurrent, the three pancakes were fluffy, and the crumble & custard was delicious.
I'm not sure if it gets any better than Joseph T's description of "perennially fashionable." I could try to top it, but I'd probably just end up using a thesaurus to come up with awkward replacement phrases like "ceaselessly newfangled" or "imperishably contemporary," which sound more like botched plastic surgeries than a delicious savvy incomparable dining experience.
So all that said, even with the over-hyped food and mysterious locale, Bistrotheque really delivered. The venue itself oozes cool as the simplistic design of whitewashed brick walls, hanging light bulbs and metal tables direct all of your focus to the food. There are a few other "atmospheres" that have been created in the space including a burlesque bar downstairs and an area of dark wood and chandeliers upstairs.
However my focus was purely on the food (surprise, surprise...) and it didn't disappoint: fresh fruit infused cocktails were quickly followed by appetizers of fried squid, pigeon breast and pig's head terrine. You'd think that after the mention of pig's head my appetite would have disappeared, but it was quite the opposite: as my pork chop arrived, I only briefly wondered if it was from the same miss piggy before diving fork first into my pool of pork-liciousness.
(I only came up for air during brief but heavenly sips of my cocktail.)
Surely a hot spot for romantic dates and groups of foodie friends alike, I would highly recommend experiencing Bistrotheque and all of its glory for yourself. Just make sure you bring your GPS along!
Despite being in a bit of a random location, this place is amazing. We had dinner upstairs with a friend visiting from the States. Food was wonderful, our waiter was adorable and we enjoyed every minute. After dinner, we headed downstairs to enjoy the Madonna-themed transvestite cabaret. Love it! Once that was over, we headed to the other bar in the building and enjoyed a night cap. How can a night get any better than this?
I met some friends for brunch, but due to a transit snafu, I didn't actually get to try the food. The menu looked fantastic, though, and the coffee was decent. Friendly staff, too.
It's a great space, perfect for catching up with friends, if a little hard to find - once you find the address, take the door to your right and head upstairs.
I think people need to come here for the adventure alone - that is if you can find it.
Our little group of 4 was trundling all over London in our cab trying to find this place and when we arrived, I think our cabbie was just as excited as we were (mainly because it was a 20+ quid ride). But once you walk through the wee garden you know it's all gonna be worth it. You have your choice of the lovely dark brown bar on the first floor or up the stairs to the restaurant. Or, for the very daring, the "Burlesque Room" - but that's for high rollers and let's be honest here, we were starving, so we let our bellies do the leading and rushed up the stairs.
The restaurant has a very minimalist feel and you walk through the open kitchen to get to your tables. Really lovely rustic foods but with a twist - and all said and done, a very decent price. We shared the fried squid, pigeon breast and pig's head terrine to start - which were all superb - and for our mains the steak, sea bass, pork chop and lamb. All of us licked our plates so suffice it to say, we were a happy lot. There were a few couples having a romantic tete a tete over a glass of wine, but it also proved the perfect ambiance for our group.
I guess as the saying goes, some things are worth the wait (or the hunt!) and Bistrotheque is definitely one of those things. Highly recommended and I will be back (with a GPS) next time I'm across the Pond!
Bistrotheque features seriously amazing food and entertainment in a random corner of the East End -- even cab drivers don't always know how to get there! The brunch is particularly delicious, and the cabaret should not be missed for a night of randy fun.
When I first discovered I was heading to Bistroteque for an evening out with the girls, I was a little dubious as to what to expect but was definitely pleasantly surprised.
Upstairs, the venue serves some lovely dishes. The pure white warehouse style decor is very cool but the club downstairs is really where all the action happens! This venue has a range of cabaret shows ranging from burlesque to drag and everything cool and funky in between. We saw an amazing burlesque show - very entertaining and the mojito cocktails definitely help you on your way to having a great night!
The crowd is generally very cool - you tend to see groups of arty fashionistas and all the too cool for skool type celebrities and DJ's. Definitely worth a visit but make sure you're up for a lively night. No wall flowers allowed!
Situated down a pretty horrid side street in the industrial area of Bethnal Green is this cool little haunt compromises of a bar, two dining areas and a cabaret club. It's in a converted factory and the inside of the main restaurant is still pretty stark, but they've made the most of the big spaces and the dark wood and bright white walls cut a clean edge. If you head for the bar you're met with a completely different style with a very narrow room, minimally lit, far darker and more seductive. The velvet stools lining up and the gorgeous bar mirror are so nice.
I've tried out the bar before dining and the setting certainly enhances your mood along with the rest of the typically East crowd who hang out there. Design wise it's an inviting space, but the crowd does have an air of exclusivity about them that I can imagine may put some people off. But then again, they don't take reservations for the bar tables which is good. Choose the cocktails if you're going to drink as most off the classic list have an appealing little twist. The Espresso Nut Martini is just one of my favourites.
The food is a suave Anglo-French affair and is moderately priced. It changes seasonally and last time we went I played it safe and has the gnocchi that was perfectly cooked. They mentioned that the menu was changing again early December so I'm looking forward to what Christmas offerings they'll come up with. The room is so attractive that I really like it here, the baby grand in the corner is just so sexy.
Oh I should also mention that this place is most famous for the cabaret nights, with drag and other such spectacles happening in the cosy, candle lit cabaret room. I haven't tried these out yet as, but apparently they're sophisticated fun not to be missed.
Although for such a damn cool place, which is obviously working hard to attract (and welcome) a certain crowd, I do wonder what they were thinking when they decided on the uber tacky name. Ah well, it's comforting to know that even Bistroteque have their bad days.
The first time I came to Bistrotheque it was for some drinks in the bar some time ago after a show. It's proximity to one of East Londons most gallery populated street makes it a regular haunt for arty types.
The second time I went there for dinner. The restaurant itself is quite minimal, with a black grand piano in the center of the floor with flowers on top. The toilets have some interesting illustrations in black paint.
We ordered a bottle of white wine which was quite nice, the bread we got to graze on was quite hard though, i ordered the sardines with orange zest for starter which was pretty tasty, for mains I had mushroom pie which was good.
It's one of those hidden gem type places.
Bistrotheque is a perennially fashionable bar-performance space- restaurant particular popular during Frieze festival housed in an unlikely backstreet of Bethnal Green.
Approaching Bistrotheque there is little to give it away amongst the other warehouses. It is announced by a courtyard with a few smokers and a security guard, which was useful as I had arranged to come here with a bunch of friends to see the Lipsinkers Show.
We met (after many phone calls confirming the location) in the bar. The elegant bar is in a narrow building with one row of seating against the wall, with the bar along the other. There is low lighting and the décor is a successful mix between warehouse and upmarket. There is a great cocktail list and well stocked bar, which has seemingly contributed to the bar's success. The place has a pleasant, louche ambience. The crowd was fairly mixed, smarter looking people mixed with hipsters. Most people drinking were there for the show.
The performance area is next to the bar and is entirely seated. If you're planning to see a show it is worth booking as there are only about 80-100 seats and it often sells out. There's a small bar in here too, although you probably won't get a chance to go to it during the performance (the performance was great and held my attention throughout). There is a cosy, speak-easy atmosphere here which is added to by the bar staff's readiness to keep the bar open for a few after the show ended.
I had a great time at the Bistrotheque and look forward to going again. If you're planning to go with a group its worth noting they operate a 'no hen parties, no stags or parties over 10'.
I would never have thought that this place existed at all if it wasn't for a friend taking me here. My friend lived in Bethnal Green and knew all the little nooks and crannies so I was pleasantly surprised at how cool this place was, considering it's so hidden and looks fairly boring and concrete from the outside.
Downstairs, there's a little bar, which is really plush but in a totally understated way. It was quite quiet when we went (a Thursday evening) and the surroundings were understated but elegant. Definitely my kind of place to drink.
Upstairs, there's the actual restaurant, which has a completely different feel to the bar. It's very modern and "chic". The food was absolutely superb and they've got a fine selection of gorgeous wines.
I had a great time eating and getting drunk at Bistrotheque in such a brilliant and special atmosphere. It felt like I was eating and drinking in a little secret hideout, a perfect evening out.
I was once invited to this special place to see the popular cabaret show 'Bearlesque' and enjoyed every moment of it. The venue is located on a very unlikely street in one huge warehouse conversion. The warehouse contains a bar, the cabaret area with a separate bar and a restaurant upstairs.
More recently, I went back to the Bistrotheque, this time for a special celebratory meal and had a lovely time. We started off in the bar with a delicious cocktail then headed our way upstairs to the restaurant. The restaurant is very minimalist with white painted walls, bulbs hanging from the ceiling and a black grand piano in the centre. I ordered the rump steak with fries which was cooked just right, but I would have preferred it if they had added a little bit of greens on the plate as well. I also highly recommend the tarte tatin for desert. The waiters were very helpful and chatty. Altogether it was a very pleasant evening, and my next visit there will probably be for a Sunday brunch.
So I actually went to Bistroteque last night for the first time. I have heard many, many good things about it, and I was not disappointed. For a Monday night, the place was really pumping, probably more so than any of the other restaurants and bars in the area. It may have had something to do with the fact that it's Christmas time, and Bistroteque can cater for big parties.
I had the chilli squid for a starter, which was delicious but quite small. For a main course I had the softest, most amazing steak that I have had for years. Finding a perfect steak just doesn't happen that often, and I was very excited.
There are burlesque/cabaret shows down stairs. I didn't go into the show area, but from what I could here from outside, it sounded pretty wild. The place is has a minimal kind of design with a big emphasis on white. Overall, it was a really good experience.
Incredible price to performance, so far Bistrotheque provided my best dining experience in London. The restaurant is hard to find, yes it's one of "those" places like Please Don't Tell in NYC. Sure that's part of the fun, but we ended up blowing 20 quid on the taxi ride (why don't all taxi drivers have GPS, we were going around in circles at one point). Ambiance was somewhat minimalist, cool but a bit cold. The tables were simple marble tops and the walls were all white. Service was good, but the real standout was the food. I started with the spicy squid for an app and had the sea bass as my main. Both were absolutely excellent dishes, very delicate with complex flavors and perfect texture. Definitely a restaurant worth going out of your way for.
Hidden away down a quiet road on Wadeson Street, Bistrotheque is a bar, restaurant and caberet venue.
Being so close to Vyner street, the heart of the East End gallery scene, Bistrotheque attracts an eclectic mix of people, the fashion crowd, artists and regulars combined.
The building is an old warehouse, and doesn't feel particularly grand as you make your way through the very rough entrance. The restaurant upstairs is fairly minimal, with a grand piano in the middle, chandeliers and whitewashed walls.
The staff are incredible, very friendly and they certainly know what they're talking about when it comes to the food & wine. The menu is geared up for the meat eaters so being a vegetarian the options are pretty slim. The fish is always good though, and everyone raves on about the steak. I know that a lot of people go for the fish & chips, so they must be worth a try... maybe next time.
The best time to go has to be a Sunday afternoon for brunch. Work off that hangover with blueberry pancakes and a bloody mary, while listening to a man playing pop covers on the grand piano.
It sounds strange, but seriously, it works.
Bistroteque is not your typical bistro. It's much more... a trendy bar, a cabaret, and a fantastic restaurant. It's located in Bethnal Green close to many trendy galleries and artist studios and many of its patrons come from the creative world. The bar and cabaret are located on the ground floor, the bistro on the first. Stop in the bar for a stiff drink among artists, fashionistas, and performers in drag. It makes for an entertaining start to a fantastic experience. To get to the dining area, one has to pass through the kitchen which is always interesting to observe. The restaurant is clean, simple, and lit by candle light. The food is exceptional and highlights include rump steak, tartar, and duck. The salads are always divine as are the desserts. I love this place and return often. Try it and I am sure you will too.
Bistrotheque is quite unexpected tucked away just off mare street, and is a strange mix of three separate rooms offering very different experiences. There is a small bustling bar where everyone is tightly packed in sipping cocktails, another bar with weird and interesting cabaret shows, and a spacious restaurant upstairs serving really good food - I strongly recommend the steak, but maybe not the gnocchi. It's not exactly intimate though and does maybe retain a bit too much of the warehouse feel, but the service is good and overall the quality of food makes it well worth visiting - even if it's probably a bit pricey.
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Pay full price to eat out? Pah, no chance. There's…
