The District Bistro, Martini Bar & Wine Shop — Restaurant in Sandpoint

We came in from Montana, I picked this place after reviewing their website, it looked amazing. Do not let the website fool you. We arrived, were greeted and seated in the middle of their wine retail area, the first disappointment. The staff was NOT knowledgeable about anything to do with the restaurant. We had to ask for a drink menu, the waitress had to go round one up. Waited 30 minutes for our drinks. Meanwhile, watching other customers get upset and leave. The atmosphere of the restaurant was chaotic and loud, not at all a fine dining experience. One of the staff came to grab wine behind us, bumping into us. Different waitress dropped off our drinks so we still couldn’t order our food. When our waitress finally came back to our table we ordered appetizers, entrees and a glass of wine. I asked for a wine list, since they are know for their wine selection. The waitress said the list was out dated, she asked me what kind of wine I like and she brought me a glass of something. We finally got our appetizer, and they were delicious. The food was on point. We waited quite awhile and the waitress came over to check on us. We had no drinks except water. She said we ordered the last ribeye of the night. (Our dinner reservations were for 5:30) I asked the waitress for a half pour of wine while I waited for my entree and she said they do not do half pours, unlike it states on their website. The waitress came back to our table about 15 minutes later and told us they didn’t have the ribeye. She asked to change it to a fillet mignon. We said no, just bring us the check we have had enough. We had been there for an hour and 45 minutes, had two drinks and an appetizer. This not a bad review to hurt your business, please take this information and fix the disconnects. Do not seat people in the retail store, make sure your staff is knowledgeable about the drinks and food. The flow of the restaurant is chaotic. Keep the same wait staff at the same table. Put all your retail in one area not all over the restaurant. Pick a customer base, your either a fine dining bistro or a sports bar, not both. The food we did have was great. Bottom line is the front of the restaurant needs some major changes. We may give it another try...

As a local I’ve been wanting to try this place for almost a year! When we arrived we were sat quickly but it took some time to receive service. The menu was wanting with very few options - my party of three was disappointed to see it was an evening meal menu rather than the more casual fare we had seen on the online menu. We went ahead and ordered the grilled apples, 2 Tuscan chicken dishes, and a filet mignon. The server never asked my mom how she wanted her steak cooked. After we had waited for our food he brought out the 2 Tuscan chickens but apologized and said he had forgotten to place the steak order but it would be out shortly. My dad and I tried to eat our meals as slowly as possible but we were still finished by the time my moms steak arrived. So we sat and watched her eat her unfortunately well done $42 steak. The Tuscan chicken reminded of a Pinterest recipe. It sounds so good but that’s the extent of it. It had tons of canned artichoke and a few pieces of chicken - which both my dad and I mistook for mushrooms. We almost complained that they had forgotten our chicken and didn’t realize it was in the dish until the end - the whole time we thought the pieces were mushrooms due to coloring and texture. The grilled apples were more mushy than “grilled” and the potatoes with the steak were over salted and dry. Overall this might be one of the most disappointing meals I’ve had in Sandpoint. Like I’ve said I’ve wanted to try this place for over a year and unfortunately it won’t be making it into the rotation: Bad service and bad food - save your hard earned money and choose almost any other restaurant in Sandpoint ( and you will have a better experience. Sad I wasted one of my parents few nights discovering Sandpoint on such a...

The old adage is quite true here. You come for the food, you come back for the service. The menu is creative, and here in Sandpoint that's a real standout. I had the mortadella meatballs. Who puts moreadella in meatballs? The District does. And they do it quite well. The entire menu looks fabulous and I cannot wait to come back and try the other things. But like I said, you come back for the service. Let me tell you about Katie. We were lucky enough to have her as our server and what a ray of sunshine! She was beyond friendly and helpful. She knows her restaurant and she knows her menu. She was all too happy to answer any question. And she checked in on us a few times after we were served. Not many people do that anymore. They are like here's your food and here's your check. Katie is an absolute gem and I hope the owner does whatever they can possibly do to hang on to this girl. She is pure gold. So happy I found a new place...