Bistro Niko
My sister and I grew up eating at Brasserie Le Coze. Tagging along with our mom meant shopping always included (or concluded with) mussels in white wine, whole sole, and steak frites. We’ve been looking for a French bistro with the same caliber ever since they closed a couple of years ago (to give way to the department store next door’s expansion). News of Bistro Niko’s opening naturally excited us. While I never go to opening nights (unless they involve Asian food), we trekked over to the new Sovereign building to check out their food (partly in hopes of continuing our girls’ day out tradition).
Bottom line: impressive for an opening night — without any first night jitters whatsoever. We got seated within 2 minutes of arrival. The kitchen had perfect timing in sending out dishes. There were several managers milling about, making sure everything was okay and ready to address any issues (there didn’t seem to be any). There were water boys who made sure my glass was always refilled, without even asking. And then there was John who gave excellent, excellent service. A wine store employee for many years prior to moving to Atlanta, his recommendation on wine was fantastic.
We started off with three different appetizers. The “Faux” Gras Terrine was quite okay. I wanted a bit more bitterness but the berry jelly topping tempered it. It was still good, nevertheless, and I’d order this again. The grilled bread that accompanied it was jaw-breaking — very hard and chewy. Pair it with regular bread instead which is what we did.
The Escargot “En Croute” was good in that you can really taste the Pernod in the garlic-butter sauce. I like that they are already de-shelled and the balls of puff pastry were a nice touch. However, the snails themselves were bland and could use a bit more salt. An order comes in either 6 or 12.
Our friend Malcolm is crazy about oysters so we had to get them. The Oysters on the half shell were very fresh. We got three kinds, one of them was Malpeque. I particularly liked the red wine vinegar with onion bits dipping sauce that accompanied them. Unfortunately, the oysters were shucked very poorly. Lots of small bits of shell in them. What a turn-off.
The Boeuf Bourguignon was made with Kobe beef cheeks. Very tender meat. The burgundy wine braising sauce is very bold and strong. This is a very rich dish.
The Sole Barigoule was highly recommended by our server. Weak, weak, weak. The fillets were steamed (menu said roasted) then placed on top of some puree (carrot-artichoke-onion stew) instead of cooking them with it. The result is bland fish. I would not get this dish again.
The Agneau Cassoulet de Jambe aka lamb shank was the winner that evening, although, I think Murphy’s version is better. The meat was fork-and-fall-of-the-bone-tender with the sweetish-savory jus and lemony couscous making it quite tasty. This is a great dish that I would order again.
We also got an order of Pomme Frites which were just fabulous, though, a few more seconds in the fryer would have prevented some sogginess. These are fried twice — first at 325-degrees in duck fat, then at 375-degrees in peanut oil. The taste is just superb.
For dessert, my sister, a dessertaholic, got the Molten Chocolate cake. Although executed well, I didn’t particularly like the coconut creme inside. I personally prefer just plain chocolate sauce but the coconut (not indicated on the menu) just threw me off. I’m sure coconut lovers would love this, however.
This is more of an “older people” destination. Service was impeccable. Food was good but didn’t really make us go “wow”. Still, our parents would like this place and we can’t wait to take our mom here. Prices are quite reasonable for a restaurant of this class ($18-22 per entree).
Insider tip:
Menu here.
Valet parking.
Note: It’s important to note that even the valet guys were fantastic. The non-drinker that I am, after finishing less than a glass of wine, I couldn’t drive after the meal. They graciously parked my car in front of the entrance, within their sight, so that I was able to come back for it later.
The scoop:
Bistro Niko
3344 Peachtree Rd NW
Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 261-6456
Technorati Tags: French, Buckhead, Atlanta, Buckhead Life Group
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8 responses so far ↓
1 kamper champ // Nov 6, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Honestly if these are the only negatives of a restaurant on its first day of business, then the place must be top notch. I’ve been to many nightmarish opening nights with long waits and terrible food. Can’t wait to go. thanks!
2 uberVU - social comments // Nov 6, 2009 at 8:04 pm
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3 JoAnn // Nov 8, 2009 at 5:44 pm
I was there for one of their soft opening parties and also for their grand opening, both of which were excellent. Food is excellent. The peppercorn steak is to die for and the molton chocolate cake is not filled with coconut but pistachio cream… I had it both nights
so delicious. We shared the salmon tarte (pizza) as an appetizer along with a refreshing carpaccio which was incredible… Couldn’t get a table so we ate at the bar… Jim the bartender took real good care of us and was great help as he speaks french. Will definitely go back.
4 Alex // Nov 11, 2009 at 9:33 pm
Hi!
i’ve been looking for a french resturant in atlanta, so thank you for the tip!
Do you know of anyother? perhaps with a patio? Oh and I love moules mariniere too! I always have them in Brussels not france:-)
5 Jennifer // Nov 12, 2009 at 12:04 pm
The molten chocolate cake doesn’t contain coconut… it’s actually pistachio.
Alex - the patio does have seating… Not sure if they’re doing heaters, but you can definitely eat outside in nice weather and it overlooks Peachtree.
6 Bistro Niko Restaurant Review – Buckhead, Atlanta, GA [First Impressions] | Atlanta Restaurant Reviews | Atlanta Food Blogs | Dining in Atlanta // Nov 18, 2009 at 3:29 pm
[…] Chow Down Atlanta on Bistro Niko (11.06.09) […]
7 Nossi // Nov 22, 2009 at 5:23 pm
We live at Sovereign building and extremely happy that bistro is opened. Excellent food & atmosphere.
8 Carson // Dec 2, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Great to hear a new restaurant has opened up in Buckhead. I feel like they have been in trouble recently. I will definitely have to take the family to Niko soon. My wife and I are former patrons of the sorely missed Brasserie Le Coze…
Alex, if you are looking for a patio, I would recommend French American Brasserie’s rooftop. It is the perfect place for a relaxing evening with views of the city. Not to mention, you can always expect a fantastic meal there. Everyone in the city has been trying to recreate their moules mariniere since the Brasserie Le Coze days. You should definitely check it out.
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