Bistrot Mirabelle

Father’s Day brunch at Mirabelle was lovely. The menu has nice variety, both healthier and less healthy. The service was very good. Most important, the food was tasty. I had the Eggs Hemingway (like Eggs Benedict but with smoked salmon rather than Canadian bacon). One of the eggs was overcooked, so that the center was hard rather than runny as I’d expect a poached egg to be. And the food was warm, but not like it came fresh from being cooked. I ate every bite, regardless, because it tasted good. My family had steak and eggs, french toast, some tomato bisque, and we all shared the fresh, warm french bread.
I will definitely go back. I gave feedback about the items that I thought needed improvement, and they were respectfully received and I believe that they really listened.

Cute décor. Salty food. Fun staff. Overpriced.
meh

Not the most manly restaurant in Austin and wasn’t sure if I was going to be happy when we walked in. Most of the tables were occupied by groups of ladies of a certain age. This usually means trouble for a guy with a guy’s appetite.
But what a surprise, ended up with the best Cuban Sandwich I have had outside of FL. Packed with meat and it filled me up. Came with some fries that were seasoned with parley and cheese. My iced tea was never empty and the waitress was very good. I even tried some of my girlfriend’s quiche, which was tasty.

This is only my second Unilocal review, but they’re both for rejuvenated restaurants under new ownership and management. In the first case, I knew the previous restaurant for decades, and knew it had run past its course into straight up sad nastiness. But I had never eaten at the old Mirabelle, and wouldn’t presume to compare them. It seems like a lot of the negative reviews are from the old guard that I can’t help but suspect might just not like the changes (or change). But I can tell you that in absolute terms, the new iteration is fantastic, and from my table-​side conversations with the very genial owner, they are continuing to perfect things.
On my first visit, I had a salad nicoise. Basic enough, but a reinforcement of the concept that simplicity is a virtue in cuisine that in no way runs contrary to excellence. My tuna was certainly perfectly cooked and seasoned, and the salad and herbs were fresh and of the proper texture and taste — their ingredients are being chosen with care.
I usually don’t eat meat, but was tempted enough by the style and quality, which seems to be a French version of comfort food. I sampled a friend’s sandwich, made with a lamb sausage, that challenged my position on meat (just briefly — it’s still a baby sheep). And, for someone that doesn’t go crazy about french fries very often, the fries there were fantastic, with just enough garlic and herbs to take them over the top.
But there are other options for us moderately tree-​hugging hippies — the trout Meuniere on my last trip there made me not miss other meats so much — moist and flavorful, served on a bed of new potatoes and herbs that co-​mingled on the palate into one well-​balance experience. That said, I don’t claim to be a vegetarian, and will occasionally have some meat if the culture and/​or quality encourage it. The quality of everything else I’ve had here have me looking forward to trying the steak the next time I’m in.
Then, dessert. I don’t know where to start. Two times, I was able to coax the table into ordering and sharing almost everything, a move that the owner encouraged by throwing in a dish or two so that we sampled every single thing on the menu. My own favorite by far, though was the steamed lemon pudding. To use a pretentious epicurean term — freakin’ uh-​mazing.
The service was efficient and intelligent in that special way in which they know to be as friendly and engaging, or as unobtrusive, as the table or moment calls for. The owner moves around the restaurant, reinforcing the intimacy and care this place, and its food, clearly stand for. This is a new favorite for me, and should it ever change again, then I will be a naysayer myself, because any future reincarnation stands little chance of getting any better than this, unless it’s airlifted and deposited into the French countryside…

The Omlette Aux Fines Herbs served with pommes frites was good. Who doesn’t like a rich butter sauce poured over your eggs and crispy new potatoes?! But, I wanted an omlette with cheese and veggies not herbs (boring…), but, alas, nothing else on the menu was gluten free.
My drink, the La Fraise, champagne with strawberry purée, is a lovely addition to their menu. For dessert, Hubs and I shared the one gluten free item, a slice of Clementine cake made with almond flour that arrived with crème fraiche ice cream and a sweet orange sauce. Sadly, the cake was a bit too dry.
Live jazz begins at 11 for Sunday Brunch, but I can whip up a better omlette and put on some jazz at home. I was a long time customer of Mirabelle but will not return to the reincarnation. One gluten free entrée and one gluten free dessert on the Brunch menu is not enough reason to dine here. Au Revoir.

Service — Really impressed. Waitress was on the spot with orders, drinks, and even followed through with a concern about a food allergy for my gf. 5 Stars as far as service.
Food — Not impressed. Ordered the night special of steak and mashed potatoes. I asked for medium rare, steak came dry and appeared to have sat under heat lamps (?) as the steak hanger was dry and hard. My gf reported her food was average, but not bad. I can’t remember what she order — meat of some kind.

Delicious French cuisine in a cozy, comfortable, relaxed atmosphere! I’ve been twice (once about 8 months ago and again last night after the new owner took over) and both times have been very good experiences.
The ambiance is cozy, a bit intimate and romantic but yet casual and fun. The service was excellent!
My friends and I started our meal with the duck pâté’ and the mussels. The duck pâté came with a fig jam, thinly sliced mini pickles and crostinis. The mussels were what you would/​should expect. The wine selection is nice offering just the right amount of choices for what you want (not an overwhelming list of options which is comforting). The Laboure-​Roi «Les Sangliers», Pinot Noir accompanied my palate perfectly!
Our main courses included the Trout Meuniere, the Boullabaise and the Merguez Sandwich (spanish lamb sausage on baguette with french fries) which was DELICIOUS! My trout was very good, served with green beans, ultra-​whipped potatoes and garnished with some citrus. The Boullabaise was good, yet my only critique of the whole meal. The sauce was very rich and creamy (too much butter and cream — never thought I would actually say that!) but could have used different flavors. However, the seafood in the dish was excellent quality and quite tasty.
For dessert, we opted for the chocolate tart served with olive oil ice cream (made in house!) and sea salt. Can I just say YUM!!! It was just what I wanted and could not have been more delicious.
Really great place for a great price! It’s nothing fancy, but a nice casual outing for some good food.

So disappointed.
Mirabelle was a favorite of our family for since it first opened and we were Saturday night regulars for a long time. When the new restaurant opened I looked at the menu and was a bit underwhelmed with the choices and prices, but thought I would give it a chance at lunch so the investment was not so great.
I love Salade Nicoise and order it whenever I see it on the menu. Bistrot Mirabelle gave me the worst version of this classic I have ever had for a princely price of $ 13.95. Under-​dressed, under-​seasoned poached tuna (and not much of it) that seemed to have had any trace of flavor steamed out of it, coupled with underwhelming greens and slippery boiled potatoes with no trace of seasoning.
My overall impression word for the experience? Bleah.
It was inedible, frankly, and I will not be back at any price.

Sigh.
We had high hopes for dinner but in all honesty, were very underwhelmed. Booked on Open Table (positive) and were seated promptly.
As fans of the original Mirabelle we certainly noticed the difference inside the building. Overall, the décor is appropriate for French bistro style but was a bit gloomy. The bar they intend to add should help add some light to the room and create some more energy. Despite a full room, the patrons didn’t seem to be having much fun.
Starter was Duck liver pâté followed by a cup of the gumbo for my bride and the Caesar salad for me. The pâté was excellent, creamy and flavorful with a good assortment of sides — the pickles, mustard and jam matched well.
Big win for the duck and sausage gumbo, but be warned — even a cup of it is a very filling experience.
For entrees we went with Steak Frites for the lady and the daily special of Cassoulet.
Trouble loomed and we honestly should have known better on the Steak Frites. NY Strip is simply the wrong choice; puzzling given the «french» element here. Unfortunately, we were pretty disappointed by the bland and oversized cut on the plate. First take was cold steak, second try was at least warm but again — just wrong. Too big, strange flavor and just ok. The frites were passable, served in a bowl and heavily seasoned. Not even remotely worth the $ 27. We’ll see if it improves with eggs in the morning.
Cassoulet was enormous. Fair warning if you haven’t been working in the fields all day, this is a two meal proposition. Made it halfway through. The Duck confit was good but salty. The sausage was a good balance and the beans etc. were well seasoned. Overall, much better than the steak but unbalanced and heavy handed.
We’ll try again. Our server, Danny, was excellent and he pointed out some options for us to try next time — which we will.
We want you to succeed Mirabelle, but you need to nail the basics and the strikeout on the Steak Frites was almost unforgivable.

The northwest hills of Austin lucked out with this little gem. This place is definitely making a name for itself as one of the best French restaurants in Austin. A small to mid-​size place with a friendly, yet elegantly cozy feel.
We started with the duck rillette (and a very delectable Beaujolais), which I can say is one of the best appetizers I’ve had in years. The French onion soup was, to the naked eye, just French onion soup, but as you pick up a spoon and dive in a depth of flavor ensues which clearly sets it apart from other soups that claim the same title. On a recommendation, we had the chicken ravioli. Now this is how ravioli should be. More finesse than the typical ravioli dish, which normally comes smothered in either a red or cream sauce, this was swimming in a very light broth. But the flavor, the flavor I tell you! Excellent! The salmon was cooked perfectly. A nice, lighter option with a tasty sauce. Upper echelon crème brûlée, and if you are interested in the chocolate tart, don’t be scared of the olive oil ice cream. It’s superb.
Service was excellent, and you can tell that this is a restaurant that really cares. Our server was top notch, but it really speaks to a restaurants competence when you feel like you’re being taken care of by the entire staff, managers included.
Can’t recommend it enough.

What a spectacular transformation! We stumbled on this place Thursday after abandoning our first choice’s packed parking lot. I had the duck and Elgin sausage gumbo and the lightly-​dressed butter lettuce which were delicious – warm rich, savory soup contrasting with cool, tangy, crisp salad.
We came back the next day for lunch again to satisfy a co-worker’s serious need to try the beef Bourguignon special (I secretly craved the steak tartare so was happy to go!) My romaine salad with crispy anchovies was perfect with the tartare, which was served crowned with a small raw egg (quail?) and accompanied by finely diced capers, shallot and pickled cucumber, a tiny mound of black pepper, and a daub of Dijon. So freakin’ delicious.
Our friendly server let us know the chewy-​crusted bread is made in-​house and answered all my other odd questions and even got me some simple syrup for my iced tea. The owner came over during both visits to check on things and seemed genuinely interested in our thoughts about the food. I’m dreaming of the Tuesday special already… lobster pot pie, anyone?

You’re swell, Mirabelle! A Steak Tartare appetizer was so plentiful we left some on the plate and a Butter Lettuce Salad was particularly pleasant, but it was the entrees that really made us swoon. Pan-​seared Redfish with a perfect hollandaise, served over brothy spinach and white beans, was delicious in every bite. Beef Bourguignon offered great flavor and texture, with mushrooms and garlicky whipped potatoes making great accompaniment.
For dessert a Crème Brulee was serviceable, as was a chocolate tart, but only the tart’s accompanying olive oil ice cream really stood out. Service was expert, attentive and helped make this evening a pleasant surprise.

I have to tell you about the experience I had at Bistrot Mirabelle. I had been to Mirabelle a couple of times in the past, and always found them to be lacking that little zing that we expected. They just didn’t live up to what we thought they should be. So, I wasn’t particularly eager to return. But, we got a $ 50 gift certificate, so we went back, this time not expecting too much.
However, when we arrived, we saw the new sign outside indicating that they were now a «bistrot.» I didn’t grasp what that meant until we walked in to discover a greatly improved décor, and that Mirabelle was now a French restaurant! We were promptly greeted as we entered the door, and were seated by Brian O’Neill, the owner.
As we looked over the menu, we were very happy to see some traditional French dishes, but also some new enticing items we weren’t familiar with, and got very full descriptions of the dishes from our waiter. So, we were very pleased with our experience so far. Then we snacked on delicious hot rosemary bread (reminiscent of Johnny Carino’s) and cold, crispy salads while our entrees were being prepared.
When the plates arrived, we were delighted with the aromas and the presentation. Bistrot Mirabelle has been kicked up a couple of notches! The meals were delicious, and I had already decided this would become one of my favorites. But, wait! I haven’t told you about the gift certificate yet.
We got the gift certificate for Christmas 2010, and didn’t use it until November 2011. I included it with my credit card to pay the bill, and saw our waiter head off to the register to ring up the transaction. A few moments later, I saw him rushing toward the front of the house to talk to the manager (Brian). I didn’t think much about it, until they both came walking toward us.
Brian explained that they were new owners, and that the gift certificate was for the restaurant owned by the previous group, and that he couldn’t honor it, because there had not been any settlement made to cover the gift cards that were out. I was disappointed, of course, but I completely understood. I told the waiter to go ahead and run my card.
After a moment of hesitation, Brian said that he would honor the card for half its face value. I thought that was more than fair, and was quite pleased that he even offered. As the waiter was running my card, Brian came back to our table, and gave me a gift card for a future meal at Bistrot Mirabelle! And, he threw in coupons for free appetizers!
This is customer service above and beyond! If Brian’s attitude is any indication, Bistrot Mirabelle is going to win new customers, bring back many old ones, and garner a secure niche in Austin’s dining scene.
And, by the way, I have shared those coupons with some of my friends to get them to give the restaurant a try, and spread the word.

I have been in Austin for three years and this is absolutely the worst restaurant experience I have ever had. The food was bland, veering towards Denny’s standard of what «French food» is, but at a premium price tag. When we didn’t even finish a quarter of our food the «manager» asked how everything was… we said mediocre. His response «awesome». My response — everyone I know will be warned off this allegedly French bistro.
UPDATE — I received a message from user Brian O (with no reviews and no friends) saying I was a «pompous ass». I have no way of knowing if this is the owner (who has the same name) but I’m happy someone read an honest review.

This is the best thing to happen to our neighborhood in years! The only reason I am not giving it 5 stars is that they are still working out the kinks on serving all the appreciative folks who are flocking there for the delicious, perfectly prepared French dishes. They could use a few more staff to handle the rush hours. But even the harried servers are as soothingly cheerful as the owner, who makes the rounds checking that all are happy with their dinners.
Both the new food and the atmosphere have made this a place we will stop into once a week. We live close by and used to go to Mirabelle a couple of times a year, but never really liked most of the dishes. They were very complicated – with heavy extraneous elements that always overwhelmed the otherwise fresh ingredients. We have traipsed across town to Justine’s and Blue Dahlia (which we also love) – but now feel like we’ve found a home right around the corner.
So – the atmosphere – very simple improvements have made all the difference. More booths around the perimeter and an oriental rug in the center under the wooden chairs and tables has made room cozier and quieter. On a busy Friday night we were able to actually have a conversation over our superb dinner – a great way to start our weekend.

So my mom and I go to try out the new menu at Mirabelle and we were blown away! It seems that there is finally a reasonably priced French bistro in North Austin??? What? I know it’s hard to believe! And the only reason I didn’t give it five stars is because we only tried a few things. I will tell you that the bouillabaisse was the best I’ve had this side of the Atlantic and the pork bellies were melt in your mouth amazing. The baguette that accompanied the meal was nothing to rave about, but the fried bread that came with that classic fisherman’s soup was like crunchy, salty, buttery goodness, almost like a crispy bread pretzel! All this to say, I can’t wait to go back! Good job, renovators of Mirabelle, formidable!

Fabulous menu. Delicious food. Great service. Went last night for the first time and will be returning to try every dish on the menu!

Got a email announcing the renovations and a new menu — and a coupon! I enjoyed our last experience there so I welcomed the opportunity to go back on the cheap (er).
The décor left something to be desired last time thus I was glad to see they had spruced the place up. It’s mulberry colored and wooden — definitely more upscale. they opened it up which actually made it feel more intimate.
Everything on the new menu looked tasty… Props for steak tartar on the app menu! There wasn’t a ton of variety on the entrée menu but they have the basics covered. for the average folk, it’s fine, but we are tough duo (it’s pretty hard to please both the Vegetarian guy and Paleo gal)
At a fancy place a $ 12 hamburger seemed about right, but some other dishes seemed overpriced. Even with 20% I could not fathom paying $ 29 for steak and frites — ouch. I was pleased to learn they make everything in house — from the pasta to the ice cream to the pickles so that is a huge added value.
I went with the hamburger and the meat was great. I ordered sans bun and the patty held up just fine on its own (fresh gouda on top didn’t hurt!) Fries were good (reminded me of HopDoddy’s) and again, homemade pickles? Too cool. My boyfriend’s pasta dish was very good with loads of fresh vegetables and goat cheese.
The wine list is still extensive and they do a great job of helping you pick. I’m hoping the wine selection is premium because glasses are $ 9+. I did enjoy the three glasses we tried and split. Better value to order a bottle.
Service here was outstanding. Our server was friendly and attentive. The manager was making the rounds and stopped to say hi. He even helped me make my dessert selection and when I couldn’t decide, gave us both — one was on the house. Both were excellent — especially the chocolate torte with sea salt and olive oil ice cream. Wow!
The music was a bit… off…when we first arrived — I cracked up when the theme from Austin Powers came on. But they settled in on a cute old timey French station and that was a better fit.
This is a great place, but still reserved for a special occasion due to price. There are a lot of places in Austin that serve fancy food at fancy prices and buy local and make in house etc, so I think they will have to work hard to distinguish themselves. I think they should brag more about where they get their ingredients and how they prepare their food. Location is certainly a plus — you won’t find a place like this anywhere near. Service is above and beyond (even apart from the freebie dessert) so you will definitely be taken care of here.
Would be fun if they did nightly or weekly or seasonal specials (and posted on the website) — oooh, or a wine and food paring — I think this would drive more frequent traffic. (Order a bottle of wine get an app free? Ok, now I’m just being cheap, ha) The chef seems very talented and they take a lot of pride in the food so they should play it up!

The lass and I went back to Mirabelle on Thursday to help them celebrate their «reopening». Apparently, Mirabelle used to be a Pancake House, which is why the interior used to leave you wishing for something to be desired. However, they have completely revamped the interior and the menu. They hired a new chef and have a completely different wine list as well.
The food is still amazing, although they do not have the dish that I used to order on the menu. The wine and service are still superb. The owner was walking around the restaurant making sure that everyone was taken care of (kudos).
No, the food is not cheap, but it is almost all handmade. I had a pasta dish with handmade Pappardelle (sp?) pasta. It was phenomenal.
For dessert we both got separate dishes, but my favorite had homemade olive oil ice cream (crazy, right?!) and a slice of chocolate cake with salt on it. It was unbelievable.
If you haven’t checked out Mirabelle yet, get your butt over there for a delicious meal.

Tried out the new Bistrot Mirabelle last night. Never fair to judge thus early, so a return visit is in order. But the quick version is there is much to improve.
Starters were butter lettuce salad for the DW, escarole salad (AKA salade lyonnaise) for me. DW was favorably impressed — good dressing makes this salad, and this was the case. Mine was meh. Menu advertised «lardons», just like the classic. Which should be ½ in. cubes of bacon, and were instead diced slices of good old American bacon. Minor point, but instead of chewy morsels of pork goodness, what we got was little squares swimming in the too abundant dressing. Everything else was there — poached egg, frisée, croutons. Small steps will add much.
Mains were the appetizer mussels for DW, roasted chicken for me. Mine was solid, the roasted chicken, done to perfection, on a bed of opulently rich pommes purée. Only complaint was that the breast was a little small for a $ 20+ roast chicken. DW was under impressed by the mussels. Bland. For her, the gold standard were at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon, and not a hard dish to prepare to a similar level. Just seemed like there wasn’t a lot of effort, Not aided by the insipid bread, which is an essential element for mussel broth dipping. Cold, chewy crust vice crunchy, Mrs. Baird’s like center. Real baguettes are too easy to find in Austin for this travesty to continue.
Great California Chardonnay, but we skipped on dessert. Bill was just under $ 100.
Want to return to see if the kinks get worked out. Looking forward to seeing the planned bar — which no bistro should be without.