Julia's Bistro

 

8

42

Eric B.

Houston, TX

"Yummy!" doesn't quite do this restaurant justice.  A big thumbs up for the lobster bisque and the torte de coco.  The atmosphere, service and food are fantastic.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Elite '08

31

144

mel m.

Houston, TX

3.5 stars.

Tonight's tuesday night dinner group took us back to Midtown, to a place I've been wanting to visit for quite a while: Julia's Bistro.  I always pass it on the way out of Midtown.  Well, here was our chance!

First bonus: free valet parking! I love anywhere in downtown, especially Midtown, with free valet parking! It was a little confusing going in the back--there is a little patio area outside which I discovered was overflow for some little club upstairs.  Despite the confusion, I did make it inside.

One thing I really love about Julia's is how much color there is everywhere.  It's red and orange and white and everything inbetween with tablecloths and cozy lighting.  Very comfortable, and I was really in love with the glassware (big surprise).

We were quickly greeted by a server with a drink menu, which offered several wine selections and a roster of special house drinks, including a few variations on the mojito.  I decided on the Mojito D'Oro, a mojito made with spiced rum.  I actually had two of them...yum.

The menu was pretty varied...a lot of Latin American-inspired dishes with fish, duck, chicken, beef, pretty much protein you can think of.  They even custom-made a veggie plate for our vegetarian friend.  I decided on a roast duck in mole sauce--other dishes ordered were plantain-encrusted fish, penne pasta with sausage, and several yummy-looking soups.  I did taste the fish--it was fantastic, and I kind of wish I'd ordered that.  My duck dish, while flavorful (the sauce was GREAT), was...well, sparse.  I probably had the least amount of food of anyone, and that disappointed me.

Some of us opted to order dessert as well--I like to have the full experience, you know.  I ordered the bread pudding, which was pretty good (not as good as mine!) and the accompanying sauce and ice cream was very good.

Everything I had was really good and I could tell it was very carefully planned.  I enjoyed the ambiance and the pace of our meal.  I'm giving it three (well, three and a half, in my mind) stars because for $60, I ate shockingly little food (and I'm not one of those people who requires a huge plate of food).   I kept thinking about what $60 would have gotten me at t'afia, and I don't like dining at one restaurant and thinking about another.

I might go back for appetizers and drinks sometime, because it is a cozy place.  I'd probably save my entree for somewhere else, though.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

 

15

12

Mini T.

Houston, TX

3.5

For Valentine's day my date took me to Julia's Bistro. I live literally 3 blocks from there and walk by it everyday on the way to the metro rail stop but had never tried it, so having the pre fixe menu was a good way to sample a variety of dishes.

The ambiance of Julia's is great. It has a very New York feel to it and when dining there you forget you are in Houston. The bright walls are very cheery and inviting.

The service was slow but good and everyone was very friendly. We ordered a bottle of wine and the sommelier came to our table to inform us that they had to just run out so he recommended a different bottle...it was more expensive so he offered to meet us at the middle. My date liked it but I still wanted my riesling.

Now on to the food. The pre-fixe menu was four courses. I had the duck taquito appetizers. They were very good. The habanero chutney gave it a really good kick and the pairing of hoisin and duck is always a hit. My date had the smoked salmon terrine. The salmon itself was delicious but there was just way too much cream cheese. My next course was the soup or salad. I opted for the kiwi salad which had baby spinach, strawberries, kiwis and oranges with a strawberry vinaigrette. The fruits were very sweet and fresh but the vinaigrette was just a little too sweet for my taste.

For the main course I chose the pan seared scallops. The plate came with three large scallops that were cooked just right in the middle but the carmalization on top was more burnt then it was carmalized. It came with some arepas and glazed carrots. My date had the beef tenderloin. The meat was very tender and it was cooked medium rare just like he asked. The winter fig and malbec wine reduction went very well with it.

For dessert I chose the Mousse de Caramelo. That was heavenly. The mousse was creamy and not too sweet. It was a great way end the meal.

Overall it was nice but to be honest from all the fantastic reviews I really expected alot more. But my date and I had a good time.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

 

0

1

franz h.

Houston, TX

I Loved the  restaurant, my newest favorite place.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

 

3

49

Roy L.

Houston, TX

Food: Good
Selection: Good
Location: Good
Ambience: Good
Price: Good
= 5 stars

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Elite '08

25

798

JD N.

Miami, FL

Delicious food that prides itself in bringing about eclectic flavor and the feeling of food being comfort food both at the same time. Sometimes the menu change and it reflects the chef's willingness to experiment with different food. The seafood here is good as well as the pork tenderloin. They have all kinds of food that is inspired by latin and mediterranean flavors.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review