Vino Bistro — Restaurant in Leesburg

Vino Bistro is the sister restaurant of The Wine House in old town Fairfax. We were frequent visitors there when our son was at GMU and loved the food and the wine selection. Thus we were very happy to see a sibling appear in our neighborhood. The owner is a Kiwi who knows and loves his vocation. Like its Fairfax older sister there are wines to buy without dining or to take to your table for a nominal corkage. The range isn't as extensive as Vino Bistro also features a large bar area that serves beer and cocktails in addition to wine by the glass or bottle. The menu is almost identical to the Wine House and features a variety of foods to suit most tastes. Our family are big fans of the cheese plate and charcuterie as starters but there's not a dud among the appetizer selection. As for the mains I can hardly go past the rack of New Zealand lamb. It's always superb. The filet is also terrific. Tonight the restaurant offered a fixed price menu to celebrate its official opening later this week. My wife opted for the French onion soup. In many places this can be a hit or miss affair where a bucket of salt, limp bread, and a coagulation of cheese is what turns up in your bowl. Not here though where the flavor of the onions shine through and the toasted bread and cheese complement but don't dominate the dish. I chose the salmon tapas which was light, fresh, and full of flavor. For mains our choices were salmon, garlic beans, and risotto for she who must be obeyed while I had the medium rare steak frites in a peppercorn cream sauce. Both were perfectly cooked and resulted clean plates. Dessert selections were the chocolate mousse with cream Anglais and a vanilla creme brûlée (where the custard was still warm). Our wine pairing was a Cote de Rhone that worked very well with the meal. Service was professional, friendly, and unobtrusive. Vino Bistro is a great addition to the...

Saddly… I’m not sure I’ll come back. This use to be my favorite restaurant, the mussels were my go to, I loved the bar tenders and the staff. I’ve been coming here for years and have been slowly watching this place decline. The staff turnover has been insane and I imagine plays a role in the issues, but it’s not an excuse. The bar menu use to have a dealers choice where the bar tenders could ask you questions and make up a drink for you and it would be bomb! The mussels were the best I’ve ever had and now the recipe is NOTHING like it once was. These things have been slowly happening, but I tried to still give the changes a chance…. But the service has just steadily declined and declined and declined. Tonight we all arrived by 7 pm…. And did not get our first appetizer until 8 and our dinner order hadn’t been taken…. At 7 we ordered bread service for one of the kids at the table that was hungry and at 8 when we got the appetizers the food runner was told about the bread, which had already been brought up to the waitress twice. We asked for the kids menu twice. Drinks took forever to come to the table and service was over all just so so so slow….. I was honestly trying to just let it be and enjoy my time with my family, but I was absolutely shocked when an automatic gratuity of 20% was applied to our bill…. I was prepared for an automatic 15-18% because we had 7 people, but 20% is so in appreciation especially when there was nothing about tonight’s service that would have warranted a 20% tip.

We are a family of current and or former bar tenders and waitresses, we are generally very generous tippers…. But it’s so inappropriate to give horrible service and then assume you should get a 20% tip.

Our waitress was sweet and nice, she wasn’t rude or anything, but the service tonight was just...

We recently hosted a company party for 50 people at VinoBistro, and I cannot express enough how exceptional our experience was! From start to finish, the staff, atmosphere, and offerings were top-notch.

The Angry Shrimp appetizer was a crowd-pleaser, and the Charcuterie board was a delightful addition with a variety of flavors that had everyone raving. The attention to detail even extended to the decorations, which incorporated our company logo—a nice personal touch that made the event feel uniquely ours.

One highlight was the outdoor area, perfect for those who enjoy a good cigar. It added an extra layer of enjoyment to the evening, and we were impressed with the thoughtful design of the space.

The drinks were not only tasty but also beautifully crafted, elevating the overall experience. The bar staff knew their craft well, and it showed in every sip.

We lucked out with great weather, but we wanted to suggest considering heaters or firepits for future events, especially during colder months. This addition would make the outdoor space even more inviting.

The bread pudding is absolutely amazing, and the dinner was also exceptional. I got the Chicken francese which was created especially for our party, and it should be a staple on the menu because it was SO GOOD!

A big shoutout to Lori Miller, our fantastic host, who went above and beyond by bringing a solo stove for our cigar hour. Her dedication and thoughtful gestures truly enhanced our celebration. Special mention also goes to Robin Peck, our waitress/hostess, whose excellent service ensured everything ran smoothly throughout the evening.

In conclusion, our party at VinoBistro was a resounding success, and we're already looking forward to future events at this wonderful venue. Thank you for making our company celebration a...