Alexandra's Bistro — Restaurant in Concord

My husband and I checked out Alexandra’s for the first time tonight, after learning of its existence only a month or so ago. We live about ten minutes away and frequent the plaza it’s in, so it’s kinda crazy that it escaped our attention until now, but hey! Glad we remedied such a tragic oversight.

Let me preface this by saying that we’re not fancy or snobby, but we do like to cook and eat (and watch Top Chef 😂), so we’re probably a bit harder to impress then your average chain restaurant patron. (Don’t even get me started on our one and only visit to Uno’s not long ago! 😬) Anyway, much to our dismay, since moving to Concord (after living on the coast and having access to all sorts of great food in and around Portsmouth) in the spring of 2021, we had still not found a Concord restaurant that we really loved - and we have tried them ALL. We eventually settled (for lack of a better word) on one spot I describe as “reliably tasty” for when we just don’t feel like cooking, but I wouldn’t say we were ever downright excited to go there; it just fills the need when it arises.

Enter Alexandra’s Bistro. Ladies and gentleman, game has changed.

We went on a whim tonight, somehow securing ourselves a spot when almost every table had a “reserved” sign. The hostess, Emma, who was also our server and seemed to be tending bar (this girl had so many balls in the air and dropped exactly zero of them), was awesome. Friendly, personable, funny . . . couldn’t ask for better. Our food came out fast and was beautifully plated and delicious, seasoned and cooked perfectly.

As an aside, I have to be honest and say that when the entrees first came out, I felt a tiny bit disappointed that the portions weren’t bigger for the cost. However, it was actually the perfect amount. This was the first time I’ve ever had a drink, a couple of apps, an entree, and dessert and not felt like I was going to throw up afterwards. Should I admit that? Maybe not, but just saying! I would way rather have a reasonable portion of really amazing food that than a huge pile of meh food that makes me feel bloated and gross afterwards. Sometimes I forget that it’s the great American way for one person to be served enough food for a small family on a literal platter. THAT is messed up, not this. Quality over quantity. That is not to say the portion was small, it was just . . . enough. I didn’t need more. This is how it should be.

What we shared tonight: Roasted Corn & Bacon Chowder Crispy Pork Belly & Brussels Teres Major Steak Tips & Frites Ritz Baked Hadock

and three . . . yes, three! We couldn’t decide. Don’t judge us! . . . desserts:

Chocolate Salvation Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée Slow Roasted Apple Cobbler

I could literally write a review on every single food item, but I’d be up all night. Suffice it to say (again), everything was perfect. Not too greasy or salty or over/under-cooked. Desserts weren’t cloyingly sweet. Everything was fresh and thoughtfully, carefully plated. And I feel good after eating there. Making 95% of our food at home, restaurant meals often don’t sit well, but that was not the case here at all. This place really got everything right.

The one and only thing I would change is the lighting, which is overhead fluorescent and gives it sort of an industrial/office feel. The ambiance really doesn’t align with the quality and presentation of the food. I told my husband it would be great if they get an opportunity to move into a more fitting space, but then realized that might mean they get so busy that we can never get in again, and that would not be cool at all. Nothing is perfect, but dang. This place...

O...M...G... What a new gem to Cental NH. 👏👏👏

Only been twice, but experienced exceptional food and service both times!

Don't be discouraged by the strip mall setting. This place is "casual farm-to-table fine dining" at its best. I should know, I work as a server in another cool spot around thats similar. And I'm a 4th-Gen restaurant worker across a couple continents, NYC-born, NH-bred, lifelong "Foodie" before that became a curse word in the industry.

What's happening here is SPECIAL. At a time when grocery bills are astromical, treat yourself to a nice dinner while supporting your neighbor, and the prices are reasonable to chains.

Onto the food! New menu, we snagged the last order of Calamari, one of our favs to order to "see what Chefs do" (duh... no rubber bands here). They seem to have a single pasta dish each menu, and it was the most beautiful play on Gnocchi Rosa I've ever had (married to an Italian) 👌 So "spring" and perfect sear on the loose cut gnocchi. Hubby got the NY Strip cause he was craving meat and that was...

We had very high expectations for Alexandra’s based on a recommendation from a “foodie friend”. Unfortunately, we were very disappointed with the experience overall. Our server/bartender was very nice and accommodating. I ordered a Bombay Martini and I was a bit surprised when it arrived only about 2/3rds full. Even more so when I found out later it was $14! The pork sandwich was not very flavorful, nor was the Cole Slaw, and many of the fries were limp, although tasted good. I think some additional sauce on the side would help the pork sandwich. The Caesar salad was mostly the inner parts of the lettuce and it was average, at best. The quesadilla was probably the best part of the meal. We left spending very close to $100, for an experience that was probably worth $60, at most. I think this place is trying to be chic and upscale, which it clearly is not. We found it to be VERY expensive for what we got and a poor value. Too bad, because it could be what it aspires to be with a...