Bistro de la Gare — Restaurant in South Pasadena

From a distance it looks like a quaint, unassuming restaurant. Open for dinner, farm-to-table, with plenty of parking perfect for what I wanted a nice dinner with my daughter visiting from college. In the evening, the bistro sets a stage with a warm glow coming through the windows drawing you, from the street, with wrap around inviting bistro-style table & chairs.

Greeted by a sweet hostess, and our server, she was great, knowledgeable about the wines, entrees and helped us take the guesswork out of ordering which was nice. The staff run like a team together they keep things moving smoothly, with helpful runners when the server was away—no asking for refills or feeling unattended.

We started with Shrimp Tempura (hands down the best tempura) and my daughter enjoyed the French Onion Soup, which surprised me by becoming my favorite version. They also have a must have yummm tuna tartare. Mains were Filet Mignon with shiitake mushrooms, Linguine with Clams and the deserts I usually go for chocolate but here it’s a tie between the tarte tatin and the crepes suzette scrumptious, truly delicious.

Chef Bruno’s cooking reminded me of my grandmother’s (that is the ultimate compliment in my family) made with love, a passion for cooking, gifted hands that seem to know just the right amounts of seasoning without measuring and never rushed. Chef Bruno seems to have a deep sense of flavor profiles and a technique that brings out the delicate nuances in the ingredients that only comes from years of perfecting one's craft. Anyone can cook, but to create an emotional connection through food that makes one feel with every bite now that takes time, care and it’s in the details. That carries over into the atmosphere starting with the staff who are very polite, attentive and so kind it all blends together asking you to stay, savor, and enjoy the moment.

I’ve now been three times, with my daughter, a group of best girlfriends for a special gathering, and this last time with my family. Upon this recent visit I brought my mama and to see her smile and nod after the first bite well that did it done, and sealed the five-star verdict was in. After everyone's reactions I realized I had to leave a review so consider this detailed monologue my long overdue praise of this little gem. Oh all of this and Dog-friendly too… C’est excellent!

Would highly recommend for a relaxed, romantic, family, high end dining experience with great wine, fun cocktails and standout hospitality.

Final takeaway

This corner bistro balances cozy warmth, culinary depth, and thoughtful service. If you’re looking for a dinner that feels like a gift from a beloved family kitchen—without the rush—this is your spot. I can’t wait to bring more guests, I will return soon with Ginger (my fur baby) just to take pictures. I was too busy talking, laughing, indulging I know others did but hey any excuse to go back and enjoy the patio for another...

TL;DR: Amazing food, surpassed only by its amazing service, in an intimate and comfortable setting.

Bistro de la Gare is a small restaurant, but it's food and service is nothing but spectacular. While we had many tables and patrons conversing around us, we never felt crowded or unable to hear each other throughout our meal. It was a clean, comfortable, and excellent experience.

The manager explained the specials and took our order. There were multiple seasonal specials, and we admittedly had difficulty in narrowing down our selection. The chef prefers to have the entire order in-hand so that the kitchen can precisely time the courses - which is a refined change to being able to order appetizers first, and then entrees after. We didn't mind this at all.

We ordered the terrine de la chef (menu staple) and the cheese balls (seasonal special) to start. The terrine de la chef wasn't anything to write home over - it was tasty but basic, and lacking in the flavors that the rest of our meal encapsulated. It was the only "down" plate of the night, and only so because the rest of the dishes were so superior to that appetizer. The cheese balls were a combination of multiple cheeses, breaded and fried. It came out perfectly warm and gooey - if you can imagine an extremely elevated mozzarella stick - it was that and more.

For our mains, my wife ordered the linguini and clams (menu staple), and I ordered the beef cheeks (seasonal special). I was torn between the ribeye special and the beef cheeks, but opted for unique over favorite/known. It was probably the only time I have ever uttered the words: "I'm glad I didn't order the ribeye".

The beef cheeks were EXCEPTIONAL. This is a dish that I would happily order again and again. The cheeks themselves (two portion) are about 8 oz., but they are prepared to be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It compares to (and in many ways, exceeds) some of the best short rib dishes that I've ordered. It comes with mashed potatoes and a demi-glace sauce, with roasted carrots. But the beef cheeks are the star and absolutely magical.

The linguini and clams were also excellent. The clams were cooked perfectly (my wife is very opinionated about about fresh seafood), and the linguini, while not homemade pasta, was also top-notch. The broth itself is on the spicier side (for my wife's Irish palette - it tasted borderline mild to me), but seasoned well. A plus would have been some bread to go along with the broth, to soak up the fantastic sauce, but it wasn't missed either given how great everything tasted.

For dessert, my wife ordered the tartine and a port. The tartine wasn't as memorable as the entrees, but still of high quality.

And again, the service and quality of staff were superb. Food was extremely memorable. I would highly recommend visiting Bistro de la Gare if you...

$225 and two hours of my life I can't get back. My husband and I were very excited to try this restaurant for our anniversary. We have made it a mission over the last ten years to try every French restaurant in Los Angeles, and other places we visit. First off the extended list of specials was very indulgent but we tried to listen and retain all the vast options. I ordered the Last Word cocktail because it was supposed to be green, and our anniversary is St Patrick's Day but when it arrived it was basically an Aviation and the glass had been spilled so it was very sticky. We did order the tempura tiger shrimp appetizer which was delicious 😋. The vibe is a little pushy, only offering still or sparkling mineral water, asking if you only want one appetizer, saying things to my husband like, you don't want anything? We ordered our entree's my husband ordered the branzino and I ordered a filet mignon medium rare, or mid rare, which I guess the server did not understand. I received my filet in two pieces? And one was almost well and the other was barely medium rare. My husband's fish was cooked well, but nothing was seasoned and basically all tasted like the carrot puree under the fish. The big problem was my filet has pepper sauce, which I completely understand is a traditional French dish but it is not described as such in the menu. Had the menu been accurate I would have never ordered it. When I explained this to the server I was met with, "well it is a steak..." Needless to say at this point we are disappointed. As all this unfolds the Chef is socializing with his friends at the bar. He never took a moment to check on the situation even though it was obvious she let him know we were unhappy. There were only about 25 people in the restaurant at this time, seems like he could have made the effort. Steak comes back, I try it and I guess the punishment for sending it back was no seasoning, oh wait! Nothing else except the appetizer was seasoned to perfection while the rest of the menu was tossed aside I guess. Glad your creative but consistency is also a priority, salt is...