L'Apéritif Bistro — Restaurant in Fresno

L’Aperitif is a fusion bistro that (in my opinion) serves some of the best French dishes in town.

Dish Breakdown

✨ Tapas (Beef Meatballs, Escargot, Tuna Carpaccio, Spicy Baked Mussels, Spicy Baked Scallops) • The Tuna 🍣 Carpaccio was a standout — fresh tuna balanced beautifully with olive oil, basil, onion, and lemon, bringing out layers of freshness and umami that linger on the palate. • The Escargot 🐌 came smothered in rich butter and garlic, enhancing the earthy snail meat with a savory punch. • The Spicy Baked Mussels & Scallops were incredibly addictive — the sauce had just the right heat and depth, perfect for dipping bread and savoring every last drop.

🥩 Tomahawk Steak • A feast for the table — bold flavors elevated with herb butter and roasted cherry tomatoes. While juicy and flavorful, it could’ve been perfect with a more even cook throughout the cut.

🍝 Chef Thomas’ House Bolognese Spaghetti • Simple yet outstanding. The sauce had depth without being overwhelming, coating the pasta just right — classic comfort food elevated to a house specialty.

🍮 Crème Brûlée • Hands down one of the best I’ve had anywhere. The caramelized sugar had the perfect level of crisp, giving way to a rich, eggy custard base. The tart fresh berries🍓 balanced the sweetness beautifully.

🍸 French Kiss Cocktail • A cute and playful drink with a sweet profile. The berry garnish and layered colors made it as pleasing to the eyes as it was refreshing to sip.

Ratings (0–10) • Tastiness: 9.5/10 • Price Appropriateness: 8.5/10 • Portion Size: 7/10 • Overall...

Thank you, Merci and Vielen Dank to the amazing staff and chef at L’Aperitif. We just got back from our date night and we are very happy to have chosen this gem of a restaurant. From the moment we set foot in this establishment we knew that this was going to be a great night. And boy were we right. The atmosphere inside is warm and very inviting. It felt very cozy and intimate and we loved the interior decor. The menu featured a lot of unique dishes (mainly French and Italian) and the wine selection was a good mix of domestic and international wines from France and Italy.

We started out with some delicious appetizers (escargot, asparagus and tarte flambee) before ordering our main courses (Salmon with rice pilaf and a lobster risotto). The lobster was a recommendation from our waitress because we couldn’t decide between all the other delightful sounding meals on the menu. I’m happy to report that this was a great decision as the lobster was incredibly tender and the risotto was very creamy and packed with flavor.

At some point I noticed that the owner and I shared common roots in Europe and so we started talking about our past experiences. At the end, he was so incredibly nice that he surprised us by preparing two main courses from our European home region and giving them to us for free. This was such a nice gesture and really meant a lot to me. All in all, this restaurant is well worth a visit and we’ll definitely come back in the future!

Thank you for an amazing evening chef...

Worthy of the Award:

This place was awesome. The tapas menu is huge and EVERY. SINGLE. ITEM we got was bomb. I think we probably ordered 8 different tapas plates for the 6 of us and they were devoured with enthusiasm and gusto. We wanted to order more but had to move on to entrees. We opted for family style so we could all taste/share. Lobster risotto, paella, Japanese seabass, chicken/mozz ravioli w/ scallops. Again - all of it was devoured with rave reviews. The lobster risotto may have won the night. A WHOLE lobster tail plated right in the middle of a large serving of awesome risotto. The seafood in the paella was bomb, along with some spicy chiles mixed in.

Here's another twist to not sleep on: it's a fusion restaurant. The chef, while having spent a number of years in Europe, is Lao. He throws in some sauces and touches of spice/seasoning that are totally unexpected and really make every dish better.

The waitstaff are friendly and fun and have solid recommendations. The restaurant has a small kitchen so some patience was required at peak points for courses to come out - but they were brought to the table hot and all together. Awesome experience.

Note: We brought 3 bottles of our own wine at $20/bottle corkage fee. Waitress was too busy to replace wine glasses between bottles but that may not even be policy here (can't blame her either - we're a thirsty group).

Thanks a...