Zola Bistro

The service here was incredibly slow to start and I ended up having to ask the hostess about gluten free options since I hadn’t seen our waitress in a while and there was no indication on their menu. I then got my food and it was incredibly salty because of the overload of capers on my avocado toast. I then get to my last couple of bites and see this bug in my tomato. I alerted the waitress about it and she reassured me that it was a cumin seed. She did ask if I wanted to speak to a manager but I didn’t see if necessary since she reassured me. I then did some research to find out that it was in fact a bug in my food and I do wish the waitress would’ve analyzed it a little further before immediately telling me I was wrong.

Had an amazing experience here during our brunch visit! The food was delicious; we had the Crab Cake Benedict, Cauliflower Fritters, and a Cappuccino. You could tell the crab cake was freshly made in the kitchen, and the fritters were well seasoned. Chef Keith and our server Shelby personally attended to us and ensured the food was prepared exactly as requested. It’s rare to find a restaurant where the chef personally makes sure special requests are handled with care.

Very interesting and eclectic menu. Prices moderate to high. Good variety of cocktails and wine. The salad was delicious with a house vinaigrette. The burger was cooked perfectly, but pretty under seasoned. Fries were great. House made ketchup fantastic. Had to wait to get utensils. Service was meh. Seemed unengaged.

We had such an amazing brunch experience here! It’s such a cute establishment with outdoor seating on warm days. I split one of their scrambled egg dishes and a Dutch baby pancake (which is massive)! Both were delicious and the service is friendly and quick.

Great food and server, terrible host! My mom and I arrived at around 1 pm on Sunday. The hostess asked if we had a reservation and informed us there were no tables (there were tables and the entire bar was open). We left and I checked open table for a "reservation". There were many reservations available all afternoon. I made a reservation for 1:15 and returned. The hostess begrudgingly sat us and was clearly annoyed. What on earth? Thankfully our server and food were both great. There are so many great (friendly!) dining options in Ann Arbor I don't plan to return.

Food was okay.. My wife and I both ordered omelets. Her omelet was not impressive, before ordering, she asked the waitress if she could exclude Bell peppers, and she told her unfortunately no, the peppers and onions were already put together. When we received our meals, potatoes were both cold and seemed like they had nothing but peppers in her omelets. My omelet was lacking cheese and was rather disappointed with the flavor. For $22.00 for each omelet I was expecting something grand, it was not anything to get excited about. Service was not great, waited over 10 minutes before we got our menus, Ten more minutes before getting water's. I would not go back again. Way overpriced for quality of food.

I never had good luck with this place especially their front desk people, they are always awful. I just walked in and the whole place is empty and she asked me if I had a reservation and I said no. She told that they are not taking walk in because they do not have any openings. I waited in my car 15 minutes and still no one came so what reservation is she talking about. The worst service ever. Never going there again. I hope the owner knows how awful the people are at the front desk. I usually go to Cafe Zola and they are super friendly there and the food is always better. Not sure why this one is awful on every level. Update: I just went to see if I can make reservations online and all the times are open to reserve today. Definitely not booked.

the food was great but the wait staff was not very friendly. Our drinks and food took a very long time and it seemed like our waitress was annoyed to be serving us. We also had to wait a very long time for the check to come which was fine but we needed to leave and no one would come pick up our check. there also was an unpleasant smell around us which might have been another customer but it was unpleasant. If i could give service less than one star i would.

Service was great, drinks were great and well thought out. Now to the food. The crab cake for 21 dollars is a complete rip off, two little half dollar cakes came out with so much filler!!! I almost laughed. I just don't understand why you would offer something like that, knowing that other establishments offer a better product and price point. It's a total miss here. Webers has a banger of a crab cake and full of lump crab, it's 15$ I consider it the best in Ann Arbor. Just my take. Inside was nice and interior clean.

I'm only rating this low because I want to bring attention to the recipes and that they didn't line up with my taste buds or others with me at the table. I would like to recommend the restaurant dial back on the pepper in its olive oil for the bread. Have it as optional maybe and re-evaluate the fried cauliflower recipe and beef up the seasonings present in the shrimp tacos. I can't rate the calamari we ordered as I didn't taste it. We also sat outside and the sun was not helping lol The waitress was amazingly helpful and nice so thanks @Mackenzie!

I rely on Yelp for restaurants when traveling, so these low ratings make me wonder how may local gems I have missed. Great atmosphere, and an extensive, creative, and delicious cocktail menu. Some favorite dishes are the salmon burger, Stilton salad, and Thai chicken satay. Thankful for this neighborhood restaurant.

I work at Zola. Our food is excellent. The kitchen is the most organized and cleanest kitchen I've worked in my career. The owners are demanding but fair. I strongly recommend you dine at Zola. The Halibut, Steak Frittes, Smoked Salmon Platter, Shrimp Scampi and Mushroom Toast are awesome. Please give us a try. Thank You.

Not a large crowd here when we arrived at 7 on a Saturday, which meant we were seated and waited on quickly. We ordered a Fritti Caulflower appetizer, solid breaded cauliflower florets served with a spicy tahini sauce. There were a bit hard...sort of a cross between crudite and fritters. The sauce was quite nice though. My wife ordered the chicken marsala, I got the dorade royale, a whole fried sea bream. The marsala had decent flavor, chicken was tender, though pasta had become a bit dry and stuck together. We were wondering if there had been a timing issue in the kitchen, since twice while we were waiting for the food the server stopped by to tell us it would still be "10-15 minutes" then "5-10 minutes..." Can't say if my bream held up the show, but it couldn't have been cooked better--an ideal balance of tender and flaky. Nothing extraordinary about the flavor though, and the cherry tomato salsa didn't add much. Service was fine. Our server checked in, refilled waters when needed. And kept us filled in on the progress of our entrees. All taken together, an OK evening out.

Service and food is always good but somewhat pricey in general and especially based on the portions. $21 for a Kobe burger including fries - ok but then $5.75 up-charge because I asked for extra lettuce, tomato and onion?! $29 for shrimp scampi. $11 for calamari - actually good price if it was "standard" size to share with 2-4 people but seemed like a single serving size. Price it at $15 and 2.5X the portion. Overall, really good food but price/portions could be better. Maybe it's just my perception of this restaurant, it feels like a step up from Chili's but priced like Capital Grille with smaller portions.

Our server was very kind. Service was a little slow because they made the special French Toast with Rhubarb Strawberry compote on accident and had to remake our food. Ambiance was calm as it was a weekday lunch. I would return, the food was yummy and the coffee delish.

The service is touch and go every time I come here. Sometimes it can be totally empty and I'll never a waiter and others they never leave you alone. This last time, I got a crepe and it was ice cold in the center and warm on the edges. Kind of disappointing given the price. They also juice in the main room so half the time you can't hear yourself talk. If you get lucky and it's a slow day the place is a dream.

Zola Bistro is one of the original businesses that opened when the Arbor Hills Shopping Mall debuted in 2013. When I arrived to meet a former co-worker for lunch, there was a long line at the hostess stand. We had no idea when a table would be available as the staff had stepped away and not returned to the stand for a while. There was available seating at the bar so we grabbed the open space and received menus from a bartender. The crowd of customers was due to the weekend brunch which is very popular at this spot. The interior was stylish but felt a bit cramped. Maybe at an off-peak meal time during warmer weather when folks aren't wearing heavy coats, the space will feel more comfortable. I ended up ordering Alan's Mish Mash while my friend got the Mediterranean Chicken Salad. My entree was made up of scrambled eggs, sauteed Polish sausage, scallions, mushrooms, garlic, and potatoes. It was a tasty scramble and very representative of the brunch offerings at this European-style bistro. Pricewise, it was on the expensive side that was reflective of its more upscale ambiance. I gave a 3.5 star rating for our dining experience at Zola Bistro.

The mushroom omelette was sooooo good and flavorful. We got a whole French press of coffee for 4. It was fragrant and not too acidic. The salmon platter was really good, so was the French toast. Two of the meals came with bagels! Lively atmosphere and service was good given how busy it was.

Visited Sunday with a group of 8. I made reservations 5 days prior yet they sat us at a table for 6 which made it extremely difficult since the tables and chairs were so close together. They were very busy so service was a bit slow. Totally acceptable. However, 4 of us ordered the chicken and waffles. We were each given a half condiment cup of syrup which wasn't nearly enough for two waffles. When asked to bring more, we were told that half condiment cup of syrup was $3.50! Even though we declined the extra syrup, our bill for two (chicken and waffles and a burger with fries with non alcoholic beverages) was $85 with a 20% tip. Won't be back.

I sat outside and it was such a cute little set up. I got a French press of tea and the halloumi salad! The salad was fresh and delicious. The table also got a Dutch baby and a bagel. Both were tasty and exceeded expectations for a place in a fancy strip mall. For brunch this seems like a great place that has something for everyone. The service was attentive without being too in your business.

Good mushroom crepe, fast service, music not too loud, lighting not too bright, good variety in menu

Extremely overpriced for what you get - food quality and service. Quevos rancheros were good, but halloumi salad was so overdressed it was like eating rotten/overripe lettuce - and missing ingredients. Husband's chicken and waffles were bleh at best. Asked for salad as a starter and was brought everything out at the same time. Small personal preference I admit, but I guess I like refills on coffee in the same cup. Server kept bringing out new cups for refills and left old cups on table? With tip it was $90 for two mains, 2 coffees, and one salad we split. Oh Ann Arbor, you bougie and overhyped town... Will try and spend my dollars supporting any number of great Detroit restaurants next time we go out.

A great restsurant, with free parking no less. Wonderfully creative menu & super wait staff.

Had dinner there last night at the bar, and was very pleasant with the bartender service, very attentive, very professional. Food was really good, and ambiance was relaxed !! Definitely going back soon !!

Food is decent but nothing special. Throwing cream fraiche on top of a crepe is a miss. Coffee was good. Service was very slow. Overall the prices are too high relative to the quality of the food and the experience

After two bad experiences. Decided Not going here anymore. Very bad service. Zero courteous, rolling eyes. Have to ask everything five times.. won't check on you.. have to flag other waiters to get help. One just said I will let your server know, but never did . Not sure if the issue is with the management keeping the employees unhappy.. or the employees itself. Very bad.. food is secondary.. for a "premium" $$$ restaurant. This is really bad.

Food is good but not great. Prices are steep. Beware of add ons. A 6$ latte became 9.50$ after alt milk and flavoring FOR AN 8oz LATTE. Ridiculous to charge more for a latte than an actual cafe, especially when it is not their focus to make exceptional espresso drinks and we're only mid level. The size, the quality, everything was not worth the price. $18 waffles, 20$ shakhuka, 9$-orange juice, 9.50$ latte. Service was average. We were left without water for a very long time even after having requested it. We had to flag our waiter down while the restaurant was empty with a few tables on the patio-so not busy to warrant being neglected. The food is good but not worth the fine dining prices.

The atmosphere is very cute and the service was great. The flavors of items they offer is very unique. The coffee was great, but the food was ridiculously priced. I got an omelette with no sides for $21!! While it had unique ingredients it wasn't something I would order again and was not worth the money

The food was not super great today. Started off with a raspberry mocha which was not warm and tasted kind of like cardboard-- not much flavor. I had a side of fries, and they were nice and crispy. The presentation of the smoked salmon plate was poor-- it felt cheap and there was not a lot of salmon or cream cheese. The bagel was okay. My mom got the Hediye's breakfast, and as you can see in the picture, it looked cheap and small. She said it tasted average. Pretty let down by Zola's Bistro because at their prices, they should have better quality food, presentation, and portions.

bimbo waitress did not bring my farro soup but charged us for it. due to slow service and wait time for food, we had to have ours packaged to go. order was wrong. never coming back.

The food was very average. Kinda pricey for what it is. We got the Shakshuka and waffle. The Shakshuka was not very flavorful. The inside decor was cute.

Unless you enjoy drinking olive oil do not go here! Everything was covered in oil or sitting in a bowl of oil. I paid $30 for the worst Caesar salad and salmon of my life. Waitress was very nice and friendly tho. Would never come back.

My meal.. Zolas Monte Cristo Sandwich- Honey Roasted Carrots- Pommes Frites. Sorry I can't remember the name of the drink (has vodka, lavender cream, honey and lemon)

Over priced, average food with bad service. The flatbread we ordered was bland and our bartender was extremely condescending to my wife after she politely asked if they had Ranch dressing. Bartender loudly made fun of my wife to her coworkers at the end of the bar. Definitely won't be wasting our money on Zola's again.

Just came from breakfast at Zola Bistro. This place has really gone downhill ever since COVID. Today we waiting ten minutes for our waitress to come to our table to offer coffee even though hardly anyone was in the restaurant. When my food came it was notably unattractive -- just the smoked salmon omelette on the plate with some with a few unappetizing mushy potatoes. When I asked about the toast, the waitress told me it would be coming and when it did, one of the pieces looked more like half a piece and burned. This place hasn't been the same. I ate at the downtown location recently and it was much better.

Convenient location. Fresh and tasty. Excellently prepared and consistent. Cocktails excellent. Both locations are terrific.Something for everyone!

Great atmosphere, wonderful service, but food not that good, or at least what I had, I ordered the crepes with salmon, it was a 2 big nice crepes with a super thin slice of salmon and little cream on top, that's it! it was super dry with no taste and expensive for what it is. My friend had the chicken salad and said it is always very good, coffee was very good

Beautiful restaurant and polite and friendly staff. I was excited to try the insalata caprese however I was surprised due to the lack of flavor (no salt, pepper, olivia oil) just tomato's, burrata, and basil. I added seasoning to it at home however it was very simple and not worth $17 in my opinion. I also ordered the Margherita flatbread, it was okay however $21 add on to add chicken and prosciutto making it a $39 flatbread. Not worth the price. Cheesecake was good. Overall I think there are better places to try for the items I ordered because the quality/flavor was not on par with the price.

I'm writing this review because I was sadly disappointed by the condition of Zola Bistro this morning. Very Sad to give two stars because I used to love this place and brought a friend to treat her, and it was kind of gross in there. The good parts: the waitress (Gillian) was phenomenal, the French press coffee was also great. Other than that, I was one of the first customers in this morning, and the restaurant was literally dirty. I used my napkin to wipe something chunky and greasy off the chair, then noticed the floor was already covered with old food/ crumbs, hair... as if no one swept or vacuumed after the entire dinner crowd from last night. Silverware had food stuck in/on it, too. The bathroom floor had hair ...and a few paper clips ... strewn about. Not sure what that was about. I always expect cleanliness in restaurants, but especially when Prices are as high as Zola's ( omelet or Avocado toast runs around $20}

Asked for my burger to be medium, it came out very well done. Sent it back and it took about a half hour so I asked for it to be boxed up. (When you order a $20 hamburger you'd hope it be cooked to order and have a ton of flavor.) Can't say it was either. Not busy and was well over an hour for an omelet and a hamburger. The house made ketchup was more like a smoky jelly, the spicy mayo was the plates saving grace.

Great location, nice atmosphere. At first glance of the menu, the prices seemed a little high for the food being offered. However, I would have paid double for the Dutch pancake with fresh fruit I ordered! Delicious. Service was great as well! Thank you Zola Bistro for a great dining experience!!

Great cocktails and appetizers. That's the review. Ibwont comment on the food to give them a chance to do better. Take your time and season the food. Thanks

We love this place, though it's not quick . I ventured out with the akacha purple papillon cocktail, New York Strip, Turkish brunch and freshly squeezed orange juice.

Overpriced! Food was ok but nothing special. Shopping center had high priced stores. We had crepes. Mine had minimal bananas and strawberries and cream. The salmon with buckwheat was ok. They have many breakfast ideas from bagels to waffles. Outdoor seating. Overpriced drinks!

Great coffee, killer Bloody Mary's and a nice varied menu. Not cheap but worth the $$!

We ordered two of the specials last night and they were amazing! The short ribs in particular were phenomenal!

The Bistro gets 3 stars because of past experiences, because today's meal was disappointing. My first two times at Zola I enjoyed the Kobe burger and then the farmhouse omelette. Last time I had the shrimp scampi and it was fine. I found the sauce to be extremely thin so I almost couldn't eat the noodles. I felt like I needed a spoon not a fork. But at least it was seasoned well. Tonight I had the farmhouse omelette again--except I think what I had was simply a pepper omelette. There was so many peppers and tomatoes that I had to scoop half of them out before I could continue eating. There was no cheese, the ham appeared to be lunch meat slices, and the best part (the caramelized onions were actually delicious) was left out of the omelette and so placed beside it. WHAT?!?!?!? My husband again had the Kobe burger and he said it was fine. It needed to be seasoned better, but it was fine. Based on my first experience I'll give it another shot (not soon), but another bad experience will kill it for me.

Pricey but so worth it! We've visited both locations - downtown and Arbor Hills - for both a quick lunch and a long, slow dinner. I can't even begin to list all the apps and entrees we shared over dinner, but our waitress did not lead us astray. We ordered a few items, grazed over conversation and cocktails, then ordered more. The atmosphere was so warm and inviting, we felt right at home visiting old friends and didn't want to leave. Great experience and we hope to return.

We came to Zola Bistro on Mother's Day evening with the understanding that it may be busy. But what we received was a train wreck of a dinner. Server was disengaged, food was marginal, not a very good first time impression. The only positive is that we were seated immediately and at the end we were given a credit on our bill for the appetizers that did not show up. The likelihood of returning, slim to none.

Very surprised about their rating. Unpacked a freshman at University of Michigan and came here for dinner late on a Wednesday about 8:50 pm. Very nice hip/cool/interior. Not terribly busy and while it was getting close to closing time, hostess was very friendly and happy to seat us. Our server was a very nice engaging young man (wife called him adorable). And the food was excellent. Had a flatbread and the hummus to start. Both very good. The freshman had the salmon which I tasted and was excellent. Wife and I both ordered the Cobb salad with smoked salmon. Admittedly, we were a little surprised when the salad came out deconstructed but it was excellent. We didn't have dessert, freshman had to rush back, heaven forbid she missed a party at U Mich. Really surprised about the reviews here. This was an excellent and perfect place.

My fiancé and I went here for breakfast and were beyond underwhelmed. For pricier plates, portion sizes are not what one would expect. Also, the flavoring of the dishes is so subpar - had to add salt to both of our plates just for some flavor! Honestly will not return for breakfast again. Much better spots in the area.

Cafe Zola is usually a favorite, but we left frustrated after our last visit. We ordered our hot drinks and lunch. They came after a long time and we were never offered the accompaniments (sugar/cream for coffee and tea.). I finally got up and went to find some myself. Our beverages were cold and mostly gone by the time the food came. We saw at least 4 tables come, eat and leave before we got our food.

The pesto chicken sandwich was phenomenal! They also have a homemade ketchup that is something you didn't know you needed in life

First time at Zola and I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed my hazelnut iced latte and all of the food that I tried. Andrew was our server and he did a great job being attentive to us and bringing us everything we need. He was very friendly and hot Andrew if you see this hit me up 734-721-0342

We were a party of six, and food and service were good. The problem was when one member of our party asked for bread, two small breadboards were brought out, one on each side of the table.Each only had two small slices of bread cut in half! At no time were we advised that there was an additional charge for bread. We asked for only one tab to make it easier for the waitress. To our surprise there was a charge of $12.00 for EACH bread board. This is OUTRAGEOUS! Had we been advised prior, we would not have opted for it. We were never even offered bread refills. This inflated bread charge is disgraceful.

When it comes to brunch, Zola Bistto is tough to beat. With a menu than spans a variety of omelets, to hash, to crepes, to burgers, to salads, there's something to please every palate. This past weekend, Zola was the perfect spot to get together with some girlfriends and catch up. We wanted a place with great variety on the menu, an inviting atmosphere, and easy parking, and Zola fit the bill for all 3. After making a reservation, we met each other at Zola at the appointed time. Our server came by with waters, including a carafe for refills for the table, and took coffee orders for those who wanted it. When she came back with the coffees, she took our food orders. The menu is extensive, and so many items sounded delicious, but I finally decided on the Nadia's Omelet for something filling and savory. A reasonable time later our food was delivered, with a basket of bread to share around the table. My omelet was good, but I'll probably spring for another one next time, or even try the Huevos Rancheros -- the one that my friend got looked so enticing. It took a while for our bill to come, but we settled up, said goodbye to one another, and made plans to get together again. All in all, it was a great brunch at Zola!

Food is good. Service is good. French press coffee is very good. The flat breads are hot and flaky but tend to get soggy with the toppings. Insalata Caparese was good. Dutch baby was just OK. Gets very loud in there when it starts to fill up. Hard to hold a conversation.

overall, a pretty chaotic experience with pretty average food, so I honestly don't see myself coming back here :/ came in a party of 9 so we made sure to have a reservation beforehand. however, after arriving there, we were told that there was a glitch with the reservation system and that there wasn't a table available for us. understandable, issues happen and we were a large party, but we still ended up having to wait 30 minutes to be seated. once seated inside, we placed our order and once again, our food didn't arrive until 30 minutes after. also, the waiter bringing out the food seemed genuinely confused about what we ordered & had us shout out our orders to him - very chaotic tbh. they also forgot one of our orders & it didn't come out until 10 minutes after everyone else had gotten their food. additionally, something else that occurred with our other waitress was that we had a member of our party with a severe nut allergy, so she asked our waitress to confirm that the crepe she ordered didn't contain nuts. our waitress was a little sassy and brushed off the question by saying "it's just cream" in terms of the food itself, it was pretty much just fine, but the consensus was that the food seemed overpriced for what we got (i wasn't able to get photos/thoughts on everything we ordered but for some quick notes): penne pasta $24 - "overall fine, but not worth the money or the wait, pasta tasted overcooked, was on the brink of being soggy" complete crepe $20 - "overpriced for sure, ratio of egg to other ingredients was non-existent" spaghetti and meatball $20 - "it was alright, pretty standard nothing special- they were true to the name it really only came with a single meatball" champignon crepe $19 - "honestly i was just expecting a little more? it tasted fine but the portion was pretty small and I expected more mushroom filling" cowboy cobb $20 + $12 flat iron steak - "ordered the flat iron steak medium rare and it came almost well done, taste was good though" definitely echo what some of the other reviews talked about re: poor service and overpriced food. hopefully the restaurant can hire more staff & institute better training and fix their reservation system. honestly it didn't seem like it was impacting their business too much though (the place was completely packed when we arrived & as we were leaving) so maybe just different tastes?