Reviews for Isa's French Bistro in Asheville, NC

Can't say anything about dinner as we went for breakfast/brunch, but I was totally impressed. The service was amazing and the... food was spectacular. We had the chicken and French toast and the croissant madame (see picture). The mimosas were also verygood (we had the flight). It did get pretty busy as we were leaving, so it seems to be a popular spot but totally worth thewait. Read more

Food 4 stars Staff 4 stars Environnement 5 stars Price $$/$$$$ Overall 4 stars The restaurant has a very nice vibe to it. I... truly enjoyed the spacious environment there. The food has large portion for breakfast so you might end up with take-home boxes. Read more

I always stop by Asheville on my way back from Tennessee just to get into this place. Every visit was great except the last one.... Highly suggest getting the duck and the lamb dish. Escargots are fantastic at this place however it was interesting how ourwaiters have not suggested steak. We ordered it anyways as my significant other loves trying them at many places. When it cameout we were both confused why would it have sauce on the meat instead of the side. Haven?t thought anything about it at themoment I was enjoying my dish. It was hard not to notice the face of my girlfriend when she took a first bite of the steak. So Iasked if I can have some, which was a big mistake. To describe the taste I can tell you that the spare tire thrown on the grillwould taste better then what we were served. On the other hand duck was perfect. Flavor was on part, texture and juiciness. Ifyou ever find yourself in this place order anything else but the steak. Outback steak house would have a better one then what wehad to enjoy that afternoon. Sarah was nice enough, however, no 2 bite check, have not refilled the water and not asked if Iwant another round of my drink, no tour of the menu, not to mention the fact that she did not bring the steak knife. Read more

Great food! The lamp chops were excellent. Cook just right with great sauce. Mussels too! French onion was good. Wonderful... beautiful place. The wait staff was excellent and friendly. We still remember the great meal we had there, if we could eatthere again, we would definitely do it! Enjoy this great place to dine. You'll thank me if you did! Read more

Contemporary French bistro in the mix of downtown Asheville, near the Cambria Hotel. The service was great - attentive and... consistent. I enjoyed the French onion soup and we both ordered ribeye steaks. Although they were nice and flavorful, my steakhad a lot of gristle unfortunately. I choose not to tell the manager because the waiter was so nice. I would go back and tryagain when I'm in Asheville. Read more

Isa's French Bistro is one of my favorites places to get some good food. They have some good chicken tenders, I gave it a... five-star rating, not to mention some of their great wines, the staff is AMAZING! Very Friendly. Read more

Summary: We had a good waiter and an excellent meal, but a somewhat disappointing overall experience. We enjoyed our dinner at... Isa?s, but it wasn?t without negative aspects. In my opinion, the restaurant does not make a good first impression. It islocated on the first floor of the Haywood Park Hotel, an unusual space in downtown Asheville. I am an area native, and uponentering the hotel lobby, I felt like I was stepping back in time to a prom night the late 1980?s. The space has not beensignificantly updated at all since then. Isa?s itself felt like a throwback to an earlier age, too. The space gives off a weirdvibe in the way it?s laid out, what with its half circle, vinyl upholstered booths, chairs that look like they belong to anoutdoor furniture set, and eye level glass panels between booths and tables. The high ceilings make the space feel too open andprevent any sense of intimacy. I never felt alone with just the people at my table, an illusion of privacy and separateness thatcould be created with a better dining room layout. The service and food was going to have to be really good to overcome thefirst impression the place made on me. Our waiter was a very congenial young man. He was attentive to our needs and had a goodsense of when to engage and when to stay in the background. We enjoyed him, even though he was not by any means a seasonedprofessional waiter. Chef Crockett?s food was delicious. We sampled the menu by ordering six appetizers, two entrees, and fourdesserts: Fried mushrooms Steak tartare PEI mussels Parmesan frites Sunchoke and potato latkes French onion soup Salmonnicoise Country cordon bleu Apple tart Chocolate crème brûlée Flourless chocolate cake Fruit turnover We thoroughly enjoyedall of our selections. So, yes, Isa?s food is good?but the experience of Isa?s could be so much better. Given the number ofreally good restaurants in Asheville that come in at a lower price point, it is hard to understand why a restaurant th Read more

What a great brunch spot. Plenty of seating inside and outside, downstairs looks like it has a room for special events too. If... you're coming for brunch make sure you're hungry, portions are very generous including the mimosa flight. Everything wasperfectly made with flavor and I left full and satisfied. I had the chicken and French toast with a side of scrambled eggs. Read more