Valentines lunch at Bistrot Pierre

Both me and my boyfriend working in the restaurant industry ourselves, we were limited to how we could celebrate valentines day the way we wanted to, as we would both be needed at our own restaurants in the evening. This made us look for somewhere to eat lunch in Leicester that would still provide us with the intimate atmosphere, attentive service and divine foods. After searching through trip Advisor, Instagram and google reviews we settled on Bistrot Pierre in Leicester.

The table was booked for their Prix Fixe lunch time menu; this is a set priced menu where you can get 1 course for £10.95, 2 courses for £12.95 or 3 courses for £14.95 where you can also pay extra for appetisers and sides if you wish. I believe that these prices are exceptionally good for what you get! The variety of this lunch time menu was very impressive as i struggled to decide on a starter, main and dessert, however i am not complaining. Many other casual dining restaurants offer lunch menus, but are so limited in the choices, however this restaurant gave me so much choice to the point it was hard to decide! The drinks menu also offered a wide range of wines, soft drinks and interesting cocktails at a very reasonable price.

Once i arrived at Bistrot Pierre i was so pleased to find the restaurant was full with only a couple spare tables that were filled within a matter of time. This offered a busy but chilled atmosphere where it allowed us to enjoy our meals comfortably without feeling neglected or over watched, which was perfect.

1st course- Wild Mushroom Risotto

We decided to share the starter so we could properly enjoy our mains and desserts so we went with the risotto as i was thinking of having this for my main. This dish was beautiful, the sauce was creamy and if i'm honest i could have eaten this for myself.

2nd course: top- Moroccan Chicken, bottom- Boeuf bourguignon

I had the Boeuf bourguignon and i can honestly say it was the best Boeuf bourguignon i have ever tasted; being a french style restaurant i was expecting it to be good, but i wouldn't go anywhere else for this dish now. The Moroccan chicken was full of flavour and the couscous that came with it was amazing, the side of fries also came with the Moroccan chicken. I would definitely recommend both of these dishes and would have them again if i was to return.

3rd course: top- Bistrot crêperie with mixed berry compote, bottom- Valrhona chocolate mousse

The Berry crepe was my choice of dessert; it was perfect to finish the meal off with because it was light and easy to eat as well as being filled with such sweet flavours. The chocolate mousse was exceptional and so indulgent, it was chocolate dessert luxury, it is possible it could be too much for some people, especially if it is their third course.

Bisrtot Pierre impressed me so much, as soon as we left we both asked each other when we should return. here is how i would rate it on the individual factors:

Food- 10/10- i cant think of one thing wrong with the food, the portion sizes were perfect, the contents of the portion were outstanding and the presentation of the food had been thought about, i wouldn't change any part of the food we ate there.

Drinks- 10/10- the drinks were presented well in nice glasses and both the cocktail and soft drink included fresh fruit and limes in. there was alot of choice for everyone including a wide range of wines, cocktails, beers and soft drinks.

Service- 9/10- we were served mainly by one waitress who was very attentive but at the same time gave us our space too. the drinks were delivered to us straight away and the starters arrived promptly. there was also a good time in between our starters and mains and mains and desserts. the waitress wasn't pushing us to order any extras but was happy to help if we wanted more table water or when we asked for recommendations on the desserts. the service was very impressive despite the restaurant being busy.

Atmosphere- 9/10- The restaurant was full of people but it never felt stressful for the staff and this created a very chilled atmosphere. there were a lot of tables, i expect a lot of the tables had been broken up into couples for valentines day but at no point did it feel over crowded or squished.

Appearance 8/10- Bistrot Pierre felt very authentic with french artwork and decorations. the walls were darkly coloured but they had huge windows that brought in a good amount of light. one thing i loved about the appearance of the place was how tables were facing different ways and there were different levels and rooms that split the restaurant up and made it feel bigger.

#valentinesday #lunch #diningout #bistrotpierre