Bistro 174 — Restaurant in Kingston

Bistro 174, located in the United Penn Plaza In Kingston, Pennsylvania is a small, fine dining restaurant. Chef Chris Austin (formerly of the locally popular Down Pour) and his staff offers customers a culinary adventure with every course.

After failing to get reservations the first time, I called almost a week in advance in order to secure an opportunity to experience what all the buzz was about. It didn’t disappoint.

Arriving on time for our 6:30 dinner reservation, we were seated in the corner of the dining room. We ordered some wine and beer before inspecting the standard menu and the evening’s specials.

We began with a salad and lasagna soup. The former was very hearty, with spinach and arugula, with large slices of onions, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, croutons and a zesty italian dressing. The lasagna soup was very tasty. The broth was very rich and topped with shredded mozzarella cheese.

I chose one of the evening’s specials – the French Onion Roasted Chicken – over the Italian Pot Roast, and was very pleased with my decision.The chicken was very tender and stuffed with onions and, I believe, gouda. It also came with a side of garlic mashed potatoes and carrots. The meal was doused with a delicious French Onion broth, making the overall meal very exquisite.

My fiancee ordered the Wild Mushroom Pappardelle, which included, of course, sauteed mushrooms and pappardelle, asparagus, parmesan cheese, all of which was coated in a roasted red pepper cream sauce. The pasta was al dente, and the sauce was superb.

Dessert consisted of a S’mores brownie big enough for the two of us, topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and drizzled with a chocolate sauce. The dish was very decadent, capping off a wonderful evening dinner.

Reservations are a must, and should be made very early in the week if planning for a weekend dinner. As I mentioned, the place is rather small, with a 60-guest capacity. There is a bar for guests who can have cocktails before dinner. The dining area was almost filled when we arrived, but tables began emptying prior to our departure shortly before 8:00. The acoustics are such that you can still have a nice conversation without shouting over one another. Overall, the place is also clean and inviting.

Bistro 174 just opened this year and – based upon the satisfying meals and packed tables – will hopefully be around for...

Nice atmosphere. Good food and decent prices, I think, for the food served. The brussel sprouts were amazing and there are lots of them in the appetizer so plan to share with the whole table. Hubby and I had the short rib and it was excellent. Others at the table had the stuffed pork chop and lamb chops and both were also good. I took off stars for the atmosphere only because the table lighting was way, way too dark. Some tables had chandeliers over them while others did not. Aside from this, all agreed the restaurant was better than most at this price range and we...

Our neighbors introduced us to Bistro 174 a couple weeks ago. The restaurant is lively, and more importantly serves great food. That being said, we returned to Bistro this evening & all I can say is “Delicious”. My wife had Italian Pot Roast, fork tender w/ mashed pots & heirloom carrots. I had Nori Tuna. Both dishes were generous portions, and cooked to perfection. The Bistro is a go to place. Oh I forgot to mention it’s Thursday and restaurant was packed. We actually saw a couple we ran into this past Sunday. We must be on the same rotation of...