Petite Chou Bistro & Champagne Bar — Restaurant in Indianapolis

My wife and I have been in search of a good French restaurant for some time. We were here in Indianapolis for the eclipse and found this bistro listed as nearby.

We brought the whole family as well as our dog and enjoyed a lovely meal on the patio. The patio is enclosed so we were protected from the elements.

The staff was incredibly warm and inviting, and much fuss was made over our dog. Everybody wanted to come by and see him.

I had a beehive latte, which consists of a latte with honey and cinnamon. Lovely. Sweet without being cloyingly so. The coffee was full flavored.

Additionally, I had a crocque monsieur, which was divine. It came with a small arugula salad with a wonderfully tangy dressing. Light, crisp, but just right. The croque itself was delicious. Cheesy, loaded with meat, and topped with a sauce and chives. It was just the right amount of food. I was definitely no longer hungry, but not grossly overstuffed.

My son had the French toast with pastry cream and fresh fruit. I didn't get to try it myself, but all indications were that he was supremely satisfied.

On top of everything they offered a small menu for dogs, so Cal had a puppy parfait, loaded with fruit and Greek yogurt. I certainly heard no complaints from him!

The only negative thing I can say about our experience is that it 600 miles from our home so it'll be a minute before we can return.

If you know anyone with a hankering for French cuisine and are looking for a friendly and intimate experience, I would...

I've held off on my review to make sure I gave it a fair shot. Plus I'm a little biased knowing someone who fires the dishes.

I've eaten here 5 times during breakfast and lunch. The first time I had the Market salad. I distinctly remember the goat cheese being a pleasant addition and the vinaigrette being bright and citric.

The second time I came for Mothers day and got the Omelet du Jour that I know included leaks, white cheddar, and chicken sausage. It was delicious! I would recommend but per the name, the omelet always changes. The fried potatoes were crunchy and nicely salted. I also tried the chocolate puddle cake that day. It was melty and rich, the servers all recommended gelato on the side.

The third time I came during lunch hours with my best friend who's vegan and got the Warm Quinoa salad as entrees (mine included chicken), the Mushroom Duxelle, avocado toast, and espresso martinis. The quinoa was so good, I highly recommend. It had a lot of depth of flavor and textures. At the influence of my friend, we both had about 4 martinis each. Also a go to for us here.

The fourth time was for breakfast again and it's been on my mind every since. That croque madam was so fire..you might be tempted to eat two if weight gain and future cholesterol issues weren't a thing.

Just recently I got the seasonal hash that also changes often. The manager recommended lamb sausage and that blew it out of the park. Round of applause...

Came for our anniversary dinner and the place was average overall. I think with most restaurants, there is struggle with staffing and employment currently so my mindset has shifted with knowing i have to wait and hey its Friday so its gonna be busy. I think from order to entrees on table was about an hour. Probably around the 45 minute mark the belly started to rumble a bit, but the old fashion and martini did its work of providing happiness. Note the old fashion is extremely well done here.

Overall the cocktails, espresso, and dessert were good along with the appetizer we ordered. I was looking forward to the Beet/Chickpea burger (note has nuts) but after ordering and letting the staff know about the allergy we didn't find out it had nuts till about 45 minutes in (note this is how long we were waiting for entrees). The floor manager came to inform us, i changed my order and they did cover the cost of the mistake. I say all this that mistakes do happen and I am happy they did right to the customer.

However, the point of the review is what does the dinner taste like. The entrees (quinoa for me cuz imma vegetarian and lobster for the wife) were just..... meh and average. Nothing jumped out to me as something to repeat and dive into or bring enticement to come back. Perhaps since i'm a vegetarian, this isn't the right restaurant for me, but I give...