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Categories: French, Mediterranean
1440 San Marco BlvdMeet friends or mix & mingle at both bars Monday - Friday from 4pm - 7pm at our new HALF priced L'Heure du Cocktail Happy Hour!
Announced 1 week agoMon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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I'm ashamed of admitting I've fallen into believing the stereotypes about rednecks, pickup trucks, good ol' boys and low brow type of fare when I think about the South. Where BBQ, grits, sweet tea, the Varsity's naked dogs walking ruled in my mind, this restaurant slapped me upside the head and stood me at attention.
My best friend and I were having a nice dinner together and seeing this familiar name in San Marco, I had to inquire and try this place out for myself. The lighting, the windows and overall feel seemed something familiar and reminded of San Francisco so of course we had to investigate. We were greeted by a well dressed host staff and the warm festive mood with the gentle hum of diners, wine glasses and the open kitchen immediately impressed on me what kind of atmosphere I was getting introduced to. I was not disappointed.
We were greeted by a lovely server who displayed that kind of charm you almost expect from a Southern lady (turned out she was from Texas btw) and had that right balance of honesty and insight. We sat there soaking in the menu and more and more it reminded me of the Bistro Aix back in San Francisco but after finishing the meal, it was clear to me that this place had far surpassed the West Coast namesake indeed.
For appetizers, I started with their baby spinach & mixed greens with pears, candied walnuts and this lovely blue cheese dressing that wasn't overpowering or too heavy. My friend had the French Onion that smelled heavenly and although I would have probably licked the bowl clean during any other setting, since we were in public I behaved myself. I thought the salad presentation was perfect, the temperature was just right, and the balance of flavors made me wiggle in my chair enthusiastically. :)
For my main course, I chose the pork tenderloin over polenta and brussel sprouts cooked medium well. It was HEAVEN in my mouth and I can't stress enough how important a hot place is for proteins and for slow eaters like myself. My friend had the penne pasta with spicy sausage and ricotta which did more than satisfy the 6'2" man. The poor guy couldn't finish the pasta because it was that impressive indeed.
I definitely have to say if I were in Jacksonville more often, I'd be a regular here just for the appetizers and mac and cheese. I'm also a fan of anyone who carries J. Lohr and Merryvale Cabs so I'll be making a point of making it a definite stop next time I come back to Jacksonville.
I was born and raised in Jacksonville, and I used to think that AIX was too expensive and I always wondered who all of those people were who would eat there once, twice or three times a month, but now I know... ready folks....
THEY'RE NOT NATIVES! Not even close.
After a few years of kicking it in NYC, I now know who "those people" are and respect that they find this place delightful, delectable, and dare I say it, affordable!
From the Top:
To start I would suggest the Duck Spring Rolls or the Charcuterie & Imported Cheese Plate (don't miss out on the Brillat-Savarin in the cheese selection).
On to Salads:
The Baby Spinach & Mixed Greens with pears, candied walnuts & house-made blue cheese dressing is my usual and if a fan of any or all of these things, is a must. Blue Cheese with Candied Walnuts is my favorite combination of flavors!
For the Entree:
If you choose a pizza, may I suggest the Smoked Salmon with red onions, crème fraîche, chili oil & caviar - this is a very balanced dish - salty, tangy, spicy, sweet, buttery, crispy, and delicate - it really is a treat!
If you choose a pasta - DO NOT OVERLOOK THE MAC N' CHEESE! It's $8.00 and is a dream as a side dish or as an appetizer!
If you choose the meat/poultry/fish entree there are lots of WONDERFUL options to choose from:
The red wine and shallot sauce which belongs to the Steak Frites is addictive.
The pairing of creamy polenta with roasted apples & Brussels sprouts and a beautiful roasted pork tenderloin is heavenly.
The Ribeye with roasted potatoes, Brussels sprouts, creamy horseradish & crispy onions is out of this world.
But my favorite:
Filet Mignon on green beans with braised shallots, Stilton blue cheese & au gratin potatoes. It's all about the Au Gratin Potatoes here folks! Seriously! Bring it ON!
I'm not a desert person, so with that I cannot help. Though I have had their creme brulee and it does stand up to most.
Their wine list is one of the best in Jacksonville, and though it sounds like that's not saying a lot, I believe it would stand on its own in many metropolitan cities as well.
In all, now that I am a New Yorker, AIX seems downright affordable for the quality of the experience (food, servers, management, and scene). Wake up Jacksonville, you're lucky to have this place! Chef Tom is incredible and he has given Jacksonville a wonderful gift - the gift of a refined dining experience for a fair price.
This place was PHENOMENAL. The wait staff was attentive, and my waitress was very chatty and personable despite my showing up alone with a book (the dreaded 1-top). I travel a fair amount for work, and I eat in a lot of restaurants... this one is definitely in the top 5 percentile.
I got a penne pasta dish with spicy sausage in a tomato based sauce with goat cheese, and it was a religious experience. A warning here - the half size portions are more than enough for a meal. I got the half size, and I can't imagine what would have come for the full size... it may come with a complimentary set of swim trunks so that diners can fully submerge :)
Dessert was a chocolate bread pudding with caramelized bananas in a rum sauce, and again, WOW. Phenomenal dessert, and the portions were quite good. It's rather pricey, since a meal for one with no alcohol came to $40 with tax and tip, but it's well worth it for a special occasion or a business dinner. I can't recommend this place highly enough!
The food was pretty good, with everyone in our party loving one of our dishes (the favorites were rib eye, spinach salad, and bread pudding [mine]). It's not a meal that wowed me, however. It's fairly expensive, with most entrees in the 20s. I could have eaten cheaper, however, by choosing a pizza for about $14.
Their wine list seemed quite good, with quite a few available by the glass. I found one of my favorites, Saracco Moscato d' Asti, by the glass.
The setting in the main room was pleasant, but the new Onyx Room in the back looks better. It features onyx lit from behind, a long bar, and comfortable-looking booths. It looks like an upscale lounge.
Our server was mostly good, but for two things. He said something to one of our party that we all laughed at, but it could be perceived as an insult. Also, when I asked a question about wine he didn't seem to understand the basics of champagne.
Overall, I'd say this is pretty good on each of food, service, and setting. If you choose the right dishes you could have an excellent meal here. Depending on what you order, however, it can be expensive.
Meh, I wasn't even footin' the bill, and yet it still only get 3 stars....
I had steak frties, which, though tender, lacked any flavor besides a mild saltiness. The texture was interesting, almost like it had been artificially tenderized...I wonder...Anyway, not so good.
The apps we had included the homemade chips with bleu cheese which were quite delicious. I am a sucker for a fried potato though in any form.
Also had the calamari which was fried, lightly in a flour batter. It was good.
Had a flourless chocolate cake for dessert which I didn't finish because it was just not worth it.
Hmm, why only 3 stars? I dunno, the price again, was just not worth it to me for the quality of the food.
I do have the say the server we had this time was weird/quirky/cool. She's a little touchy feely though and if I were a girl and she were an ugly guy, I'd say it was creepy. But I'm not a girl and she wasn't an ugly guy, so it was thoroughly amusing.
I don't go to the Aix if it's my choice, but I know many others love it.
Ah yes, only in Jax could one mistake this for a five star restaurant...I dunno if the previous… Read more »
I had dinner here twice and both times I shook my head while exiting looking at my credit card receipt. This place is really expensive. They do have a really cool white onyx bar, worth it to check out.
I recently read in a Florida Restaurant Magazine featuring the chef Tom Gray is a Jacksonville native. He has been trained at all the best culinary school, but if he's reading this, please lower the prices.
Maybe its just to classy for me but everyone enjoys fine dining at a reasonable price. Food is good. Great place to take a date but break the wallet.
Parking is much better now & arrogant bartender is gone too!
For some weird reason they do not stock/serve Gray Goose Vodka.
Visited six times, all meals were very good, and well presented. Atmosphere is interesting, and… Read more »
As has been said before, what Bistro Aix lacks is consistency. there are places on the menu where the dishes are creative, delicious, and flavor is allowed to shine. The smoked salmon pizza is one of the most unusual things I've seen, and is quite tasty. Others seem to be little more than filler for empty space. Ask for recommendations, as the staff is usually well-informed.
The decor is trendy, the service is good, and the prices are high. Very high. I might have been spoiled living in VA, where good food and good prices are not mutually exclusive, but I can't justify spending a small fortune for a meal that amounts to a lottery ticket for taste.
On the bright side, Chef Tom Gray knows his stuff. I've seen him in Publix cook-offs, and he clearly enjoys the work. The last time I was at Bistro Aix, they had Chef's specials, which are worth taking a look at, if you can stomach the expense.
Wait staff is extra friendly, but sometimes I think they are too busy so they take a while to come back around after they've delivered the food.
I dont understand the super high prices. $2.49 for a sprite. Lol. I guess you pay for service here. Either that or you pay for their water in a glass bottle.
As for the food? I ordered the lunch special vegetable quiche, which came with a side of caesar salad. Nothing too special but several of the items on the menu looked really interesting.
Dinner at AIX this time was disappointing. I took someone who had never been to dinner at AIX, or anywhere in San Marco for that matter, for the first time. We were able to get a table right away, and the hostess was quick and pleasant. She sat us in a booth along the wall where we had plenty of room. My resident expert/date for the night commented on how much she loved the décor of AIX. Our server came over shortly and took drink orders. After telling us about the specials for the day she took off to get our drinks. Here is when things started to go south.
Let me start by saying that we both agreed that while this was a off meal at AIX, that is was still wonderful! Our drink orders came back to us shortly after ordering them. Mine came back neat despite being ordered on the rocks. No biggie I just asked for a glass of ice and everything was fine. We tried two apps for the table. I, the seared tuna on top pickled cucumber salad with fried polenta cakes and balsamic glaze; and she the seamed mussels with white wine, butter, garlic and thyme. Both came out looking magnificent. The Mussels were spot on, if not a bit too brothy. Each mussel was opened and plump. The tuna however was a bit of a disappoint. The first bite was tough and stringy others were much better as I progressed further down the fish. The salad and polenta cakes were missing a pop that I was looking for. I found hints of anise (fennel perhaps) and a spiciness (jalapeño?) in the salad that was welcome. The polenta cakes were cooked to perfection but weren't anything special.
Typically I like to stick with some of their most popular app dishes, house made chips with blue cheese, tomato soup, and duck spring rolls are all winners. I thought I would try something new, do yourself a favor and skip the new tuna dish. For the Main, we ordered a salmon split. The fish came out perfectly and once again quickly. The dish had tzatziki on top (Arabic yogurt sauce with dill and cucumber). This dish failed to impress as well. I found the tzatziki bland. I think that they might want to spend more time working on that and asking the opinion of the sizeable Arabic population in the San Marco, San Jose area. For a condiment that is going to cover your protein it needs to not distract from the rest of the dish.
Dessert came out, she a bread pudding, and espresso for myself. This was the highpoint of the meal. The outside of the bread pudding was crispy, the inside hot and soft; a culinary exercise in bread form. Please don't read this review as overly critical. AIX is still one of the best options for anyone dining in Jacksonville and I nitpick because of my previous outstanding experiences.
After my most recent meal I am taking away one star from AIX moving them from 5 to 4 stars. The service and décor is still top notch. I have no doubt that I will be back soon and have a meal that once again makes me want to come back so badly. If you get the chance eat there! Make sure to skip the dishes mentioned before. I will update you when I go back myself.
I thought that I would post an update to the review I wrote about AIX. After the review I was… Read more »
This is one of the best places in Jacksonville to eat. From the great Martini's, to the (way too) extensive Wine selection, you can have a great meal, in a nice environment with a great drink by your side at all times.
The seared tuna is my favorite dish, and don't miss the crunchy chips with blue cheese appetizer.
If your in jax and haven't tried any of chef tom's menu items your missing out big time...get your tail in there and say what's up to Chef Tom Gray...dude is on point,tell'em I sent ya!
Bistro Aix is fun, hip and busy. Every plate is stylish and delicious. Chef Tom is inventive and playful. Sit at the chef's bar to watch the kitchen action and feel the heat from the pizza oven. Sit at the Onyx bar to see and be seen. Hide out in the open air tables out back.
Service is the best in town and we love coming back to see what new creations have been added since our last visit.
We actually returned here about a month ago to give the place a second chance; I just couldn't be bothered to write a review until now. In any case, I'm giving Bistro back a star, for three reasons. Firstly, I enjoyed my meal more this time than I did last time. Don't get me wrong. On both occasions, the food was good. Most recently, though, I ordered the Steak Frites, which is apparently a "fast food" kind of meal in France, consisting of onglet steak and some awesome French fries. I loved this stuff. Secondly, the quality of the service definitely improved. The waiter was actually attentive and polite. Thirdly, we essentially ate for free, thanks to a dining certificate we received in order to make up for our initially disappointing experience. And nothing tastes better than free food. There is still some room for improvement; the service can become more refined, and surely there must be some way to control the excessive noise in the dining area. Overall, though, Bistro Aix is a great restaurant. Try it out.
My date, myself, and eight of our friends ate here last night for our prom dinner. Let's talk about… Read more »
I've never been to the Bistro AIx in San Francisco, but according to our server they aren't related. Now I"m curious to know whether the experiences would be in any way comparable.
A group of seven lovely ladies settled down for a business dinner at a rather uncomfortably cramped round table. Yes, it was quite "cozy" and if these were my girlfriends it might have even been nice to be so intimate, but being about two inches from the regional AVP of operations was a little to close for my comfort. We arrived at around 5:30, the place was practically empty, why wouldn't they seat us at a more spacious table, or put some tables together?
I had a steak which was cooked to my temperature, but was not as flavorful as I would have liked. I substituted mashed potatoes for the pommes frites, and they were rather bland too, but the string beans came out perfectly crisp and tasty. That and a nice glass of Shirah made for a pleasant meal. Our server was great, and even gave all seven of us separate checks. (A pain for her, but I honestly think she comes out winning in the end.)
It was unexpectedly sleek and hip. The location is a little odd in the middle of nowhere. They have a cosy, dimly lit front room, and then they have a cool (and icey cold), modern deco room in the back. The service was great. Very attentive throughout the dining experience. Tried their calamari: it was okay
Steamed Mussel: this was GREAT! you must be a garlic lover though and very hungry. They will give you a whole boat load of them.
Macaroon: a gigantic one was more than enough for me to share and it was very moist and good :-)
I'd definitely go back if I have a chance.
This is actually a 2.5 star review, with the main issue have being inconsistency. Bistro Aix has not shown me any consistency.
I have given this restaurant a few too many chances, because I love the environment and the wine list. Simple and clean, yet with clear winners. And the first time I ever ate here was with my then fiance (married a year next Tuesday!) I had the pleasure of eating a seared duck breast with sweet and sour cherries accompanied by perfect brussel sprouts and a sage bread pudding I now recreate at home.
But the pizzas are unpredictable, the service can be spotty, and there are some big failures that have made it to my plate. I have ordered a good calamari dish from Bisto Aix, and I have also ordered calamari that had one gooey pancake of raw batter and just as raw squid in the middle. Caesar salads can be crisp one day and limp the next, and bartenders can be professional and attentive one day and have major superiority complexes the next.
Again, my word is inconsistency. The menu always looks simple yet promising, and the drinks are poured quickly and well. Although the decor, menu, prices and attitude of the staff communicate a sense of epicurean appeal, you just don't know for sure what you're going to get.
The escargot used to be drenched in a butter mushroom sauce, and it was a flawless appetizer. The pizzas are unpredictable, like a I said, but I do suggest getting one with a strong cheese, they use a good supplier. On one occasion I had the chocolate molten cake with a beautiful Pinot Noir, and the next time I had the cake it was clearly microwaved and stale. The Creme Brulee is fairly idiot-proof.
Again, having had a number of great experiences with the restaurant and understanding that a lot of culinary planning goes into the menu, I can't give this a negative review. But you can certainly throw some money down in this place (fiance and I was about $130 with one app, two entrees, shared dessert, one glass wine for her and two for me) and that to me should mean something.
Probably my overall favorite Jacksonville restaurant. The cocktails are so good (Mango Mint Long Island Iced Tea & Mangotini are my favs) and the food is wonderful too. I love the sausage pizza and the blue cheese chips the best.
Good things about Aix: the very attractive waitresses, napkins changed to match your clothing, and consistent food.
Bad things about Aix: it is very crowded, it is very loud, and the parking situation sucks.
Can't have everything....
The food is consistently good, but my favorites keep going away! This is the reasoning behind the 3 star rating. My favorites used to be the butternut squash risotto and the goat cheese/sausage pizza. GONE.
A great place for a date or dinner with friends.
This is the restaurant you go to in Jacksonville when you have out-of-town guests who you want to impress. It simply feels like it belongs in a bigger or more grown-up city, Bistro Aix does. All of the food is of literal five-star quality, the drinks are standard froufrou fancy cocktails, and the atmosphere is superb. In fact, the atmosphere is what really makes Aix and sets it apart from other fine dining in Jacksonville, because the look and architecture really sets Bistro Aix apart.
This restaurant was my favorite spot to drink and eat with the girls or with friends. The staff is quick and the food is yummy. If you don't feel like eating a big meal, then head to the bar and split appetizers with friends or just order a fine beverage. I miss Bistro Aix!
Bistro Aix has all the amenities of any upscale restaurant, with a young, bustling crowd, attentive waiting staff, and eclectic ingredients; HOWEVER, the food failed in every single way compared to its atmospheric promises. I was expecting high end food that was flavorful and delicious, but each course I received was bland and mediocre. My fiancee and I started off with the crispy duck confit spring rolls and the smoked tomato soup. The duck was dry and the pineapple "ketchup" was pretty tasteless (not to mention it did not resemble ketchup at all, so I'm not sure why they have it listed as such on the menu...). The tomato soup tasted pretty much like marinara sauce that was overspiced with oregano. I was expecting a creamy, smokey soup, but alas, it had NO smokey flavor and little cream in it. For our entrees we had the Penne with Zeke's spicy sausage, marinara & creamy goat cheese and Housemade Whole Wheat Fettuccini with Corn. The Penne was fair (but probably the best thing we ate there), and the Fettuccini was TASTELESS. I'm not even sure it had sauce. I could have made the same thing at home with canned corn and jarred red peppers. Lastly, we ordered the specialty dessert, Grapefruit yogurt cake. It was a premade cake that Hostess could have claimed as its own, with the only redeeming ingredient being fresh strawberries. I had an after dinner coffee, The Banana Split, which was overwhelmingly sweet. I wanted to try the apple cobbler on their dessert menu, but you can only get it with a TRIO of desserts. For an upscale restaurant, I was really expecting them to please their customers and allow them to order things off the menu without having to purchase the other 2 desserts that I did not want. I would not go back here, and I would not recommend this place to anyone I know. The price did not match the quality of food we received.
I knew ONE person in Jacksonville when I came here, and that one person had one strong recommendation: Bistro Aix.
Unfortunately, I'd already eaten dinner that night (see my list for a full slew of stuff I did in the city), and brushed my teeth. My breath was minty-fresh, so I decided to go for a mojito. It actually had too much mint, it didn't have sugar cane (not that I've ever seen one with, I've just heard that's the ideal) and I'm pretty sure it was lacking cachaca. Regardless, it was tasty. My friend had a glass of red wine, and he seemed to enjoy it. He'd worked there for a couple months before he got his current job, and he raved about the food (and he spends hundreds a month for the best food!), so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and assume the atmosphere matches the cuisine, which would be a good thing.
Not that I ever plan on coming back to this town, but if I did, I'd come here.
I could not agree with Jay L.'s review any more (look down). I went last week and was excited about the atmosphere. The wooden torture chairs were; however, horrible to sit in for any length of time. Last time I had the blue cheese chips. They were good but not enough blue cheese. I ordered the cheese plate as my entree and then decided to order the mussels instead and when they came out it literally tasted like pee. Unhappy and worried that I may have eaten pee, I ate my mom's smoked salmon pizza. I loved it and loved the apple cobbler later in the evening. So I thought that I had finally found an okay spot in Jacksonville and felt that I was being paranoid about the pee flavor in my mussells. Tonight, I had a completely different experience. The service was terrible and the blue cheese chips had one dallop of cheese on the entire platter. I ordered the califlower soup and it came out tasteless with peanuts floating on top (Why in the world would they do that) . To be honest, I sent it back and they exchanged it with a wonderful french onion soup. My smoked salmon pizza came out and it was terrible. Fishy and salty and I wanted to take a shower after eating a couple of bites. My mom got the fish and her's was fishy as well. The apple cobler was terriffic but I am officially butt hurt about this place and may only go back for dessert. Also, for a meal that consisted of only two good courses, carried the price tag of 94 dollars for two people. Boo
There aren't a lot of trendy restaurants in Jacksonville, but most of them are all pretty close together in north San Marco, Avondale, and Downtown. Bistro Aix is one of them. I've been a number of times. The food is great and somewhat artistic. As with any such restaurant, the wallet is a necessity, though Aix is cheaper than others. Without drinks, two can get out for well under $100 after tip. The wine list is extensive, so it's most likely going to be more if you venture in that direction. It's a pinch noisier than I would like in a restaurant where I'm dropping a Benjamin, but the food and service offset any negatives by leaps and bounds. If you haven't been, go.
waitstaff is very friendly..the blue chips app is only thing to brag about! seems like a great place to go after work and get a drink and app. dinner didnt impress us by all means!
Jacksonville, FL
Category: Pizza
Jacksonville, FL
Category: American (New)
Jacksonville, FL
Category: American (New)
Jacksonville, FL
Category: Restaurants
Jacksonville, FL
Category: French
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