XO Bistro + Bar — Restaurant in Edmonton

XO Bistro + Bar is a standout Vietnamese restaurant and lounge that seamlessly blends traditional flavors with a modern bar experience… The contemporary interior features sleek wood accents, comfortable booth seating and a well stocked bar, making it equally suitable for dinner with family or a night out with friends. We made a reservation and were seated promptly by courteous staff who remained attentive throughout our visit. The menu offers something for everyone, from classic pho and vermicelli bowls to creative small plates and vegetarian options. We started with crispy spring rolls and a refreshing papaya salad, both bursting with fresh herbs and vibrant flavors. For mains we enjoyed fragrant bowls of beef pho, lemongrass chicken and a rich coconut curry; each dish showcased quality ingredients and authentic seasoning without being heavy. The bar program is impressive, with a wide selection of beers, wines and handcrafted cocktails that rival any upscale lounge. The bartender recommended a Vietnamese coffee martini which was smooth and balanced, while my companion tried a lemongrass gin cocktail that was equally delightful. Large TVs around the bar played sports quietly in the background, adding a lively vibe without taking away from conversation. Families will appreciate the kids menu and availability of high chairs, and accessibility features like a wheelchair friendly entrance and washrooms make the space welcoming to everyone. Parking can be a bit tight downtown, but there is free and paid street parking nearby and we had no issue finding a spot. Overall XO Bistro + Bar delivers a warm, trendy atmosphere, attentive service, delicious Vietnamese dishes and standout drinks. It has quickly become one of our go to spots for casual dinners, drinks with friends or celebrating special occasions, and we highly...

Reserved a table for 10 on a Thursday for a birthday dinner. Made it an early dinner so that we could get some happy hour appies. The service was incredibly slow and inattentive. Everything took so long, particularly the entrees. 8 of the 9 meals were served staggered over 30 minutes. The last meal was served after several of us were done eating. One guest choked on her salad because it had hot peppers even though she specifically told the waitress that she cannot do spicy and was told that they could adjust for that. When we got the bill. None of our appies were charged at the happy hour prices, though we made a sure to order them before happy hour was over. When I questioned it, the waitress said she would check. She disappeared into the kitchen and I never saw her again. After 10 minutes the other waitress told me that since we did not stipulate happy hour, so she ordered the full-size XO fries at the regular price, but I questioned why the onion cakes were also full price. She said she could speak to the manager about giving me a discount. Comes back a while later and said that the manager said that since we ate them all, he would not give us any discount on the fries. I told the waitress that we did not eat them all and that we are packing up boxes of fries. Our tab was $450, so it’s not like we were only there for the happy hour appies. Nonetheless, I paid the tab so that we could get going as we had already been there for the 3 hours. Not once was there any acknowledgement of apology for anything. So incredibly...

I've never been to Viet Nam, but the hunnybunny has, so this review is an amalgam of both our tastebuds and her stories :-)

We visited the XO Bistro + Bar on the way to an event at near-by Rogers Place; this is an convenient and worthwhile destination. Don't short-change yourself by not leaving enough time; rushing is failure. There's a lot to love here.

The XO Platter (a sampler) started out our taste travel, then a Viet Crepé, and a baked marrow plate. All good, all tasty, and satisfying. Then the calamari (which I'd resisted getting because, really, it's been done, everywhere). I was wrong. The calamari were crispy, flavorful, and not oily at all.

I've heard a frequent stereotyping of Asian foods as slap-dash sub-gourmet rushed preparation affairs, perhaps because so much of it is delivered to-go, and not many foods can stand up to the rigors of being tossed into a small container, suffering condensation and cooling, and reheating. Each dish we had tonight had its own subtle flavorings, fresh herbs and treatments, and stood on it's own merits.

WARNING: the spice on the Viet beef tataki is fiery -- if you don't like the burn of capsicum then steer far away!

We tried a couple of cocktails, mango or peach comes to mind, and they were damn good. Better even were the Vietnamese Coffee, with sweetened condensed milk. Between the hunnybunny and I we must have gone through at least a half-dozen.

And we'd do it...