Bistro Basque

Romantic, atmospheric, gastronomic! Can’t wait to come back. We could have had an entire meal off the tapas menu alone! Cauliflower was rich and flavorful and the fois gras was succulent. A bientot!

I love Bistro Basque. It’s the finest restaurant in Milford. I do not even care for cauliflower, and I devoured the cauliflower gratin tapa. The gambas al ajillo and calamares al la plancha are my favorite tapas. The paella is as good as what I ate in Barcelona. The sangria is great, and they have a reasonable wine list. The atmosphere is romantic and chandeliers inviting. Lastly, the service is solid. Your water will be refilled regularly and the staff are very courteous. It appears that they are expanding into next door. I cannot wait to check out the new space!

Awesome dinner. We went on a crowded night, but sat at the bar and had a drink while we waited, it was worth the wait. New York City atmosphere, delicious Basque cuisine! Nice for a romantic dinner. Will certainly go back again soon. Highly recommend the mixed grill they offered (can’t remember the name of the entrée) but it had a variety of meats including lamb and chicken thighs. It was fantastic. You won’t be disappointed.

This was my first time here with friends. The food and service was amazing. The sauces and flavors for all our dishes were delicious. We will definitely be back.

Fave downtown Milford restaurant. Sit in back outside in summer. Casual European delicious fare. Any fish dish I’ve had here has been outstanding and super fresh. Lots of vegetarian choices on menu. A gem of a bistro.

Horrible service! I walked in the restaurant with my boyfriend, we got inside right after another couple. There was a (French) guy at the entrance, either the owner or manager. He let the couple before us walk in without any delay. However, he stopped us. He started by asking weird questions: «Do you guys want a table? Together? Are you going to talk to each other?» At first, I just thought he was a bad comedians. Then after that, he said «Sorry guys, but you to pay here, you’re going to have to wash the dishes»… and after some awkward seconds he completed with «or cash or check, because we are not accepted cards at the moment». Why didn’t he tell this to the previous couple?
We were obviosly not welcome there. So we left. I guess we were the only non-​white customers? Or we were not wearing fancy clothes? I am going to assume that it’s for the second reason. Even if that’s the case, the restaurant doesn’t have a dressing-​code on their website. And we were not even wearing sportswear; we were both in jeans, sneakers, and fleece jackets. I never felt so discriminated in my life. This restaurant definitely doesn’t deserve the rating they have here.

If I could have seen the menu and ordered appropriately, maybe I would have enjoyed it more. VERY DARK. Our party used my iPhone to light the menu. I mentioned lighting to the waiter and got a shrug. Will not go back for dinner. Food was good. Maybe go back for a lunch during daylight.

The food and atmosphere are great. Reminds me of Europe. They never disappoint. Worth a visit.

A very good representation of Basque cuisine. The cauliflower gratin and artichoke heart appetizers were well done… although I suspect that the artichoke hearts were from a tin. Very good, nonetheless.
My entrée of chicken thighs stewed with peppers was well seasoned and delicious.
Did not have a dessert, however, the menu included several items I’d enjoy trying, including flan. Espresso was on point and was the single best cup I’ve enjoyed since moving to New York from Portland, OR earlier this month.
Overall, it was a very nice restaurant experience. Recommended!

Very satisfied. I went with the small salad tossed in the chef’s vinaigrette, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. The salad was a heaping portion of greens tossed in just the right amount of dressing. The cauliflower was very tender and cheesy and was my favorite part of the meal. The Brussels sprouts were ok. I think I would try the portobello mushroom next time.

My niece was visiting from Colorado and we wanted something memorable for lunch. We had both had meals in Tapas restaurants in various cities and enjoyed them (I had fantastic tapas at Barcelona Wine Bar in Norwalk, for one). We were the only customers for lunch, and had the open-​air front seats for people watching. Sorry. Everything we ordered was mediocre at best. We ordered four tapas: pork lomos, shrimps, chorizos, and duck comfit. The presentation was rather nice! But the food was so-​so. We didn’t bother with dessert. The duck was a disappointment in particular. I had heard good things about this place, but… that’s how the cookie crumbles.

Not sure how I missed this place for so long. I’ve been in Milford for a couple years now, knew that this restaurant was highly rated, but hadn’t made it in. I finally dined here two weeks ago… and then went again last week.
The layout is nice, the people are friendly, and the food is great. Each time we went we dialed up a bunch of tapas and wine. They pace the plates perfectly, no more than a couple at a time. My favorites are the chorizo & lentils and the lomo. There was also an incredible short rib tapas one night that we had to order twice.
Getting a reservation wasn’t hard but the place does fill up at night. On a Saturday night, we went for dinner at 5:30 and the place was full by 6:30. People are drinking and sharing plates and conversation, it’s a fun place to be. A place I would take friends to have a nice, long casual dinner together. There’s no sense of being rushed out so you can take your time, savor your food, and enjoy your company.

I ordered Gratin de chou-​fleur and Grilled salmon. Both items tasted great. We also ordered flan for dessert and it was best flan I’ve tasted in a while. The service was friendly and the atmosphere cozy. Definitely recommend giving this restaurant a try.

BAD SERVICE!
did not honor the half price tapas after 3pm because they were ordered at 2:40 when I was the ONLY one at the bar… literally. The Spanish looking bartender said «it’s ok we can» when asked if they would honor and then blatantly LIED when the check came out at full price– which mind you was well after 3pm. Ridiculous. When explained it was my first time there they showed zero appreciation for my patronage and after arguing for 5 mins I paid and left. THIS PLACE SUCKS DONT GO HERE. Service is TERRIBLE

It’s one of a handful of the fine dining establishments in downtown Milford. Food is an authentic mix of Spaniard and French. I actually spent a month in the Basque Region of Spain. They have an impressive wine list and a great selection of tapas. Entrees are amazing. Definitely sit outside on the sidewalk or get a table near the sidewalk during the summer months.

I had the misfortune of being recommended this place this past Thursday to celebrate my anniversary. I figured it would be a nice relaxing atmosphere at 6:30pm. There was only one server for the entire dinning room and from the beginning he was clearly flustered. It started when we requested a pitcher of sangria for our tapas (makes sense). Denied, «we don’t sell pitchers» I was told. Ok fine but then the red flags started when the server was pretty clueless when it came to the food and being unable to make any recommendations or even explain the differences of the food. So we chose the best would could from the tapas selection. We knew we were in trouble when the very first two items we selected have not been on the menu since the winter and made a small menu even smaller. Huge red flag when an owner is too lazy to update a menu. As we scattered to select different options the server Was clearly impatient.
Food:
After randomly selecting a few items from what we considered to be a poor menu selection at a tapas restaurant we actually enjoyed the food. It was by no means worth the money we paid but it was at least tasty enough. The tapas were pretty good and the main dish (churrasceria) sufficed. However midway through dinner our sangria and water went dry and we were never approached about refills .
Problems :
We decided we were full and wanted to pack the rest. Being patient that I am I waited patiently for the server who flew back and fourth between all tables except mine. Empty plates, glasses, and body language of clearly being done. I waited approximately 25 minutes until I decided enough was enough. I saw another man doing menial tasks while the main server was busy. I asked him for a manger to which he replied I am the owner. I explained to him how disappointed I was with the experience and service especially being a special occasion and my expectations for a nice romantic evening. He paused awkwardly started to turn away and simple shrugged his shoulders saying «I’m sorry», … that was the last straw for us. I asked for the check and we prepared to leave. Just before leaving they came with a cake and water, im guessing the cake was for my anniversary but it was too little too late. The service, was terrible and the accountability was worse.
I am by no means a difficult person having been servers ourselves we totally understand good and bad service. When I am paying a premium price for food I can get cheaper elsewhere I expect better service worthy of being considered fine dinning. This was not that. This place and food was par and service was abysmal. I’ve read review about how good this place was but ultimately it comes down to service and making sure guests are pleased with there experience. I will never go back nor recommend this place to anyone.

Boy were we disappointed. We spent a Valentine’s lunch at Bistro Basque based on the solid reviews. First thing we were hit with was a $ 60 prix fixe menu for lunch which we were not told about when I made the reservation. While that’s steep for lunch in Milford we had heard such good things we said okay. The menu started with 3 shared tapas — a salmon tartare which we didn’t care for, shrimp which were fine (not special though) and the cauliflower dish. While the cauliflower dish was good — it is the same thing I make in my cauliflower gratin. Good but not the raves we had read here.
My husband had the quite delicious paella — plentiful and flavorful. I had the grossly oversalted short ribs. No more need be said about that. I had the pear tart — a square of puff pastry with a small smear of pastry cream (very small) and a poached pear on top. Terrible. The chocolate mousse my husband had was good. We had to ask for coffee and tea although we were asked 3 times if we wanted more wine even though our glasses were half full.
Conclusion — VERY overpriced for what we got — some good dished, some okay dishes, and some terrible dishes. Mediocre service pushing liquor. We won’t be back — not quite an epic fail but a major one.

Extremely overpriced. Went there for Valentine’s Day. They had a pre-​fixed menu for $ 60…per plate!!! Ok, the food was good, but not $ 60 per plate good. And the tables were mostly for 2 and right on top of each other. Absolutely no privacy. And the kicker; I had a gift certificate and the owner Madder would not accept it. No where was it mentioned that gift certificates would not be accepted on holidays. Not even on their website.

Trendy Spanish-​Style Bistro!
I really enjoy it. The atmosphere is great, authentic Spanish bistro feel from the décor to the music, to the tapas! The small plates are great. Steamed Mussels and the paella and great choices. Seafood/​lobster risotto and braised short rib were also done to perfection for entrees. We will definitely be back to try more options.

Probably one of the more upscale restaurants in Downtown Milford, Bistro Basque is a great change of pace than the usual scene.
It’s on the smaller side, so reservations are definitely a good idea. If it’s nice out, I recommend the back garden area. Very beautiful and relaxing.
There menu consists of mostly tapas and also some main dishes. Everything I have ever tried here was very good. My favorite is the cauliflower tapa– it’s memorable.
They have a nice wine list and some unique cocktails.
Service is friendly and adequate.
This is a great date place!