LBistro

The location of this place is so odd. It’s away from pretty much everything and it’s very dead on this side. The menu is very basic and for a French café kind of odd as well. Why do only two sandwiches come on a baguette and the only option for other sandwiches is sliced loaf bread?
Okay enough confusion, let’s get to what I ordered. I honestly could not decide on anything. I ended up getting the sandwich and soup combo for $ 8 because I wanted my sandwich on a baguette and that was the only option. I get my order and my sandwich comes with ONE THIN DELI SLICE OF TURKEY. What am I doing eating a sandwich with one slice of meat? I literally ate a baguette with mayo tomato and one thin slice of turkey and lettuce. That’s just not cool lol and can it really be considered a sandwich? Not in my book.
To be fair the meal was really good and I loved the taste of the baguette. The soup wasn’t bad either. But I was hungry within 30min because I had a meal full of carbs and no protein whatsoever.
I may come back, the salads looked big and filling. But I couldn’t order a «sandwich» again I just can’t. There are too many sandwich places on this same street that will pile on some tasty meat and fill me up for $ 8 or less.

In a nutshell: It’s a French-​style sandwich shop with more than sandwiches. Expect a light meal with a reasonable price (most less than $ 10).
The good: The food is good, presentation is great, sitting outside is pleasant on a mild day.
The bad: It’s a new restaurant and the service could use some polish.
The ugly: The deserts are abundant, delicate and beautiful. This place makes it easy to get fat.

Love this place. Sat outside @ cute table w/​fresh flowers. The great food is such a fantastic value. Had the smoked salmon tartine. Reasonably priced and delicious. Very relaxed and quiet atmosphere. Even though we arrived close to closing time they accommodated us w/​friendly/​prompt service. Also loved the pear tart for dessert! Will return again.

Great food and service. Place is hidden a bit as it sits away from the street. I’m happy we found it! There breakfast croissant is fabulous as well as their macarons! I love that they support their local farmers by locally shopping their produce. We’ll be coming back soon :)

My boyfriend and I LOVEEEEEEE this place! We found it on accident (via Unilocal I think?) and decided to try it and we were charmed to pieces.
It’s location on the Riverside Main Street breezeway allow for indoor and outdoor seating, which was one reason that we were drawn to it, we had a large dog with us and needed to be able to sit outside. The chef/​owner came out to personally bring the dog a bowl of water and speak with us.
Their menu isn’t the biggest thing you’ve ever seen, but standard for their size, and everything we’ve tried has been delicious, and obviously freshly made. The staff is very attentive and polite, and they always bring the dog a bowl of water and sometimes even a treat or two. We always look forward to coming here!
Monsieur Chef, merci beaucoup d’avoir un bistro dans le centre-​ville a Riverside! Nous avons besoin de plus restos comme le votre! Moi, mon petit-​ami et le chien vous remercions!

I wish I could give this establishment zero stars. My family and I were in the area tonight because of the Festival of Lights. My three year old daughter suddenly needed to use the restroom while we right outside the Bistro. I went in with my daughter and explained she was having an emergency and needed the restroom and the lady refused us quite rudely. I went outside to grab my purse from the stroller and entered again with a toddler who was obviously in distress. I offered to purchase anything in the store so that she may use the restroom. Again she refused us. I’ve never had an experience like this at a «restaurant,» especially when it’s a young child who needs to use the restroom. I encourage other parents with young children to avoid eating here because they are obviously quite heartless when it comes to children.

Fantastic. I prefer to Simple Simons where the food is over price and the servers are rude. LBistro has great food, prices and it’s not all hectic like Simple Simons. My new #1 café shop.

Delicious smoked salmon plate! Perfect smoked flavor with no fishy taste. Ingredients were fresh with a nice surprise being the mini cucumber paired with the balsamic vinegrette salad. It was prompt friendly service, excellent portions, and a small town french bakery atmosphere.

Everything I have tried has been great. The lobster bisque is to die for, get it with a baguette and some butter. It is actually a very filling lunch. Service is polite and prices are super reasonable for the quality.
If you have problems spotting the restaurant, look for the Wells Fargo bank and it’s a few stores over on the walk way and across from the Culver Theatre.

What an amazing little place, totally glad we didn’t get sushi! You’ll never find the place passing by in a car, it’s in a pedestrian mall in Downtown Riverside. Very reminiscent of the little cafes in Paris, friendly service and fresh food. Everyone is very nice and the desserts and sandwiches are amazing. Definitely worth a try.

This place is charming!!! The service was friendly and the food was delicious! Reasonably priced!

This little bistro is new to the pedestrian mall on main St downtown. And I always try to spend my $ at small mom n pops when i can. a Breakfast sandwich was my first foray since i’m not a huge French food fan. a fluffy buttery croissant w/​egg and bacon really hit the spot. lots of bacon and fluffy eggs seasoned well. u can’t go wrong.
I ventured out of my comfort zone the next time and ordered a croque monsieur. a White toast dish w/​béchamel sauce, ham, Gruyère cheese and a side of fresh fruit. the presentation was a bit sloppy (which is fine on a take out dish) but the saltiness overwhelmed the dish. I was only able to finish a lil over ½ of the sandwich due to the sodium overload.
I do like the look of their fruit tarts and I’m looking fwd to trying the waffles w/​berries and the rest of their breakfast offerings

This café is the hidden gem in downtown Riverside. I have dined here on numerous occasions and have NEVER been disappointed! The dishes are excellent and selections are numerous. The owner and staff are wonderful and committed to insure that you have a great dining experience.
This weekend I booked lunch for a large group on very short notice. Chef Laurent prepared a wonderful luncheon. In addition to the main courses, the presentation of the array of fine French pastries lured gusts to select their dessert first!
I would highly recommend an experience at this «soon to be» Riverside icon!

Came here for lunch to meet my mom who’s doing jury duty. Really close to courthouse. Ordered the jambon baguette, turkey cranberry panini, raspberry tart, and macarons. All in all the sandwiches were great– a little confused on the panini since it wasn’t grilled but it was still delicious. The fruit side was good but I’d probably skip pasta side and try the potato salad instead. Very kid friendly since its a small café but they had high chairs available. The desserts were good too– I thought sandwiches were better so go for the complete meal when trying this place out. Will definitely come back again to try their breakfast which looks delicious.
Service is a little slow since they’re a small shop and it can get packed for lunch, but they were always nice and courteous so just make sure you make enough time or get takeout.

For some reason, my six-​year didn’t like her entrée and neither did I (for the record, my wife thought hers was just fine), and I can’t remember the last time I did this, but – embarrassing admission – I sent the plates back to the kitchen. (Might have something to do with being on the tail end of an exhausting two-​week vacation with one-​year old twins; I’m a bit off right now, I think.)
All that to say that the waitstaff and the chef/​owner were incredibly gracious and refused to charge us. I felt bad and tried to pay for at least one or two of the three entrees, but they wouldn’t let me. Top-​notch service and very gracious response to a frazzled parent. I’m very grateful.

Loved it! Great food, coffee and outdoor seating on a beautiful Riverside day. Reasonably priced French Bistro that doesn’t require a plane ticket to Paris for. Least that’s what I told my wife who wants to go back for a visit… Lol.
I had the Croque Madame and my wife had the Quiche Lorraine and we were both impressed. Waiting on a chocolate filled croissant and I’m waiting on my strawberry and cream crepes. Time for a nap…

Paid about 10 dollars for their caprese open face sandwich and a water :)
The lady at the counter and the chef are both very nice! And they have canolis! :D

I finally had a chance to try this delightful café. When I first saw it it was well after closing time. But after the lunch hour was the perfect time to go there it seems. I decided to order the soup and sandwich combination which has three options for the sandwich: turkey, ham, or roast beef. Being Friday clam chowder augmented their cream of mushroom default choice. The nice gal who served me at the counter informed me there’s a $ 1.75 surcharge when getting clam chowder. It definitely makes the $ 7.95 base price higher, but I wanted to see how they rendered it.
When the food came out I was happy to see a small side salad with a light vinegrette. The pane roll was fresh as can be and very tasty. The turkey too was top quality, shaved thin for that just right stacking sandwiches need. The soup initially disappointed me because for the surcharge I was expecting more than a 6 – 7 ounce portion. Nevertheless, the quality of the soup made up for this. Generous amounts of clams in a tightly bound soup base.
All-​in-​all, I think lunch was a bit expensive as the tab came to about $ 9.48. The owner, or lady who managed was very attentive and helpful. As a surprise she brought out two small puff pastries to sample. If those are any indication of how good the other house-​made pastries are then it will be a place to revisit for sure. The kitchen was nice and clean, properly phrased: mis en place.

Before LBistro opened, they catered an event at my workplace, and we were immediately smitten. I attended their soft opening and the love affair continued. And I’ve gone back regularly since. On the opening night of Festival my husband and I were crazy enough to brave downtown in order to see a movie at the Culver, and stopped by LBistro afterward since they’re open late for the holidays. Even after a very long day, the food was still fresh and tasty — I don’t know how they do it.
LBistro is a couple more bucks than my regular lunches out, but I think they’re worth it. And since they’re open, I find myself craving a Simple Simons chocolate nut bomb much less. How did that happen?! Well, their pastries and desserts are all that good.

My boyfriend found this gem on the way to work one day and finally dragged me downtown with a friend. I am thouroughly impressed and wish them nothing but the best for Festival of Lights and beyond.
I came in this evening for their lobster bisque. Their chef is kind and the staff is very informative. The lobster bisque was delicious and made in house. You could taste the «love» they put into their food. I can’t even describe how good that bisque was. Fresh crème, etc.
The best part about their delicious food is that it’s affordable. I paid $ 3.50 for a bowl of bisque and it was plenty of food. I would have gladly paid for a second serving. Their Crème brûlée is only $ 2.50.
I will definitely be a regular here from now on. Best of luck!