Pistache French Bistro — Restaurant in West Palm Beach

Leaving 3 stars for few reasons. 1. Hostess meets you at the door in a beachy very short jumpsuit that is very low cut on her and no bra, also you could see her butt. But that's just a first impression. 2. We are seated and a bus boy suggests water, then server appears and not very friendly asks if we would like something else to drink. I decided to get a bottle but asked if I can try it first. She explained that I can only try wines that are sold by the glass. OK. Got that. I have made my selection and she brought a sip to try that ended up being a great selection so we went for it. Upon the bottle arrival she only brought 2 extra glasses and poured wine into a glass from a tasting. ( which is a no-no at the higher end establishment...) We ordered food that was great like onion soup and salmon tare tare, but when it came to a main course it took them literally an hour to get 3 plates out. My friends duck was very overcooked, lobster Cobb was pretty good... Now the main story: 3. I ordered Lamb loin which has arrived sliced and I took a bite to realize it was beef, yes beef. I am a big Lamb lover plus a chef myself and own a large catering company. We cook Lamb very often. On top of that I am Russian and know exactly how Lamb tastes, comes, cooks, texture... Etc. In a mean time my glass of water empty from 10 min after dinner started and no one there to refill it. So when server appeared I asked her if she can check with the chef and it is a mistake and I ordered Lamb. Listen to this: manager came out no hi! no how are you? And says: "I would make you another Lamb but we just ran out of it and next will be shank... I said: "It's OK, I like shank!" He said OK and left. In about 20 min he showed up again and said Lamb will not be available unless I want to wait 20 min. In a mean time my friends already finished their dinner. So I said that I will skip my main course and they should bring dessert, which we waited for another 20 min. Overall, great looking place. But poor service, dishonest staff which could simply say that they ran out of something and I would choose something else instead of trying to fool me .... Not worth $250... I had better service in Outback. And I am pretty loyal because I am in a food business myself, I just decided to enjoy the day and then write this. Great...

My wife Sarah and I both were extremely disappointed with Pistache. Perhaps the Chef was not on the premises nor the Sous Chef or anyone for that matter that understands what fine cuisine and service is . Thanks to good wine and company , as we had invited my daughter and son in law to dine with us for our anniversary , the night was not entirely lost. Sarah said her 1/2 chicken was like wood ! Now you really don't know how bad it must have been because my wife eats all of her proteins well done and I tell her that she likes her poultry like wood ... so for her to actually say that means it must have really been terrible! and the description of the dish couldn't have been further from the truth,in fact more so an out and out lie. My Salmon was insipid in all that that word implies and the signature Ratatouille was nothing to write home about , in fact more like a condiment I would put on an Italian sausage sandwich ! and where was the Basil Pesto? the Red Pepper Coulis? certainly not a dish I would put my signature on as a chef. The small plates however were palatable , I enjoyed the mussels but the Escargot were an embarrassment to any self respecting "French Bistro" . The Pork Belly was nice and crispy yet had a muddy taste , but the lentil salad that came with was simple yet elegant.Steak Tartare overly seasoned and no subtlety at all Chef , although a nice spread for crackers in a chilled bowl at a BBQ. After being served , Marlen our server was remote at best but the bus boy more attentive ,probably anxious to go home, on at least 4 occasions tried to remove our plates prematurely . One might wonder why not address the problems with the cuisine while there at the table with a manager? Well, I wasn't about to disrupt the dining room and our evening with our guests just because of an inept kitchen. $255 tab plus 20% tip was an expensive lesson to learn for sure . However I still may return in the fall and sit outside on a cool evening for a small plate of mussels and a bottled Palm Ale . Written Tuesday June 10 ,2014 for the Chef de Cuisine Isaac Cerns concerning poorly executed dishes served from his kitchen . Our reputation is everything Chef...

Pistache French Bistro: I almost never waste my time writing a detailed review; but Pistache French Bistro requires one.

...Misrepresented on all websites: It’s NOT a French Bistro it’s a SPORTS BAR! The bar is in the main dining room; TV’s blasting – bright lights – loud – noisy – obnoxious screaming drunk Sports Fans! Have never had this experience in any French Bistro.

...Sound/Noise Pollution: No Acoustic / Noise Control / Dampening of any kind throughout the entire facility. The normal ambient background noise level is so high it’s impossible to have a conversation with the person across your table without screaming. When you add 20+ drunk screaming [Female-Sumo Mud Wrestling] sports fans to the mix the noise level reaches 110 dB (+/-). Extremely Uncomfortable!

...Staff: It’s also NOT a French Bistro because most of the wait staff is female. Typical for a Sports Bar not a Bistro. Our Non-male waiter was one of those ‘Touchy Feely’ types that rub their hands on your shoulders every time she came to the table. I’ve had far less body contact getting a Lap-dance!

~Surprised 2 see two maître d's working the door. Assume they also double as Bouncers for the bar crowd.

~Sloppily dressed 70+ y/o man wandered around the floor aimlessly. Assume he's the manager; looked like he knew he had something to do, but had NFC what it was. All he did was block the way for the wait staff & clients.

...Food Quality: OK. Our garbage disposal enjoyed it.*

...Price Point would be fair for a NYC Bistro… but NOT a FL Sports Bar. $200.00 per/couple: 2 drinks – NO wine – small house salad – NO appetizer – entrée – NO dessert.

...*Strange Unhealthy Practice: We decided to escape the Noise-hell half way thru our entrées & asked for doggy-bags. Instead of bringing the containers to our table she took our plates into the kitchen & packaged the food. NFC who did what to it so when we got home our Garbage Disposal enjoyed our entrées. Wonder what the Florida Department of Health would say about this strange practice!

...Giving Pistache French one star is being...