Ole Bistro Inn

Address:	220 Cook St, Lake Geneva, WI 53147, USA
Phone:	+1 815-543-7474
Site:	olebistroinn.net
Rating:	3.2

Location

Photos 27

Reviews 7

Anonymous User

After reading some of the reviews here, and quite frankly the owners somewhat arrogant response to one, I was a bit apprehensive about meeting a friend for dinner at Bistro 220 last night. Our first contact was the gentleman who sat us. He wasnt rude, just not personable, warm or friendly. I thought back to some of the poor reviews of service and staff and began to worry that they may have been right. Then things changed. We had a wonderful waiter named Jason. He was attentive without being over-bearing. We never felt rushed by him to order, even though table turnover is important to those working for tips. He had an inviting personality, playful wit, and a great sense of humor. Our first course was served promptly; I had salad, my friend soup. We were both satisfied. The entrees; Steak Diane & Chicken Cavatappi were both to our liking. I had the Cavatappi and admit to being a bit of a snob when comes to cream sauces; it was excellent. The food was served at the perfect temperature and nicely presented. The portions were the typical Wisconsin "too much" but I enjoyed mine so much I couldnt stop, so there was no room for dessert. The restaurant itself is quaint and comfortable; well suited for downtown Lake Geneva. Was the entire evening perfect? Of course not. They ran out of the evening special, which seemed odd because it was still early. The entrees came out of the kitchen too fast, and were served before we had finished our first course. The dinner menu is limited, but Id prefer that over having so many choices I cant decide. And while not over-priced, if youre looking for a budget meal, Bistro 220 is not the place to go. All things taken into account; the quality of service, the palate pleasing food, the warm, relaxed atmosphere, and the overall experience is one that I would repeat and recommend to others. I gladly give them four stars.

Linda Schranz

Had a terrible experience at this restaurant. Made reservations to sit on balcony, got there 10 minutes early. Hostess tells us people at "our" table is just finishing up, do we want to wait on porch, shell come and get us. Sure, so we wait, and wait, and finally after 20 minutes we see the Hostess come down (not to talk to us, however) and we ask, so is our table ready? Oh, I have to check. Ill be right back down. Finally, ten minutes later she sends waiter (doesnt bother to talk to us herself) to say that they "had" to give away our table because another party was given wrong directions by staff and arrived late. We can either sit in the main room, or wait a half-hour for balcony. Since wed already been waiting for a half-hour, we reluctantly agreed to sit inside. Going back upstairs, we see the hostess and let her know we are very disappointed that they gave away our table, that we seem to have been penalized by getting there on time and we really wanted to sit on the balcony. She tells us theres nothing she can do, but shell talk to the owner. Never saw or heard from her again. Story could have ended there, except we had a terrible waiter - no attention, just going through the motions. AND he asked if we wanted dessert WHILE my husband was still eating his dinner!!!! When we said no to dessert he said, okay, Ill get your check. Without bothering to ask if we wanted coffee or an after dinner drink. Then, he overcharged us for the drinks we did order. The food was OK, not great. The only bright spot of the evening (besides being with my husband!) was the busman, who was very quick and efficient. Will never go back and will in fact let friends know that if they want good food and good service, this is not the place to go.

Floyydd Mumford

My girl friend and I recently spent 2 days and 2 nights at the Bistro 110 Inn. Multiple polite and friendly communications with Ken the owner assured us a smooth transition. Upon arrival, the outside appearance was spectacular. It is within 1 structural unit from the main strip. It is 2 blocks to the local public beach. With all of these amenities, there is no noise issues. It is very quite and quaint. Bistro 110 used to be the #1 breakfast nook to eat in all of Lake Geneva. Its style and grace was quite impressive. The Inn is essentially still an operable breakfast establishment that caters to coffee lovers and to individual egg wraps. When entering we were very impressed at the keyless entry, the personal parking space, and private entranceway. Their was 2 rooms, we had The (....), the other was The Martini Room. We were speechless that the presentation and themed suite was so finely detailed. All the furnishings, the settings, the environment was carefully chosen and created with great care. The cleanliness and contents appeared brand new. The suite was immaculate and pristine. The suite has all the amenities for preparing a professional meal stocked with cooking utensils and appliances. The living room had a 70" TV, and hand selected furniture that provided space and comfort. The king size bed with fireplace was delightful with another smaller accompanying unit. The bathroom was plentiful in size and superbly decorated down to every detail. It was a true dream for us to spend a romantic get away so close to the livelihood of all the amenities that Lake Geneva has to offer. We could not have found a better place to have stayed. Thank you Ken.

Samantha Lobo

I ordered the filet with a side of asparagus and smashed potatoes. The filet was delicious and cooked properly. The asparagus should hardly have been called the vegetable of the day as it was cooked to death and only six miniature pieces were on the plate. The smashed potatoes were nothing special, a little dry and over seasoned. The waiter seemingly ignored us for the most of the night, probably due to our age, which worked against him as we are generous tippers. The restaurant is decorated very nicely, but its a little dark. I probably wouldnt return.

Peter West

Disappointing! I heard good things about Bistro 220, but to be honest I was disappointed. Having kept us waiting 30 minutes for our reservation, the meal was then rushed out to us in 45 minutes - even to the point where the entree arrived before the appetizer had been cleared away. The staff were constantly checking on your progress - but not in a good way and we felt very rushed! Its got a lovely atmosphere but the food is pretty average, and neither of us was that pleased with our food. Bland and nothing special. Wont be going back there.

Anonymous User

Good food and fabulous atmosphere. Service was great (it didnt hurt that the waiter was cute, but alas too young!). The appetizers were respectable, but the entrees were the best. I had the Chicken Cavatpi (yum!). My friends had the Vegie Lasagna ("great") and the Stuffed Shrimp ("ok"). Having worked in the business myself for many years, I have to say they really do a good job considering how small the venue is. Ill certainly go back.

Grant Cassiday

We really liked this place. I will concede that we were probably there under the best possible conditions; early Sunday evening, very few people there, and summer weather perfect for sitting on the outdoor balcony. But the food was great and we loved the decor and style of the place. The one minus: Im not sure what the sake-drinks thing was about (probably should have asked), but if youre not a sake fan, steer clear of the cocktails.