East Coast Bistro

This was my first visit, definitely not my last. The vibe inside was seemingly business casual is the way I’ll describe it. Not super formal, but the candles on the table were well above casual. The menu presentation seemed a contradiction, fine dining prices, displayed on paper printed in brochure format. The table setting was beautiful, with excellent flatware tucked into a linen napkin, and quality glassware. Incredible food. Fantastic service. Best meal and service in years. Truly one of New Brunswick’s best restaurants. I’ll return to take photos, but the presentation was top notch.

We had dinner last night here and the food was truly amazing! We came in at happy hour which is a great deal for wine for sure at 25% off 5 oz pours. We had the scallop and polenta dish and the beef cheeks with risotto mac and cheese. Both of our dishes were outstanding! Then we had the lemon tart with berries and sorbet…excellent! Our server, whose name I did not get, was so kind, personable and funny to boot (she is a cute redhead), she made us feel so at home.

So very unassuming yet definitely a place worthy if you’re looking for an elevated dining experience. Absolutely loved the seared scallop entree, has become my favorite preparation ever, served on a sizable portion of pasta in a simple yet balanced and tasty preserved lemon, caper sauce. Also enjoyed the vegetable soup with mushrooms and barley which was that day’s soup. Husband ate the pan seared tuna special and it was also delicious as was the mushroom toast. Mouth is watering remembering this meal from just a few days ago. This is a must-try place if visiting St. John.

First time eating at East Coast Bistro and we will definitely be back. The atmosphere was charming and the salmon was perfect! I mean perfect! From the potatoes to the peas and the beurre blanc, the flavours worked wonderfully together and I enjoyed every bite. It’s no wonder they have been in business for 12 years!

The staff are great. Some great daily specials and both the service and the food are consistently excellent. The Brisket Frites was amazing. No knife required and such a beautiful jus.

Lovely dinner for three. Slight issue with one dish but it was immediately replaced. Food was well prepared and nicely presented. Portions were huge. The ambience is casual. Service was attentive.

Great staff, great meal, good value. Was there during Chop Chop.

Superb food and service. Restaurant is managed smoothly and efficiently. Guests can actually have quiet conversations, even with a full house. Excellent evening.

Excellent food. Not much on the menu that wasn't great. Good value for the quality. Recommend making a reservation.

Best meal I have had this year. Fish chowder was great. Gnocchi with scallops was amazing and my wife's burger and fries outstanding. Highly recommend.

One of the nicest restaurants of many in this vicinity. At East Coast Bistro, I have had excellent fine-dining experiences coupled with delicious food. The fresh flowers at each table is a lovely touch. Every time I have had a meal here, I tried to have something new and each time, the food is exceptional. Everything is prepared fresh, but what's surprising is the cost is not astronomical and portion sizes are reasonable. If you're in the Maritimes, you definitely want to try their seafood. It's a must! Their starters, entrees, and dessert are all delicious. I am the type of person who usually skips dessert, because I always get too full at the end of a meal. Not at East Coast - dessert is not meant to be missed! Service is exceptional. I'm not sure if they know me here as I've only dropped in a few times, but one of the servers always has my dietary restrictions down pat. The other servers are attentive and willing to answer any questions I have. They're forthcoming with suggestions and I never leave unhappy. If you're driving, street parking is available but just be sure to put money in the machine.

We had such a wonderful experience here. Top notch service, excellent food and drinks! Highly recommend this restaurant.

Stopped in on a whim on Friday night of Canada Day weekend. Though we had no reservation, the hostess kindly accommodated us. Our waitress was friendly, advising us about choices for our meal. We started with drinks, which were creative and well-made. The pink Negroni and the summer spritzer were a strong start to our meal. Though the appetizer choices were tempting--especially the mushrooms on toasted bread and the bread and butter--we went straight to entrees. The duck confit on celery heart purée with black lentils was amazing, as were the grilled scallops served with pasta and cream sauce, with a slice of maple bacon to finish the dish. As we watched plates leave the kitchen, everything looked as though it was made with care. For desert we shared a trio of ice creams and sorbet--vanilla, berry, and passion fruit, made in house (as are all desserts). In a town full of pub food and taps, this was a nice change of atmosphere. It was by far our best meal in Saint John.

I had a late lunch today at East Coast Bistro. It's burger week in Saint John and I ordered the Big Bistro Bacon Mac (with no lettuce or cheese). It was a delicious messy burger. The bun was really soft and the patty (cooked medium well) was juicy and delicious. I'd get it again. Because I focused on the burger and it was filling, I only had a couple French fries and they were good. The servers were friendly and pleasant. I'd go back.

Ate lunch here at the end of March 2021. The service was excellent. The food was spot on. The Americano was very good.

Absolutely delicious! The choice of flavours for the main dish (the halibut - catch of the day) and the desert (chocolate bête noire - a small chocolate cake with a delicious raspberry sorbet) that I chose were superb. I really loved it! It's an excellent restaurant, and I recommend it to everyone.

One of my favorite restaurants in St. John. In fact when visiting we went here 3 times while at a conference of only 5 days. Food is unique and not ordinary by any means. They have a twist to nearly every dish and the flavours certainly entertain the taste buds. Every meal we had was excellent and especially love the shoestring fries! It can be quite busy and I did notice them turning away customers at times. Not sure if they take reservations but if they do I would recommend it. If visiting this area it is a must go to restaurant in my opinion.

Stopped by Saint John on my way from Boston to Halifax. Made a reservation here based on yelp reviews. Was fantastic! I was by myself but the wait staff was very accommodating and personable. My waiter was Erin, she was great! Other customers at the restaurant were entertaining and eclectic, which was great. I had the Halibut special and mussels. Both had very flavorful fresh basil which accented the dishes perfectly. The mussels came with a toasted baguette which is great for soaking up the butter sauce, however the baguette came with butter which was just ALOT of butter. But you don't get mussels for the bread and the mussels were perfectly cooked. 5-Stars!

We were disappointed that this was listed as the number one restaurant for lunch in Saint John on TripAdvisor. The menu was predictable (a burger, a nut / fruit "summer" salad, a Caesar salad, additional protein options, etc.). The only nonstandard item of interest, a tofu dish with a chickpea coating, was deep fried, as was the catch of the day. As local and sustainable sourcing was mentioned in several reviews, we were disappointed to learn that the beef was from Alberta and was not grassfed. The greens served with the summer salad were fantastic, as was the ricotta, but the dressing (which I had forgotten to ask to be put on the side) was overly sweet. Overall it was okay, but not great.

Far and away the best meal I had in Saint John - and it was only lunch! Arrived at 2PM for a quick lunch and found the specials too desirable to pass up! A starter soup of curried squash purée was light, unctuous, deep in flavor with a subtle chili heat on the backend that was just enough to wash away the cold and snow outside. A main entrée of muscles in a coconut broth kept the meal light and refreshing. Service was a light touch, informative and not fussy.

I eat out everyday. The new Resto is clean, simply and spacious looking with a beautiful old brick wall backdrop and hard wood floors. High quality food and sufficient portions for a reasonable price ($15-30 main course). The seafood fresh catches were exquisite. Staff were professional and non clingy. Price 8/10 Product Quality 9/10 Service 8/10 Overall 8/10 A foodie spot to return as the menu changes frequently - yum.

Excellent meal - had two specials - the mushroom/chicken soup and halibut with risotto. Both were amazing. Very reasonably priced. Service was good.

Driving north along route 1 from Maine we struggled to find any alternative to the highway's ubiquitous fish fry and tartine offerings. This place is it! Delicious salad, healthy and flavorful. I had the lentil croquettes and my husband ate the brisket. Both were great. All clearly freshly made at 4:30pm - where do you find that? There is a shaded courtyard out back that is pet friendly. Wifi. Friendly staff. Hourly paid parking on the high street nearby.

Excellent daily special: lamb steak with great Salad, and the AAA beef steak with side salad was great as well! The waitress was friendly and professional, highly recommended!

Rock on. The Kitchen sings, the staff out front sing, cool space, lovely, well constructed and flavorful food. Interesting, out of the box dishes. This place could be successful anywhere. So nice to eat well, and be happy to pay for cleverly thought out food. Trust the kitchen. They get it. Winner.

Great atmosphere and great service, food is excellent, portions are a standard size. Lots of vegetarian options available, presentation is excellent. Fresh Gourmet food

Perfectly cooked medium rare steak and a MOUNTAIN of skinny house-made fries. Small little place with a cozy-posh atmosphere. Will for sure go back again when we're in town

Awesome.. clean.. great staff who understand service.. awesome food .. gourmet... and vegan options too.. I mention this as it is hard to travel o the east coast and eat healthy

Wondered in on a quick stop on our way up to PEI. Food here is excellent. As good a plate of food as you can get in almost any NYC restaurants.

Hands down the best restaurant in Saint John! Excellent, exquisite, innovative cuisine, seasonal locally sourced ingredients. Knowledgeable staff. My favourite!

We have been on the road from the west coast for nearly 2 months. Seriously the best, most flavorful meal we have had in Canada! Outstanding prep, great waitstaff! If you want a foodie treat go here - NOW!! I enjoyed a halibut special, My husband a steak special. Both of us were raving about them. The portions were just right and we enjoyed a local brew and a glass of wine.

This is a 'Gem' in the heart of St John. Excellent food and service. Diverse menu. You will not be disappointed.

Beautiful seafood lunch. Some of the best oysters I've ever eaten. Perfect bouillabaisse. Professional service. Stylish.

This is not the first time I've eaten here... and it only gets better! We shared a house-smoked salmon: 3 generous slices served with crisp bread, blackened capers, roasted turnip tops, pickled onion and some sort of thick creamy sauce. Then I had the "black & white" salad: a mound of squid-ink blackened orzo and quinoa topped with carrot curls and more roasted greens and accompanied by feta. My dinner companion ordered the vegan "un-meatloaf" served with house-made ketchup and salad. We both thought this was one of our best-ever meals and appreciated the friendly, excellent service from our waiter. The total bill including half a litre of very good Spanish wine, tax and tip was $125 so it was also extremely good value.

Food was great. I ordered the French onion soup & the brome lake duck. Couldn't give 5 stars though as my waitress (blonde hair) was very let's say... "snotty". At the end of dinner, when paid my bill she scooped up the cash and just walked away.. I think she thought I didn't tip her as the bill was 57 and I gave her 80. Regardless if I tipped her or not I still should have not got the snotty look and the rude "have a great night" she gave me. She realized after she had walked back to the bar that I tipped and asked if I wanted change. For being a high end restaurant she shouldn't have just grabbed the cash and ran away.

In a row of beautifully restored Victorian buildings in the heart of Uptown, East Coast Bistro's sophisticated and spare decor is complimented by the warmth of an exposed brick wall along one side of the restaurant. Service was both prompt and pleasant and it was enjoyable to watch the action in the open kitchen as we had our cocktails. I had the daily fish special, monkfish in a lemon butter sauce with parsley potatoes and green and yellow beans. It was delicious. My companions had a salad with fried scallops and the roast chicken on the regular menu. All were impressed. Although the desserts looked wonderful we were too full to try them. I will definitely go back here.

We recently had our Christmas staff party catered by East Coast Bistro and were impressed by the quality and selection of food. My girlfriend and I recently went to the newly renovated restaurant and had a great time. The food was delicious and they offered nice wine pairings. I think we threw the waitress for a loop with our specialty coffee order (previously on the menu but was not incorporated to date on the new menu) but she did accommodate our request. Pleasant atmosphere, felt more like an actual bistro as they did a great job with the renovations. Missed the place for the month they were closed due to renovations but this place is well worth the wait. Pl

AMAZING!!! One of the best meals we have had in awhile. The flavors are incredible and it was so hard to decide what to eat because we wanted to try everything on the menu! Compliments to the Chief, wonderful pairings of unique flavors put together!

This spot is in the location of the former "Opera Bistro"..and after eating there it would be easy to say "Opera who?" I am amazed how they used the space and the renovations give the place a roomy and less is more look..The food is up there in quality with any major city center restaurant where you would be paying double. It is well executed, portions good and the flavor combinations modest and well thought out. The menu is short and concise and can appeal to most diets and beliefs (if that makes sense) The service is professional attentive, reserved and not clingy. I thoroughly enjoyed the appetizer of seared scallops with cider braised pork belly and the main course which was the catch of the day Swordfish, simply grilled, mi-cuit to perfection with a brothey saffron sauce, fingerling potatoes and lightly cooked baby bok-choy..it was topped with a piperade of peppers and preserved lemon which was a nice compliment especially the little explosions of flavor from the preserved lemon. The dessert was a ice cream sandwich composed of two soft double chocolate cookies sandwiching some mocha gelato., a few fresh berries and a sauce smear I was unsure of.. All in all very good. Quite a interesting cocktail drink menu too for those interested in imbibing a few before dinner.

Terrible experience. We were given a gift card for the restaurant, but it took almost 2 years for our first visit. When my wife and daughter tried to pay for lunch, the gift card was rejected... the server claimed the card was used months earlier on an evening when we were nowhere near the place, with items in the receipt that we'd never order Seems the restaurant or servers scans for old, unused gift cards and either fakes orders or treats friends. Not interested in eating food from a restaurant with such poor ethics.

I just wish the ECB were closer to home! Owned by a pair of chefs, the offerings are nouvelle, but not "crazy." Beautiful presentation and preparation. I had scallops with a lightly dressed Caesar salad, that came with the best pickled beets I have ever had. Since it was vacation, I ordered a dessert called Bete Noir... which was anything but: Rich chocolate mini torte with berry coulis and fresh berries. YUM. Our server was charming. Taking the lead from us as "tourists" he was just the right amount of chatty. The couples who were serious about themselves or the food, seemed to be left alone the right amount, too.

Phenomenal lunch special featuring local scallops, zucchini fritters, and a lovely little fresh green salad. Dessert was sticky toffee pudding with caramel sauce and vanilla gelato. Lunch $18 and dessert $8 Canadian. Restaurant short walk from our cruise ship. Server and chefs lovely people proud of their food and deservedly so!