Registry Bistro — Restaurant in Toledo

Date night Saturday night. Our reservation was for 7pm, but we were falling asleep, so luckily they were able to accommodate at 6:15. :) Only a few tables were occupied. Tall ceilings, nice ambiance, would have maybe liked some additional lighting such as candle light (or faux candle light). The weather outside was lovely and they opened the doors which gave way to French doors with iron railing. they were pretty!

Our server mentions that the menu changes pretty frequently so we may not see on the menu what we read online. Fine by me, as you know from my reviews, I'm always up for a food adventure. I had a gin based cocktail which tasted balanced.

Spring Mushroom Mousseline, Pistachio and Drunken Fruit with Date & Pecan bread. - Mousseline served in a glass votive like ramekin (much like you'd see foie), was tasty, creamy, albeit a little gritty from the pistachios. The bread came like a small loaf, almost precut (could have been sliced all the way through), with macerated cherry/cranberry compote. For a vegetarian option like foie, we were pleased and ate the entire portion.

Scotch Olives with Saffron Aioli. These olives were HOT. No joke. A bit of, could you please blow on this before I burn my tongue? But, they were briny on the inside, with a perfectly coated fried crunch outside, and so yum once the heat dissipated. Nice touch on the aioli. Only 4 of them unfortunately... that's 2.25 each!

Rosemary Grilled Lamb Chops with Seedy Broccolini Salad with Cherries. Wood grilled carrots and pomegranate molasses. $39. Nice presentation. Crunchy but soft carrots, broccolini cooked perfectly. Seemed a bit on the small side as far as meat goes. Two double lollipops. Cooked perfect, and beautiful gamey taste, just not too much bang for the buck.

Grilled Sturgeon, warm rice salad, fiddlehead ferns, snap peas. Not a fan of the glaze ontop, the fish portion was fine, but lackluster. I'm a huge sucker for fiddlehead ferns, and I also know that they can be overcooked within seconds, which these were just slightly overcooked, lacked the snap in your teeth you get from a bright green cooked correctly one. Oh well. With everything in one bite, it was good, just not amazing.

We shared the Mexican hot chocolate warm brownie/cake in a cup. The foam was nice, but the inside really reminded me of a fudgy cake you can buy in the grocery store, add water, and nuke in the microwave. Next time, happy to go back just for drinks and apps. Skip the more expensive "main" courses...

I've wanted to try this restaurant for years, and we finally went. It was quite lovely inside, very open. We went early, so there weren't many people there yet. Our waitress Bella was very attentive and let us know the soup of the day. We got drinks, and then we ordered our appetizers. My husband opted for the scotch olives and when I tell you the man does not normally eat pork products but ate every single last one of those olives, it's the truth. Well, he did share one, and the chorizo wrapped around that olive was phenomenal. I chose the smoked walleye dip, and while I offered my husband more of the delicious popovers that came with it, he wouldn't keep eating them so that I could. I also loved the cucumbers that went with it, it paired beautifully with the smoky richness of the dip. Then it was time for dinner. My husband chose the steak. When I say that is the best steak that either one of us has ever tasted in our lives, I'm not joking. I blinked and he had devoured it. I opted for the Steelhead trout, and I was not disappointed. The flavors on it were amazing, the farro was the perfect amount and complimented the sweet/salty of the fish, and the relish added a liveliness to each bite. And now you're thinking, well that's the end of the story isn't it? Nope. I finished every last bite of my dinner and while I couldn't finish the walleye dip (they boxed it up for us) you best believe we ordered dessert. We couldn't decide which wonderful sounding desert to get, so my husband chose the desserts for two. This was honestly the best way to go. It gave us a delicious sampling of most every desert they had there and wow! The pumpkin ice cream with chunks of toasted marshmallow in it was phenomenal, the frangipane and pear tart I think I liked the best. It was so good. There was baked Mexican hot chocolate, and that had a hint of heat to it that was perfect. There was, I believe, an apple trifle and that was so light and airy! And there was a macaron that I think was whiskey and praline? I might be wrong, but it had a fabulous flavor. I'm not sure when, but we will definitely be back. It's hard to get my husband to go anywhere different, but not this time. I'm pretty sure...

Our dinner club recently visited the Registry Bistro in downtown Toledo. Our experience started off poorly but improved over the course of the evening.

Upon arrival, my friends were seated around 7 PM and placed their drink orders. We arrived about 10-15 minutes later, but our waitress didn’t take our drink orders until around 7:30 PM. It then took an additional 5-10 minutes for our beers to arrive. Despite this rocky start, service improved significantly afterward, with drinks being served promptly.

For appetizers, I had the walleye dip, which, while flavorful, seemed a bit skimpy with only four small turnovers and some cucumbers. My bud enjoyed his deep-fried olives stuffed with sausage, a dish I surprisingly found delicious despite not being a sausage fan. J & L’s cheese board was decent but, at $20, not something I’d likely order again.

Moving on to the main courses, J & L were underwhelmed by their pork shank and filet. The filet was visually appealing, accompanied by a unique potato dish resembling a bone with bone marrow. The pork shank had a nice smoked flavor but was distinctly “porky.” Bud and I both had the meatloaf burger on brioche with bacon jam and coleslaw. While bud loved it, I found it good but not to my taste as I’m not a fan of meatloaf. However, the accompanying fries were phenomenal. I also had a wedge salad, which was excellent with crispy onions and a tasty dressing.

The atmosphere of the Bistro is a highlight, with a charming view of the street from elevated seating and an old-timey vibe. The dessert was a standout; my lemon pudding, though small for $8.50, was delightful.

Overall, the meal cost $93, including drinks, appetizers, and main courses, which I found reasonable. While the ingredients and menu items were thoughtfully prepared, the variety might not appeal to everyone. Despite the good aspects, I probably wouldn’t return unless recommended by someone else. As a dinner club, we rated the food 6.67 out of 10.

In summary, Registry Bistro offers a unique dining experience with a hit-or-miss menu. The atmosphere is inviting, but the food may not be worth a...