Ristorante Bistrot — Restaurant in Unione dei comuni della Versilia

Where do I start? Unfortunately, I left this meal very disappointed.

I first visited Bistrot in July 2020 with my mother. We discovered it by chance, tried it, and were absolutely impressed, every dish was outstanding, the service was excellent, and we returned the very next night. We left Forte dei Marmi with beautiful memories, one of the most vivid being the amazing dinners we had there.

Fast forward five years: I’m back in Forte, this time with my boyfriend for one night. As soon as we planned the trip, I booked Bistrot immediately because I wanted him to experience the same exceptional food. I also noticed they had since earned a Michelin star, which raised my expectations even more.

Unfortunately, the experience didn’t live up to them.

We were seated promptly, but the atmosphere felt chaotic. The staff weren’t exactly rushing, but there was a constant sense of urgency that made the space feel stressful rather than refined. Both my boyfriend and I noticed it straight away, not what you expect from a Michelin-level experience, but we were still hopeful.

While ordering, I mentioned my allergies, and the waiter took note. He also pointed out that my boyfriend had only ordered meat dishes and asked if it was a preference, since the chef would be sending out amuse-bouches. We confirmed it was, and he said he’d inform the kitchen.

When the amuse-bouches arrived, my boyfriend’s plate was identical to mine, two of the bites contained fish. He decided to try them anyway, but the oversight was disappointing. I also double-checked with the waiter who served them if they were safe for me (celery allergy). He said one might contain celery, something I had already informed another staff member about. He went to double-check and came back confirming it was safe, but this shouldn’t happen in a Michelin-starred restaurant.

For starters, I had the calamari with chickpeas, and my boyfriend had the beef tartare. Both were beautifully plated, but lacked flavor. My calamari needed seasoning, and the tartare, though served with a sauce, tasted like plain meat. Thankfully, the bread selection was delicious, one of the few highlights up to that point.

For the main course, I had the turbot, and my boyfriend had the green chicche with rabbit ragù and salted ricotta. Again, mine was bland. His, on the other hand, was flavorful and by far the best dish of the evening, the only one we’d recommend.

For dessert, we shared a mascarpone cream with berries and cacao crumble. It was okay, but unremarkable.

The true highlight of the evening was the sommelier, a young man who was friendly, knowledgeable, and consistently attentive. He helped us choose a wine and checked in with us throughout the night. His service was truly appreciated and stood out from the rest of the staff.

That said, there were other service issues. We were seated at what I believe was the worst table in the restaurant, right in front of a door to the terrace. Staff constantly passed through, and every time, my hair (which I had in a bun) was brushed or bumped as they moved past. It was distracting and unpleasant, and no one seemed to notice.

There were also a few issues with wine service. My boyfriend’s glass sat empty for a while until he poured it himself. A staff member noticed and apologized, but later in the meal the same thing happened, his glass stayed empty for another eight minutes before being refilled.

The bill came to around €270, which I wouldn’t have minded at all had the food and service matched what I experienced in 2020. Sadly, it didn’t.

I know some of my comments might seem picky, but I believe they’re fair, especially when evaluating a Michelin-starred restaurant. Even without the star, I don’t think I’d return. The food simply wasn’t memorable.

It’s such a shame. I remembered this place as truly special. I hope my feedback is taken as a genuine opportunity to reflect...

We came with the family, the food was decent, but the service was terrible. The waitress kept forgetting things: she didn’t bring me the menu (1 out of 6), then brought the wrong menu for dessert, didn’t take our dessert order in time and along the way we had to constantly remind her to pay some attention to us. What started off well with good food was completely ruined by the lack of proper service. We had to ask for the waitress attention over again and again; she apologized, but honestly, it became exhausting. The food arrival could be managed much better, the plates stayed dirty for some time and no additional knife was offered when we needed one, we could not grab attention of the waiter at that point as well. The neighboring tables she served were also unhappy. We ended up waiting 30 minutes for our dessert. This level of service is unacceptable for a Michelin-starred restaurant. With a cheque of Michelin level restaurant having such service is a complete disgrace, this is the worst service we have seen in forte dei marmi actually. The andrea&andrea dessert, the egg from the farm were really really nice. And general level of the food was also very decent, however the lack of service organization ruined almost...

I’ve been going to Bistrot for more than ten years, actually I had the first dinner date with my wife there. Food and service used to be 5 star plus, unfortunately this is no longer the case.

Starting with the fact that all their let’s say famous dishes have vanished from the menu like their Fiorentina and the Truffle pizza.

Yesterday we had dinner with friends at bistrot and I must say that everything was terrible. The waiters where rude and inattentive, wine glasses where left empty for ages and in general it seemed that the staff didn’t care.

Some of us had yellow tail carpaccio, and it smelled like rotten fish. When the waiters come to collect the plates no question was asked about why the food had not been consumed, worse they even charged us for it.

It seems to me that the restaurant no longer has local clients and that they are just milking their name with foreign clients to cash in.

It’s a pity to see such a nice restaurant ruin itself but I would definitely consider twice before going...