Bistro! Downtown

Bistro is a convenient place to sit down and have lunch when I feel like getting out of the office. The dining area is spacious, and the tables aren’t too close together. The menu choices are simple: salads, panini sandwiches, pizza, soups, and burgers, with a few weekly specials like pastele pot pie or chicken banh mi sandwich. They also offer a variety of sweets like brownies, macaroons, and parfaits in the cold case.
I normally order the Greek tuna salad (sub with romaine instead of spring mix) and once in awhile will try their soup of the day. TBH their food isn’t the most creative, but it’s made fresh and enough to fill me for lunch. But, the pizza I tried was not good at all. A layer of oil floating on top of the pizza turned me off. I also tried the open faced eggplant sandwich but it was pretty dry and veggies a little undercooked.
Depending on what you get, it can range from $ 10, to maybe $ 18. You place your order (take your order number), find a seat, they bring your food, and you Eat! Again, not the best of foods in downtown, but a decent place with a/​c and lots of seating.

I’m always amazed at home many lunch spots there are downtown. Yesterday was no exception when I was walking with my coworkers down Merchant St. and we suddenly happened upon Bistro! DT. They’ve been for lunch many times before but that was my first time and I was happy with my light yet satisfying lunch!
The menu at Bistro includes salads, sandwiches, pizzas, and paninis. There are also a couple of specials listed on the center menu board. As soon as you enter, stand in line and someone at one of the two registers will take your order. We got there a little after 11:30am on a Friday and there was only a short line to order.
I went with the Thai chicken curry pot pie, which was a special for the day. It was $ 9.25 and came with a large drink (refillable) and a side salad/​ranch dressing on the side. After I ordered and paid, the cashier gave me a number to put at my table so my food would get to me.
Seating is open, so grab a table and save it for your group quickly because as the lunch hour progresses it gets really crowded! After only a few minutes, our food started arriving. My pot pie was a little on the smaller side. I was a little shocked at first but ended up being ok with it because I wasn’t very hungry and I wanted to eat lighter after my recent trip to Sapporo where I ate a ton every day! The pot pie was actually really good… it was filled with chicken, potatoes, and veggies and there was a lot of gravy that tasted just like Thai curry. The crust was thin and was really good when soaked in the gravy! The side salad was good but nothing impressive, just sliced romaine lettuce with a small slice of tomato and two pickles.
For a quick no-​frills lunch, Bistro! Downtown seems like a not bad place. I’d like to try one of the paninis on my next visit!
TL;DR — grab a table before the crowds come, quick service, and check the daily specials!

Just came home for a week and I heard great things. I had the chicken pesto panini and garlic fries. I asked for the cooks name because of how good the sandwich was, his name was Jon. Ask for him to make your food. He knows what he’s doing.

I’m still a little shocked at how terrible this café is. High prices with low quality food. I had the lemongrass banh mi, which was really awful. Just because it’s served inside a hoagie roll doesn’t make it a banh mi. They just used a regular hoagie roll, not a french roll characteristic of a real banh mi (light, airy bread with a crunchy crust). There’s a couple of pickles but they’re completely tasteless. The chicken was not lemongrass at all, it’s just stir fried chicken in some soy sauce and a little sweet. Really sad sandwich.

I would not go back to this place. My over-​priced meal made my stomach hurt– for real. I was enticed to eat here because they have a nice, spacious dining room with lots of tables — something that is a valuable asset in downtown Honolulu. The abundance of seating is probably the best thing about this spot. That is about it. The menu posted by the door seemed appealing and the «pot pie» special caught my eye. I ordered it and it came with a side salad and fountain drink. The best part of my meal was the iced tea. The salad was warm and wilty– and it was served with one measly, tiny slice of tomato and two sweet pickles (what the?!). So strange. They served it with ranch– never asked me what kind of dressing I wanted. On top of that, the dressing was warm. Yuck. I barely touched the salad.
The pot pie was a special «Thai curry» pot pie with «kaffir leaves» and a curry sauce inside. NOT REALLY! I tasted no lime leaves or Thai flavors at all. The worst part– it was delivered to me burnt. Like, I could smell the burnt-​ness. It was gross. The size was tiny for the almost $ 11 price tag, too. I was hoping for lots of nice filling and gravy inside, but it was dry and gross, hard to cut into, even with a knife, gross, chewy dough, barely any chicken inside (and the chicken I did get was in weird shaped cubes and not appetizing), and maybe a couple of carrots. I would have rather eaten a frozen /​microwaved pot pie in my office employee lounge.
The lady at the front was pretty nice but the employees weren’t really on top of things. Tables were messy and the number they give you when you place your order wasn’t even collected when my lunch was delivered… it sat on my table with a couple other order number placards from previous diners. I left feeling unfulfilled, tummy ache, annoyed. It was a waste of money for sure.

I got the Lemon grass bah mi. It was flavorful; it reminded me of chicken adobo. If they are able to serve the chicken part with rice… I’d order that each time I go there (which is about every other week to eat lunch with the hubby). He got garlic fries that day which I was able to sample, and now I always get them.
Now I always get chicken tenders with garlic fries… Always. The chicken tenders are juicy and the garlic fries are thee best in town. They use real garlic and the fries are skinny and crispy (reminds me of McDonalds fries)
Today I just tried their Haupia bread pudding and OMG it was good. I think this will be another «must get» every time I go!

My favority lunch spot when I am in Downtown. It’s nice and clean, and has so much seating options. I love the margehrtia pizza and their french fries are so tasty! They always have excellent dessert options. So many other Unilocalers say La Tour is better. I feel like Bistro is wayyyyy better than La Tour.

First time going! Ordered a cheese pizza and added chicken and onions. Came to about 12 bucks; food was ready in 10 minutes. Pizza was amazing! Hot and fresh! Wasn’t sitting all day! Sauce was delicious. The pizza is a whole pan with about 6 slices. I could only eat 3 of them :-)

Downtown eateries & food places come and go but rarely are they ever replaced with basically the same type of restaurant with nearly the exact same menu at a lower quality with high prices… Unfortunately, Bistro! Downtown is that rare place.
As other Unilocalers have mentioned here, Bistro! Downtown is essentially a poor man’s La Tour with lower quality food and high prices. Overall, if you remember the menu at La Tour, most of the stuff is the same as it was before. The overall quality of the ingredients used to the way it’s cooked has gone down fairly noticeably which really sucks as it makes it less desirable to want to make the journey from my office to eat here.
A good example as mentioned by someone else earlier, burgers just aren’t the same. It feels like the cooks overcooked the meat and took all of the flavor and everything that would make the burger enjoyable out of it and left you with a soulless & flavorless imitation. It seems like the only thing that really hasn’t taken a turn for the worse here are the sandwiches such as the french dip, but at the price it’s going for it’s not worth it. Even the desserts have been reduced to some brownies which seem to be the only thing I really like ordering from here and enjoy for the price and they also have a small handful of pastries.
The sad truth is I don’t know how this place has managed to survive for as long as it has, being La Tour’s poor imitation. If you didn’t look closely and didn’t pay attention to the flavor and quality of the food, sure it’s nearly the same but that’s not what you should expect coming here. As usual, you have your typical downtown lunch crowd here but even that seems to be steadily dwindling as people tire of the lack of quality and high prices. Yes, I know, I keep harping on those prices but it’s hard not to when it feels like there’s no love or little effort going into the preparation of the food.
My bottom line? Go elsewhere for a much better value and quality meal, your stomach and your wallet will thank you!

I’m torn giving them one star. But that’s what this establishment deserves! They’re on my boycott list until they improve upon their customer service skills.
Their prices are a little high, but I do usually like their food. They just have really, really bad, and I mean incredibly CRAP-​TACULAR overall service.
I had to wait over 25min to get a burger. And I would have had to wait even longer if I didn’t ask what was going on with my order after 20min.
When the order finally came to the kitchen window, the manager handed me my order. We looked each other in the eyes and I commented about how ridiculous a 25min wait for a burger was. His reaction was to not even comment or acknowledge me or really even say «sorry about that» (which is really all I wanted or expected out of him). He immediately turn around to face the kitchen window and waited uncomfortable with his back to me until I could tell that he was ignoring me, and then I walked out.
This place is off of my list of Downtown lunch places!
Edit: I changed it to two stars since the manager did offer an apology. Thanks Robert.

Places to sit and eat your lunch with friends are pretty scarce in Downtown Honolulu, so Bistro! Downtown is a great place to meet up with friends or coworkers to chat over a meal. I started visiting this place when it was La Tour Café and didn’t realize that the place changed its name until much later because the menu stayed relatively the same.
The menu includes a good solid array of salads, pizzas, panini sandwiches, sandwiches, burgers, and quiches. I am a huge fan of the Italian Panini! So delicious! I notice that the pizzas are popular here, but I still have to try those. The salads are generous portions, which make them perfect for lunch without the 2:00 pm food coma setting in.
This place also has plenty of seating available and flat screen TVs for those dining alone or wanting to keep track of the game or news. The customer service here is fast and friendly.
Just a random question though… why the exclamation point after «Bistro»? Hahaha!

My coworkers and I went around 11:30 am to beat the lunch rush. I haven’t been impressed with this place in the past, but my coworkers love this place and insisted on going. I ordered the pastrami panini. It came on light rye bread and with a side salad.
The panini was basic. A good serving of meat, a little sauce, pressed together by sliced bread. The bread was very toasty. In fact, maybe too toasty because the roof of my mouth was scratched up. The side salad was just romaine lettuce (maybe 2 leaves total) with two slices (not wedges) of sweet pickles. I could tell the chopped lettuce had been sitting out for awhile because it was wilted.
I spent $ 11 on lunch and left dissatisfied on the quality and portion of the food.

They might be a three star restaurant but I’m giving them two stars because even though I got there at 9:15AM their fried rice was already old and dried out. The menu is limited to fried rice, a choice of eggs & meat and breakfast sandwiches. If you’re going to limit your menu you should at least cook the dishes to order.

If you work downtown and you’re like me, terrible about bringing lunch to work, then you know that after a while despite all the many delicious options downtown has to offer, sometimes you get bored.
Let me guess your weekday 12:15pm routine:
Do I want a plate lunch? Nah, too heavy. Do I want a burrito? Yeah, but I had one yesterday. Do I want a sandwich? Maybe, but I’m gonna keep looking anyway.
Right?! I know man, I know. The struggle is real.
Anyway, today I stumbled across Bistro! Downtown. I don’t know how I missed it, since I go to that Long’s next door almost daily, but today I actually noticed this little place! They offer salads, pasta, pizzas, sandwiches and specials. Not to mention a super tempting display of desserts, which I’ll be back to try.
The tomato basil soup was good, and not a bad price for the cup. The grilled veggie panini left something to be desired… oh, I know– MEAT! but it was good for a grilled veggie panini.
The service was nice and I like that they’re open later than some of the other lunch spots in town. If you’ve never been, I’d definitely suggest trying it. I plan to go and try their other options AND maybe a dessert or three.

My favorite dish to order is their Roasted Beet and Feta salad. It comes with julliened carrots, tomato slices, candied walnuts and two slices of toast. I ask for their dijon vinaigrette to eat with this tasty salad.
Everything on the menu is scrumptious! I haven’t been disappointed yet. The staff is friendly and efficient. I like that they bring your order to your table and you don’t feel rushed to eat.
They also sell macaroons… delicious, flaky, moist… macaroons!!! The flavors change quite often, but they are soooooo yummo!!!

I honestly don’t see much change here. Just the name. I mean, the inside looks the same and for the most part so is the menu. However, I have noticed that the dessert or bakery options dropped a lot. OR maybe I just come too late.
Anyway the food here is good. I enjoy coming here with friends or for group lunches. Its reasonably prices and taste average. Nothing I find to be spectacular but that’s okay, its still a good place to eat.
THE GRUB:
{{ CHICKEN MAC NUT PANINI $ 8.90 }}
This Panini is filled with grilled chicken breast, spinach, Havarti cheese and a mac nut pesto. Super Yummy :)
THE GRUB:
{{ BBQ PULLED PORK PIZZA $ 11 }}
This pizza is topped with pulled pork, red onions, sweet pineapple over a extra tangy tomato sauce finished with BBQ drizzle. I really liked this pizza. It wasn’t super oily like some places and of my favorite things about eating pizza, is the crust. This crust — was SUPER good. Winner Winner!
{{ SPICY ITALIAN SAUSAGE $ 11 }}
I just love pizza! Especially when it is topped with Genoa Salami, Spicy Cappicola, Pepperoni, Black Olives, and Red Onions, finished with ARUGULA! I really really like the flavors on this pizza, however its not spicy at all. Which works great for me, because I really don’t like spicy food.
{{ CHICKEN STRIPS $ 6 }}
For those days when I just feel like eating like I’m still a kid! I love me some chicken strips :3 I like getting these because it’s the cheapest thing on the menu. You get about 4 strips over a bed of French fries! YUM~!

Ok, let me first start with THIS IS NOT LA TOUR CAFE. Sure, the décor is similar, menu items close to what La Tour had, but THIS IS NOT LA TOUR CAFE. Ok, now that this is out of the way, I can tell you:
1. When we walked in, didn’t know this was not La Tour. We immediately became suspicious when my favorite beet and goat cheese salad was missing or otherwise altered to Feta and grilled beet salad. Then my son noticed that there were several of his favorite conspicuously absent. Nonetheless, we thought we’d give them a try.
2. its pretty good. Not as good as La Tour, but I won’t throw rocks at the food here either. I opted for the Feta & Beet Salad. It was good, although I miss those fried goat cheese balls that melt in your mouth. They have a pretty mean balsamic vinaigrette dressing (creamy style).
3. The price is about the same as La Tour.
4. Portions are similar, maybe smaller
5. Drink bar offers same options
6. They still have the macaroons.
Overall, I’ll come back here. It was busy and they were efficient.
I still love my La Tour, but guess I will have to go to Nimitz to get that. .. . its okay though. Variety is good.

+ Used to be La Tour Café. Still the same decoration. Nice and clean and classy. Actually most people went in thinking it was still La Tour. Lots of tables and seating for a downtown establishment.
+ Wide selection of menu with salads, burgers, paninis, sandwiches, pizza, breakfast, pastries; though some of the favorite items from La Tour Café are gone. I still enjoyed my Chicken w/​Mac Nut Pesto Panini sandwich.
+ Quick service, friendly staff
+ I went at 3:45PM for a late take-​out lunch, 15 minutes before closing. Along with my lunch order, I got 2 pieces of chocolate cakes and 2 pieces of vanilla cakes, FOR FREE. Because their pastries are made freshly daily and they don’t sell them overnight, I scored. :) The cakes are delicious; not too rich, not too sweet, just right.
+ Lunch with salad for less than $ 10. Good price.
— Well, if you go in expecting La Tour Café, you will be disappointed because some of the favorite La Tour menu items are gone. But then again, this is not La Tour Café. :)

6.16.13.
Since when did La Tour become Bistro! Downtown?!
While the menu appears to be mostly the same… there’s no more macaroons – WAHHHH!!!
Thank goodness my other fav – the Tri Tip Sandwich (~$ 10) – is still there! Quality & taste still seem the same… but for the price, I am only coming here to treat myself, which I was since it was my birthday last week :)
I’m still sad that the desserts have changed… I was really looking forward to having a macaroon on my bday… there is an interesting glazed bacon confection though…
Unilocal 365 Challenge: #166/​365

This is the restaurant that took the place of La Tour.
— The menu looks very similar to La Tours the items just seem to have slightly different ingredients
— They still have some of the same workers
— The prices are the same
So why the 2 stars?
I had the BBQ Bacon Cheddar Burger. I uploaded a picture of it. It was almost 11 dollars after tax and I would normally not have a problem with this if it was a high quality burger.
I’ll compare to it to my favorite Bacon Jalapeño Cheddar that I would get from La Tour (Same Price).
— The bun was no where near the quality of the la tour one
— The patty was overcooked and the meat is definitely lower quality
— It’s hard to compare the BBQ sauce with the Dijon but the BBQ sauce tastes like BBQ sauce you can get anywhere else.
— The fries are bigger, they taste like normal fries… nothing special
— They give you ketchup but they don’t have the ranch vinegar dressing
The food wasn’t bad, it was just overpriced… way overpriced for what it was. 2 stars for now. If i see that things have changed or that people are raving about a different dish i’ll give them another shot.