Bistro on the Brandywine

An adorable bistro that is within minutes of Longwood Gardens and close to main roads earns a 5 star rating. From the waitress who didn't miss a beat in great service, to the clean bathroom and dining area and last but not least the great food that came out of the kitchen.

I would gladly come back to this cute bistro for lunch or dinner but next time BYOB! (beware of $5 corking fee)

This French Bistro is one adorable and delectable jewel. Reading the many desirable choices of the menu, makes my mouth water and I want it all! If this bistro was in my local area, it would have my business on a weekly basis. http://www.bistroonthebrandywine.com/

This large white building, looks like a house with a covered front porch wrapping around the side, with rockers and wicker furniture for your pleasure. This building was once a General Store and the wrap around porch is one of the original things that were left standing. There are three doors, one leading into the Bistro, one leading into Bistro To Go, which features coffees, fresh baked goods and menu selections, the last door leads into the kitchen.

Off to the side of the kitchen area is a fresh herb and vegetable garden. I have not witnessed this in ages and admired them before I even entered their doors.

I had read on their site, that it was BYOB, once there we were greeted by a huge wine cooler. They now offer vodka, local beers and a nice selection of wines. Since we had already brought our own, we inquired and they said yes, it is permissible. There is a $5.00 corkage fee.

Walking into the entrance you are welcomed by a side hostess stand, to your right there is a fairly high wall, which has an open hearth oven and pizza station for their gourmet pizzas. A little to the left of that is the entrance to the main kitchen and then to the left and as far as your eyes can see are two rooms, one being the main dining room and the other set up in an alcove for small parties.

The hardwood floors shine beneath beautifully dressed tables and a 17th century stone wall. Shades of sage color the walls and ceilngs and contemporary lights hang from above.

Grab a napkin, because you are about to droll...
http://www.bistroonthebrandywine.com/pdf/menu_botb_lunch.pdf
http://www.bistroonthebrandywine.com/pdf/menu_botb_dinner.pdf

We arrived in time for a late lunch. Our server was so friendly and helpful. The restrooms are a Kohler commercial.

My sister in law and I decided to share. We started with two items from the Taste & Share menu, which ended up to be enough for all four of us and we still did not finish it all. One was a whole head of roasted garlic, served with Nicoise olives, house made crisps and goat cheese drizzled in balsamic vinegar.

The other choice was the Moules Frites mussels steamed with a saffron cream sauce and served with a large side of homemade frites. With this dish you had your choice of an appetizer sized portion or an entree sized portion, we choose the appetizer size and there had to be 2 1/2 to 3 dozen of the most tender, creamiest mussels I have ever enjoyed.

We had been enjoying our wine ( hubby coke ), appetizers, conversation and the total ambiance of our surroundings, when our server brought out four large Kennett Square mushrooms, en croute, with a Boursin cream sauce and drizzled with a sundried tomato puree. These beautiful little packages were filled with a large mushroom and various sliced mushroom and unpickled capers, they were to die for.

We had not ordered these, but the Chef and owner sent them out, due to the large party that had been seated in the alcove, before we arrived, with apologies for our wait for the entrees. We did not notice a lull, however we gladly accepted the mushrooms.

Knowing that Pennsylvania, especially Kennett Square, is the mushroom capital of the states, I had ordered the Kennett Square mushroom soup. Not asking, our server brought my sister in law and myself two sensational cups of this very rich bisque that had been topped with a Crème fraîche.

My brother in law had the Gruyere Angus burger, topped with roasted tomatoes and served with hand cut frites. Along with his burger came two sauces, a mustard sauce and a remoulade sauce. Hubby had a Crab melt with tomato and mozzarella topping it and served on a toasted brioche. Once they both dived in, all conversation, other than oh's and ah's, stopped from that side of the table.

Still sharing too much food, my sister in law and I had the Grilled hanger steak with Gorgonzola, caramelized onions and mushrooms on a toasted french Baguette. This came with your choice of frites or a small salad, we chose the salad and that had to be one of the best dressings I have ever tried. Our sweet server, who picked up the cue early on, had the chef split this for us and served on our own plates.

The Bistro on the Brandywine is a little gem, surrounded by many other tempting restaurants. The Brandywine region is known for it's history, which has many museums to explore and Longwood Gardens nearby.

The area is one hour from my house, which gives me ample opportunity to return, explore and sample other restaurants. The Bistro on the Brandywine will always fit into my dining plans for at least one meal, as there is so much more I need to sample, like the homemade ice creams and dessert

It was a disappointing evening. My wife had been looking forward to trying the Bistro on the Brandywine ever since we passed by it on the way to Longwood Gardens. Tonight we got a sitter and headed out. When we arrived there were a few parties all crammed into a small waiting area by the door - it made little sense as there was a great deal of empty and wasted space - with a little bit of planning and design sense a more comfortable waiting area would have been easily accommodated in the given space. The hostess was polite, but brusque and not at all friendly.

When seated my wife and I made mention of the ambiance, or more aptly the lack of ambiance. The room was quite loud, hot, and way too bright - they definitely need a dimmer switch. The waitress was pleasant and drinks arrived and our order placed quickly - however my wife did have to ask about bread. Just to comment on the overall service, it was polite, but not at all consistent and the gaps in service were pretty glaring.

The appetizers arrived and were quite good. The wait for entrees was long. At one point (perhaps 5 to 10 minutes after apps had been cleared) our waitress came by and let us know that my wife's short ribs were ready and that they were just waiting on my burger - it was a long wait, and our waitress was not seen. Our food arrived 15 minutes later - our waitress told us that it had been another diners dinner that she saw. The short ribs were warm, but everything else on the plate was stone cold - the same for me - the burger was OK, but the fries were burned and cold. Fries and gnocchi were replaced quickly. My burger was quite good, but the short ribs disappointed. Overall, the food had potential, but the inconstancy in service was a killer.

So, the overall experience was pretty lousy. Dinner was $90+, add in the sitter and it was over $120. We should have brought our kids with us and gone to Chilli's - it would have been a better evening at a third of the price.

We came to Chadd's Ford for the Edward Gorey exhibit at the Brandywine River Museum. When we were done there, we were hungry but also totally charmed by the quaint-and-scenic vibe of the whole area. So we decided to find someplace quaint-and-scenic to get some food---despite total and complete awareness that the sort of restaurant that targets day-tripping tourists drunk on pastoral beauty is not necessarily going to take great pains with their food.

But I'm pleased to report that the Bistro did a *great* job. We ate every bite of everything they brought us. So, SO good! I had a salmon crusted with whole-grain mustard that was very nice, and a "warm bacon-fingerling potato salad" that is seriously THE ONLY potato salad, except my family's recipe, that I have ever enjoyed. My mouth is watering right now thinking of it, for real. My boy had a prosciutto-spinach pizza and several ales, both of which he loved.

The place is pretty, and airy, but not stuffy in that my boy in shorts and sandals was seated without so much as a sidelong glance. Also, they've taken the thoughtful step of applying sound-dampening foam to the undersides of the tables. We showed up at like 4:30 so the place was mostly empty, so I can't speak to the dinner-rush noise level, but it's great that the owners are sensitive to it as part of the dining experience.

I really don't have any complaints. We live an unreasonably long drive away from this place, but we're still hoping to go back soon. Maybe for Beef Wellington night on Wednesdays!

Yup, yup... this is a four star establishment. I have to say, I arrived with five star expectations, and it's a lovely ambiance and we ADORE that even though they serve alcohol, they still allow BYO with a $5 corkage, but compared with some of our recent dining experiences, this was a near miss on the nirvana scale.

I had the roasted chicken, C had the spare ribs. Both were VERY good, though the chicken was (to my surprise) a little dry. Not bad, but less than succulent. We had one of the flat bread pizzas for an appetizer (with artichokes! Woo-hoo!) and that was excellent. And the creme brulee was way more than adequate. All good - just not jaw droppingly so!

No reservations allowed for the a party of less than six - that's annoying. But we got there early, so seating wasn't a problem. By 7:00 pm, the place was pretty noisy, which was a little challenging since we were there to visit with friends. But it's a nice atmosphere otherwise. Our server explained that the owners have two other restaurants in Wilmington (one of which is Toscana - been there, liked it!), as well as the place next door which is pretty much a meat lover's fantasy. I'm definitely a carnivore, but after her description of the other menus, I was feeling pretty confident that we chose the right place.

So short answer - we'll go back. It's hip, and dressy casual, and I'm eager to try a couple of their pizzas or even the burger. Just not the foodie frenzy I had my palette set for! :)

Went here for dinner last weekend and overall, a very good meal.

Ordered the mussels( in a safron cream) and an olive/goat cheese/roasted garlic plate as appetizers. I was pleasantly surprised as to the size of the mussels (while not huge, not microscopic either) and the amount (almost an entire bowl). Definitely worth ordering again.

As for an entree, I had the braised beef short rib over a creamy parsnip puree. To my disappointment, the short rib was a tiny bit dry but combined the puree, it as an overall satisfying entree and worth ordering again. I was also able to sample the chilean salmon with a horseradish potato galette, which was excellent and something I would consider ordering for my next visit.

The only negative (in my opinion) is that the do not have a cocktail bar and a limited beer selection (only local PA beers which are ok at best). The wine selection is ok, but then again, they do allow you to bring your own for a $5 corkage fee....so keep that in mind before you go.

In sum, a good meal at a good price. Would check it out again to explore other parts of the menu.

Look, the seared goat cheese appetizer with roasted cherry tomatoes on little crispy toasts was one of the finest appetizers I've ever had, bar none, anywhere. I could have ordered three of these as a full meal and left the Bistro, and the Philly area, a happy, happy boy.

But there were great things awaiting in their signature Beef Wellington and a wonderful glass of wine, and an absolutely smashing warm chocolate cake dessert with peanut butter.

This is a beautiful dining room with fieldstone walls, a high ceiling, and attentive service. I came on a somewhat drizzly weeknight with no reservation and was immediately seated.

A couple of quibbles--the parmesan truffle fries are just too voluminous and were a little saggy for my taste, and if I were a server I might wave someone away from them if they are ordering teh beef wellington--it's just too rich a combination altogether. These should be offered in a half order for half the price--I don't see how even a couple could finish a serving. Also, I found the dining room just a little bright, and the complaints of some reviewers that the entry and waiting area is a little disorganized are valid--you sort of feel like you come clomping right into the dining room when you enter.

But I'd definitely give this place another try on my next visit to my Chadds Ford customer.

delicious food, but i was a bit sad that they ran out of short ribs the evening i went (which, if you take a gander at the menu, means there are about 4 items you cannot order). it's not likely i'll make it out to chadds ford again anytime soon, so next time i know i'll be calling ahead to find out if they have the delicious slow cooked bits of heaven for my bellaaaay.

cheese plate was SO GOOD. the bleu was too strong for me but the other two were so amazing.

friendly service, definitely will return in the future.

This is the kind if restaurant that makes you love Yelp; we were travelling un the area and it was "hot on yelp". Bistro would be a first-class restaurant wherever it was located; where it is, it is an essential stop on any trip through the region. Everything we ate, from the entrees to the sauces, was fantastic. We had the NY skirt steak and fingerling potatoes and the pulled pork with fried gnocchi. Both surpassed any expectations we might have had walking in the door. Even the mixed berries were exceptionally good.

Picture terrific food at affordable prices in a setting that reminds you of a large, modern house in the country.

Why this place is a must-stop:
1) BYOB
2) Food
3) Service