IL Bistro — Restaurant in Great Britain

This is not a great review. Sit back, read and you will see why.. Our son moved into Uni on 14th Aug 2024, after getting stuff into his room we walked into Brighton. We came across IL Bistro, liked the menu and walked in. Was nicely greeted and shown to a table. The restaurant was empty, and we (4) were the only people here. Our waitress took our drinks order and gave us and poured us bottled mineral water, we asked and ordered tap water. Coffees arrived. My son asked for a caramel latte, i asked for a cafe creme. My son received my sugar and my other son and wife have an issue with cows milk so not great when they took sips and realised they their coffees were mixed up, minor, i had to flag this up with them. Our sons steaks arrived. Cooked ok one was over cooked, their hash browns over cooked so i was like having two massive crisps on their plate. Our sons were so hungry and the waitress didn't check on us so they just ate it. We asked for two vegetarian breakfasts, both with poached eggs. They got this wrong and fried eggs arrived on our plates, my wife flagged this to them, i was okay with the fried egg, and i was busy buttering my toast took a bit of the toast and the waitress whipped my plate away to correct this and i wish they didn't as when it returned i have never seen the size poached egg that was on my plate, yoke was over cooked, too much vinegar used and was probably the size of a 10 pence! Even the cheap small supermarket eggs are bigger than this. The waitress should have left our plates and arranged for poached eggs to be brought to our table.. There seemed to be no checking from the team on what we ordered to what was delivered. Most of the time the waiting staff were chatting amougst themselves and we had to get up from our table and walk to where they were to ask them to fix their errors. Be more attentive to your customers! Apart from us, the restaurant was empty! We asked for the bill and waited so long we all got up and walked to where they were playing on their phones! They added their optional service charge, which i asked them to remove. We should of went to the smaller place that was diagonally opposite this restaurant. There was an award on display, not sure what this was for, most slack resturant...

I visited Il Bistro in Brighton for lunch with friends over the festive period, drawn in by the enticing look and feel of the restaurant and its food showcased on the website. Unfortunately, the experience did not live up to expectations, and I left feeling disappointed with the food.

We started with the arancini, which was bland, lacked seasoning, and had an unappealing texture. The breadcrumb coating peeled away like wallpaper from an old 1960s wall, leaving the impression that it was neither fresh nor well-prepared. For my main, I chose the seafood pasta, which looked impressive on the plate but suffered from the same issues: a lack of flavour, depth, and seasoning.

While the food fell flat, I must commend the service. The waiting staff were attentive, regularly checking in to see if everything was okay. Admittedly, I said it was fine at the time, unsure of what could be done to salvage the dishes. Their friendliness and engagement were a highlight of the visit.

What truly saved the experience were the cocktails. Both the Limoncello Martini and Espresso Martini were packed with flavour and were absolutely fabulous. They showcased the kind of attention to detail and vibrancy that I wished had been present in the food.

Il Bistro proudly states that it has been serving customers for 50 years, which is an impressive milestone. However, with food that lacks seasoning and flavour, I find myself wondering how it has maintained its longevity. While the atmosphere, service, and cocktails were enjoyable, the quality of the food left much to be desired and did not meet the standard one would expect from such an...

I’d been meaning to try out Il Bistro on any one of the many times I’d walked past in 15 years of living in Brighton, and finally made it having moved out of town, on a wet Sunday night. And I’m so glad I did! The place looks good from the outside… I was looking for somewhere where I could get a roast in mid evening, but to be honest my expectations were not that high. By the time I left two hours later, they had completely exceeded. Il Bistro, in the heart of the attractive and atmospheric south Lanes, is an absolute gem. The waitress was outstanding with her welcome and attentiveness, a lovely manner, engaging warmly with all customers, even bore with me mistaking their bottled limencello for water and trying to down a bottle of it! Roast pork from the roasts menu even at that time of day was superb, priced at pub prices, and within the atmosphere and candlelit interior of the restaurant that felt like a massive win. Nothing was too much trouble for the front of house; I turned down what looked like banging desserts in favour of coffee but ultimately will be back before long to go full two or three course. In a sometimes jaded city Il Bistro carries a warmth, authenticity and quality that not only actually matches it’s veneer but exceeds it. An older school Brighton experience, it was like being back in the Brighton of the early 90s: liberated, hearty, stylish, and inclusive. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and I will be make this place a regular haunt on my frequent work trips to the city, I feel. The kind of dining experience that frames a weekend perfectly; and sets up the soul...