Tiffany C
Google
I was looking for a place to take my parents during DineLA, and my mom mentioned she wanted to try a French restaurant. Looking at the reviews for Café Bizou, the food didn't seem "French", but we decided to give it a try. I know they have a set lunch menu even without DineLA, but my family took advantage of the DineLA menu and stuffed ourselves full of good food.
Café Bizou has a parking structure a little down the street that offers first 90 minutes free (I believe). The café itself is not too big and is decorated with an eclectic style. We had to wait a few minutes before we were greeted and seated (despite our reservations and the many open tables in the restaurant). Our server was friendly and patient in explaining the different items to my family.
We started out with baguette served with butter. The bread was nice and soft, and with butter, tasted really good. And we were given seconds without asking!
Appetizers:
-Lobster Bisque: Really creamy and filled with chunks of lobster. My parents really liked the soup and thought it tasted really good.
-French Onion Dip: It was a little salty for me, but my dad really liked it. He said it tasted authentic. The cheese on top mixed in with the soup and chunks of bread inside went really well together. And we took the baguette to dip in the soup, too!
-Caesar salad: Nothing special about it. I really like parmesan cheese, and there was a lot of it sprinkled on top of the lettuce. A good amount of dressing and croutons.
-Baked mushrooms: This was my mom's favorite appetizer. Unfortunately there were only two, but it came with a tomato dip that was tasty. The whole dish (along with the sauce) was good. I just wish there were more mushrooms!
Main Dishes:
-Cedar Planked Salmon: Highly recommend! I actually had salmon the night before, but this did not disappoint. The colors of the dish were vibrant and appealing to the eye. The salmon was soft and tender and melted in my mouth. Very fresh and the flavors were spot on. The vegetables on the side also added to the dish (in color and taste).
-Filet Mignon Burger: I would have ordered this if my dad didn't. It was pretty big and came with Cajun French fries. The fries were really tasty, especially with the Cajun flavoring. The burger was also filling! I liked the horseradish mayo and caramelized onions. The brioche bun also was unique.
-Grilled Lobster Avocado Panini: My sister liked her dish even though this was her first time eating lobster. She said it tasted good and would probably order it again, but it wasn't memorable. It also came with French fries, which was a plus. The Panini was actually too much for her and she only ate half.
-Lobster, Sea Scallops, & Shrimp Pasta: My mom liked the flavor of the dish and the fact that there were lots of chunks of seafood. The dish also came with black tagallini pasta, which had a different texture from the pasta we normally eat. I thought the flavors of the sauce were okay, but I personally wouldn't have ordered it.
Dessert:
-Flourless Chocolate Cake: It was good, but really rich. I'm not too big of a fan of just chocolate, which was pretty much this cake. If you're into chocolate, this would be the dessert for you.
-Tiramisu: Really good! I wish the square was bigger, but the flavors were good and I could taste the hint of rum inside. I would recommend the tiramisu if you want dessert.
