Bistro 214 — Restaurant in Shelby

What's in a name? When it comes to Ni Fen Bistro, my first impression is that it is more like a winery than a restaurant. As my friends and I walk into the bistro for lunch, we are greeted by a smiling face. This is a good sign. Everything is so elegant; from the white table set up with the dim lighting to the classical music. The reason I say that it has a winery feel to it is because the pride in their wine is very evident. Wine is practically a part of the decor. As our server (whose name is Tamara) hands us the menu, she informs us of the specials. She is very polite and knowledgeable about the menu and has no problem answering the questions that we have to the best of her ability. Tamara made the whole experience run more smoothly with us being first timers. Having her as a server was definitely a breath of fresh air. The one page menu was a little difficult to read. The font could stand to be a little bigger. There is only a few selections on the menu (that does not include vegetarian/vegan choices) nor does it have a kid's menu. How can your mission state that "it extends the welcome of family" when children are not even included in the menu? However, the wine list is at least four pages. This is another reason for my winery reference. To me, Ni Fen is more of a wine and dine your colleagues or significant other type of establishment. Compared to the table, the glassware and plates are massive. I ordered the chef selection, which was the grilled salmon topped with cucumber and dill relish on top of fried mashed potatoes with seasoned green beans. In order for me to get the full experience, I decide to try each food separate then together in one bite. Individually, the salmon is a little dry for my taste. The green beans are succulent and seasoned perfectly. The potatoes are a burst of happiness in one bite. The crispy outer crust combined with the creamy center is a celebration for the tongue. To put it all together in one bite, I saw hearts and stars! The cucumber and dill relish really compliments the salmon. At one point, I think my feet danced a jig as I continued my meal. The wine I chose is called Mamamango. It is a mixture of Moscato and mango, so if you enjoy a sweeter wine it is a great choice. I enjoyed it so much that I ordered a bottle to go. For the dessert portion, I ordered a Bananas Ni Fen, Tiramisu, Creme Brulee, Flourless Chocolate Cake, and a Caramel Apple Empanadas for all of us to try. The Creme Brulee was my favorite with its creamy texture. The Bananas Ni Fen and the Caramel Apple Empanadas equally tied for second. The Tiramisu was okay, but there was something in it that did not agree with my taste buds. As for the chocolate cake, it was too rich for my blood. Considering everything, nothing can compare to the Ni Fen experience. The food is fresh and made to order. The atmosphere is relaxing and the food tastes amazing. The visual appeal along with the flavors made it memorable. Everyone who lives in Shelby, North Carolina or is visiting should experience Ni Fen Bistro at least once (if you can afford to). Just don't...

Nice try.. But you can steal the decor , two pages of the menu, & the chef statue that stands outside at the door(who has a name, btw)... But you will never be in the same league as the original Ni Fen... No one can compete with the original no matter how much you dress your dingy, unfriendly, and empty wine list that is pathetic and a joke,, little 2 star bistro up to look like Ni Fen from the sidewalk where the chef statue, Ni Fen, is standing ... Your staff other than the bartender, Cheri, is mean and the conditions of the dry storage area and the overall sanitation of this failed copy cat cafe is absolutely filthy and it should be closed to make the required state board changes and deep clean and get the proper working equipment and train the staff and replace the weak links who have no pride and bad attitudes who talk more trash about customers on the floor in ear shot of them and other dinners than they clean up and their bar is laughable and the drinks are totally made wrong and with the skills and taste of a 5th grader... That is , the actual available spirits that they have in stock.. Which is only a few and low quality .. The mixers and soda are canned and not refrigerated and nothing is fresh or kept in the proper places behind the bar and it is the lowest quality bottom shelf spirits and room temp mixers that are canned or bottled and not fresh or kept refrigerated or changed out according to dates when opened, and no ice or fresh cut garnishes and fruit at all .. And stations are mixed up and cluttered and unkept in the lowest of bar standards... Its disgusting... And all the wine on the menu.. Never in stock.. And you pay 4star prices for 1.5 star quality and ingrediants and top shelf drink prices for house.. I am appalled at the way this place has smeared the rep of Ni Fen and stolen everything except the class and 5 star service and top tier excellence in every way that Ni Fen was an experience and worth the price and exclusivity... I would never go in Bistro 187 ever again or touch the food or drinks since i got an upclose view behind the scenes first hand look and talked to x staff members that had to get out of there because of the deplorable conditions and the way that some staff members acted and made fun and bullied some guests that would come in to eat or have a drink and leave in tears from the way they were treated. Shut it down and call Bar...

This place was INCREDIBLE!! I have been to a lot of the high end places in Charlotte (Beef n Bottle, Ruth's Chris, etc) and my partner and I agreed this was the best steak we have ever had in our lives!!

We started with the mushroom tart and it was amazing - flaky pastry, savory mushrooms, gooey cheese, basically everything you could want in an appetizer. We both ordered the ribeye special, it came with asparagus and mashed potatoes, but I subbed mine for the potato croquette. The steak was literally the best steak I've ever had in my life, perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned... Yum. Even the side items were amazing, which often isn't the case. The asparagus was also well seasoned and charred perfectly and the croquette was crispy and delicious.

We ended up each getting a dessert (we took half of the steaks and potatoes home - it was even amazing heated up for lunch the next day!) He got the chocolate cake and I got the creme brulee. Perfect, perfect end to one of the best...