06/07/07

Fun bistro, great food

by cafe_hound

Great food, noisy but fun, I like watching the cooking staff's activities over the counter. Wonderful flourless chooclate cake, recommended. Nice decor.

02/18/07

Disappointing and expensive Valentine's Day dinner

by libbys

On Valentine's Day, Bistro Liaison was noisy and crowded. There was a prix fixe menu with two choices for the first course and three for the main course. Our server did not pay attention to us: she never offered us a wine list, she messed up our order for the first course, and she rarely came to check on us to see if everything was to our satisfaction.

The first course, mushroom soup, was good but not great. It was smooth except for a few clippings of parsley and chives on top, and it was not steaming hot, only warm. The main course was pleasant: the filet was perfectly medium-rare and tender, the potatoes were crispy fried mashed potatoes, and the sauce was not overpowering. My major problem, though, was that my boyfriend received three slices of meat and I received two. His slices were not smaller than mine, he just got more. The portions were not large in the first place, so this was upsetting. The server did not stop by the table during the entire main course, so my dissatisfaction was ignored.

The dessert was the most unfortunate part of the meal. It was a shared plate for two. Instead of containing one delicious, satisfying, cohesive dessert it contained a variety of seemingly random and cobbled-together parts: a mediocre sugar cookie, two little cookie shells filled with mousse, a small scoop of delicious chocolate sorbet, a pile of toasted almond slices, a splash of raspberry coulis, and a heart-shaped chocolate cake. The cake tasted like a Twin Bing candy bar in a bad way, with artificial cherry flavor and powdered-sugar-laden chocolate icing that tasted like it was from a store-bought tub. Served with Brut champagne, the pairing only seemed to accentuate the bitterness in each.

When we had finished our dessert, we were left alone for over 10 minutes before anyone visited our table. At $159 (including two drinks, before tip), it was way too expensive for poor service and undistinguished food.

• Cons: Bad service, expensive, crowded, horrible dessert

12/12/06

Delicious

by asusanna

Four of us went there for a Sunday lunch before heading to UC Berkeley's Play House Theater.

Their coctails are not cheap, some were very good, like vodka with contreu and pomegranate juice, some were average. Neither my friend nor myself could taste peach pure in our bellinis.

All the food we ordered was scrumptious and beautifuly presented. Two salads with tuna, grilled salmon and salad with duck were exceptional, fresh, tender and mouthwatering. The desserts were almost as good.

The service was timely and courteous.

Overall we had a wonderfull time. Highly recommend!

• Pros: Ambience, food

09/23/06

Liaison is like a trip to a French bistro

by hezmodo

The night we tried Liaison, we were tired. It was late. We were reminiscing about a recent trip to France. And then we were there: the menu, the decor, the layout, everything screams French bistro. We settled into a shared meal of mussels, frites, salad nicoise, and toasts w/goat cheese and tomatos. Everything was marvelous, the mussels were terrific, the fries were hands down the best in the East Bay, the salad nicely composed with fresh ingredients, though we tend to shy away from the now-uniquitous cold, seared tombo. And then we waited. And waited. Our server had disappeared, and our goat cheese toasts were nowhere in sight. Finally, one of the three new people serving us showed up and only when asked, informed us that it takes 10 minutes to prepare the toasts. Hhhm. Okay, shouldn't we have been told that before? But when the toast arrived, it was so good, I just couldn't be mad. And you can't imagine a couple of pieces of toasted bread w/ hot chevre and a roasted tomato on it being this damn good. So okay, I get it now: and I'd gladly wait 20 minutes for more. Oh, and it turned out that we got there just in time for shift change, tho no one told us. In the end, I can't wait to go back. The place is relaxing and warm with enough French country kitsch to be amusing, and the food is really, authentically good. I'll give the service issue another change, but unfortunately, the drinks are extremely expensive, and ours was a little watery, so I'll not do that again. The wine list is quite good, with many good reasonably priced choices. I overheard someone say that on Wednesdays they forgo the corkage fee, if you want to bring your own, but I can't verify that yet.

• Pros: Excellent bistro fare at mid-range prices, the best frites ever, great atmosphere
• Cons: Over priced cocktails.

03/03/06

Umm...good and honest food!

by jellofish

I went there on Thursday night with my girlfriend around 6pm. There was no table left for us. So make a reservation! We ate at the bar but their prompt and friendly service never disappointed us. I tried prix-fixe and she tried seared Ahi salad. They don't cut corners on food here. If you love cooking and good food but tired of overpriced mediocre restaurant food, try out this place.

• Pros: Food, Service
• Cons: Parking

08/15/05

True French Bistro

by slimdream

My recent visit to Bistro Liaison was definitely one of my most enjoyable night out in the east bay. The food was excellent, the wine list became very impressive, and we definitely had some great wines to compliment our meals, and lastly, the service was wonderful - they certainly know how to make someone feel special. To top it all off, the combination of excellent food, great wines, wonderful service, and reasonable price is just unbeatable. I would highly recommend this place!!! It's worth checking it out.

• Pros: cozy, charming

06/17/05

Pretty Damn Good

by sfrow123

After driving past this place on the way to work every day for the past year, I finally decided to give it a shot after checking out reviews and their website on Citysearch. My date and I both were very pleased with the entire dining experience. The staff was friendly and very helpful. The wine selection was excellent we both agreed. I had the roast chicken was was perfect, the salmon was good not great. All around we had a excellent experiece here. I heard from the table next to me that the brunch is amazing, and that on nice day the patio is the place to be.

05/05/05

Below Average Experience

by fs655321

Curious about the quality of East Bay French cuisine, I tried out Liaison last week. What a sad meal... the pate was bland and greasy, the lamb overcooked.... way, way overcooked. even the bread was at least a day old. Nothing wrong with the service, except that my waiter had to keep apologizing for the food. I'll not go back.

• Pros: service
• Cons: food

02/02/05

What a Gem!

by broncoblee

I went not expecting much, and the the food was somewhat simple, but very well-executed in terms of taste. Very well-executed French comfort food. The restaurant is small, so you feel like you're in everyone's conversation, but the smallness really brings out the the bistro vibe, which I like.

• Pros: Not too expensive, Food tastes great, Bistro vibe
• Cons: Crowded

03/25/04

A classic French bistro with California accents brings the Left Bank to Berkeley.

by Contributor

The Scene
A gleaming wooden bar curves between the open kitchen and the seating area, while burgundy, sage and butter-yellow walls capture the glow from Beaux Arts-style light fixtures. With waiters in long aprons and the tempting aroma of shallots sizzling in butter, diners might just as well be in Paris.

The Food
Classic dishes benefit from quality ingredients and minimal handling. Mesclun salad has a snappy mustard tang; salad nicoise, with fresh sashimi-grade tuna and crispy vegetables, is an unfussy winner. Dosed with extra bechamel sauce, the croque monsieur is Paris on a plate. Blanketed in spinach and bathed in a wine and garlic sauce, the mussels make a perfect accompaniment to a side of crispy fries. For dessert, a plumped-up shingle of puff pastry cradles melt-in-your-mouth caramelized apples. Seeking a lighter finish? Try the fruity, bracing blood orange sorbet.