West Plains Bistro

We went to the restaurant yesterday. The atmosphere was lovely and calm. The host was sooo sweet, funny, and friendly! I asked him if he could speak to me in French—since I’m learning the language and wanted to practice—and he agreed 😂 His name is David, and honestly, the restaurant is lucky to have someone with his charisma. I ordered three dishes: • French onion soup: 4/10 • Pasta of the day (it was pasta with meat, vegetables, and a spicy sauce): 8/10 • Fish and chips: 10/10

Had a fantastic meal at the West Plains Bistro this past Saturday afternoon. The service was perfect. We really appreciate how helpful the server was as we had two young kids with us. We ordered a couple of mains we could share and the food was top-notch. And it arrived quickly, which always helps when you've got hungry kids. Would definitely return.

My favorite restaurant in Burlington! Cozy, always good food. But...I always get the coconut cream pie, made with real whip cream and a flaky pie crust (tasted homemade ). This time, soggy bottom, confirmed by my friend who also got the same pie. I understand they changed bakeries. Hey, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". That is my suggestion for the "suggestion box".

This used to be a go to favourite when in town. Sadly not anymore. The staff are great but it was almost empty which made a reservation easy but no atmosphere. We always love the mussels but they were a big disappointment. Too much curry made the sauce bitter and too overpowering. The coconut cream? Non existent. The crab cakes were tasty but for the serving size too small to be priced as they were. Wine prices also a joke.

First time there, we made reservations and were seated promptly. The place was full, we did wait unusually long before our waitress came to introduce herself. We were celebrating Christmas with my girlfriends mother. My girlfriend's mom and I enjoyed our meal. My girlfriend barely touched her chicken coq au vin. I tried it, it didn't taste at all like a traditional wine sauce and lacked flavor. The waitress had recommended the dish. When the waitress came around she noticed the dish has been barely been touched she apologized but made no effort to speak to someone about adjusting the bill. She brought us a take out. I would have left the meal but as we paid for it we took it. One out my girlfriend's sons may eat it. My beef bourguignon was delicious as was my girlfriend's mother's schnitzel was too. She finished her plate. Nice place but disappointed with the handling of my girlfriend's meal. It's not cheap here, I would have expected some intervention with the issue with the coq au vin. My girlfriend suggested to the waitress that she not recommend it. My girlfriend and I are both proficient in the kitchen. When we go out we look forward to a good dining experience. Unfortunately we were disappointed. The bill was significant. I'm not sure if I would return. There are many establishments in the area vying for my entertainment dollars. I just feel strongly that if a patron has a significant issue with something that is served to them there should be management intervention. If Rebecca did not make management aware of the situation then shame on the team.

I received a gift card for WPB and am so glad I did because I usually don't venture to this part of Burlington. We both ordered the fish and chips and it was easily one of the best, if not the very best, fish and chips we both ever had! The fries were in the French bistro style, thin, crisp on the outside, soft on the inside and perfectly cooked. The fish was a generous portion and lightly battered, nice and meaty, and again perfectly cooked; nothing was mushy at all. Coleslaw was light and creamy/tart, my favourite kind. Lastly, the staff was very friendly, helpful and everything was on time. Definitely going back, and I would highly recommend this place!

Tried West Plains Bistro for the first time last week for my wife’s birthday and the overall experience wasn’t great. Booked through open table with a note about the birthday, outside of the hostess, no one acknowledged her, which isn’t the end of the world but it’s also not that difficult for most other restaurants. We ordered some cocktails while we perused the menu, ordered, aps arrived, everything was alright so far, nice presentation good flavour there. When the ap plates were being cleared away , the waiter spilled a full water glass all over the table & my wife and I. The solution, just cover it up with some napkins? The entire experience changed here, the waiter brought some extra napkins to cover up the water, and who I’m guessing is a manager brought me some fresh cutlery. We ordered a bottle of wine to go with dinner, the waitress corked and let me taste, then put the bottle down, didn’t fill any glasses. Mains came, again nice presentation, good flavour, my only complaint really was the veggies for my beef were noticeably a much different temperature than the meat and taters. My wife enjoyed her pasta however the waitress never came back to check how we were enjoying our meals. It felt like after the water spilled we were unwanted guests, despite no one making a big deal of it, I’m a very go with the flow guy (no pun intended), it was just water after all. We ended up getting desert, which didn’t come with any sort of acknowledgment of happy birthday. We received the bill and paid in full, which you would hope they would offer something as a Heck sorry we spilled water here’s an ap or desert on us, nothing. Despite the food being good, the service is so bad I wouldn’t go back or recommend this restaurant. Very underwhelming.

Have been to WPB many times and have always enjoyed it though yesterday was disappointing. The restaurant was packed, not a surprise this time of year. However, too many people and not enough serving staff made for long waits and very bad service. This restaurant needs a bigger venue and enough staff to give customers decent service. On a more positive note, the fish and chips was very good.

Food and staff ... fantastic. We put first visit in Good Friday. Just moved to the hood and called in late in the day and they found us a spot. The staff are clearly pros, so welcoming and accommodating. Loved the cozy atmosphere. Maybe Not the best place to bring your teenager lol re smaller but interesting menu ... but we all had the fish and chips ... something I make fresh myself and feel we are great judges of the dish having had in a lot of places .... Hands down the best we ever had ... something a little higher level about it... everything on the plate ... 10 out of 10. We will be back

West Plains Bistro is a place where locals like to go. The food seems to be made with love and nicely presented. For me, it misses the certain extra, that would make it a 5 star place I'd go back to. The staff is very friendly.

Well stocked bar and an inviting and warm atmosphere. Some chatter as it is a bistro style restaurant. Friendly servers but was hard to have a conversation as they came around a little too frequently. Soup of day is very good as is the light coating for the crab cakes. Fried Brussel sprouts were amazing too . Yummy warm beet salad but lacked in the amount of goat cheese on the plate. Paid an extra $10 for salmon to go with the salad. Very disappointed that the amount of fish though it was cooked perfectly. Someone else dining with me had the same salad with salmon and had 2 huge pieces of salmon compared to mine. In fact 1 piece of her salmon was still bigger than the 2 of mine pit together. Prices are pretty high and as typical restaurant fashion both apps, salad and desserts are way overpriced. Overall this place s is very good food but lacking. The servers were friendly and kind but came by a little too frequently to the table.

I got stuck in Burlington a couple of evenings ago due to impassible traffic. I stopped by West Plains Bistro to wait it out, and tried the special of the day: blackened cod with salsa fresca, roasted baby potatoes, sautéed green beans, and cilantro aioli. I have tried almost every entrée on the bistro's menu, and can honestly say that the cod was probably the best dish I have ever had at this restaurant: it was a punch in the face of flavour - in the best of ways. I would order it again. Steph and Annie are two of my favourite servers.

My father is visiting my siblings and I from LA and decided he wanted to try somewhere new. Out of a list of several restaurants, we decided on West Plains Bistro. We pulled up to a little older looking restaurant with a martial arts studio on one side and a Wendy's on the other. We were a bit early for our 5:30 reservation and the place was decently busy at the time. When we left, it was full. The decor was a bit dated for me but I am used to all the fancy new restaurants popping up in Toronto. This was a more intimate, comfortable vibe that made you feel more at home, complete with pillows in the booths to help you get cozy. Our waitress arrived and quickly shared all the mouthwatering specials and shortly after, our waters arrived with a cute festive cranberry in addition to a slice of lemon and lime which was kitschy and fun. While everything on the menu sounded delicious, I picked Baked Brie to start and Pepper-Coated Venison, medium rare (one of the specials). For appetizers, my Dad went with the Pate and one of my brothers got the Shrimp and Crab Cakes. For dinner, both my brothers went with the Ahi Tuna and Wasabi Aioli special, my sister got the Pork Tenderloin on their regular menu, and my dad went with the Beef Bourguignon, also from their regular menu. I, of course, tasted everything. Before I actually get into the food, I want to comment on the plating of the dishes, which was absolutely beautiful and to be honest, a bit unexpected from this sort of homey place in the midst of not much else. Truly lovely. My only complaint is that a lot of sauces were dotted on to the plates to give the dishes a certain look but I just found myself wishing for more dots (I.e. the port reduction on my venison or the raspberry sauce for the skor brownie cake (to be discussed later))...perhaps that is just me being greedy though. Alright, on to the appetizers. These particular dishes are the reason for the lack of 5 stars. Not because they weren't good. They were. However, all three appetizers were good but not the best we tried. We ate them, and we enjoyed them but we had all had better of each appetizer somewhere else previously. So when we finished, we were a little worried that this would be another good, but not great restaurant. The entrees though put all our worries to rest because they were amazing. Every. Single. One. Was. So. Delicious! My sister ordered the best in my opinion which is good since hers was off the regular menu and not a special. My Dad's was also awesome and would be perfect for days where the snow is falling because it was just so rich and hearty yet the meet basically melted because it was so tender. Which again, his choice was from their regular menu and thus available all the time. Specials can sometimes be hit and miss since sometimes they are just a way to use up ingredients going bad but tuna and venison are both not regular features and thus were truly specials designed for the night. They too did not disappoint. The venison was cooked perfectly and so lean and great. The tuna was also cooked perfectly and had a great addition of the wasabi to give it a little kick. Really I can't say enough how wonderful the entrees were. If I based my review on this alone, it would be 5 stars for sure and even now I wish I could vote partial stars to boost this to a 4.5 or 4.75. We did have cookie dough and carrot cake and other desserts at home so our intention was to pass on that course but when they brought the menu and my brother saw Sticky Caramel Pudding, we knew we weren't getting out of this course after all. My sister ordered the Triple Brownie Skor Cake so he shouldn't have to eat alone. Personally, I don't usually care for chocolate cakes or brownie desserts but after I tasted hers, I declared we were sharing and ate half of it. The Sticky Caramel Pudding was nice, but again, personally I have had better elsewhere so if you ask me, I say go for the brownie Skor cake...or try the coconut cream pie which passed by our table and also looked delightful. Tl;dr skip the appetizers and get two entrees instead if you're hungry because the entrees are where it's at. For dessert go for the brownie Skor cake.

Came here twice in one week...first time because we were in the area, and second time because the first time was so good. This place tends to get very busy, with the locals in the area. May want to make a reservation. First time, we had the pasta special, which was supposed to be with salmon but it came with shrimps... bonus!! :). Exceptional dish, great value. We came the second time to have the pasta special with the salmon, and we got that. I think, I liked the shrimp fish better. I rank this as one of the best casual restaurants in this area, and possibly in Burlington.

Ordered out, had the lamb shank and fish+chips. Food was absolutely amazing, best lamb shank I've had in a long time. Now I'm considering making it a twice weekly thing.

We went to West Plains Bistro with high expectations based on many of the great reviews. The first 20min were very impressive while we explored the menu and chatted with the delightful waitress. From the time we placed our dinner order to the time we actually received our meal was about an hour and we had to flag down a server 2x in spite of our original server walking past us a number of times without making eye contact. When our meals arrived both meals were over-cooked and cold. When our server returned to check on us we said we had concerns but before we had a chance to say anything she left to get the chef. We told the chef that both dishes were overcooked, cold, and that our server seemed to have forgotten about us. A busy dining room was his explanation but in our section there was only two occupied tables - us and another couple who arrived well after we did and were doted on the entire time. The chef was gracious and clearly disappointed with our feedback. We received an apology and discount applied to our bill which was very much appreciated. It's a good spot in an area of Burlington where there is a dirth of fine dining options but after this experience we won't likely be back.

Last night I went here for the first time in 7-8 years, and was once again impressed. It was a bit chilly inside, but had a nice ambiance. It seemed like lots of the patrons were loyal customers who frequent there. Our waiter recommended the beef bourguignon, and it did not disappoint. It was incredibly tender and served with delicious mashed potatoes. I also had a taste of their soup special: cream of cauliflower with cumin, which was also delicious. There was only a short list of wines offered by the glass, but I really enjoyed my glass of Grand Sud Merlot from France. Would definitely go back here again - I've got my eye on the French onion soup and mushroom crostini!

Picked up the kids at Aldershot train station and everyone was hungry. Thank you yelp reviewers. The place wall full, but accommodated us on the bar. A lovely small corner bistro. Decor is a bit old but tasteful. One got the soup, the other the escargot. The wine was lovely and each of the four of us ended up getting a different type of fish. Everything was just perfect. I cannot replicate this in my kitchen. The fish and chips was above perfect. Thanks again. Just a lovely little unexpected food adventure.

I made the drive from Oakville for a Mother's Day Brunch box and dinner. Firstly, they took my order on short notice which I very much appreciate. The curbside pickup was flawless and surprisingly friendly. A lovely young woman protecting herself with a mask popped the food into the trunk, smiled (could see it through the mask!), thanked us and we were on our way. Now the food, oh the food! We had the Halibut, Tenderloin, Arugula salad and butter tarts, and it was ALL delicious! The halibut was my dish and it was perfect, a nice thick cut, rice, veggies and a great sauce... every bite made me happy. Thanks for taking care of us on Mother's Day, we'll be back!!

This was delicious! We ordered curry mussels, fish and chips, and a burger. A great unexpected stop. Would be here often if we lived in town.

Top shelf all around! First the food is perfect every time we go. Best burger I've ever had, also loved the beef tips. Staff are total pros and restaurant it self is very charming. I go for both lunch and dinner, prices are reasonable given the quality. This is my top recommendation in Burlington.

I love this place. I Have been coming here with my family since I was young and this past time have taken my partner on a date. This place always left me satisfied. Very Kind employees. Perfect place for a date night

This ranks in our top five of restaurants in the area for those looking for a fine dining experience!

The food is not overcooked. Just right actually. The staff friendly. Couldn't ask for a better meal. Quite the array of selection of food to eat. Never dull always changing. The restaurant is clean and neatly organized. Could not get better. A must go to scene. Food is 100% quality and if you are not satisfied the restaurant will completely make it 100% your satisfaction by doing it over. No complaints.

First time back in a few years. suitably impressed! My first review stands. friendly service, reasonable pricing and above average quality, prep and presentation of entrees. Worthy of the positive reviews noted elsewhere and certainly a cut above similarly priced local venues.

A most awesome bistro. I don't think you will find this quality of food anywhere in Burlington. Here you get real chef inspired and thoughtful dishes that make sense. If you want a good dining experience this is your place in west Burlington.

We arrived at 9:30pm and were told that they could not feed us as they 'had gotten slammed during dinner' and had no food available. Their closing time is 11 pm for the Saturday, and as we were leaving we watched them serve multiple tables, taking an order and serving others. Also, we were not dressed as the other clientele, coming from a Blue Jays game and the host approached us really quickly to usher us out. Needless to say, we won't return which is unfortunate because it seemed quaint.

I took my sister here for her birthday, it was our first visit. You have to make reservations however they give you 2 hours for your service. We had a booth on our right they had joined 3 tables together for a group, which unfortunately was quite rowdy. My sister had fish and chips and I had the special that night which was a Mushroom ravioli. We ordered fried cauliflower and then Caesar salad to start. The fried cauliflower was amazing! Our Caesar salad no so much the lettuce was wilted and they give you a large crouton to crumble which was flavourless. The mushroom ravioli was decadent absolutely delicious and my sister enjoyed her main as well. I had an amazing chocolate cake and my sister had carrot cake to die for! It's an intimate dining room with beautiful ambience, we would have enjoyed it more but for the loud group. Nevertheless the experience was good and aside from the salad I actually would give this restaurant a 4.5 I will definitely go again!

I went with my mother some time to go to this restaurant and had a fantastic meal. However this time not so much. I'm a bit of a stickler about salads, in particular the greens. If you are going to charge $10 for a Green salad it better be on point. In this case it was not. I found that several of the pieces of lettuce and greens were turning yellow from being old or had little mushy slimy pieces from being old as well. I ordered chicken with the meal it was overcooked and had some dry burnt pieces. The extra charge for the chicken on the side was I believe eight dollars. So for $18 for a very simple meal and not a whole lot to ask for was not good plain and simple. I was very disappointed.