Had a lovely early lunch today with the place to myself. You can rail against the merits of many things, but I'm afraid arguments against lunch at 11 am are going to find no purchase here. The place was quiet and the staff was attentive without hovering. Anyway, I started with the mushroom bruschetta. Absolutely delicious, even given my bias against tomato jam as a general concept; it seems like an excuse to use bad tomatoes, covering them over with a bunch of sugar. Sure enough, this particular jam was on the sweet side, but the sweet note wasn't wholly unwelcome. It did verge on overwhelming the flavor of the mushrooms, which were beautifully roasted and meaty. My main was the mahi mahi tacos. I love seafood, but tend not to order fish tacos very often after having been spoiled by ubiquitous and amazing versions in San Diego. However, the extremely helpful server sold me on house made corn tortillas, so I jumped. There are three tacos in the order. They are on tiny tortillas, around three inches in diameter. The fish, on the other hand, it copious, and the result is a very protein-heavy dish that I really enjoyed. Rather than eating a mouth full of tortilla, I was eating fish, and that's a nice change of pace when it comes to my fish taco experience. The condiments on the tacos were a bit clunky. The pineapple relish was too chunky for the tiny form factor of the taco, though the flavor was nice and surprisingly spicy. The pickled onions were also a bit hard to manage. That said, the flavors were dead on. The price was right, the food was delicious, and I'll be back very soon. It looks like they have a few dinner-only items, which will probably be when I'll return.
(5)
Jason H.
Don't go. This place is awful. Extremely poor service. We had to ask for everything - someone to take our order after being ignored for 10 minutes, water, our meals took forever to come and when they came they were luke warm. Explanation given was that they were short staffed - ok but that isn't your diners problem. One of our party of 5 received their meal 5 min after the rest of us. Total waste of money and I was hungry when I left. Very few restaurants make me angry - this is one of them.
(1)
Natalie R.
This was the worst dining experience I have ever had. I am not using hyperbole. I was unimpressed right off the bat when I arrived and the hostess was on the phone. She barely acknowledged me. I understand she was taking a reservation, but she didn't smile or anything- just mouthed "one minute." When she sat us, our whole party hadn't arrived and she only provided one of each menu for the entire table of 10, which was actually only set for 8. Water arrived at some point and our server just breezed by and said his name and that he'd be back. Some time later, he came back and took drink orders and told us about the specials, including the Dine-O-Round menu. It took an inordinate amount of time to get our drinks- a glass of wine, a cocktail, and a beer. The server kept making excuses about the lengthy waits for things and was clearly getting flustered. One of my dining companions asked for some bread because we were quite hungry. He said the kitchen would be pissed if he went and got us bread for free and there was no way he could charge us for it when we offered to pay because there wasn't a button in the system. Yes, he really said the kitchen would be "pissed." He got quite defensive about it when pressed on the issue, then offered to bring us olives. He made sure to point out he brought us a double order, so there were like 12 in the container. So by this point, it had been close to 45 minutes. He finally brought me my beer after I was notified the one I wanted was out of stock. Most of us ordered the dine-o-round menu, which started with a tomato basil soup. It was overly salted and lacked flavor. I'm pretty sure the tomato soup at Paradise Bakery is better. After another long wait and many empty waters and Diet Cokes, our entrees came out. I'll give my braised short rib or whatever it was, a big fat "meh." It was pot roast and mashed sweet potatoes. There was truly nothing special about it. It was ok, but it was pretty on par with what I can cook at home. Another long wait ensued and dessert arrived. It was probably the only good thing I ate all evening. We scarcely saw our server throughout the whole meal and when we did, he was full of half-baked apologies and excuses for the waits and timing; he was flustered and rude. He brought one check, but we didn't want to wait for him to separate it, nor did he even offer. Isn't that customary these days? Who knows how long that would have taken, anyhow. We were approaching 2.5 hours of seat time. We wrote down how much to put on each of our cards and a few threw in cash, but I guess this was too complicated for him to handle. We also got lectured about how we should have told him at the beginning that we wanted separate checks and that there is a charge for it. Who charges for separate checks?! He finally got everything charged to the right person. Oh, by the way, during this whole fiasco, one of my friends hadn't even received her dessert yet. 40 minutes after she ordered it. The manager dropped it at the table and ran. He knew we were pissed, but he was too much of a coward to talk to us. He did nothing to improve our dining experience- didn't offer to comp anything, ask for feedback, or even sincerely apologize.I think this speaks to the biggest problem of all- the whole fiasco starts with poor management. The kitchen was backed up, the server was a disaster, the host was unpleasant. This all indicates poor leadership and planning. This place is doomed to fail. It's a shame because it's in a great location and has a nice atmosphere. I can assure you, I will never go back there and I will tell everyone I know never to go there too. I am not often angered by a bad experience in a restaurant. I was a server. I get it. I think the thing that irritates me the most is it was clear we were unhappy and no one did anything to fix it.
(1)
Maro L.
First off, I think it's important to know that I've never written a bad review of anything. I am one of the more laid back people in the world and have worked in the restaurant industry, so if anything, I'm overly empathetic. But this experience was so poor and involved particularly bad business practices, so I felt it was important to warn potential guests. I visit SLC twice a year for a tradeshow, and host a ladies dinner each trip. Last year, we dined at Bistro 222 and had a wonderful experience, so I decided to book it again. The night prior to our reservation, a small group of my co-workers went to have dinner there, and I was alarmed to see that the prices on the menu were significantly higher than what they were the year prior, and what was on their online menu. So I asked to speak to the manager. He stated that they have "special menus during special events and holidays". I explained that I had booked a dinner for the next night, naturally assuming the menu and prices I saw online would be in effect...nobody told me otherwise when I called in the reservation, nor when I called a second time to confirm the reservation. I further explained that this is a business dinner and I have a budget, and this was basically price gouging. He only said "sorry", and repeated the special menu statement, continuing to say that this was standard practice. But as I mentioned, they didn't do that last year and I've dined at many restaurants in SLC during this show and have never seen others do it. I was upset and felt robbed, but it was too late to cancel or rebook the dinner for the next night. So! The next night, our party of 14 arrives for our 8pm reservation, and our table isn't ready. In fact, the group that is sitting at our table is JUST getting their dinner when we get there. The manager says he's going to try to move them, and for us to wait in the lobby. I say fine, can we please get some drinks while we wait. He says yes, and a server will be right out. We waited 30 minutes, with no drinks (I ordered four bottles of wine and followed up two times), not even water, no staff to check on us or give us an update. When we finally were seated, it took another 15 minutes to get wine and water. I had asked if we could order appetizers (mind you, this group has been working at a fast paced event all day and were starving) and the server impatiently says "I have to take another order from a table that was here before you." What?? So - in addition to the very poor business practice of jacking up prices without letting customers know, we had poor service, without any apologies or attempts to make it right. From a customer service standpoint, I was floored. The food was fine, but I will never go there again.
(1)
Sara w.
Chef Dave is amazing! Our group loved everything we ordered, which is very difficult to do. The five spiced ribs are not to be missed. We also thought the calamari was especially tasty, tender and light. The warm mushroom salad was a great combination of mushrooms, quinoa, sunchokes, and poached egg perfection. My favorite dish was the lamb osso buco with mint polenta cheddar deliciousness. This place is not to be missed. The food is simply outstanding down to the salted caramel chocolate tart. Chef Dave is a talented individual and also very personable. Do yourself a favor and go here!
(5)
Lisa A.
Utah is notorious for bland unseasoned food but this place takes the cake. And if they had cake, it would probably be flavorless as well. I had high hopes for our meal as we were seated at the cute outdoor patio. But they were quickly dashed, and not by the rain clouds that were threatening. We had the cauliflower soup which sounded delicious and had great reviews. However, it was tasteless. The margherita pizza had a decent amount of cheese but was lacking basil and the red sauce was barely tomato flavored, much less seasoned. The wait staff was just as bland. We won't be returning.
(1)
Andrea M.
Had a really nice experience here. We went on a Saturday early evening and it was clear and not crowded. Our food was very good and the staff was great. I would come back and maybe sit outside for a relaxing lunch.
(5)
Ali Y.
I had the ahi tuna tacos. They were really light and delicious. If your looking for a smaller, yummy meal this is perfect!
(3)
Jasen F.
Went two weeks back with some work colleagues and was underwhelmed in every regard. They miss the little things that make the experience off putting, like featuring wine lists on iPads that aren't updated; why have electronics if they're not connected or updated? Ordering a bottle of wine took three attempts. They food was ok. It felt like it should be buried in the heart of a Marriott hotel in downtown Cleveland. There is definitely something not kosher with the vibe of this joint.
(2)
Cindy W.
Was personally attacked by a member whom accused me of being an ex-employee. Mike M, I am not l, nor would I ever be. Sorry for your sad attempt to discredit my opinion about this restaurant. Your efforts lead me to believe that you work for them and are trolling reviews to save face. This is sad, perhaps you should focus on the issues that paying customers have and not lash out at negative reviews. Here is the message. Yelp Hi Cindy, Mike M. sent you a message on Yelp: Subject: Doubt it "So then your just a miserable lady who complains about everything and is always bitter. Putting down others is probably your way of feeling good about yourself, making your miserable, "poor me" life seem a little better!! Good luck with that!! Have fun, I feel sorry for you!! At least people won't care when you finally bite the bullet!! -just my opinion!! And I'm guessing many others, u miserable little c***t!!"
(1)
Jason H.
Good: Food was great. The place was nice. Bad: Wine list on an iPad was embarrassingly stupid. Ditch the iPads. The waitress asked how we were doing every 3 minutes. It was annoyingly too often. My friend's comment: "The chef is a little bit too sure of themselves for there to be no salt or pepper on the table."
(4)
Nate B.
Not a fan. I'm pretty easy going in terms of food quality but this place is a classic overpriced-but-upscale-looking hotel restaurant. The service was terrible - had to ask for more water on two different occasions. Food wasn't bad, but for the price I paid I expect MUCH better.
(1)
Amanda M.
Went here for Valentines Day & of course it was busy. The service was SO bad though! I hate calling the waiter out but Alan forgot to put in our order so we sat forever without our cocktails or food. Once the table next to us, who arrived after us, started getting their food we were concerned & he realized he lost our order and took our order again. anyway, the food was hit and miss. My husbands steak was really really good. My dessert, the leche de sundae or something like that, was amazing! My arugula salad was gross and my fish was over cooked. So yeah I would maybe try this place again, but only because some of the food was really great.
(2)
Kjersti G.
I finally had the opportunity to try this place after months of wanting to go and I loved it! I made a reservation for 5 and when I showed up the restaurant was empty! I felt like I had rented out the entire place with the amazing service and lack of other diners.(It turns out they get busier later in the night.) The "Cauliflower Soup" is indeed amazing and I totally agree with all the other users who said it was delicious. It was even sprinkled with pumpkin seeds! loved it! i ordered the "Bistro Burger", which came out with apple slices on it. it was a surprise and I liked it. I took advantage of the award winning Wine List and I'm happy I did! Amazing French Rose! It went well with the cheese appetizer I also ordered. They also have an interesting White Bordeaux, for the curious Wino. I should also probably state that I didn't pay for any of this, It was put onto an expense Account. So I might not have gorged myself as much if I had to actually pay with my own money! :)
(4)
Brian B.
Stumbled on this place with a group of friends and decided to try it out. First we were told it would be at least a 20 minute wait which was weird because the place was pretty empty and there were lots of open tables. After finally getting seated it took a long time before anyone cane to take our orders. At least 4 out of the 6 of us had water. Yeah I wasn't one of the lucky ones. We ordered eventually. When the food came out most of us were kind of disappointed. When they said it came with fruit we kind of assumed that it would just be a garnish. My fruit consisted of a strawberry cut in half and two blackberries. While the food tasted good it wasn't anything special. The staff was nice enough but over all the service was severely lacking. I won't be back. Too many other options.
(2)
michael c.
Very poor service here. Booked for show before ballet and was told 6pm sitting would be enough time. Arrive 5:40pm and at 7:06pm only just finished entree (had to rush to eat) no dessert and table service was some of the slowest I've experienced for some time. No offer of drink refills and now scrambling to get to show. Observed missed orders and wrong orders coming out and other patrons with similar experiences. Will definitely NOT come here again
(1)
Sam S.
I first went to Bistro 222 2 or 3 years ago after they first opened. As I recall, the food was good, but the service and organization was terrible and it left a bad taste in my mouth. I figured they were a new restaurant so would give them the benefit of the doubt and let them work through their issues. Went back for brunch today and experienced exactly the same thing. Food was alright I guess (nothing special), but service was poor and the same disorganization. The server was nice enough, but he must have been stretched thin because there were long periods of time between any interaction. The poor out of towners behind us were about to walk out because they had been waiting so long to order. When the server finally gave them some attention, he didn't bother to apologize. Instead, he went on to say how busy they were and how they were running around. And they weren't really that busy. This isn't an issue of bad servers, but folks who need to learn how to run a restaurant. From what I can see in the other reviews, this isn't a new thing and management needs to pull it together. I don't plan on going back any time soon.
(2)
Alex J.
I have been wanting to try this restaurant since they opened, but I have also been a little wary given some of the reviews that had popped up about it. It seemed that either people had a great experience or they had a really bad experience. However, despite that, when the opportunity arose, I decided to give Bistro 222 a try... and honestly? I had a really great experience. I went to Bistro 222 on 9/18/15 around 11:00am. My dining companion and I choose to have lunch inside and we were seated in a booth next to a nested fireplace, which was perfect because it was slightly chilly outside. The inside of the restaurant instantly struck me as very clean and organized with a very modern design. The contrast of the blacks and whites with the colors they used to decorate was really enjoyable visually. Some other reviewers have mentioned that the wine list was on an iPad, but my wine/cocktail menu was presented in the old-fashioned print variety, so that may be a new addition. During my visit I ordered the Vidarita and the 222 Martini (on the rocks). Both were really delicious and I felt like I was getting my money's worth (as much as you can get your money's worth when ordering drinks in Utah). I was also informed that Bistro 222 has a special license to offer drinks before 11:30am and that food doesn't need to be ordered when ordering a drink, which I liked a lot. My dining companion and I took advantage of the dine o'round special to try the NY Steak Sandwich. We also shared an order of the Cauliflower soup because I have heard that it was delicious and I've also heard that it was bland so I felt compelled to give it a try. All of the food was absolutely delicious! The soup was flavorful with a tiny bit of spice and a creamy mouth feel. The meat on the sandwich was a perfect medium and the bread (which was both flaky and soft) was grilled perfectly. The salad was flavorful and light. My dining companion let me try his fries (a thinner, shoe string variety) and they came out hot and perfectly seasoned. They were served with un-doctored ketchup, which complimented them rather well. We learned that Bistro 222's head chef was new (there for a week at the time of our visit) and that he hadn't had any influence on the menu we tried, but that he was working on some revisions to the menu, so my food opinions might by out of date soon after my review, just a heads up. Our server, Issac, was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive--not just to our table, but from what I saw to the other tables he got as well. There were fresh flowers used on the table, and the bathrooms available were very nice, clean, and perfectly maintained. At the time of our visit, the restaurant was not busy. It seemed to be before the lunch rush, so I can't say how service and food speed would be in such a circumstance, but our food came out quickly and fresh. From my experience, in the confines of the time of day and how busy the restaurant was, I would definitely recommend Bistro 222 to others.
(5)
Art C.
Food is Good but service is slow!! Took forever for us together our food! Not crowded so no excuses!
(2)
Michael R.
The lobster corn dogs were okay at best but the bacon wrapped pork was delicious. Great decor and ambiance and very professional wait staff. Wine list a bit better than expected. Not one of my all time favorites but I will be back.
(3)
Eric D.
Had a great meal here tonight. Service was impeccable. The meatballs had a great texture and flavor, too often meatballs are big and bloated, these were not like that. Arugula salad was delicious, and chicken marsala had a great flavor too, with sun dried tomatoes that complemented without overpowering. Will definitely come back sooner to the triple deuce!
(4)
Dave B.
Made a late reservation for New Years eve. They had a five course menu for one price. I had the duck, my wife had the fish with curry sauce. Both dishes were really good. Scallop appetizer was excellent, as was the pork belly. A little fatty, but really good flavor. We enjoyed the wines , and one cocktail. Service was good. We will come back next time we are downtown.
(5)
Mary Anne D.
We recently tried Bistro 222 and its a wonderful addition to downtown SLC. The service is top notch and the restaurant has a sophisticated atmosphere. Two note worthy dishes include the cauliflower soup and the braised short rib. What makes Bistro 222 a real stand out is that it feels like the type of restaurant you would find in a busy urban downtown in a large city. I love SLC and it has many wonderful qualities, but SLC is neither urban, large, or busy. Its sleepy and quiet which has its merits, but sometimes I want a dining experience that includes nice wine, impeccable food, and the chance to leisurely enjoy good conversation with my guests. Bistro 222 is all of these things.
(5)
Michael B.
Great service and wonderful food. Nice presentation. Nice hip restaurant, youthful ambiance; but great for all ages. I'd definitely recommend this for dinner.
(4)
Marissa F.
This was yummy. Definitely fresh tasting food and good quality ingredients but I'm just not sure if it's worth the $$. Nothing wowed me it was just really solid and well done. I've had similar dishes in other places. So it's not unique (not that a restaurant needs to be unique) but like I said it was good. My hang up is the price. And for their prices I kind of want to be wowed. We ordered: -The Dine-O Round Meal which I'm not remembering what kind of meat it was with some mashed sweet potatoes and greens. This was very tasty -The Osso Bucco Pasta this was yummy but I think it needed a little more salt but there was no salt and pepper on the table and I always feel weird asking for salt at restaurants The service was great. We had a baby with us and they were very nice and accommodating. This does not factor into the rating but there is no changing table in the bathroom (I just know I like to know that kind of stuff). Parking is very difficult but that's expected from the location.
(4)
Jim H.
Had an amazing meal celebrating the Mrs.'s passing the Utah Bar Exam (hooray!!). Very nice restaurant in a building that was still under construction when we moved from SLC to LA for her law school. Memories aside, let's get to the reviewing. This restaurant is a bit upscale, I'd say 3 out of 4 ($$$), but at the same time it is not stuffy (it's not like the New Yorker--I think you'd feel comfortable in casual clothes, but it's also a place to go on a fancy date night). I ordered the rib-eye steak and it was nothing short of a miracle--I feel it's worth noting that I usually eat vegetarian, so indeed this was a special occasion! Another in our party ordered the lamb meatballs and cauliflower soup (the soup was worthy of note, as I do not like cauliflower or cream soups, but this soup was fantastic and was not made with dairy--well done!). Can't wait for another reason to visit Bistro 222.
(5)
Barry S.
New chef and food is much better than 1 year ago when my wife I were there. Isaac took great care of us and had great recommendations, definitely returning soon.
(5)
Lindsey K.
Beautiful! Chef Michael is amazing and artistic. Appetizers are wonderful. Great flavors. Parking behind the building. (Helps downtown) I got the halibut. Amazing. So soft and nice crusty shell. The veggies with it were amazing. I wanted to ask for more. Pasta is house made. Love it.
(5)
Lynda G.
We ate at Bistro 222 on Valentine's Day.. We ordered off the Valentines menu, each of us chose an appetizer, salad, entree and dessert. the food was good with the exception of my entree, I ordered Halibut, it was extremely dry and over cooked. the service was very slow to the point where we finally asked why we had been waiting 30 minutes for our salads. The food (with the exception of the halibut) was good enough that I would be tempted to try them again, but not on any type of a holiday.
(3)
Michael W.
What a treat to stumble onto this fantastic restaurant. We were actually following a YELP lead for a nearby Greek restaurant that no longer exists...(Thanks YELP for being up to date! LOL)..... So on our way back to the car, we saw this bistro filled with what appeared to be well dressed lunch time diners. The dishes on all of the tables looked so artistically presented. We went in and luck have it, secured the table in the front corner with huge glass windows behind me and my guest. Our server was the engaging, handsome, and knowledgeable Tony. He painted fantastic word pictures of the lunch we would soon order. I ended up getting the soup special, a Clam and Halibut Chowder. It was so LIGHT and delicious...not some cream soaked, out of a can clam chowder soup. The halibut really added to the diversity of flavor and texture. The clam shells were included in the bowl. ...My lunch companion ordered the fish and chips. Two beautiful pieces of lightly fried cod, served at the perfect temperature on a bed of fresh fries. Not the greasy, thickly coated Fish and Chips you would get at an Irish Pub.... She was very pleased. My entree was a creative and delicious beet salad on which I added four pieces of medium sized shrimp. The meal was light and flavorful. The service was impeccable, with our water glasses never going empty, food service time was prompt and food temp was perfect. Once again, really enjoyed the corner table with the amazing high-rise views. The restaurant was clean, architecturally interesting, with clean lines, and a bright color palette. Did I mention how awesome our service was from Tony? A real treat during the lunch hour. Check it out if you are in the area. You'll be glad you did.
(5)
Jenn O.
My friends and I had dinner on a not to busy Friday night .. Our waiter Matt promptly approached our group,took our drink order.. And then forewarned us it would take awhile as he was also the bar tender ..to make a long story short .. 25 min later he came back with our drinks (Which sorry to say we're marginal at best ) He then shared that he had to go make a desserts ( as he apparently was also the pastry chef )and would be back to take our dinner order.. Again 30 mins later he returned We could not figure out if the management here needs help In training their servers,Or if they have never been in the service industry before,the whole system needs a major adjustment ! The food and prices are actually pretty good but you better have a three hour dining window .. Because of the service ...or lack of ...this Bistro get 2 stars ( generously give)
(2)
Howie O.
Finally! So I am an east coaster and the dining scene in Washington DC is awesome. This place ranks right up there with some of my favorite eateries. I had the hanger steak bloody rare with with plenty of red wine. It was perfect! My trustworthy sidekick Vida A dined on the fresh del mar type pasta and it look fantastic. I stole a bite or two and it was super delicious. I would nix the pizza and add a few more desserts. You guys rock, keep up the good work.
(5)
Stephanie S.
I have mixed feelings about this place. Some days, I find myself craving their soups, and other days I'm left feeling disappointed. First issue, they need to get their lunch special sorted. I've been charged differently the last 3 times I've been by. Let me just start off by saying that they advertise a lunch deal for something like $4.95 outside. On my first visit, I had a premade Caesar salad from the bar and a cup of soup. I was charged just over $6. Amazing! Today I ordered the same thing, soup of the day + a premade salad, and was charged $12+. Talk about inconsistency! Their lunch salads leave a lot to be desired. They're visually appealing deconstructed salads that are completely impractical to eat. I don't want to have to take a bite off the chicken, cut off a piece of a full leaf of lettuce, cut some avocado, and dip it in the dressing....just to get a comprehensive bite. The worst part about it is the slab of boiled flavorless chicken they throw on the side of each salad. With that being said, their soup of the day is typically pretty good, but it really just depends on the day. Their cauliflower soup is served daily but is charged as a premium. The servers that have helped me have also been very nice. Their other reviews look pretty good, so I'm not sure if it was in their plan to serve sub-par food to the businessmen & women nearby. Maybe I'll come by to have dinner, but I'm definitely not rushing. Honestly, I think I'd rather pay $10 for a nearby buffet than $12+ for an OK soup & salad.
(2)
Jason G.
Just had an excellent dinner at Bistro 222 in downtown Salt Lake City. Be sure to try the fish tacos and chocolate ganache cake! Loved the delicious food, friendly service, and high end contemporary design all for extremely reasonable prices.
(5)
Dalynn G.
Amazing service! Such a Beautiful patio. The ambiance is fresh, hip, and extremely sophisticated! The mushroom brusheta and cauliflower soup was amazing! Fresh churned butter and a menu that suits everyone's taste! Loved it. Favorite new spot in salt lake!
Upon walking into Bistro 222, I knew that the Salt Lake dining scene had changed immensely from when I was growing up in Utah. The ambiance is very sleek, without being cold--it seemed inviting and bright and very thoughtfully designed. I really liked the open window atmosphere, good for people watching and letting in the sunshine. I think this would be a nice place for both a semi-casual night out or a romantic dinner. Our server was excellent--attentive without being overbearing. She knew we were there to chat and enjoy ourselves, and she gave us just the right amount of assistance. She also didn't try to rush us out--we were there for a few hours. This only added to our overall pleasant experience. We started with cocktails, and I had the jewel, which is my favorite kind of cocktail--sweet, a little tart, and tastes like adult candy. It was mixed to perfection. My friend had a sparkling cranberry cocktail that I thought was a perfect summer drink, refreshing and a good mix of sweet and tart, again. The appetizers all looked very appetizing, but I knew I wanted to save room for dessert, so we started with entrees. I had the gnocchi, and my friend had the roasted chicken. Mine was so delicious--an almond pesto gave it a nice salty flavor, the gnocchi was cooked perfectly (not too doughy or chewy the way some can get), and the veggies in it were very fresh and flavorful. How I love Utah summer veggies. The whole dish worked well. It was so good in fact that it made my friend's slightly overlooked, very bland chicken taste even moreso. She sent it back and asked for the gnocchi. The staff was extremely accommodating about this request, showing they wanted us to be happy with our experience. And her gnocchi was just as good as mine. As for portions, I thought them just right for the price--not too big or small, but if you are looking for a place that serves big meals for big appetites or for leftovers, the portions might seem small. We had a nice champagne with dinner, and overall, I was pleased with the wine menu options, which ranged from mid-priced $30 bottles to much nicer, more expensive bottles that had I more money to spend, I would have certainly enjoyed. Not many restaurants offer decently priced champagne, and the bottle of Bouvet we shared was really delicious. The only thing I found confusing was how the menu lumped rose in the sparkling/champagne section. I thought it was a sparkling rose, but it wasn't. Luckily, the server explained that to us before she opened the bottle, so we could switch for the bubbles we craved for our celebration. The dessert list seemed a bit limited, with only a panacotta and a butterscotch pudding, but they had several flavors of gelato to offer. My friend had the espresso, which she liked, and I had the chocolate peanut butter, which was actually peanut butter ice cream with chocolate chips (so I would have named it a peanut butter chocolate gelato to avoid confusion, but that's just me, and I am not holding that against them). Not very exciting, far too many chips that weren't very interesting chocolate, though the gelato itself was creamy and good. Overall, a very good restaurant. I would go again, and I would certainly recommend it to others.
(4)
Alejandro M.
Had a business dinner here and it was a great atmosphere. Food was delicious. I had the pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon. I would recommend.
(5)
Marsha G.
Unbelievable . Ordered wine for an outrageous $12 per glass and then the bill charged every guest at the table $19 per glass! When questioned manager stood by $19 per glass. Waited one hour for dry halibut for $30. Never going back there again. Watch your wine tab!
(1)
Eric M.
This place looks very cool from the outside. I was hopeful the restaurant would live up to its very hip look. The food matched the decor, it was excellent. We tried appetizers, dinner, and dessert and loved everything. We will return to try more options very soon!
(5)
Michelle D.
Unfortunately, had a (-) experience at bistro 222 tonight. Yes, big tradeshow in town so they were staffed up, but apparently not up enough as our meal for 4 took almost 2 hours. No big wine or cocktail drinking to drag it out-the server disappeared for a good amount of time & we had to flag down the manager to finally bring us our entrees. When our salad entrees arrived-they were small appetizer in size. We were all hungry at the end of our dinner. The calamari appetizer and cucumber soup were mediocre. We never were asked if anyone wanted a 2nd round if drinks, we had to ask repeatedly for salt and pepper, no one ever filled our empty water glasses. We would not recommend spending a hard earned dollar in this establishment. Way too many other fantastic, consistent options in Salt Lake.
(1)
Rob Z.
**** update**** The Bistro has removed the grab-and -go options from the menu and replaced it with a half-full freezer of mediocre gelato. I came in to grab a quick salad and when I got my check it was almost $13 (the same salad was $6.50 last week). I'm changing my original 4 star review to 2 stars. It would be one star if the quality of the food suffered, but despite incompetent management and total lack of awareness what the downtown lunch crowd is looking for, the food is still fresh and tastes decent (though by now and great or innovative). I will think very closely as to whether I return to Bistro 222 and will probably discourage other from coming as well. Sorry guys, you're really blowing it. Ignore the rest of this as the above negates any positives the restaurant had in my eyes. I've only ever been to the bistro for lunch, but I've always had good service and great food. Their grab-and-go selection is fairly limited, but fresh and flavorful. I personally love the build-your-own-sandwich option. Hard to beat for $5 downtown! The chicken they use is juicy, the bread is fresh... It's all pretty stellar for the price point. You can go to another sandwich joint down the street that charges $2 more and uses pressed chicken... Not my favorite. One thing that really impressed me was when I came in on a slow day and commented they didn't have tomatoes. The manager said "They're not in season, and the greenhouse stuff you can get is total crap. We do have a tomato jam that we use in the winter." Way more thought than most lunch places downtown put into their food! Overall I give the bistro 4 stars because of my lack of experience with their non-express menu. Hopefully I'll get the chance to try the rest of their food and bump it up to 5.
(2)
Mary J.
very good meal and honestly the most beautiful meal i have ever been served. i have never taken a photo of a meal until i was served this dish. we ate outdoors and they took reservations. good service vwould definitely go back if in the area. i will attempt to post pic.
(4)
Brian P.
I've been here about 5 times in the past, and always enjoyed it. But their special New Year's Eve menu, which we weren't aware of until after we'd already ordered drinks, was a disaster. The food was mediocre, and the shock when we got the bill! $75 per person before drinks, 2-3 times what we normally spend to eat here. We paid it, since ultimately we should've asked about pricing when we saw the special menu, but none of us will be returning again, that's for sure. Nothing about Bistro 222 is worth that kind of money, not the food, not the service, not the atmosphere.
(2)
Christian P.
After a day-long drive from SoCal, we chose to drive straight to Bistro 222 before checking in to our Hotel. So very glad we did. First off, free Valet, who took excellent care of our car loaded with ALL of our belongings and cold-weather apparel for the week. Thank you, Anderson! For our meal, my wife and two foodie kids started with orders of the Moroccan Meatballs, Mushroom Bruschetta and the Butternut Squash soup. All three were resounding hits. I also had the Beet, Avocado and Citrus salad. It was tasty and refreshing. Nothing spectacular, but very solid. Admittedly, I am a tough one to impress when it comes to beets - given my deep love for them. I would certainly order it again. Then came entree time. Now, unfortunately for Bistro 222, I have been spoiled by Flora Farms ( flora-farms.com/#!field-… ) Rosemary Ham, Mozzarella and Egg pizza. So, when I spotted Bistro 222's "Hang-Over", I was excited. Had I never been to Flora, the Hang Over would have been fantastic. However, I have. So I would have to rated it a quite good. I would certainly recommend it to others. However, the seasoning on the Pizza is a tad dull for me. However, the true tragedy - in my opinion - was the fact that while the marshmallow for the Butternut Soup is house-made, there is no use of this on their dessert menu. Our server explained that it was a savory-style marshmallow, yet all of us at the table failed to see why that would limit them. We certainly all could think of ways a savory marshmallow could still work in either a true s'more, decontructed s'more or other dessert. All said, we get to SLC as often as we can to visit family, and I would love to stop in for lunch or even dinner again - as I am a Gnocchi fanatic and would love to see how their Roasted Beet Gnocchi is executed. It would be a make-or-break for me personally on future visits.
(4)
Rd D.
Waiter was great. Food was just okay and over priced. Steak was cooked to proper temperature but was tough.
(2)
Erica P.
While the reviews were iffy, we decided to give this place a try, as they were running a deal on Groupon. We really loved it. We had a starter of popcorn chicken (kind of like fried giblets) - which were great! I had the Seafood Risotto and my husband had the rabbit con fit over some kind of pasta. Both our meals, though "small" in portions - which really means "plenty", were fabulous! We'd definitely head back to Bistro 222.
(4)
Jared F.
There was a Groupon for a $50 gift certificate for $25. Couldn't pass that up. Went with another couple for dinner before seeing Wicked. Our server was Melinda, she gave us recommendations for appetizers, and entrees. Was very helpful in giving us and idea on what to try. Started off with some meatballs, pork belly, heirloom tomato plate and asparagus and mushroom crust-ini. I had the seafood risotto, and my wife had the hangar steak and frites. Risotto was great, but I was envious of my wife's meal, it looked delicious, and I begged for a bite. It tasted as good as it looked. Overall the atmosphere is great, we had a very enjoyable time and the manager even came by our table to joke with us before we left. We had a great experience and would definitely dine there again.
(5)
Robert C.
Had an amazing dinner here last Monday night. The restaurant was very slow but the atmosphere was still welcoming. I was pleasantly greeted at the door by the manager and because it was slow I was able to get a table right by the window. I found the Bistro very upscale and its best feature was the surrounding windows. The entire restaurant is enclosed with glass giving a great view of the downtown salt lake area. Even with the upscale environment the menu prices were very affordable. The beet salad was perfectly priced and delicious as well. As a dinner option I choose the Sea Bass. I found it very savoury with the tomato based sauce. Dessert options seemed to be lacking yet I still wanted to give the Bistro a five star because of the apple tart. As a connoisseur of wine I can at times be critical. I did find a nice $25 dollar Chianti which was a beautiful wine for the price. I did find it a little warm for my taste but as I said I can be a bit critical. Overall I found this place to be very welcoming and the staff to be very professional, even though there were only two of them. I would definitely recommend this establishment to anyone who is looking for a upscale environment, with a menu that has something for everyone, and a wine list that has a world wide selection.
(5)
Mars A.
Ambiance: Pleasant decor but discordant music. Average quality food and average wait staff. Several flies throughout the restaurant. Verdict: Worth going with a Groupon but not otherwise.
(2)
Emily B.
Great new restaurant in a fabulous downtown location. Sit by the front windows if you can for some entertaining people watching. The first course was out of this world. The clam chowder beat out any chowder we have had at any specialty seafood restaurant and the beet/tomato salad was a true work of art.
Went two weeks back with some work colleagues and was underwhelmed in every regard. They miss the little things that make the experience off putting, like featuring wine lists on iPads that aren't updated; why have electronics if they're not connected or updated? Ordering a bottle of wine took three attempts. They food was ok. It felt like it should be buried in the heart of a Marriott hotel in downtown Cleveland. There is definitely something not kosher with the vibe of this joint.
(2)
Lynda G.
We ate at Bistro 222 on Valentine's Day.. We ordered off the Valentines menu, each of us chose an appetizer, salad, entree and dessert. the food was good with the exception of my entree, I ordered Halibut, it was extremely dry and over cooked. the service was very slow to the point where we finally asked why we had been waiting 30 minutes for our salads. The food (with the exception of the halibut) was good enough that I would be tempted to try them again, but not on any type of a holiday.
(3)
Lindsey K.
Beautiful! Chef Michael is amazing and artistic. Appetizers are wonderful. Great flavors. Parking behind the building. (Helps downtown) I got the halibut. Amazing. So soft and nice crusty shell. The veggies with it were amazing. I wanted to ask for more. Pasta is house made. Love it.
(5)
Sam S.
I first went to Bistro 222 2 or 3 years ago after they first opened. As I recall, the food was good, but the service and organization was terrible and it left a bad taste in my mouth. I figured they were a new restaurant so would give them the benefit of the doubt and let them work through their issues. Went back for brunch today and experienced exactly the same thing. Food was alright I guess (nothing special), but service was poor and the same disorganization. The server was nice enough, but he must have been stretched thin because there were long periods of time between any interaction. The poor out of towners behind us were about to walk out because they had been waiting so long to order. When the server finally gave them some attention, he didn't bother to apologize. Instead, he went on to say how busy they were and how they were running around. And they weren't really that busy. This isn't an issue of bad servers, but folks who need to learn how to run a restaurant. From what I can see in the other reviews, this isn't a new thing and management needs to pull it together. I don't plan on going back any time soon.
(2)
Lisa A.
Utah is notorious for bland unseasoned food but this place takes the cake. And if they had cake, it would probably be flavorless as well. I had high hopes for our meal as we were seated at the cute outdoor patio. But they were quickly dashed, and not by the rain clouds that were threatening. We had the cauliflower soup which sounded delicious and had great reviews. However, it was tasteless. The margherita pizza had a decent amount of cheese but was lacking basil and the red sauce was barely tomato flavored, much less seasoned. The wait staff was just as bland. We won't be returning.
(1)
Art C.
Food is Good but service is slow!! Took forever for us together our food! Not crowded so no excuses!
(2)
Michael R.
The lobster corn dogs were okay at best but the bacon wrapped pork was delicious. Great decor and ambiance and very professional wait staff. Wine list a bit better than expected. Not one of my all time favorites but I will be back.
(3)
Andrea M.
Had a really nice experience here. We went on a Saturday early evening and it was clear and not crowded. Our food was very good and the staff was great. I would come back and maybe sit outside for a relaxing lunch.
(5)
Alex J.
I have been wanting to try this restaurant since they opened, but I have also been a little wary given some of the reviews that had popped up about it. It seemed that either people had a great experience or they had a really bad experience. However, despite that, when the opportunity arose, I decided to give Bistro 222 a try... and honestly? I had a really great experience. I went to Bistro 222 on 9/18/15 around 11:00am. My dining companion and I choose to have lunch inside and we were seated in a booth next to a nested fireplace, which was perfect because it was slightly chilly outside. The inside of the restaurant instantly struck me as very clean and organized with a very modern design. The contrast of the blacks and whites with the colors they used to decorate was really enjoyable visually. Some other reviewers have mentioned that the wine list was on an iPad, but my wine/cocktail menu was presented in the old-fashioned print variety, so that may be a new addition. During my visit I ordered the Vidarita and the 222 Martini (on the rocks). Both were really delicious and I felt like I was getting my money's worth (as much as you can get your money's worth when ordering drinks in Utah). I was also informed that Bistro 222 has a special license to offer drinks before 11:30am and that food doesn't need to be ordered when ordering a drink, which I liked a lot. My dining companion and I took advantage of the dine o'round special to try the NY Steak Sandwich. We also shared an order of the Cauliflower soup because I have heard that it was delicious and I've also heard that it was bland so I felt compelled to give it a try. All of the food was absolutely delicious! The soup was flavorful with a tiny bit of spice and a creamy mouth feel. The meat on the sandwich was a perfect medium and the bread (which was both flaky and soft) was grilled perfectly. The salad was flavorful and light. My dining companion let me try his fries (a thinner, shoe string variety) and they came out hot and perfectly seasoned. They were served with un-doctored ketchup, which complimented them rather well. We learned that Bistro 222's head chef was new (there for a week at the time of our visit) and that he hadn't had any influence on the menu we tried, but that he was working on some revisions to the menu, so my food opinions might by out of date soon after my review, just a heads up. Our server, Issac, was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive--not just to our table, but from what I saw to the other tables he got as well. There were fresh flowers used on the table, and the bathrooms available were very nice, clean, and perfectly maintained. At the time of our visit, the restaurant was not busy. It seemed to be before the lunch rush, so I can't say how service and food speed would be in such a circumstance, but our food came out quickly and fresh. From my experience, in the confines of the time of day and how busy the restaurant was, I would definitely recommend Bistro 222 to others.
(5)
Howie O.
Finally! So I am an east coaster and the dining scene in Washington DC is awesome. This place ranks right up there with some of my favorite eateries. I had the hanger steak bloody rare with with plenty of red wine. It was perfect! My trustworthy sidekick Vida A dined on the fresh del mar type pasta and it look fantastic. I stole a bite or two and it was super delicious. I would nix the pizza and add a few more desserts. You guys rock, keep up the good work.
(5)
Eric D.
Had a great meal here tonight. Service was impeccable. The meatballs had a great texture and flavor, too often meatballs are big and bloated, these were not like that. Arugula salad was delicious, and chicken marsala had a great flavor too, with sun dried tomatoes that complemented without overpowering. Will definitely come back sooner to the triple deuce!
(4)
Ali Y.
I had the ahi tuna tacos. They were really light and delicious. If your looking for a smaller, yummy meal this is perfect!
(3)
Cindy W.
Was personally attacked by a member whom accused me of being an ex-employee. Mike M, I am not l, nor would I ever be. Sorry for your sad attempt to discredit my opinion about this restaurant. Your efforts lead me to believe that you work for them and are trolling reviews to save face. This is sad, perhaps you should focus on the issues that paying customers have and not lash out at negative reviews. Here is the message. Yelp Hi Cindy, Mike M. sent you a message on Yelp: Subject: Doubt it "So then your just a miserable lady who complains about everything and is always bitter. Putting down others is probably your way of feeling good about yourself, making your miserable, "poor me" life seem a little better!! Good luck with that!! Have fun, I feel sorry for you!! At least people won't care when you finally bite the bullet!! -just my opinion!! And I'm guessing many others, u miserable little c***t!!"
(1)
Jason H.
Good: Food was great. The place was nice. Bad: Wine list on an iPad was embarrassingly stupid. Ditch the iPads. The waitress asked how we were doing every 3 minutes. It was annoyingly too often. My friend's comment: "The chef is a little bit too sure of themselves for there to be no salt or pepper on the table."
(4)
Nate B.
Not a fan. I'm pretty easy going in terms of food quality but this place is a classic overpriced-but-upscale-looking hotel restaurant. The service was terrible - had to ask for more water on two different occasions. Food wasn't bad, but for the price I paid I expect MUCH better.
(1)
Amanda M.
Went here for Valentines Day & of course it was busy. The service was SO bad though! I hate calling the waiter out but Alan forgot to put in our order so we sat forever without our cocktails or food. Once the table next to us, who arrived after us, started getting their food we were concerned & he realized he lost our order and took our order again. anyway, the food was hit and miss. My husbands steak was really really good. My dessert, the leche de sundae or something like that, was amazing! My arugula salad was gross and my fish was over cooked. So yeah I would maybe try this place again, but only because some of the food was really great.
(2)
Kjersti G.
I finally had the opportunity to try this place after months of wanting to go and I loved it! I made a reservation for 5 and when I showed up the restaurant was empty! I felt like I had rented out the entire place with the amazing service and lack of other diners.(It turns out they get busier later in the night.) The "Cauliflower Soup" is indeed amazing and I totally agree with all the other users who said it was delicious. It was even sprinkled with pumpkin seeds! loved it! i ordered the "Bistro Burger", which came out with apple slices on it. it was a surprise and I liked it. I took advantage of the award winning Wine List and I'm happy I did! Amazing French Rose! It went well with the cheese appetizer I also ordered. They also have an interesting White Bordeaux, for the curious Wino. I should also probably state that I didn't pay for any of this, It was put onto an expense Account. So I might not have gorged myself as much if I had to actually pay with my own money! :)
(4)
Brian B.
Stumbled on this place with a group of friends and decided to try it out. First we were told it would be at least a 20 minute wait which was weird because the place was pretty empty and there were lots of open tables. After finally getting seated it took a long time before anyone cane to take our orders. At least 4 out of the 6 of us had water. Yeah I wasn't one of the lucky ones. We ordered eventually. When the food came out most of us were kind of disappointed. When they said it came with fruit we kind of assumed that it would just be a garnish. My fruit consisted of a strawberry cut in half and two blackberries. While the food tasted good it wasn't anything special. The staff was nice enough but over all the service was severely lacking. I won't be back. Too many other options.
(2)
Stephanie S.
I have mixed feelings about this place. Some days, I find myself craving their soups, and other days I'm left feeling disappointed. First issue, they need to get their lunch special sorted. I've been charged differently the last 3 times I've been by. Let me just start off by saying that they advertise a lunch deal for something like $4.95 outside. On my first visit, I had a premade Caesar salad from the bar and a cup of soup. I was charged just over $6. Amazing! Today I ordered the same thing, soup of the day + a premade salad, and was charged $12+. Talk about inconsistency! Their lunch salads leave a lot to be desired. They're visually appealing deconstructed salads that are completely impractical to eat. I don't want to have to take a bite off the chicken, cut off a piece of a full leaf of lettuce, cut some avocado, and dip it in the dressing....just to get a comprehensive bite. The worst part about it is the slab of boiled flavorless chicken they throw on the side of each salad. With that being said, their soup of the day is typically pretty good, but it really just depends on the day. Their cauliflower soup is served daily but is charged as a premium. The servers that have helped me have also been very nice. Their other reviews look pretty good, so I'm not sure if it was in their plan to serve sub-par food to the businessmen & women nearby. Maybe I'll come by to have dinner, but I'm definitely not rushing. Honestly, I think I'd rather pay $10 for a nearby buffet than $12+ for an OK soup & salad.
(2)
Jason G.
Just had an excellent dinner at Bistro 222 in downtown Salt Lake City. Be sure to try the fish tacos and chocolate ganache cake! Loved the delicious food, friendly service, and high end contemporary design all for extremely reasonable prices.
(5)
Dalynn G.
Amazing service! Such a Beautiful patio. The ambiance is fresh, hip, and extremely sophisticated! The mushroom brusheta and cauliflower soup was amazing! Fresh churned butter and a menu that suits everyone's taste! Loved it. Favorite new spot in salt lake!
(5)
Laurence B.
We had dinner here Friday night. The place has good atmosphere, nice chairs and tables. However, the food was lackluster. I had a pizza margherita which had a brick-hard crust and a soupy amount of sauce. Flavors were nice, but much better versions of this item can be had locally at Settebello or Vinto. My wife and I shared a beet salad that was ho-hum. She had sea bass, which she said had zero flavor. Overall, I'd say (at least so far) Bistro 222 is all style but no substance.
(3)
Robert C.
Had an amazing dinner here last Monday night. The restaurant was very slow but the atmosphere was still welcoming. I was pleasantly greeted at the door by the manager and because it was slow I was able to get a table right by the window. I found the Bistro very upscale and its best feature was the surrounding windows. The entire restaurant is enclosed with glass giving a great view of the downtown salt lake area. Even with the upscale environment the menu prices were very affordable. The beet salad was perfectly priced and delicious as well. As a dinner option I choose the Sea Bass. I found it very savoury with the tomato based sauce. Dessert options seemed to be lacking yet I still wanted to give the Bistro a five star because of the apple tart. As a connoisseur of wine I can at times be critical. I did find a nice $25 dollar Chianti which was a beautiful wine for the price. I did find it a little warm for my taste but as I said I can be a bit critical. Overall I found this place to be very welcoming and the staff to be very professional, even though there were only two of them. I would definitely recommend this establishment to anyone who is looking for a upscale environment, with a menu that has something for everyone, and a wine list that has a world wide selection.
(5)
Natalie R.
This was the worst dining experience I have ever had. I am not using hyperbole. I was unimpressed right off the bat when I arrived and the hostess was on the phone. She barely acknowledged me. I understand she was taking a reservation, but she didn't smile or anything- just mouthed "one minute." When she sat us, our whole party hadn't arrived and she only provided one of each menu for the entire table of 10, which was actually only set for 8. Water arrived at some point and our server just breezed by and said his name and that he'd be back. Some time later, he came back and took drink orders and told us about the specials, including the Dine-O-Round menu. It took an inordinate amount of time to get our drinks- a glass of wine, a cocktail, and a beer. The server kept making excuses about the lengthy waits for things and was clearly getting flustered. One of my dining companions asked for some bread because we were quite hungry. He said the kitchen would be pissed if he went and got us bread for free and there was no way he could charge us for it when we offered to pay because there wasn't a button in the system. Yes, he really said the kitchen would be "pissed." He got quite defensive about it when pressed on the issue, then offered to bring us olives. He made sure to point out he brought us a double order, so there were like 12 in the container. So by this point, it had been close to 45 minutes. He finally brought me my beer after I was notified the one I wanted was out of stock. Most of us ordered the dine-o-round menu, which started with a tomato basil soup. It was overly salted and lacked flavor. I'm pretty sure the tomato soup at Paradise Bakery is better. After another long wait and many empty waters and Diet Cokes, our entrees came out. I'll give my braised short rib or whatever it was, a big fat "meh." It was pot roast and mashed sweet potatoes. There was truly nothing special about it. It was ok, but it was pretty on par with what I can cook at home. Another long wait ensued and dessert arrived. It was probably the only good thing I ate all evening. We scarcely saw our server throughout the whole meal and when we did, he was full of half-baked apologies and excuses for the waits and timing; he was flustered and rude. He brought one check, but we didn't want to wait for him to separate it, nor did he even offer. Isn't that customary these days? Who knows how long that would have taken, anyhow. We were approaching 2.5 hours of seat time. We wrote down how much to put on each of our cards and a few threw in cash, but I guess this was too complicated for him to handle. We also got lectured about how we should have told him at the beginning that we wanted separate checks and that there is a charge for it. Who charges for separate checks?! He finally got everything charged to the right person. Oh, by the way, during this whole fiasco, one of my friends hadn't even received her dessert yet. 40 minutes after she ordered it. The manager dropped it at the table and ran. He knew we were pissed, but he was too much of a coward to talk to us. He did nothing to improve our dining experience- didn't offer to comp anything, ask for feedback, or even sincerely apologize.I think this speaks to the biggest problem of all- the whole fiasco starts with poor management. The kitchen was backed up, the server was a disaster, the host was unpleasant. This all indicates poor leadership and planning. This place is doomed to fail. It's a shame because it's in a great location and has a nice atmosphere. I can assure you, I will never go back there and I will tell everyone I know never to go there too. I am not often angered by a bad experience in a restaurant. I was a server. I get it. I think the thing that irritates me the most is it was clear we were unhappy and no one did anything to fix it.
(1)
Neal C.
Valentine's Day brought my wife and I back to Bistro 222 for the second time. We wanted to try the Rib Eye for 2. We started with the field greens salad, two of them. We were sorry we shared one on our first visit because it was exquisite. The cranberry maple vinaigrette is outstanding, especially with blue cheese crumbles, nuts, and dried cranberries. The steak was slightly undercooked, but not enough to send it back for a tad more heat. And an undercooked steak is far better than an overcooked steak. The red miso glaze made the steak deliciously savory. And the steak was perfectly tender. 222 seems determined to make less popular vegetables taste good. They do pretty well, but it's tough to make a Brussel sprout something I want with an outstanding steak. Not bad, but nobody yet has been able to make Brussel sprout bitterness desirable. I ate them, but would've preferred something else. The Cauliflower au gratin was very good, as long is it was consumed by itself. Having a bite with a piece of steak didn't combine well. A side effect of trying to do something wonderful with a less popular vegetable? The dessert was good. If it was advertised as a dense chocolate cake instead of a lava cake, it would've been great, but it wasn't what we expected from the description. Still, the accompanying salted caramel gelato was wonderful! Next time I go to 222--and I will--I'll see if I can get a bowl of the gelato by itself. Service was fine, considering how busy they were on Valentine's Day evening.
(4)
Maria M.
The saying "money can't buy class" can be used with bistro 222 "expensive prices doesn't mean it's good food". The service was good. I got what the waitress suggested- seafood risotto and the clams and shrimp were extremely dry. The best part of our meal was the fries... I had a groupon and I feel like we still over paid. ALSO... I got the sangria- it was very obvious that they just poured pineapple juice and red wine together. It was so gross. and so expensive!!
(2)
Nick C.
I wanted to like this place but my initial experience was very poor. My server was extremely unprofessional. Waited 10 minutes to even be greeted. At which point no waters were put on the table, we gave a drink order, and thinking it might be a while before we saw the guy again, told him we might be ready to order. Asked if there were any mixed greens on the beet salad, he said there were, there was not just, a sprinkle of arugula micro greens. No specials were offered, and we had to repeat our drink order and request water as well. Our main courses were both tepid when we got them. The pork shoulder tasted amazing, but I was off by the fact that it wasn't hot. My girlfriends steak was undercooked, and tepid as well. Additionally the restaurant has the audacity to not put salt on the table, but the fries and polenta both could have used some. I feel bad giving 1 star for service but when I'm running up a $130+ bill I expect a little more than tepid food and having to stop the waiter for a refill. I'd like to say that I'm gonna go back and update my review, but there are many other restaurants I'd rather spend my money at.
(1)
Mel W.
the server here was extremely attentive and pleasant. highly appreciated that. for some inexplicable reason there was this fish smell that permeated the entire place-but there was only one other table in there at the time i was, and they didn't have fish. calamari-meh. would not order again. had the spinach and artichoke pizza. i was very pleasantly surprised. i thought it was pretty darn good. my friend had the margherita. that also was good. so i guess decent enough overall but it wasn't mind blowing either.
(3)
Brendan S.
Went here last minute as it was the only place in SLC that had availably on a Saturday night. This concerned us a bit as did the lack of customers inside. I will chalk that up to them being new because the food was great. Mussels app was fantastic with a solid pepper broth to dip the bread. The cauliflower soup was very good as well but could have used a touch more cream. The entree and dessert were the highlights. They had a fillet as the special topped with a shrimp based hollandaise. It was unreal. It was cooked perfectly and the hollandaise really went well with the steak. The dessert was a homemade molten chocolate cake topped with fresh whipped cream and salted caramel ice cream. That was probably the best dessert I have had in SLC. Service was a bit slow at times which is why I gave this a 4 star. They did make up for it by removing the dessert from the bill. I would say 222 is one of SLC top 10 restaurants.
(4)
Shacey P.
This used to be a 4 for me. But then they changed the manager and I hosted a work dinner here. 12 people, empty restaurant, slow to nonexistent service, over cooked fish and surly host. No thanks - there are so many other great restaurants in the area this relative new comer does not deserve my business.
We recently tried Bistro 222 and its a wonderful addition to downtown SLC. The service is top notch and the restaurant has a sophisticated atmosphere. Two note worthy dishes include the cauliflower soup and the braised short rib. What makes Bistro 222 a real stand out is that it feels like the type of restaurant you would find in a busy urban downtown in a large city. I love SLC and it has many wonderful qualities, but SLC is neither urban, large, or busy. Its sleepy and quiet which has its merits, but sometimes I want a dining experience that includes nice wine, impeccable food, and the chance to leisurely enjoy good conversation with my guests. Bistro 222 is all of these things.
(5)
Marissa F.
This was yummy. Definitely fresh tasting food and good quality ingredients but I'm just not sure if it's worth the $$. Nothing wowed me it was just really solid and well done. I've had similar dishes in other places. So it's not unique (not that a restaurant needs to be unique) but like I said it was good. My hang up is the price. And for their prices I kind of want to be wowed. We ordered: -The Dine-O Round Meal which I'm not remembering what kind of meat it was with some mashed sweet potatoes and greens. This was very tasty -The Osso Bucco Pasta this was yummy but I think it needed a little more salt but there was no salt and pepper on the table and I always feel weird asking for salt at restaurants The service was great. We had a baby with us and they were very nice and accommodating. This does not factor into the rating but there is no changing table in the bathroom (I just know I like to know that kind of stuff). Parking is very difficult but that's expected from the location.
(4)
Jim H.
Had an amazing meal celebrating the Mrs.'s passing the Utah Bar Exam (hooray!!). Very nice restaurant in a building that was still under construction when we moved from SLC to LA for her law school. Memories aside, let's get to the reviewing. This restaurant is a bit upscale, I'd say 3 out of 4 ($$$), but at the same time it is not stuffy (it's not like the New Yorker--I think you'd feel comfortable in casual clothes, but it's also a place to go on a fancy date night). I ordered the rib-eye steak and it was nothing short of a miracle--I feel it's worth noting that I usually eat vegetarian, so indeed this was a special occasion! Another in our party ordered the lamb meatballs and cauliflower soup (the soup was worthy of note, as I do not like cauliflower or cream soups, but this soup was fantastic and was not made with dairy--well done!). Can't wait for another reason to visit Bistro 222.
(5)
Barry S.
New chef and food is much better than 1 year ago when my wife I were there. Isaac took great care of us and had great recommendations, definitely returning soon.
(5)
Dave B.
Made a late reservation for New Years eve. They had a five course menu for one price. I had the duck, my wife had the fish with curry sauce. Both dishes were really good. Scallop appetizer was excellent, as was the pork belly. A little fatty, but really good flavor. We enjoyed the wines , and one cocktail. Service was good. We will come back next time we are downtown.
(5)
Michael W.
What a treat to stumble onto this fantastic restaurant. We were actually following a YELP lead for a nearby Greek restaurant that no longer exists...(Thanks YELP for being up to date! LOL)..... So on our way back to the car, we saw this bistro filled with what appeared to be well dressed lunch time diners. The dishes on all of the tables looked so artistically presented. We went in and luck have it, secured the table in the front corner with huge glass windows behind me and my guest. Our server was the engaging, handsome, and knowledgeable Tony. He painted fantastic word pictures of the lunch we would soon order. I ended up getting the soup special, a Clam and Halibut Chowder. It was so LIGHT and delicious...not some cream soaked, out of a can clam chowder soup. The halibut really added to the diversity of flavor and texture. The clam shells were included in the bowl. ...My lunch companion ordered the fish and chips. Two beautiful pieces of lightly fried cod, served at the perfect temperature on a bed of fresh fries. Not the greasy, thickly coated Fish and Chips you would get at an Irish Pub.... She was very pleased. My entree was a creative and delicious beet salad on which I added four pieces of medium sized shrimp. The meal was light and flavorful. The service was impeccable, with our water glasses never going empty, food service time was prompt and food temp was perfect. Once again, really enjoyed the corner table with the amazing high-rise views. The restaurant was clean, architecturally interesting, with clean lines, and a bright color palette. Did I mention how awesome our service was from Tony? A real treat during the lunch hour. Check it out if you are in the area. You'll be glad you did.
(5)
Jenn O.
My friends and I had dinner on a not to busy Friday night .. Our waiter Matt promptly approached our group,took our drink order.. And then forewarned us it would take awhile as he was also the bar tender ..to make a long story short .. 25 min later he came back with our drinks (Which sorry to say we're marginal at best ) He then shared that he had to go make a desserts ( as he apparently was also the pastry chef )and would be back to take our dinner order.. Again 30 mins later he returned We could not figure out if the management here needs help In training their servers,Or if they have never been in the service industry before,the whole system needs a major adjustment ! The food and prices are actually pretty good but you better have a three hour dining window .. Because of the service ...or lack of ...this Bistro get 2 stars ( generously give)
(2)
michael c.
Very poor service here. Booked for show before ballet and was told 6pm sitting would be enough time. Arrive 5:40pm and at 7:06pm only just finished entree (had to rush to eat) no dessert and table service was some of the slowest I've experienced for some time. No offer of drink refills and now scrambling to get to show. Observed missed orders and wrong orders coming out and other patrons with similar experiences. Will definitely NOT come here again
First off, I think it's important to know that I've never written a bad review of anything. I am one of the more laid back people in the world and have worked in the restaurant industry, so if anything, I'm overly empathetic. But this experience was so poor and involved particularly bad business practices, so I felt it was important to warn potential guests. I visit SLC twice a year for a tradeshow, and host a ladies dinner each trip. Last year, we dined at Bistro 222 and had a wonderful experience, so I decided to book it again. The night prior to our reservation, a small group of my co-workers went to have dinner there, and I was alarmed to see that the prices on the menu were significantly higher than what they were the year prior, and what was on their online menu. So I asked to speak to the manager. He stated that they have "special menus during special events and holidays". I explained that I had booked a dinner for the next night, naturally assuming the menu and prices I saw online would be in effect...nobody told me otherwise when I called in the reservation, nor when I called a second time to confirm the reservation. I further explained that this is a business dinner and I have a budget, and this was basically price gouging. He only said "sorry", and repeated the special menu statement, continuing to say that this was standard practice. But as I mentioned, they didn't do that last year and I've dined at many restaurants in SLC during this show and have never seen others do it. I was upset and felt robbed, but it was too late to cancel or rebook the dinner for the next night. So! The next night, our party of 14 arrives for our 8pm reservation, and our table isn't ready. In fact, the group that is sitting at our table is JUST getting their dinner when we get there. The manager says he's going to try to move them, and for us to wait in the lobby. I say fine, can we please get some drinks while we wait. He says yes, and a server will be right out. We waited 30 minutes, with no drinks (I ordered four bottles of wine and followed up two times), not even water, no staff to check on us or give us an update. When we finally were seated, it took another 15 minutes to get wine and water. I had asked if we could order appetizers (mind you, this group has been working at a fast paced event all day and were starving) and the server impatiently says "I have to take another order from a table that was here before you." What?? So - in addition to the very poor business practice of jacking up prices without letting customers know, we had poor service, without any apologies or attempts to make it right. From a customer service standpoint, I was floored. The food was fine, but I will never go there again.
(1)
Michael B.
Great service and wonderful food. Nice presentation. Nice hip restaurant, youthful ambiance; but great for all ages. I'd definitely recommend this for dinner.
(4)
Sara w.
Chef Dave is amazing! Our group loved everything we ordered, which is very difficult to do. The five spiced ribs are not to be missed. We also thought the calamari was especially tasty, tender and light. The warm mushroom salad was a great combination of mushrooms, quinoa, sunchokes, and poached egg perfection. My favorite dish was the lamb osso buco with mint polenta cheddar deliciousness. This place is not to be missed. The food is simply outstanding down to the salted caramel chocolate tart. Chef Dave is a talented individual and also very personable. Do yourself a favor and go here!
(5)
Al P.
Upon walking into Bistro 222, I knew that the Salt Lake dining scene had changed immensely from when I was growing up in Utah. The ambiance is very sleek, without being cold--it seemed inviting and bright and very thoughtfully designed. I really liked the open window atmosphere, good for people watching and letting in the sunshine. I think this would be a nice place for both a semi-casual night out or a romantic dinner. Our server was excellent--attentive without being overbearing. She knew we were there to chat and enjoy ourselves, and she gave us just the right amount of assistance. She also didn't try to rush us out--we were there for a few hours. This only added to our overall pleasant experience. We started with cocktails, and I had the jewel, which is my favorite kind of cocktail--sweet, a little tart, and tastes like adult candy. It was mixed to perfection. My friend had a sparkling cranberry cocktail that I thought was a perfect summer drink, refreshing and a good mix of sweet and tart, again. The appetizers all looked very appetizing, but I knew I wanted to save room for dessert, so we started with entrees. I had the gnocchi, and my friend had the roasted chicken. Mine was so delicious--an almond pesto gave it a nice salty flavor, the gnocchi was cooked perfectly (not too doughy or chewy the way some can get), and the veggies in it were very fresh and flavorful. How I love Utah summer veggies. The whole dish worked well. It was so good in fact that it made my friend's slightly overlooked, very bland chicken taste even moreso. She sent it back and asked for the gnocchi. The staff was extremely accommodating about this request, showing they wanted us to be happy with our experience. And her gnocchi was just as good as mine. As for portions, I thought them just right for the price--not too big or small, but if you are looking for a place that serves big meals for big appetites or for leftovers, the portions might seem small. We had a nice champagne with dinner, and overall, I was pleased with the wine menu options, which ranged from mid-priced $30 bottles to much nicer, more expensive bottles that had I more money to spend, I would have certainly enjoyed. Not many restaurants offer decently priced champagne, and the bottle of Bouvet we shared was really delicious. The only thing I found confusing was how the menu lumped rose in the sparkling/champagne section. I thought it was a sparkling rose, but it wasn't. Luckily, the server explained that to us before she opened the bottle, so we could switch for the bubbles we craved for our celebration. The dessert list seemed a bit limited, with only a panacotta and a butterscotch pudding, but they had several flavors of gelato to offer. My friend had the espresso, which she liked, and I had the chocolate peanut butter, which was actually peanut butter ice cream with chocolate chips (so I would have named it a peanut butter chocolate gelato to avoid confusion, but that's just me, and I am not holding that against them). Not very exciting, far too many chips that weren't very interesting chocolate, though the gelato itself was creamy and good. Overall, a very good restaurant. I would go again, and I would certainly recommend it to others.
(4)
Alejandro M.
Had a business dinner here and it was a great atmosphere. Food was delicious. I had the pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon. I would recommend.
(5)
Marsha G.
Unbelievable . Ordered wine for an outrageous $12 per glass and then the bill charged every guest at the table $19 per glass! When questioned manager stood by $19 per glass. Waited one hour for dry halibut for $30. Never going back there again. Watch your wine tab!
(1)
Ryan C.
Had a lovely early lunch today with the place to myself. You can rail against the merits of many things, but I'm afraid arguments against lunch at 11 am are going to find no purchase here. The place was quiet and the staff was attentive without hovering. Anyway, I started with the mushroom bruschetta. Absolutely delicious, even given my bias against tomato jam as a general concept; it seems like an excuse to use bad tomatoes, covering them over with a bunch of sugar. Sure enough, this particular jam was on the sweet side, but the sweet note wasn't wholly unwelcome. It did verge on overwhelming the flavor of the mushrooms, which were beautifully roasted and meaty. My main was the mahi mahi tacos. I love seafood, but tend not to order fish tacos very often after having been spoiled by ubiquitous and amazing versions in San Diego. However, the extremely helpful server sold me on house made corn tortillas, so I jumped. There are three tacos in the order. They are on tiny tortillas, around three inches in diameter. The fish, on the other hand, it copious, and the result is a very protein-heavy dish that I really enjoyed. Rather than eating a mouth full of tortilla, I was eating fish, and that's a nice change of pace when it comes to my fish taco experience. The condiments on the tacos were a bit clunky. The pineapple relish was too chunky for the tiny form factor of the taco, though the flavor was nice and surprisingly spicy. The pickled onions were also a bit hard to manage. That said, the flavors were dead on. The price was right, the food was delicious, and I'll be back very soon. It looks like they have a few dinner-only items, which will probably be when I'll return.
(5)
Jason H.
Don't go. This place is awful. Extremely poor service. We had to ask for everything - someone to take our order after being ignored for 10 minutes, water, our meals took forever to come and when they came they were luke warm. Explanation given was that they were short staffed - ok but that isn't your diners problem. One of our party of 5 received their meal 5 min after the rest of us. Total waste of money and I was hungry when I left. Very few restaurants make me angry - this is one of them.
Unfortunately, had a (-) experience at bistro 222 tonight. Yes, big tradeshow in town so they were staffed up, but apparently not up enough as our meal for 4 took almost 2 hours. No big wine or cocktail drinking to drag it out-the server disappeared for a good amount of time & we had to flag down the manager to finally bring us our entrees. When our salad entrees arrived-they were small appetizer in size. We were all hungry at the end of our dinner. The calamari appetizer and cucumber soup were mediocre. We never were asked if anyone wanted a 2nd round if drinks, we had to ask repeatedly for salt and pepper, no one ever filled our empty water glasses. We would not recommend spending a hard earned dollar in this establishment. Way too many other fantastic, consistent options in Salt Lake.
(1)
Ashley B.
My fiance and I have eaten here only a few times, but we always love it. They have wonderful service, food and wine pairings and suggestions. They always let us go at our own speed and enjoy the ambiance. This is our go to place for a random date night and it's never regrettable.
(5)
Louise J.
Poor service. Cocktails nothing special at all. Took way too long to get our food. Calamaris was chewy and not to out liking. We ordered steak, both medium. One came out well done and the other one basically raw. We opted to leave. Had the manager come over. We didn't have to pay for our dinner and we got a gift card for a dinner for two as compensation. We are not planning on using the gift card. So many other great restaurants in Salt Lake City that we rather go to.
(1)
Mars A.
Ambiance: Pleasant decor but discordant music. Average quality food and average wait staff. Several flies throughout the restaurant. Verdict: Worth going with a Groupon but not otherwise.
(2)
Emily B.
Great new restaurant in a fabulous downtown location. Sit by the front windows if you can for some entertaining people watching. The first course was out of this world. The clam chowder beat out any chowder we have had at any specialty seafood restaurant and the beet/tomato salad was a true work of art.
(4)
Rob Z.
**** update**** The Bistro has removed the grab-and -go options from the menu and replaced it with a half-full freezer of mediocre gelato. I came in to grab a quick salad and when I got my check it was almost $13 (the same salad was $6.50 last week). I'm changing my original 4 star review to 2 stars. It would be one star if the quality of the food suffered, but despite incompetent management and total lack of awareness what the downtown lunch crowd is looking for, the food is still fresh and tastes decent (though by now and great or innovative). I will think very closely as to whether I return to Bistro 222 and will probably discourage other from coming as well. Sorry guys, you're really blowing it. Ignore the rest of this as the above negates any positives the restaurant had in my eyes. I've only ever been to the bistro for lunch, but I've always had good service and great food. Their grab-and-go selection is fairly limited, but fresh and flavorful. I personally love the build-your-own-sandwich option. Hard to beat for $5 downtown! The chicken they use is juicy, the bread is fresh... It's all pretty stellar for the price point. You can go to another sandwich joint down the street that charges $2 more and uses pressed chicken... Not my favorite. One thing that really impressed me was when I came in on a slow day and commented they didn't have tomatoes. The manager said "They're not in season, and the greenhouse stuff you can get is total crap. We do have a tomato jam that we use in the winter." Way more thought than most lunch places downtown put into their food! Overall I give the bistro 4 stars because of my lack of experience with their non-express menu. Hopefully I'll get the chance to try the rest of their food and bump it up to 5.
(2)
Mary J.
very good meal and honestly the most beautiful meal i have ever been served. i have never taken a photo of a meal until i was served this dish. we ate outdoors and they took reservations. good service vwould definitely go back if in the area. i will attempt to post pic.
(4)
Brian P.
I've been here about 5 times in the past, and always enjoyed it. But their special New Year's Eve menu, which we weren't aware of until after we'd already ordered drinks, was a disaster. The food was mediocre, and the shock when we got the bill! $75 per person before drinks, 2-3 times what we normally spend to eat here. We paid it, since ultimately we should've asked about pricing when we saw the special menu, but none of us will be returning again, that's for sure. Nothing about Bistro 222 is worth that kind of money, not the food, not the service, not the atmosphere.
(2)
Eric M.
This place looks very cool from the outside. I was hopeful the restaurant would live up to its very hip look. The food matched the decor, it was excellent. We tried appetizers, dinner, and dessert and loved everything. We will return to try more options very soon!
(5)
Christian P.
After a day-long drive from SoCal, we chose to drive straight to Bistro 222 before checking in to our Hotel. So very glad we did. First off, free Valet, who took excellent care of our car loaded with ALL of our belongings and cold-weather apparel for the week. Thank you, Anderson! For our meal, my wife and two foodie kids started with orders of the Moroccan Meatballs, Mushroom Bruschetta and the Butternut Squash soup. All three were resounding hits. I also had the Beet, Avocado and Citrus salad. It was tasty and refreshing. Nothing spectacular, but very solid. Admittedly, I am a tough one to impress when it comes to beets - given my deep love for them. I would certainly order it again. Then came entree time. Now, unfortunately for Bistro 222, I have been spoiled by Flora Farms ( flora-farms.com/#!field-… ) Rosemary Ham, Mozzarella and Egg pizza. So, when I spotted Bistro 222's "Hang-Over", I was excited. Had I never been to Flora, the Hang Over would have been fantastic. However, I have. So I would have to rated it a quite good. I would certainly recommend it to others. However, the seasoning on the Pizza is a tad dull for me. However, the true tragedy - in my opinion - was the fact that while the marshmallow for the Butternut Soup is house-made, there is no use of this on their dessert menu. Our server explained that it was a savory-style marshmallow, yet all of us at the table failed to see why that would limit them. We certainly all could think of ways a savory marshmallow could still work in either a true s'more, decontructed s'more or other dessert. All said, we get to SLC as often as we can to visit family, and I would love to stop in for lunch or even dinner again - as I am a Gnocchi fanatic and would love to see how their Roasted Beet Gnocchi is executed. It would be a make-or-break for me personally on future visits.
(4)
Rd D.
Waiter was great. Food was just okay and over priced. Steak was cooked to proper temperature but was tough.
(2)
Erica P.
While the reviews were iffy, we decided to give this place a try, as they were running a deal on Groupon. We really loved it. We had a starter of popcorn chicken (kind of like fried giblets) - which were great! I had the Seafood Risotto and my husband had the rabbit con fit over some kind of pasta. Both our meals, though "small" in portions - which really means "plenty", were fabulous! We'd definitely head back to Bistro 222.
(4)
Jared F.
There was a Groupon for a $50 gift certificate for $25. Couldn't pass that up. Went with another couple for dinner before seeing Wicked. Our server was Melinda, she gave us recommendations for appetizers, and entrees. Was very helpful in giving us and idea on what to try. Started off with some meatballs, pork belly, heirloom tomato plate and asparagus and mushroom crust-ini. I had the seafood risotto, and my wife had the hangar steak and frites. Risotto was great, but I was envious of my wife's meal, it looked delicious, and I begged for a bite. It tasted as good as it looked. Overall the atmosphere is great, we had a very enjoyable time and the manager even came by our table to joke with us before we left. We had a great experience and would definitely dine there again.
(5)
Vida A.
Glad we had reservations. Sat at a window seat great for people watching but honestly not a bad seat in the house. Beautiful space, very sleek, great fireplace, art and use of wood. Started with calamari. Very fresh and tasty. Seafood parpadelle pasta was amazing. Tasted the saffron in it and decent amount of seafood. Side of au gratin potatoes were cheese bliss. Companions steak was tasty. The dessert was heaven in a jar, literally. Prices are very reasonable. I already cant wait to come back to try more items. Place was hopping and service was a little slow like initial server coming over and greeting us and getting our meals but worth it. Valet is only $3. Bathrooms are in the Goldman Sachs building and you need a code.
(4)
Victoria H.
I made reservations at Bistro 222 last night for a nice meal with my husband. It was highly recommended by a colleague. For Starters we ordered the calamari and butternut squash/homemade marshmallow soup. The soup sounds peculiar but it works. Both Starters were delicious - we ate every bite and spoonful. For Entrees my husband ordered the escarol and I ordered the scallops. We each tried each other's meals and the escarol was the run away winner. Their wine list is good and they carry all the usual high-end liquors if you prefer cocktails. They also have a decent beer list. The atmosphere is comfortable but upscale. It was on the chilly side as more people began to arrive. Our waitress was able to provide solid recommendations all over the menu. I agree with Howie O's review - they could cut a few of the pizza choices and add some other entrees or desserts. I will go back!
(4)
Leslie B.
Tried this restaurant while on a weekend ski-trip in the SLC area. Most of the food was to our liking and had a nice presentation but it was overpriced. We did run into an issue though -- my husband ordered the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin. We believe he was really served bacon wrapped ham. It did not have the texture of tenderloin nor the taste -- it was definitely ham. If you are out of something - be honest, don't try to pass off another type of food -- people have more sophisticated taste buds than that!!!
(1)
Rolando F.
My experience here was amazing. I love the place, the staff, and the food. It is a great place to go eat anytime.
(5)
Tony S.
I had a good experience at this restaurant. We ordered the pizza with pancetta which was delicious. My friends ordered the chicken and the gnocchi which they enjoyed. My short rib lasagna was overcooked but was edible. The cheesecake was very nice. I would return but perhaps would skip the lasagna. By the way, the service on 11/7 was impeccable. I would return to this restaurant because of the atmosphere the waitress demonstrated. The one problem is the restrooms that had to be opened by building staff every time. Management should make sure that the restroom remains open while the restaurant is.
(4)
Rachel J.
Food is mediocre - not terrible but nothing to write home about. Service is extremely poor - give yourself at least 2.5 hours for dinner. We had the fixed price menu which included dessert, but we did not have time to eat the dessert, as we had a show (after being there 2 hours). We had the wrong food brought to us, and a couple near us had the wrong food brought to them three times. Witnessed servers not knowing where to take the food they were holding... It seemed extremely unorganized. We made it pretty apparent we were not happy, but not one person did a thing. And when we told our waiter we needed the check and didn't have time for the dessert (which we of course still paid for), there was no apology or acknowledgement of the situation. Thank goodness we arrived 20 minutes before our scheduled reservation, otherwise we would not have eaten our main course at all (it was very rushed as it was). We also were never offered refills on our beverages. Needless to say we will not be going back, and from the looks of many of these reviews our experience was not out of the norm.
(1)
Tyler S.
Plain and simple it's not that good. It's nothing horrible but it's not worth anybody's time or money.
(2)
Stephanie B.
I've been here 4 Fridays in a row now and just love this place! The prices are fantastic, and the service is great. I'm just hoping they amp up the white wine menu. It's a VERY new restaurant with the chance of being VERY successful. I just hope they get their consistency under control. I absolutely want this place to survive because it's such a great, downtown option. And it's affordable enough to eat there every week.
(5)
Andrew W.
Couldn't get into Bambara next door so concierge recommended Bistro 222. After our meal, we were very happy he did. Salads were nice and fresh, and the butternut soup with a marshmallow floating in it was very good. Lamb meatballs were the winner for our appetizers, though. New York strip was cooked perfectly, accompanied by a mountain of fries. Short rib pasta and seafood pasta was, too. Pizzas were great with interesting (in a good way) mixes of toppings. Beet gnocchi got sent back: a bit too fancy for our table. Beverage list was good, too. Still trying to decide whether service was "unhurried" or just "slow..." But the food was very good and I will definitely return in the future.
(5)
Sean W.
The interior is very 1992 flashback, neon lights dimming up & down, a tacky glass waterfall, bad paintings and potted plastic grass, yikes! The room however has amazing high ceilings and huge windows. We started with the calamari, it was way too crunchy, too much breading. Next I had the hangar steak medium rare, it came medium well. No one came to check back until we were on our last bite. I told waiter and he said he though I ordered med-well, ah no I didn't! My friend had the sea bass, said it was ok, she didn't finish it. The wines by the glass are not consistent. My first glass was amazing, when I ordered another he brought another kind. Waiter told me they serve whatever is open. During our meal we would get HUGE gusts of wind coming from the HUGE doors. One time the door stayed open and I had to go close it, we were seated next to the back bar. The manager kind enough to take steak off, but not before the waiter dropped the complete check first.
(2)
Neal C.
Valentine's Day brought my wife and I back to Bistro 222 for the second time. We wanted to try the Rib Eye for 2. We started with the field greens salad, two of them. We were sorry we shared one on our first visit because it was exquisite. The cranberry maple vinaigrette is outstanding, especially with blue cheese crumbles, nuts, and dried cranberries. The steak was slightly undercooked, but not enough to send it back for a tad more heat. And an undercooked steak is far better than an overcooked steak. The red miso glaze made the steak deliciously savory. And the steak was perfectly tender. 222 seems determined to make less popular vegetables taste good. They do pretty well, but it's tough to make a Brussel sprout something I want with an outstanding steak. Not bad, but nobody yet has been able to make Brussel sprout bitterness desirable. I ate them, but would've preferred something else. The Cauliflower au gratin was very good, as long is it was consumed by itself. Having a bite with a piece of steak didn't combine well. A side effect of trying to do something wonderful with a less popular vegetable? The dessert was good. If it was advertised as a dense chocolate cake instead of a lava cake, it would've been great, but it wasn't what we expected from the description. Still, the accompanying salted caramel gelato was wonderful! Next time I go to 222--and I will--I'll see if I can get a bowl of the gelato by itself. Service was fine, considering how busy they were on Valentine's Day evening.
(4)
Maria M.
The saying "money can't buy class" can be used with bistro 222 "expensive prices doesn't mean it's good food". The service was good. I got what the waitress suggested- seafood risotto and the clams and shrimp were extremely dry. The best part of our meal was the fries... I had a groupon and I feel like we still over paid. ALSO... I got the sangria- it was very obvious that they just poured pineapple juice and red wine together. It was so gross. and so expensive!!
(2)
Ashley B.
My fiance and I have eaten here only a few times, but we always love it. They have wonderful service, food and wine pairings and suggestions. They always let us go at our own speed and enjoy the ambiance. This is our go to place for a random date night and it's never regrettable.
(5)
Vida A.
Glad we had reservations. Sat at a window seat great for people watching but honestly not a bad seat in the house. Beautiful space, very sleek, great fireplace, art and use of wood. Started with calamari. Very fresh and tasty. Seafood parpadelle pasta was amazing. Tasted the saffron in it and decent amount of seafood. Side of au gratin potatoes were cheese bliss. Companions steak was tasty. The dessert was heaven in a jar, literally. Prices are very reasonable. I already cant wait to come back to try more items. Place was hopping and service was a little slow like initial server coming over and greeting us and getting our meals but worth it. Valet is only $3. Bathrooms are in the Goldman Sachs building and you need a code.
(4)
Victoria H.
I made reservations at Bistro 222 last night for a nice meal with my husband. It was highly recommended by a colleague. For Starters we ordered the calamari and butternut squash/homemade marshmallow soup. The soup sounds peculiar but it works. Both Starters were delicious - we ate every bite and spoonful. For Entrees my husband ordered the escarol and I ordered the scallops. We each tried each other's meals and the escarol was the run away winner. Their wine list is good and they carry all the usual high-end liquors if you prefer cocktails. They also have a decent beer list. The atmosphere is comfortable but upscale. It was on the chilly side as more people began to arrive. Our waitress was able to provide solid recommendations all over the menu. I agree with Howie O's review - they could cut a few of the pizza choices and add some other entrees or desserts. I will go back!
(4)
Leslie B.
Tried this restaurant while on a weekend ski-trip in the SLC area. Most of the food was to our liking and had a nice presentation but it was overpriced. We did run into an issue though -- my husband ordered the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin. We believe he was really served bacon wrapped ham. It did not have the texture of tenderloin nor the taste -- it was definitely ham. If you are out of something - be honest, don't try to pass off another type of food -- people have more sophisticated taste buds than that!!!
(1)
Rolando F.
My experience here was amazing. I love the place, the staff, and the food. It is a great place to go eat anytime.
(5)
Tony S.
I had a good experience at this restaurant. We ordered the pizza with pancetta which was delicious. My friends ordered the chicken and the gnocchi which they enjoyed. My short rib lasagna was overcooked but was edible. The cheesecake was very nice. I would return but perhaps would skip the lasagna. By the way, the service on 11/7 was impeccable. I would return to this restaurant because of the atmosphere the waitress demonstrated. The one problem is the restrooms that had to be opened by building staff every time. Management should make sure that the restroom remains open while the restaurant is.
(4)
Louise J.
Poor service. Cocktails nothing special at all. Took way too long to get our food. Calamaris was chewy and not to out liking. We ordered steak, both medium. One came out well done and the other one basically raw. We opted to leave. Had the manager come over. We didn't have to pay for our dinner and we got a gift card for a dinner for two as compensation. We are not planning on using the gift card. So many other great restaurants in Salt Lake City that we rather go to.
(1)
Rachel J.
Food is mediocre - not terrible but nothing to write home about. Service is extremely poor - give yourself at least 2.5 hours for dinner. We had the fixed price menu which included dessert, but we did not have time to eat the dessert, as we had a show (after being there 2 hours). We had the wrong food brought to us, and a couple near us had the wrong food brought to them three times. Witnessed servers not knowing where to take the food they were holding... It seemed extremely unorganized. We made it pretty apparent we were not happy, but not one person did a thing. And when we told our waiter we needed the check and didn't have time for the dessert (which we of course still paid for), there was no apology or acknowledgement of the situation. Thank goodness we arrived 20 minutes before our scheduled reservation, otherwise we would not have eaten our main course at all (it was very rushed as it was). We also were never offered refills on our beverages. Needless to say we will not be going back, and from the looks of many of these reviews our experience was not out of the norm.
(1)
Tyler S.
Plain and simple it's not that good. It's nothing horrible but it's not worth anybody's time or money.
(2)
Stephanie B.
I've been here 4 Fridays in a row now and just love this place! The prices are fantastic, and the service is great. I'm just hoping they amp up the white wine menu. It's a VERY new restaurant with the chance of being VERY successful. I just hope they get their consistency under control. I absolutely want this place to survive because it's such a great, downtown option. And it's affordable enough to eat there every week.
(5)
Andrew W.
Couldn't get into Bambara next door so concierge recommended Bistro 222. After our meal, we were very happy he did. Salads were nice and fresh, and the butternut soup with a marshmallow floating in it was very good. Lamb meatballs were the winner for our appetizers, though. New York strip was cooked perfectly, accompanied by a mountain of fries. Short rib pasta and seafood pasta was, too. Pizzas were great with interesting (in a good way) mixes of toppings. Beet gnocchi got sent back: a bit too fancy for our table. Beverage list was good, too. Still trying to decide whether service was "unhurried" or just "slow..." But the food was very good and I will definitely return in the future.
(5)
Sean W.
The interior is very 1992 flashback, neon lights dimming up & down, a tacky glass waterfall, bad paintings and potted plastic grass, yikes! The room however has amazing high ceilings and huge windows. We started with the calamari, it was way too crunchy, too much breading. Next I had the hangar steak medium rare, it came medium well. No one came to check back until we were on our last bite. I told waiter and he said he though I ordered med-well, ah no I didn't! My friend had the sea bass, said it was ok, she didn't finish it. The wines by the glass are not consistent. My first glass was amazing, when I ordered another he brought another kind. Waiter told me they serve whatever is open. During our meal we would get HUGE gusts of wind coming from the HUGE doors. One time the door stayed open and I had to go close it, we were seated next to the back bar. The manager kind enough to take steak off, but not before the waiter dropped the complete check first.
(2)
Nick C.
I wanted to like this place but my initial experience was very poor. My server was extremely unprofessional. Waited 10 minutes to even be greeted. At which point no waters were put on the table, we gave a drink order, and thinking it might be a while before we saw the guy again, told him we might be ready to order. Asked if there were any mixed greens on the beet salad, he said there were, there was not just, a sprinkle of arugula micro greens. No specials were offered, and we had to repeat our drink order and request water as well. Our main courses were both tepid when we got them. The pork shoulder tasted amazing, but I was off by the fact that it wasn't hot. My girlfriends steak was undercooked, and tepid as well. Additionally the restaurant has the audacity to not put salt on the table, but the fries and polenta both could have used some. I feel bad giving 1 star for service but when I'm running up a $130+ bill I expect a little more than tepid food and having to stop the waiter for a refill. I'd like to say that I'm gonna go back and update my review, but there are many other restaurants I'd rather spend my money at.
(1)
Mel W.
the server here was extremely attentive and pleasant. highly appreciated that. for some inexplicable reason there was this fish smell that permeated the entire place-but there was only one other table in there at the time i was, and they didn't have fish. calamari-meh. would not order again. had the spinach and artichoke pizza. i was very pleasantly surprised. i thought it was pretty darn good. my friend had the margherita. that also was good. so i guess decent enough overall but it wasn't mind blowing either.
(3)
Laurence B.
We had dinner here Friday night. The place has good atmosphere, nice chairs and tables. However, the food was lackluster. I had a pizza margherita which had a brick-hard crust and a soupy amount of sauce. Flavors were nice, but much better versions of this item can be had locally at Settebello or Vinto. My wife and I shared a beet salad that was ho-hum. She had sea bass, which she said had zero flavor. Overall, I'd say (at least so far) Bistro 222 is all style but no substance.
(3)
Brendan S.
Went here last minute as it was the only place in SLC that had availably on a Saturday night. This concerned us a bit as did the lack of customers inside. I will chalk that up to them being new because the food was great. Mussels app was fantastic with a solid pepper broth to dip the bread. The cauliflower soup was very good as well but could have used a touch more cream. The entree and dessert were the highlights. They had a fillet as the special topped with a shrimp based hollandaise. It was unreal. It was cooked perfectly and the hollandaise really went well with the steak. The dessert was a homemade molten chocolate cake topped with fresh whipped cream and salted caramel ice cream. That was probably the best dessert I have had in SLC. Service was a bit slow at times which is why I gave this a 4 star. They did make up for it by removing the dessert from the bill. I would say 222 is one of SLC top 10 restaurants.
(4)
Shacey P.
This used to be a 4 for me. But then they changed the manager and I hosted a work dinner here. 12 people, empty restaurant, slow to nonexistent service, over cooked fish and surly host. No thanks - there are so many other great restaurants in the area this relative new comer does not deserve my business.
This was the worst dining experience I have ever had. I am not using hyperbole. I was unimpressed right off the bat when I arrived and the hostess was on the phone. She barely acknowledged me. I understand she was taking a reservation, but she didn't smile or anything- just mouthed "one minute." When she sat us, our whole party hadn't arrived and she only provided one of each menu for the entire table of 10, which was actually only set for 8. Water arrived at some point and our server just breezed by and said his name and that he'd be back. Some time later, he came back and took drink orders and told us about the specials, including the Dine-O-Round menu. It took an inordinate amount of time to get our drinks- a glass of wine, a cocktail, and a beer. The server kept making excuses about the lengthy waits for things and was clearly getting flustered. One of my dining companions asked for some bread because we were quite hungry. He said the kitchen would be pissed if he went and got us bread for free and there was no way he could charge us for it when we offered to pay because there wasn't a button in the system. Yes, he really said the kitchen would be "pissed." He got quite defensive about it when pressed on the issue, then offered to bring us olives. He made sure to point out he brought us a double order, so there were like 12 in the container. So by this point, it had been close to 45 minutes. He finally brought me my beer after I was notified the one I wanted was out of stock. Most of us ordered the dine-o-round menu, which started with a tomato basil soup. It was overly salted and lacked flavor. I'm pretty sure the tomato soup at Paradise Bakery is better. After another long wait and many empty waters and Diet Cokes, our entrees came out. I'll give my braised short rib or whatever it was, a big fat "meh." It was pot roast and mashed sweet potatoes. There was truly nothing special about it. It was ok, but it was pretty on par with what I can cook at home. Another long wait ensued and dessert arrived. It was probably the only good thing I ate all evening. We scarcely saw our server throughout the whole meal and when we did, he was full of half-baked apologies and excuses for the waits and timing; he was flustered and rude. He brought one check, but we didn't want to wait for him to separate it, nor did he even offer. Isn't that customary these days? Who knows how long that would have taken, anyhow. We were approaching 2.5 hours of seat time. We wrote down how much to put on each of our cards and a few threw in cash, but I guess this was too complicated for him to handle. We also got lectured about how we should have told him at the beginning that we wanted separate checks and that there is a charge for it. Who charges for separate checks?! He finally got everything charged to the right person. Oh, by the way, during this whole fiasco, one of my friends hadn't even received her dessert yet. 40 minutes after she ordered it. The manager dropped it at the table and ran. He knew we were pissed, but he was too much of a coward to talk to us. He did nothing to improve our dining experience- didn't offer to comp anything, ask for feedback, or even sincerely apologize.I think this speaks to the biggest problem of all- the whole fiasco starts with poor management. The kitchen was backed up, the server was a disaster, the host was unpleasant. This all indicates poor leadership and planning. This place is doomed to fail. It's a shame because it's in a great location and has a nice atmosphere. I can assure you, I will never go back there and I will tell everyone I know never to go there too. I am not often angered by a bad experience in a restaurant. I was a server. I get it. I think the thing that irritates me the most is it was clear we were unhappy and no one did anything to fix it.
(1)
Victoria H.
I made reservations at Bistro 222 last night for a nice meal with my husband. It was highly recommended by a colleague. For Starters we ordered the calamari and butternut squash/homemade marshmallow soup. The soup sounds peculiar but it works. Both Starters were delicious - we ate every bite and spoonful. For Entrees my husband ordered the escarol and I ordered the scallops. We each tried each other's meals and the escarol was the run away winner. Their wine list is good and they carry all the usual high-end liquors if you prefer cocktails. They also have a decent beer list. The atmosphere is comfortable but upscale. It was on the chilly side as more people began to arrive. Our waitress was able to provide solid recommendations all over the menu. I agree with Howie O's review - they could cut a few of the pizza choices and add some other entrees or desserts. I will go back!
(4)
Leslie B.
Tried this restaurant while on a weekend ski-trip in the SLC area. Most of the food was to our liking and had a nice presentation but it was overpriced. We did run into an issue though -- my husband ordered the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin. We believe he was really served bacon wrapped ham. It did not have the texture of tenderloin nor the taste -- it was definitely ham. If you are out of something - be honest, don't try to pass off another type of food -- people have more sophisticated taste buds than that!!!
(1)
Rolando F.
My experience here was amazing. I love the place, the staff, and the food. It is a great place to go eat anytime.
(5)
Tony S.
I had a good experience at this restaurant. We ordered the pizza with pancetta which was delicious. My friends ordered the chicken and the gnocchi which they enjoyed. My short rib lasagna was overcooked but was edible. The cheesecake was very nice. I would return but perhaps would skip the lasagna. By the way, the service on 11/7 was impeccable. I would return to this restaurant because of the atmosphere the waitress demonstrated. The one problem is the restrooms that had to be opened by building staff every time. Management should make sure that the restroom remains open while the restaurant is.
(4)
Louise J.
Poor service. Cocktails nothing special at all. Took way too long to get our food. Calamaris was chewy and not to out liking. We ordered steak, both medium. One came out well done and the other one basically raw. We opted to leave. Had the manager come over. We didn't have to pay for our dinner and we got a gift card for a dinner for two as compensation. We are not planning on using the gift card. So many other great restaurants in Salt Lake City that we rather go to.
(1)
Alex J.
I have been wanting to try this restaurant since they opened, but I have also been a little wary given some of the reviews that had popped up about it. It seemed that either people had a great experience or they had a really bad experience. However, despite that, when the opportunity arose, I decided to give Bistro 222 a try... and honestly? I had a really great experience. I went to Bistro 222 on 9/18/15 around 11:00am. My dining companion and I choose to have lunch inside and we were seated in a booth next to a nested fireplace, which was perfect because it was slightly chilly outside. The inside of the restaurant instantly struck me as very clean and organized with a very modern design. The contrast of the blacks and whites with the colors they used to decorate was really enjoyable visually. Some other reviewers have mentioned that the wine list was on an iPad, but my wine/cocktail menu was presented in the old-fashioned print variety, so that may be a new addition. During my visit I ordered the Vidarita and the 222 Martini (on the rocks). Both were really delicious and I felt like I was getting my money's worth (as much as you can get your money's worth when ordering drinks in Utah). I was also informed that Bistro 222 has a special license to offer drinks before 11:30am and that food doesn't need to be ordered when ordering a drink, which I liked a lot. My dining companion and I took advantage of the dine o'round special to try the NY Steak Sandwich. We also shared an order of the Cauliflower soup because I have heard that it was delicious and I've also heard that it was bland so I felt compelled to give it a try. All of the food was absolutely delicious! The soup was flavorful with a tiny bit of spice and a creamy mouth feel. The meat on the sandwich was a perfect medium and the bread (which was both flaky and soft) was grilled perfectly. The salad was flavorful and light. My dining companion let me try his fries (a thinner, shoe string variety) and they came out hot and perfectly seasoned. They were served with un-doctored ketchup, which complimented them rather well. We learned that Bistro 222's head chef was new (there for a week at the time of our visit) and that he hadn't had any influence on the menu we tried, but that he was working on some revisions to the menu, so my food opinions might by out of date soon after my review, just a heads up. Our server, Issac, was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive--not just to our table, but from what I saw to the other tables he got as well. There were fresh flowers used on the table, and the bathrooms available were very nice, clean, and perfectly maintained. At the time of our visit, the restaurant was not busy. It seemed to be before the lunch rush, so I can't say how service and food speed would be in such a circumstance, but our food came out quickly and fresh. From my experience, in the confines of the time of day and how busy the restaurant was, I would definitely recommend Bistro 222 to others.
(5)
Jasen F.
Went two weeks back with some work colleagues and was underwhelmed in every regard. They miss the little things that make the experience off putting, like featuring wine lists on iPads that aren't updated; why have electronics if they're not connected or updated? Ordering a bottle of wine took three attempts. They food was ok. It felt like it should be buried in the heart of a Marriott hotel in downtown Cleveland. There is definitely something not kosher with the vibe of this joint.
(2)
Sam S.
I first went to Bistro 222 2 or 3 years ago after they first opened. As I recall, the food was good, but the service and organization was terrible and it left a bad taste in my mouth. I figured they were a new restaurant so would give them the benefit of the doubt and let them work through their issues. Went back for brunch today and experienced exactly the same thing. Food was alright I guess (nothing special), but service was poor and the same disorganization. The server was nice enough, but he must have been stretched thin because there were long periods of time between any interaction. The poor out of towners behind us were about to walk out because they had been waiting so long to order. When the server finally gave them some attention, he didn't bother to apologize. Instead, he went on to say how busy they were and how they were running around. And they weren't really that busy. This isn't an issue of bad servers, but folks who need to learn how to run a restaurant. From what I can see in the other reviews, this isn't a new thing and management needs to pull it together. I don't plan on going back any time soon.
(2)
Lisa A.
Utah is notorious for bland unseasoned food but this place takes the cake. And if they had cake, it would probably be flavorless as well. I had high hopes for our meal as we were seated at the cute outdoor patio. But they were quickly dashed, and not by the rain clouds that were threatening. We had the cauliflower soup which sounded delicious and had great reviews. However, it was tasteless. The margherita pizza had a decent amount of cheese but was lacking basil and the red sauce was barely tomato flavored, much less seasoned. The wait staff was just as bland. We won't be returning.
(1)
Art C.
Food is Good but service is slow!! Took forever for us together our food! Not crowded so no excuses!
(2)
Michael R.
The lobster corn dogs were okay at best but the bacon wrapped pork was delicious. Great decor and ambiance and very professional wait staff. Wine list a bit better than expected. Not one of my all time favorites but I will be back.
(3)
Andrea M.
Had a really nice experience here. We went on a Saturday early evening and it was clear and not crowded. Our food was very good and the staff was great. I would come back and maybe sit outside for a relaxing lunch.
(5)
Eric D.
Had a great meal here tonight. Service was impeccable. The meatballs had a great texture and flavor, too often meatballs are big and bloated, these were not like that. Arugula salad was delicious, and chicken marsala had a great flavor too, with sun dried tomatoes that complemented without overpowering. Will definitely come back sooner to the triple deuce!
(4)
Ali Y.
I had the ahi tuna tacos. They were really light and delicious. If your looking for a smaller, yummy meal this is perfect!
(3)
Cindy W.
Was personally attacked by a member whom accused me of being an ex-employee. Mike M, I am not l, nor would I ever be. Sorry for your sad attempt to discredit my opinion about this restaurant. Your efforts lead me to believe that you work for them and are trolling reviews to save face. This is sad, perhaps you should focus on the issues that paying customers have and not lash out at negative reviews. Here is the message. Yelp Hi Cindy, Mike M. sent you a message on Yelp: Subject: Doubt it "So then your just a miserable lady who complains about everything and is always bitter. Putting down others is probably your way of feeling good about yourself, making your miserable, "poor me" life seem a little better!! Good luck with that!! Have fun, I feel sorry for you!! At least people won't care when you finally bite the bullet!! -just my opinion!! And I'm guessing many others, u miserable little c***t!!"
(1)
Jason H.
Good: Food was great. The place was nice. Bad: Wine list on an iPad was embarrassingly stupid. Ditch the iPads. The waitress asked how we were doing every 3 minutes. It was annoyingly too often. My friend's comment: "The chef is a little bit too sure of themselves for there to be no salt or pepper on the table."
(4)
Nate B.
Not a fan. I'm pretty easy going in terms of food quality but this place is a classic overpriced-but-upscale-looking hotel restaurant. The service was terrible - had to ask for more water on two different occasions. Food wasn't bad, but for the price I paid I expect MUCH better.
(1)
Amanda M.
Went here for Valentines Day & of course it was busy. The service was SO bad though! I hate calling the waiter out but Alan forgot to put in our order so we sat forever without our cocktails or food. Once the table next to us, who arrived after us, started getting their food we were concerned & he realized he lost our order and took our order again. anyway, the food was hit and miss. My husbands steak was really really good. My dessert, the leche de sundae or something like that, was amazing! My arugula salad was gross and my fish was over cooked. So yeah I would maybe try this place again, but only because some of the food was really great.
(2)
Kjersti G.
I finally had the opportunity to try this place after months of wanting to go and I loved it! I made a reservation for 5 and when I showed up the restaurant was empty! I felt like I had rented out the entire place with the amazing service and lack of other diners.(It turns out they get busier later in the night.) The "Cauliflower Soup" is indeed amazing and I totally agree with all the other users who said it was delicious. It was even sprinkled with pumpkin seeds! loved it! i ordered the "Bistro Burger", which came out with apple slices on it. it was a surprise and I liked it. I took advantage of the award winning Wine List and I'm happy I did! Amazing French Rose! It went well with the cheese appetizer I also ordered. They also have an interesting White Bordeaux, for the curious Wino. I should also probably state that I didn't pay for any of this, It was put onto an expense Account. So I might not have gorged myself as much if I had to actually pay with my own money! :)
(4)
Brian B.
Stumbled on this place with a group of friends and decided to try it out. First we were told it would be at least a 20 minute wait which was weird because the place was pretty empty and there were lots of open tables. After finally getting seated it took a long time before anyone cane to take our orders. At least 4 out of the 6 of us had water. Yeah I wasn't one of the lucky ones. We ordered eventually. When the food came out most of us were kind of disappointed. When they said it came with fruit we kind of assumed that it would just be a garnish. My fruit consisted of a strawberry cut in half and two blackberries. While the food tasted good it wasn't anything special. The staff was nice enough but over all the service was severely lacking. I won't be back. Too many other options.
(2)
Stephanie S.
I have mixed feelings about this place. Some days, I find myself craving their soups, and other days I'm left feeling disappointed. First issue, they need to get their lunch special sorted. I've been charged differently the last 3 times I've been by. Let me just start off by saying that they advertise a lunch deal for something like $4.95 outside. On my first visit, I had a premade Caesar salad from the bar and a cup of soup. I was charged just over $6. Amazing! Today I ordered the same thing, soup of the day + a premade salad, and was charged $12+. Talk about inconsistency! Their lunch salads leave a lot to be desired. They're visually appealing deconstructed salads that are completely impractical to eat. I don't want to have to take a bite off the chicken, cut off a piece of a full leaf of lettuce, cut some avocado, and dip it in the dressing....just to get a comprehensive bite. The worst part about it is the slab of boiled flavorless chicken they throw on the side of each salad. With that being said, their soup of the day is typically pretty good, but it really just depends on the day. Their cauliflower soup is served daily but is charged as a premium. The servers that have helped me have also been very nice. Their other reviews look pretty good, so I'm not sure if it was in their plan to serve sub-par food to the businessmen & women nearby. Maybe I'll come by to have dinner, but I'm definitely not rushing. Honestly, I think I'd rather pay $10 for a nearby buffet than $12+ for an OK soup & salad.
(2)
Jason G.
Just had an excellent dinner at Bistro 222 in downtown Salt Lake City. Be sure to try the fish tacos and chocolate ganache cake! Loved the delicious food, friendly service, and high end contemporary design all for extremely reasonable prices.
(5)
Dalynn G.
Amazing service! Such a Beautiful patio. The ambiance is fresh, hip, and extremely sophisticated! The mushroom brusheta and cauliflower soup was amazing! Fresh churned butter and a menu that suits everyone's taste! Loved it. Favorite new spot in salt lake!
(5)
Mary Anne D.
We recently tried Bistro 222 and its a wonderful addition to downtown SLC. The service is top notch and the restaurant has a sophisticated atmosphere. Two note worthy dishes include the cauliflower soup and the braised short rib. What makes Bistro 222 a real stand out is that it feels like the type of restaurant you would find in a busy urban downtown in a large city. I love SLC and it has many wonderful qualities, but SLC is neither urban, large, or busy. Its sleepy and quiet which has its merits, but sometimes I want a dining experience that includes nice wine, impeccable food, and the chance to leisurely enjoy good conversation with my guests. Bistro 222 is all of these things.
(5)
Marissa F.
This was yummy. Definitely fresh tasting food and good quality ingredients but I'm just not sure if it's worth the $$. Nothing wowed me it was just really solid and well done. I've had similar dishes in other places. So it's not unique (not that a restaurant needs to be unique) but like I said it was good. My hang up is the price. And for their prices I kind of want to be wowed. We ordered: -The Dine-O Round Meal which I'm not remembering what kind of meat it was with some mashed sweet potatoes and greens. This was very tasty -The Osso Bucco Pasta this was yummy but I think it needed a little more salt but there was no salt and pepper on the table and I always feel weird asking for salt at restaurants The service was great. We had a baby with us and they were very nice and accommodating. This does not factor into the rating but there is no changing table in the bathroom (I just know I like to know that kind of stuff). Parking is very difficult but that's expected from the location.
(4)
Jim H.
Had an amazing meal celebrating the Mrs.'s passing the Utah Bar Exam (hooray!!). Very nice restaurant in a building that was still under construction when we moved from SLC to LA for her law school. Memories aside, let's get to the reviewing. This restaurant is a bit upscale, I'd say 3 out of 4 ($$$), but at the same time it is not stuffy (it's not like the New Yorker--I think you'd feel comfortable in casual clothes, but it's also a place to go on a fancy date night). I ordered the rib-eye steak and it was nothing short of a miracle--I feel it's worth noting that I usually eat vegetarian, so indeed this was a special occasion! Another in our party ordered the lamb meatballs and cauliflower soup (the soup was worthy of note, as I do not like cauliflower or cream soups, but this soup was fantastic and was not made with dairy--well done!). Can't wait for another reason to visit Bistro 222.
(5)
Barry S.
New chef and food is much better than 1 year ago when my wife I were there. Isaac took great care of us and had great recommendations, definitely returning soon.
(5)
Dave B.
Made a late reservation for New Years eve. They had a five course menu for one price. I had the duck, my wife had the fish with curry sauce. Both dishes were really good. Scallop appetizer was excellent, as was the pork belly. A little fatty, but really good flavor. We enjoyed the wines , and one cocktail. Service was good. We will come back next time we are downtown.
(5)
Michael W.
What a treat to stumble onto this fantastic restaurant. We were actually following a YELP lead for a nearby Greek restaurant that no longer exists...(Thanks YELP for being up to date! LOL)..... So on our way back to the car, we saw this bistro filled with what appeared to be well dressed lunch time diners. The dishes on all of the tables looked so artistically presented. We went in and luck have it, secured the table in the front corner with huge glass windows behind me and my guest. Our server was the engaging, handsome, and knowledgeable Tony. He painted fantastic word pictures of the lunch we would soon order. I ended up getting the soup special, a Clam and Halibut Chowder. It was so LIGHT and delicious...not some cream soaked, out of a can clam chowder soup. The halibut really added to the diversity of flavor and texture. The clam shells were included in the bowl. ...My lunch companion ordered the fish and chips. Two beautiful pieces of lightly fried cod, served at the perfect temperature on a bed of fresh fries. Not the greasy, thickly coated Fish and Chips you would get at an Irish Pub.... She was very pleased. My entree was a creative and delicious beet salad on which I added four pieces of medium sized shrimp. The meal was light and flavorful. The service was impeccable, with our water glasses never going empty, food service time was prompt and food temp was perfect. Once again, really enjoyed the corner table with the amazing high-rise views. The restaurant was clean, architecturally interesting, with clean lines, and a bright color palette. Did I mention how awesome our service was from Tony? A real treat during the lunch hour. Check it out if you are in the area. You'll be glad you did.
(5)
Howie O.
Finally! So I am an east coaster and the dining scene in Washington DC is awesome. This place ranks right up there with some of my favorite eateries. I had the hanger steak bloody rare with with plenty of red wine. It was perfect! My trustworthy sidekick Vida A dined on the fresh del mar type pasta and it look fantastic. I stole a bite or two and it was super delicious. I would nix the pizza and add a few more desserts. You guys rock, keep up the good work.
(5)
Jenn O.
My friends and I had dinner on a not to busy Friday night .. Our waiter Matt promptly approached our group,took our drink order.. And then forewarned us it would take awhile as he was also the bar tender ..to make a long story short .. 25 min later he came back with our drinks (Which sorry to say we're marginal at best ) He then shared that he had to go make a desserts ( as he apparently was also the pastry chef )and would be back to take our dinner order.. Again 30 mins later he returned We could not figure out if the management here needs help In training their servers,Or if they have never been in the service industry before,the whole system needs a major adjustment ! The food and prices are actually pretty good but you better have a three hour dining window .. Because of the service ...or lack of ...this Bistro get 2 stars ( generously give)
(2)
michael c.
Very poor service here. Booked for show before ballet and was told 6pm sitting would be enough time. Arrive 5:40pm and at 7:06pm only just finished entree (had to rush to eat) no dessert and table service was some of the slowest I've experienced for some time. No offer of drink refills and now scrambling to get to show. Observed missed orders and wrong orders coming out and other patrons with similar experiences. Will definitely NOT come here again
(1)
Lynda G.
We ate at Bistro 222 on Valentine's Day.. We ordered off the Valentines menu, each of us chose an appetizer, salad, entree and dessert. the food was good with the exception of my entree, I ordered Halibut, it was extremely dry and over cooked. the service was very slow to the point where we finally asked why we had been waiting 30 minutes for our salads. The food (with the exception of the halibut) was good enough that I would be tempted to try them again, but not on any type of a holiday.
(3)
Lindsey K.
Beautiful! Chef Michael is amazing and artistic. Appetizers are wonderful. Great flavors. Parking behind the building. (Helps downtown) I got the halibut. Amazing. So soft and nice crusty shell. The veggies with it were amazing. I wanted to ask for more. Pasta is house made. Love it.
This place looks very cool from the outside. I was hopeful the restaurant would live up to its very hip look. The food matched the decor, it was excellent. We tried appetizers, dinner, and dessert and loved everything. We will return to try more options very soon!
(5)
Maro L.
First off, I think it's important to know that I've never written a bad review of anything. I am one of the more laid back people in the world and have worked in the restaurant industry, so if anything, I'm overly empathetic. But this experience was so poor and involved particularly bad business practices, so I felt it was important to warn potential guests. I visit SLC twice a year for a tradeshow, and host a ladies dinner each trip. Last year, we dined at Bistro 222 and had a wonderful experience, so I decided to book it again. The night prior to our reservation, a small group of my co-workers went to have dinner there, and I was alarmed to see that the prices on the menu were significantly higher than what they were the year prior, and what was on their online menu. So I asked to speak to the manager. He stated that they have "special menus during special events and holidays". I explained that I had booked a dinner for the next night, naturally assuming the menu and prices I saw online would be in effect...nobody told me otherwise when I called in the reservation, nor when I called a second time to confirm the reservation. I further explained that this is a business dinner and I have a budget, and this was basically price gouging. He only said "sorry", and repeated the special menu statement, continuing to say that this was standard practice. But as I mentioned, they didn't do that last year and I've dined at many restaurants in SLC during this show and have never seen others do it. I was upset and felt robbed, but it was too late to cancel or rebook the dinner for the next night. So! The next night, our party of 14 arrives for our 8pm reservation, and our table isn't ready. In fact, the group that is sitting at our table is JUST getting their dinner when we get there. The manager says he's going to try to move them, and for us to wait in the lobby. I say fine, can we please get some drinks while we wait. He says yes, and a server will be right out. We waited 30 minutes, with no drinks (I ordered four bottles of wine and followed up two times), not even water, no staff to check on us or give us an update. When we finally were seated, it took another 15 minutes to get wine and water. I had asked if we could order appetizers (mind you, this group has been working at a fast paced event all day and were starving) and the server impatiently says "I have to take another order from a table that was here before you." What?? So - in addition to the very poor business practice of jacking up prices without letting customers know, we had poor service, without any apologies or attempts to make it right. From a customer service standpoint, I was floored. The food was fine, but I will never go there again.
(1)
Michael B.
Great service and wonderful food. Nice presentation. Nice hip restaurant, youthful ambiance; but great for all ages. I'd definitely recommend this for dinner.
(4)
Sara w.
Chef Dave is amazing! Our group loved everything we ordered, which is very difficult to do. The five spiced ribs are not to be missed. We also thought the calamari was especially tasty, tender and light. The warm mushroom salad was a great combination of mushrooms, quinoa, sunchokes, and poached egg perfection. My favorite dish was the lamb osso buco with mint polenta cheddar deliciousness. This place is not to be missed. The food is simply outstanding down to the salted caramel chocolate tart. Chef Dave is a talented individual and also very personable. Do yourself a favor and go here!
(5)
Al P.
Upon walking into Bistro 222, I knew that the Salt Lake dining scene had changed immensely from when I was growing up in Utah. The ambiance is very sleek, without being cold--it seemed inviting and bright and very thoughtfully designed. I really liked the open window atmosphere, good for people watching and letting in the sunshine. I think this would be a nice place for both a semi-casual night out or a romantic dinner. Our server was excellent--attentive without being overbearing. She knew we were there to chat and enjoy ourselves, and she gave us just the right amount of assistance. She also didn't try to rush us out--we were there for a few hours. This only added to our overall pleasant experience. We started with cocktails, and I had the jewel, which is my favorite kind of cocktail--sweet, a little tart, and tastes like adult candy. It was mixed to perfection. My friend had a sparkling cranberry cocktail that I thought was a perfect summer drink, refreshing and a good mix of sweet and tart, again. The appetizers all looked very appetizing, but I knew I wanted to save room for dessert, so we started with entrees. I had the gnocchi, and my friend had the roasted chicken. Mine was so delicious--an almond pesto gave it a nice salty flavor, the gnocchi was cooked perfectly (not too doughy or chewy the way some can get), and the veggies in it were very fresh and flavorful. How I love Utah summer veggies. The whole dish worked well. It was so good in fact that it made my friend's slightly overlooked, very bland chicken taste even moreso. She sent it back and asked for the gnocchi. The staff was extremely accommodating about this request, showing they wanted us to be happy with our experience. And her gnocchi was just as good as mine. As for portions, I thought them just right for the price--not too big or small, but if you are looking for a place that serves big meals for big appetites or for leftovers, the portions might seem small. We had a nice champagne with dinner, and overall, I was pleased with the wine menu options, which ranged from mid-priced $30 bottles to much nicer, more expensive bottles that had I more money to spend, I would have certainly enjoyed. Not many restaurants offer decently priced champagne, and the bottle of Bouvet we shared was really delicious. The only thing I found confusing was how the menu lumped rose in the sparkling/champagne section. I thought it was a sparkling rose, but it wasn't. Luckily, the server explained that to us before she opened the bottle, so we could switch for the bubbles we craved for our celebration. The dessert list seemed a bit limited, with only a panacotta and a butterscotch pudding, but they had several flavors of gelato to offer. My friend had the espresso, which she liked, and I had the chocolate peanut butter, which was actually peanut butter ice cream with chocolate chips (so I would have named it a peanut butter chocolate gelato to avoid confusion, but that's just me, and I am not holding that against them). Not very exciting, far too many chips that weren't very interesting chocolate, though the gelato itself was creamy and good. Overall, a very good restaurant. I would go again, and I would certainly recommend it to others.
(4)
Alejandro M.
Had a business dinner here and it was a great atmosphere. Food was delicious. I had the pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon. I would recommend.
(5)
Marsha G.
Unbelievable . Ordered wine for an outrageous $12 per glass and then the bill charged every guest at the table $19 per glass! When questioned manager stood by $19 per glass. Waited one hour for dry halibut for $30. Never going back there again. Watch your wine tab!
(1)
Ryan C.
Had a lovely early lunch today with the place to myself. You can rail against the merits of many things, but I'm afraid arguments against lunch at 11 am are going to find no purchase here. The place was quiet and the staff was attentive without hovering. Anyway, I started with the mushroom bruschetta. Absolutely delicious, even given my bias against tomato jam as a general concept; it seems like an excuse to use bad tomatoes, covering them over with a bunch of sugar. Sure enough, this particular jam was on the sweet side, but the sweet note wasn't wholly unwelcome. It did verge on overwhelming the flavor of the mushrooms, which were beautifully roasted and meaty. My main was the mahi mahi tacos. I love seafood, but tend not to order fish tacos very often after having been spoiled by ubiquitous and amazing versions in San Diego. However, the extremely helpful server sold me on house made corn tortillas, so I jumped. There are three tacos in the order. They are on tiny tortillas, around three inches in diameter. The fish, on the other hand, it copious, and the result is a very protein-heavy dish that I really enjoyed. Rather than eating a mouth full of tortilla, I was eating fish, and that's a nice change of pace when it comes to my fish taco experience. The condiments on the tacos were a bit clunky. The pineapple relish was too chunky for the tiny form factor of the taco, though the flavor was nice and surprisingly spicy. The pickled onions were also a bit hard to manage. That said, the flavors were dead on. The price was right, the food was delicious, and I'll be back very soon. It looks like they have a few dinner-only items, which will probably be when I'll return.
(5)
Jason H.
Don't go. This place is awful. Extremely poor service. We had to ask for everything - someone to take our order after being ignored for 10 minutes, water, our meals took forever to come and when they came they were luke warm. Explanation given was that they were short staffed - ok but that isn't your diners problem. One of our party of 5 received their meal 5 min after the rest of us. Total waste of money and I was hungry when I left. Very few restaurants make me angry - this is one of them.
Unfortunately, had a (-) experience at bistro 222 tonight. Yes, big tradeshow in town so they were staffed up, but apparently not up enough as our meal for 4 took almost 2 hours. No big wine or cocktail drinking to drag it out-the server disappeared for a good amount of time & we had to flag down the manager to finally bring us our entrees. When our salad entrees arrived-they were small appetizer in size. We were all hungry at the end of our dinner. The calamari appetizer and cucumber soup were mediocre. We never were asked if anyone wanted a 2nd round if drinks, we had to ask repeatedly for salt and pepper, no one ever filled our empty water glasses. We would not recommend spending a hard earned dollar in this establishment. Way too many other fantastic, consistent options in Salt Lake.
(1)
Rob Z.
**** update**** The Bistro has removed the grab-and -go options from the menu and replaced it with a half-full freezer of mediocre gelato. I came in to grab a quick salad and when I got my check it was almost $13 (the same salad was $6.50 last week). I'm changing my original 4 star review to 2 stars. It would be one star if the quality of the food suffered, but despite incompetent management and total lack of awareness what the downtown lunch crowd is looking for, the food is still fresh and tastes decent (though by now and great or innovative). I will think very closely as to whether I return to Bistro 222 and will probably discourage other from coming as well. Sorry guys, you're really blowing it. Ignore the rest of this as the above negates any positives the restaurant had in my eyes. I've only ever been to the bistro for lunch, but I've always had good service and great food. Their grab-and-go selection is fairly limited, but fresh and flavorful. I personally love the build-your-own-sandwich option. Hard to beat for $5 downtown! The chicken they use is juicy, the bread is fresh... It's all pretty stellar for the price point. You can go to another sandwich joint down the street that charges $2 more and uses pressed chicken... Not my favorite. One thing that really impressed me was when I came in on a slow day and commented they didn't have tomatoes. The manager said "They're not in season, and the greenhouse stuff you can get is total crap. We do have a tomato jam that we use in the winter." Way more thought than most lunch places downtown put into their food! Overall I give the bistro 4 stars because of my lack of experience with their non-express menu. Hopefully I'll get the chance to try the rest of their food and bump it up to 5.
(2)
Mary J.
very good meal and honestly the most beautiful meal i have ever been served. i have never taken a photo of a meal until i was served this dish. we ate outdoors and they took reservations. good service vwould definitely go back if in the area. i will attempt to post pic.
(4)
Brian P.
I've been here about 5 times in the past, and always enjoyed it. But their special New Year's Eve menu, which we weren't aware of until after we'd already ordered drinks, was a disaster. The food was mediocre, and the shock when we got the bill! $75 per person before drinks, 2-3 times what we normally spend to eat here. We paid it, since ultimately we should've asked about pricing when we saw the special menu, but none of us will be returning again, that's for sure. Nothing about Bistro 222 is worth that kind of money, not the food, not the service, not the atmosphere.
(2)
Christian P.
After a day-long drive from SoCal, we chose to drive straight to Bistro 222 before checking in to our Hotel. So very glad we did. First off, free Valet, who took excellent care of our car loaded with ALL of our belongings and cold-weather apparel for the week. Thank you, Anderson! For our meal, my wife and two foodie kids started with orders of the Moroccan Meatballs, Mushroom Bruschetta and the Butternut Squash soup. All three were resounding hits. I also had the Beet, Avocado and Citrus salad. It was tasty and refreshing. Nothing spectacular, but very solid. Admittedly, I am a tough one to impress when it comes to beets - given my deep love for them. I would certainly order it again. Then came entree time. Now, unfortunately for Bistro 222, I have been spoiled by Flora Farms ( flora-farms.com/#!field-… ) Rosemary Ham, Mozzarella and Egg pizza. So, when I spotted Bistro 222's "Hang-Over", I was excited. Had I never been to Flora, the Hang Over would have been fantastic. However, I have. So I would have to rated it a quite good. I would certainly recommend it to others. However, the seasoning on the Pizza is a tad dull for me. However, the true tragedy - in my opinion - was the fact that while the marshmallow for the Butternut Soup is house-made, there is no use of this on their dessert menu. Our server explained that it was a savory-style marshmallow, yet all of us at the table failed to see why that would limit them. We certainly all could think of ways a savory marshmallow could still work in either a true s'more, decontructed s'more or other dessert. All said, we get to SLC as often as we can to visit family, and I would love to stop in for lunch or even dinner again - as I am a Gnocchi fanatic and would love to see how their Roasted Beet Gnocchi is executed. It would be a make-or-break for me personally on future visits.
(4)
Rd D.
Waiter was great. Food was just okay and over priced. Steak was cooked to proper temperature but was tough.
(2)
Erica P.
While the reviews were iffy, we decided to give this place a try, as they were running a deal on Groupon. We really loved it. We had a starter of popcorn chicken (kind of like fried giblets) - which were great! I had the Seafood Risotto and my husband had the rabbit con fit over some kind of pasta. Both our meals, though "small" in portions - which really means "plenty", were fabulous! We'd definitely head back to Bistro 222.
(4)
Jared F.
There was a Groupon for a $50 gift certificate for $25. Couldn't pass that up. Went with another couple for dinner before seeing Wicked. Our server was Melinda, she gave us recommendations for appetizers, and entrees. Was very helpful in giving us and idea on what to try. Started off with some meatballs, pork belly, heirloom tomato plate and asparagus and mushroom crust-ini. I had the seafood risotto, and my wife had the hangar steak and frites. Risotto was great, but I was envious of my wife's meal, it looked delicious, and I begged for a bite. It tasted as good as it looked. Overall the atmosphere is great, we had a very enjoyable time and the manager even came by our table to joke with us before we left. We had a great experience and would definitely dine there again.
(5)
Robert C.
Had an amazing dinner here last Monday night. The restaurant was very slow but the atmosphere was still welcoming. I was pleasantly greeted at the door by the manager and because it was slow I was able to get a table right by the window. I found the Bistro very upscale and its best feature was the surrounding windows. The entire restaurant is enclosed with glass giving a great view of the downtown salt lake area. Even with the upscale environment the menu prices were very affordable. The beet salad was perfectly priced and delicious as well. As a dinner option I choose the Sea Bass. I found it very savoury with the tomato based sauce. Dessert options seemed to be lacking yet I still wanted to give the Bistro a five star because of the apple tart. As a connoisseur of wine I can at times be critical. I did find a nice $25 dollar Chianti which was a beautiful wine for the price. I did find it a little warm for my taste but as I said I can be a bit critical. Overall I found this place to be very welcoming and the staff to be very professional, even though there were only two of them. I would definitely recommend this establishment to anyone who is looking for a upscale environment, with a menu that has something for everyone, and a wine list that has a world wide selection.
(5)
Neal C.
Valentine's Day brought my wife and I back to Bistro 222 for the second time. We wanted to try the Rib Eye for 2. We started with the field greens salad, two of them. We were sorry we shared one on our first visit because it was exquisite. The cranberry maple vinaigrette is outstanding, especially with blue cheese crumbles, nuts, and dried cranberries. The steak was slightly undercooked, but not enough to send it back for a tad more heat. And an undercooked steak is far better than an overcooked steak. The red miso glaze made the steak deliciously savory. And the steak was perfectly tender. 222 seems determined to make less popular vegetables taste good. They do pretty well, but it's tough to make a Brussel sprout something I want with an outstanding steak. Not bad, but nobody yet has been able to make Brussel sprout bitterness desirable. I ate them, but would've preferred something else. The Cauliflower au gratin was very good, as long is it was consumed by itself. Having a bite with a piece of steak didn't combine well. A side effect of trying to do something wonderful with a less popular vegetable? The dessert was good. If it was advertised as a dense chocolate cake instead of a lava cake, it would've been great, but it wasn't what we expected from the description. Still, the accompanying salted caramel gelato was wonderful! Next time I go to 222--and I will--I'll see if I can get a bowl of the gelato by itself. Service was fine, considering how busy they were on Valentine's Day evening.
(4)
Maria M.
The saying "money can't buy class" can be used with bistro 222 "expensive prices doesn't mean it's good food". The service was good. I got what the waitress suggested- seafood risotto and the clams and shrimp were extremely dry. The best part of our meal was the fries... I had a groupon and I feel like we still over paid. ALSO... I got the sangria- it was very obvious that they just poured pineapple juice and red wine together. It was so gross. and so expensive!!
(2)
Ashley B.
My fiance and I have eaten here only a few times, but we always love it. They have wonderful service, food and wine pairings and suggestions. They always let us go at our own speed and enjoy the ambiance. This is our go to place for a random date night and it's never regrettable.
(5)
Vida A.
Glad we had reservations. Sat at a window seat great for people watching but honestly not a bad seat in the house. Beautiful space, very sleek, great fireplace, art and use of wood. Started with calamari. Very fresh and tasty. Seafood parpadelle pasta was amazing. Tasted the saffron in it and decent amount of seafood. Side of au gratin potatoes were cheese bliss. Companions steak was tasty. The dessert was heaven in a jar, literally. Prices are very reasonable. I already cant wait to come back to try more items. Place was hopping and service was a little slow like initial server coming over and greeting us and getting our meals but worth it. Valet is only $3. Bathrooms are in the Goldman Sachs building and you need a code.
(4)
Rachel J.
Food is mediocre - not terrible but nothing to write home about. Service is extremely poor - give yourself at least 2.5 hours for dinner. We had the fixed price menu which included dessert, but we did not have time to eat the dessert, as we had a show (after being there 2 hours). We had the wrong food brought to us, and a couple near us had the wrong food brought to them three times. Witnessed servers not knowing where to take the food they were holding... It seemed extremely unorganized. We made it pretty apparent we were not happy, but not one person did a thing. And when we told our waiter we needed the check and didn't have time for the dessert (which we of course still paid for), there was no apology or acknowledgement of the situation. Thank goodness we arrived 20 minutes before our scheduled reservation, otherwise we would not have eaten our main course at all (it was very rushed as it was). We also were never offered refills on our beverages. Needless to say we will not be going back, and from the looks of many of these reviews our experience was not out of the norm.
(1)
Tyler S.
Plain and simple it's not that good. It's nothing horrible but it's not worth anybody's time or money.
(2)
Stephanie B.
I've been here 4 Fridays in a row now and just love this place! The prices are fantastic, and the service is great. I'm just hoping they amp up the white wine menu. It's a VERY new restaurant with the chance of being VERY successful. I just hope they get their consistency under control. I absolutely want this place to survive because it's such a great, downtown option. And it's affordable enough to eat there every week.
(5)
Andrew W.
Couldn't get into Bambara next door so concierge recommended Bistro 222. After our meal, we were very happy he did. Salads were nice and fresh, and the butternut soup with a marshmallow floating in it was very good. Lamb meatballs were the winner for our appetizers, though. New York strip was cooked perfectly, accompanied by a mountain of fries. Short rib pasta and seafood pasta was, too. Pizzas were great with interesting (in a good way) mixes of toppings. Beet gnocchi got sent back: a bit too fancy for our table. Beverage list was good, too. Still trying to decide whether service was "unhurried" or just "slow..." But the food was very good and I will definitely return in the future.
(5)
Sean W.
The interior is very 1992 flashback, neon lights dimming up & down, a tacky glass waterfall, bad paintings and potted plastic grass, yikes! The room however has amazing high ceilings and huge windows. We started with the calamari, it was way too crunchy, too much breading. Next I had the hangar steak medium rare, it came medium well. No one came to check back until we were on our last bite. I told waiter and he said he though I ordered med-well, ah no I didn't! My friend had the sea bass, said it was ok, she didn't finish it. The wines by the glass are not consistent. My first glass was amazing, when I ordered another he brought another kind. Waiter told me they serve whatever is open. During our meal we would get HUGE gusts of wind coming from the HUGE doors. One time the door stayed open and I had to go close it, we were seated next to the back bar. The manager kind enough to take steak off, but not before the waiter dropped the complete check first.
(2)
Mars A.
Ambiance: Pleasant decor but discordant music. Average quality food and average wait staff. Several flies throughout the restaurant. Verdict: Worth going with a Groupon but not otherwise.
(2)
Emily B.
Great new restaurant in a fabulous downtown location. Sit by the front windows if you can for some entertaining people watching. The first course was out of this world. The clam chowder beat out any chowder we have had at any specialty seafood restaurant and the beet/tomato salad was a true work of art.
(4)
Nick C.
I wanted to like this place but my initial experience was very poor. My server was extremely unprofessional. Waited 10 minutes to even be greeted. At which point no waters were put on the table, we gave a drink order, and thinking it might be a while before we saw the guy again, told him we might be ready to order. Asked if there were any mixed greens on the beet salad, he said there were, there was not just, a sprinkle of arugula micro greens. No specials were offered, and we had to repeat our drink order and request water as well. Our main courses were both tepid when we got them. The pork shoulder tasted amazing, but I was off by the fact that it wasn't hot. My girlfriends steak was undercooked, and tepid as well. Additionally the restaurant has the audacity to not put salt on the table, but the fries and polenta both could have used some. I feel bad giving 1 star for service but when I'm running up a $130+ bill I expect a little more than tepid food and having to stop the waiter for a refill. I'd like to say that I'm gonna go back and update my review, but there are many other restaurants I'd rather spend my money at.
(1)
Mel W.
the server here was extremely attentive and pleasant. highly appreciated that. for some inexplicable reason there was this fish smell that permeated the entire place-but there was only one other table in there at the time i was, and they didn't have fish. calamari-meh. would not order again. had the spinach and artichoke pizza. i was very pleasantly surprised. i thought it was pretty darn good. my friend had the margherita. that also was good. so i guess decent enough overall but it wasn't mind blowing either.
(3)
Laurence B.
We had dinner here Friday night. The place has good atmosphere, nice chairs and tables. However, the food was lackluster. I had a pizza margherita which had a brick-hard crust and a soupy amount of sauce. Flavors were nice, but much better versions of this item can be had locally at Settebello or Vinto. My wife and I shared a beet salad that was ho-hum. She had sea bass, which she said had zero flavor. Overall, I'd say (at least so far) Bistro 222 is all style but no substance.
(3)
Brendan S.
Went here last minute as it was the only place in SLC that had availably on a Saturday night. This concerned us a bit as did the lack of customers inside. I will chalk that up to them being new because the food was great. Mussels app was fantastic with a solid pepper broth to dip the bread. The cauliflower soup was very good as well but could have used a touch more cream. The entree and dessert were the highlights. They had a fillet as the special topped with a shrimp based hollandaise. It was unreal. It was cooked perfectly and the hollandaise really went well with the steak. The dessert was a homemade molten chocolate cake topped with fresh whipped cream and salted caramel ice cream. That was probably the best dessert I have had in SLC. Service was a bit slow at times which is why I gave this a 4 star. They did make up for it by removing the dessert from the bill. I would say 222 is one of SLC top 10 restaurants.
(4)
Shacey P.
This used to be a 4 for me. But then they changed the manager and I hosted a work dinner here. 12 people, empty restaurant, slow to nonexistent service, over cooked fish and surly host. No thanks - there are so many other great restaurants in the area this relative new comer does not deserve my business.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : No Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Trendy Noise Level : Average Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : No Best Nights : Sat Coat Check : No Smoking : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Ryan C.
Had a lovely early lunch today with the place to myself. You can rail against the merits of many things, but I'm afraid arguments against lunch at 11 am are going to find no purchase here. The place was quiet and the staff was attentive without hovering. Anyway, I started with the mushroom bruschetta. Absolutely delicious, even given my bias against tomato jam as a general concept; it seems like an excuse to use bad tomatoes, covering them over with a bunch of sugar. Sure enough, this particular jam was on the sweet side, but the sweet note wasn't wholly unwelcome. It did verge on overwhelming the flavor of the mushrooms, which were beautifully roasted and meaty. My main was the mahi mahi tacos. I love seafood, but tend not to order fish tacos very often after having been spoiled by ubiquitous and amazing versions in San Diego. However, the extremely helpful server sold me on house made corn tortillas, so I jumped. There are three tacos in the order. They are on tiny tortillas, around three inches in diameter. The fish, on the other hand, it copious, and the result is a very protein-heavy dish that I really enjoyed. Rather than eating a mouth full of tortilla, I was eating fish, and that's a nice change of pace when it comes to my fish taco experience. The condiments on the tacos were a bit clunky. The pineapple relish was too chunky for the tiny form factor of the taco, though the flavor was nice and surprisingly spicy. The pickled onions were also a bit hard to manage. That said, the flavors were dead on. The price was right, the food was delicious, and I'll be back very soon. It looks like they have a few dinner-only items, which will probably be when I'll return.
(5)Jason H.
Don't go. This place is awful. Extremely poor service. We had to ask for everything - someone to take our order after being ignored for 10 minutes, water, our meals took forever to come and when they came they were luke warm. Explanation given was that they were short staffed - ok but that isn't your diners problem. One of our party of 5 received their meal 5 min after the rest of us. Total waste of money and I was hungry when I left. Very few restaurants make me angry - this is one of them.
(1)Natalie R.
This was the worst dining experience I have ever had. I am not using hyperbole. I was unimpressed right off the bat when I arrived and the hostess was on the phone. She barely acknowledged me. I understand she was taking a reservation, but she didn't smile or anything- just mouthed "one minute." When she sat us, our whole party hadn't arrived and she only provided one of each menu for the entire table of 10, which was actually only set for 8. Water arrived at some point and our server just breezed by and said his name and that he'd be back. Some time later, he came back and took drink orders and told us about the specials, including the Dine-O-Round menu. It took an inordinate amount of time to get our drinks- a glass of wine, a cocktail, and a beer. The server kept making excuses about the lengthy waits for things and was clearly getting flustered. One of my dining companions asked for some bread because we were quite hungry. He said the kitchen would be pissed if he went and got us bread for free and there was no way he could charge us for it when we offered to pay because there wasn't a button in the system. Yes, he really said the kitchen would be "pissed." He got quite defensive about it when pressed on the issue, then offered to bring us olives. He made sure to point out he brought us a double order, so there were like 12 in the container. So by this point, it had been close to 45 minutes. He finally brought me my beer after I was notified the one I wanted was out of stock. Most of us ordered the dine-o-round menu, which started with a tomato basil soup. It was overly salted and lacked flavor. I'm pretty sure the tomato soup at Paradise Bakery is better. After another long wait and many empty waters and Diet Cokes, our entrees came out. I'll give my braised short rib or whatever it was, a big fat "meh." It was pot roast and mashed sweet potatoes. There was truly nothing special about it. It was ok, but it was pretty on par with what I can cook at home. Another long wait ensued and dessert arrived. It was probably the only good thing I ate all evening. We scarcely saw our server throughout the whole meal and when we did, he was full of half-baked apologies and excuses for the waits and timing; he was flustered and rude. He brought one check, but we didn't want to wait for him to separate it, nor did he even offer. Isn't that customary these days? Who knows how long that would have taken, anyhow. We were approaching 2.5 hours of seat time. We wrote down how much to put on each of our cards and a few threw in cash, but I guess this was too complicated for him to handle. We also got lectured about how we should have told him at the beginning that we wanted separate checks and that there is a charge for it. Who charges for separate checks?! He finally got everything charged to the right person. Oh, by the way, during this whole fiasco, one of my friends hadn't even received her dessert yet. 40 minutes after she ordered it. The manager dropped it at the table and ran. He knew we were pissed, but he was too much of a coward to talk to us. He did nothing to improve our dining experience- didn't offer to comp anything, ask for feedback, or even sincerely apologize.I think this speaks to the biggest problem of all- the whole fiasco starts with poor management. The kitchen was backed up, the server was a disaster, the host was unpleasant. This all indicates poor leadership and planning. This place is doomed to fail. It's a shame because it's in a great location and has a nice atmosphere. I can assure you, I will never go back there and I will tell everyone I know never to go there too. I am not often angered by a bad experience in a restaurant. I was a server. I get it. I think the thing that irritates me the most is it was clear we were unhappy and no one did anything to fix it.
(1)Maro L.
First off, I think it's important to know that I've never written a bad review of anything. I am one of the more laid back people in the world and have worked in the restaurant industry, so if anything, I'm overly empathetic. But this experience was so poor and involved particularly bad business practices, so I felt it was important to warn potential guests. I visit SLC twice a year for a tradeshow, and host a ladies dinner each trip. Last year, we dined at Bistro 222 and had a wonderful experience, so I decided to book it again. The night prior to our reservation, a small group of my co-workers went to have dinner there, and I was alarmed to see that the prices on the menu were significantly higher than what they were the year prior, and what was on their online menu. So I asked to speak to the manager. He stated that they have "special menus during special events and holidays". I explained that I had booked a dinner for the next night, naturally assuming the menu and prices I saw online would be in effect...nobody told me otherwise when I called in the reservation, nor when I called a second time to confirm the reservation. I further explained that this is a business dinner and I have a budget, and this was basically price gouging. He only said "sorry", and repeated the special menu statement, continuing to say that this was standard practice. But as I mentioned, they didn't do that last year and I've dined at many restaurants in SLC during this show and have never seen others do it. I was upset and felt robbed, but it was too late to cancel or rebook the dinner for the next night. So! The next night, our party of 14 arrives for our 8pm reservation, and our table isn't ready. In fact, the group that is sitting at our table is JUST getting their dinner when we get there. The manager says he's going to try to move them, and for us to wait in the lobby. I say fine, can we please get some drinks while we wait. He says yes, and a server will be right out. We waited 30 minutes, with no drinks (I ordered four bottles of wine and followed up two times), not even water, no staff to check on us or give us an update. When we finally were seated, it took another 15 minutes to get wine and water. I had asked if we could order appetizers (mind you, this group has been working at a fast paced event all day and were starving) and the server impatiently says "I have to take another order from a table that was here before you." What?? So - in addition to the very poor business practice of jacking up prices without letting customers know, we had poor service, without any apologies or attempts to make it right. From a customer service standpoint, I was floored. The food was fine, but I will never go there again.
(1)Sara w.
Chef Dave is amazing! Our group loved everything we ordered, which is very difficult to do. The five spiced ribs are not to be missed. We also thought the calamari was especially tasty, tender and light. The warm mushroom salad was a great combination of mushrooms, quinoa, sunchokes, and poached egg perfection. My favorite dish was the lamb osso buco with mint polenta cheddar deliciousness. This place is not to be missed. The food is simply outstanding down to the salted caramel chocolate tart. Chef Dave is a talented individual and also very personable. Do yourself a favor and go here!
(5)Lisa A.
Utah is notorious for bland unseasoned food but this place takes the cake. And if they had cake, it would probably be flavorless as well. I had high hopes for our meal as we were seated at the cute outdoor patio. But they were quickly dashed, and not by the rain clouds that were threatening. We had the cauliflower soup which sounded delicious and had great reviews. However, it was tasteless. The margherita pizza had a decent amount of cheese but was lacking basil and the red sauce was barely tomato flavored, much less seasoned. The wait staff was just as bland. We won't be returning.
(1)Andrea M.
Had a really nice experience here. We went on a Saturday early evening and it was clear and not crowded. Our food was very good and the staff was great. I would come back and maybe sit outside for a relaxing lunch.
(5)Ali Y.
I had the ahi tuna tacos. They were really light and delicious. If your looking for a smaller, yummy meal this is perfect!
(3)Jasen F.
Went two weeks back with some work colleagues and was underwhelmed in every regard. They miss the little things that make the experience off putting, like featuring wine lists on iPads that aren't updated; why have electronics if they're not connected or updated? Ordering a bottle of wine took three attempts. They food was ok. It felt like it should be buried in the heart of a Marriott hotel in downtown Cleveland. There is definitely something not kosher with the vibe of this joint.
(2)Cindy W.
Was personally attacked by a member whom accused me of being an ex-employee. Mike M, I am not l, nor would I ever be. Sorry for your sad attempt to discredit my opinion about this restaurant. Your efforts lead me to believe that you work for them and are trolling reviews to save face. This is sad, perhaps you should focus on the issues that paying customers have and not lash out at negative reviews. Here is the message. Yelp Hi Cindy, Mike M. sent you a message on Yelp: Subject: Doubt it "So then your just a miserable lady who complains about everything and is always bitter. Putting down others is probably your way of feeling good about yourself, making your miserable, "poor me" life seem a little better!! Good luck with that!! Have fun, I feel sorry for you!! At least people won't care when you finally bite the bullet!! -just my opinion!! And I'm guessing many others, u miserable little c***t!!"
(1)Jason H.
Good: Food was great. The place was nice. Bad: Wine list on an iPad was embarrassingly stupid. Ditch the iPads. The waitress asked how we were doing every 3 minutes. It was annoyingly too often. My friend's comment: "The chef is a little bit too sure of themselves for there to be no salt or pepper on the table."
(4)Nate B.
Not a fan. I'm pretty easy going in terms of food quality but this place is a classic overpriced-but-upscale-looking hotel restaurant. The service was terrible - had to ask for more water on two different occasions. Food wasn't bad, but for the price I paid I expect MUCH better.
(1)Amanda M.
Went here for Valentines Day & of course it was busy. The service was SO bad though! I hate calling the waiter out but Alan forgot to put in our order so we sat forever without our cocktails or food. Once the table next to us, who arrived after us, started getting their food we were concerned & he realized he lost our order and took our order again. anyway, the food was hit and miss. My husbands steak was really really good. My dessert, the leche de sundae or something like that, was amazing! My arugula salad was gross and my fish was over cooked. So yeah I would maybe try this place again, but only because some of the food was really great.
(2)Kjersti G.
I finally had the opportunity to try this place after months of wanting to go and I loved it! I made a reservation for 5 and when I showed up the restaurant was empty! I felt like I had rented out the entire place with the amazing service and lack of other diners.(It turns out they get busier later in the night.) The "Cauliflower Soup" is indeed amazing and I totally agree with all the other users who said it was delicious. It was even sprinkled with pumpkin seeds! loved it! i ordered the "Bistro Burger", which came out with apple slices on it. it was a surprise and I liked it. I took advantage of the award winning Wine List and I'm happy I did! Amazing French Rose! It went well with the cheese appetizer I also ordered. They also have an interesting White Bordeaux, for the curious Wino. I should also probably state that I didn't pay for any of this, It was put onto an expense Account. So I might not have gorged myself as much if I had to actually pay with my own money! :)
(4)Brian B.
Stumbled on this place with a group of friends and decided to try it out. First we were told it would be at least a 20 minute wait which was weird because the place was pretty empty and there were lots of open tables. After finally getting seated it took a long time before anyone cane to take our orders. At least 4 out of the 6 of us had water. Yeah I wasn't one of the lucky ones. We ordered eventually. When the food came out most of us were kind of disappointed. When they said it came with fruit we kind of assumed that it would just be a garnish. My fruit consisted of a strawberry cut in half and two blackberries. While the food tasted good it wasn't anything special. The staff was nice enough but over all the service was severely lacking. I won't be back. Too many other options.
(2)michael c.
Very poor service here. Booked for show before ballet and was told 6pm sitting would be enough time. Arrive 5:40pm and at 7:06pm only just finished entree (had to rush to eat) no dessert and table service was some of the slowest I've experienced for some time. No offer of drink refills and now scrambling to get to show. Observed missed orders and wrong orders coming out and other patrons with similar experiences. Will definitely NOT come here again
(1)Sam S.
I first went to Bistro 222 2 or 3 years ago after they first opened. As I recall, the food was good, but the service and organization was terrible and it left a bad taste in my mouth. I figured they were a new restaurant so would give them the benefit of the doubt and let them work through their issues. Went back for brunch today and experienced exactly the same thing. Food was alright I guess (nothing special), but service was poor and the same disorganization. The server was nice enough, but he must have been stretched thin because there were long periods of time between any interaction. The poor out of towners behind us were about to walk out because they had been waiting so long to order. When the server finally gave them some attention, he didn't bother to apologize. Instead, he went on to say how busy they were and how they were running around. And they weren't really that busy. This isn't an issue of bad servers, but folks who need to learn how to run a restaurant. From what I can see in the other reviews, this isn't a new thing and management needs to pull it together. I don't plan on going back any time soon.
(2)Alex J.
I have been wanting to try this restaurant since they opened, but I have also been a little wary given some of the reviews that had popped up about it. It seemed that either people had a great experience or they had a really bad experience. However, despite that, when the opportunity arose, I decided to give Bistro 222 a try... and honestly? I had a really great experience. I went to Bistro 222 on 9/18/15 around 11:00am. My dining companion and I choose to have lunch inside and we were seated in a booth next to a nested fireplace, which was perfect because it was slightly chilly outside. The inside of the restaurant instantly struck me as very clean and organized with a very modern design. The contrast of the blacks and whites with the colors they used to decorate was really enjoyable visually. Some other reviewers have mentioned that the wine list was on an iPad, but my wine/cocktail menu was presented in the old-fashioned print variety, so that may be a new addition. During my visit I ordered the Vidarita and the 222 Martini (on the rocks). Both were really delicious and I felt like I was getting my money's worth (as much as you can get your money's worth when ordering drinks in Utah). I was also informed that Bistro 222 has a special license to offer drinks before 11:30am and that food doesn't need to be ordered when ordering a drink, which I liked a lot. My dining companion and I took advantage of the dine o'round special to try the NY Steak Sandwich. We also shared an order of the Cauliflower soup because I have heard that it was delicious and I've also heard that it was bland so I felt compelled to give it a try. All of the food was absolutely delicious! The soup was flavorful with a tiny bit of spice and a creamy mouth feel. The meat on the sandwich was a perfect medium and the bread (which was both flaky and soft) was grilled perfectly. The salad was flavorful and light. My dining companion let me try his fries (a thinner, shoe string variety) and they came out hot and perfectly seasoned. They were served with un-doctored ketchup, which complimented them rather well. We learned that Bistro 222's head chef was new (there for a week at the time of our visit) and that he hadn't had any influence on the menu we tried, but that he was working on some revisions to the menu, so my food opinions might by out of date soon after my review, just a heads up. Our server, Issac, was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive--not just to our table, but from what I saw to the other tables he got as well. There were fresh flowers used on the table, and the bathrooms available were very nice, clean, and perfectly maintained. At the time of our visit, the restaurant was not busy. It seemed to be before the lunch rush, so I can't say how service and food speed would be in such a circumstance, but our food came out quickly and fresh. From my experience, in the confines of the time of day and how busy the restaurant was, I would definitely recommend Bistro 222 to others.
(5)Art C.
Food is Good but service is slow!! Took forever for us together our food! Not crowded so no excuses!
(2)Michael R.
The lobster corn dogs were okay at best but the bacon wrapped pork was delicious. Great decor and ambiance and very professional wait staff. Wine list a bit better than expected. Not one of my all time favorites but I will be back.
(3)Eric D.
Had a great meal here tonight. Service was impeccable. The meatballs had a great texture and flavor, too often meatballs are big and bloated, these were not like that. Arugula salad was delicious, and chicken marsala had a great flavor too, with sun dried tomatoes that complemented without overpowering. Will definitely come back sooner to the triple deuce!
(4)Dave B.
Made a late reservation for New Years eve. They had a five course menu for one price. I had the duck, my wife had the fish with curry sauce. Both dishes were really good. Scallop appetizer was excellent, as was the pork belly. A little fatty, but really good flavor. We enjoyed the wines , and one cocktail. Service was good. We will come back next time we are downtown.
(5)Mary Anne D.
We recently tried Bistro 222 and its a wonderful addition to downtown SLC. The service is top notch and the restaurant has a sophisticated atmosphere. Two note worthy dishes include the cauliflower soup and the braised short rib. What makes Bistro 222 a real stand out is that it feels like the type of restaurant you would find in a busy urban downtown in a large city. I love SLC and it has many wonderful qualities, but SLC is neither urban, large, or busy. Its sleepy and quiet which has its merits, but sometimes I want a dining experience that includes nice wine, impeccable food, and the chance to leisurely enjoy good conversation with my guests. Bistro 222 is all of these things.
(5)Michael B.
Great service and wonderful food. Nice presentation. Nice hip restaurant, youthful ambiance; but great for all ages. I'd definitely recommend this for dinner.
(4)Marissa F.
This was yummy. Definitely fresh tasting food and good quality ingredients but I'm just not sure if it's worth the $$. Nothing wowed me it was just really solid and well done. I've had similar dishes in other places. So it's not unique (not that a restaurant needs to be unique) but like I said it was good. My hang up is the price. And for their prices I kind of want to be wowed. We ordered: -The Dine-O Round Meal which I'm not remembering what kind of meat it was with some mashed sweet potatoes and greens. This was very tasty -The Osso Bucco Pasta this was yummy but I think it needed a little more salt but there was no salt and pepper on the table and I always feel weird asking for salt at restaurants The service was great. We had a baby with us and they were very nice and accommodating. This does not factor into the rating but there is no changing table in the bathroom (I just know I like to know that kind of stuff). Parking is very difficult but that's expected from the location.
(4)Jim H.
Had an amazing meal celebrating the Mrs.'s passing the Utah Bar Exam (hooray!!). Very nice restaurant in a building that was still under construction when we moved from SLC to LA for her law school. Memories aside, let's get to the reviewing. This restaurant is a bit upscale, I'd say 3 out of 4 ($$$), but at the same time it is not stuffy (it's not like the New Yorker--I think you'd feel comfortable in casual clothes, but it's also a place to go on a fancy date night). I ordered the rib-eye steak and it was nothing short of a miracle--I feel it's worth noting that I usually eat vegetarian, so indeed this was a special occasion! Another in our party ordered the lamb meatballs and cauliflower soup (the soup was worthy of note, as I do not like cauliflower or cream soups, but this soup was fantastic and was not made with dairy--well done!). Can't wait for another reason to visit Bistro 222.
(5)Barry S.
New chef and food is much better than 1 year ago when my wife I were there. Isaac took great care of us and had great recommendations, definitely returning soon.
(5)Lindsey K.
Beautiful! Chef Michael is amazing and artistic. Appetizers are wonderful. Great flavors. Parking behind the building. (Helps downtown) I got the halibut. Amazing. So soft and nice crusty shell. The veggies with it were amazing. I wanted to ask for more. Pasta is house made. Love it.
(5)Lynda G.
We ate at Bistro 222 on Valentine's Day.. We ordered off the Valentines menu, each of us chose an appetizer, salad, entree and dessert. the food was good with the exception of my entree, I ordered Halibut, it was extremely dry and over cooked. the service was very slow to the point where we finally asked why we had been waiting 30 minutes for our salads. The food (with the exception of the halibut) was good enough that I would be tempted to try them again, but not on any type of a holiday.
(3)Michael W.
What a treat to stumble onto this fantastic restaurant. We were actually following a YELP lead for a nearby Greek restaurant that no longer exists...(Thanks YELP for being up to date! LOL)..... So on our way back to the car, we saw this bistro filled with what appeared to be well dressed lunch time diners. The dishes on all of the tables looked so artistically presented. We went in and luck have it, secured the table in the front corner with huge glass windows behind me and my guest. Our server was the engaging, handsome, and knowledgeable Tony. He painted fantastic word pictures of the lunch we would soon order. I ended up getting the soup special, a Clam and Halibut Chowder. It was so LIGHT and delicious...not some cream soaked, out of a can clam chowder soup. The halibut really added to the diversity of flavor and texture. The clam shells were included in the bowl. ...My lunch companion ordered the fish and chips. Two beautiful pieces of lightly fried cod, served at the perfect temperature on a bed of fresh fries. Not the greasy, thickly coated Fish and Chips you would get at an Irish Pub.... She was very pleased. My entree was a creative and delicious beet salad on which I added four pieces of medium sized shrimp. The meal was light and flavorful. The service was impeccable, with our water glasses never going empty, food service time was prompt and food temp was perfect. Once again, really enjoyed the corner table with the amazing high-rise views. The restaurant was clean, architecturally interesting, with clean lines, and a bright color palette. Did I mention how awesome our service was from Tony? A real treat during the lunch hour. Check it out if you are in the area. You'll be glad you did.
(5)Jenn O.
My friends and I had dinner on a not to busy Friday night .. Our waiter Matt promptly approached our group,took our drink order.. And then forewarned us it would take awhile as he was also the bar tender ..to make a long story short .. 25 min later he came back with our drinks (Which sorry to say we're marginal at best ) He then shared that he had to go make a desserts ( as he apparently was also the pastry chef )and would be back to take our dinner order.. Again 30 mins later he returned We could not figure out if the management here needs help In training their servers,Or if they have never been in the service industry before,the whole system needs a major adjustment ! The food and prices are actually pretty good but you better have a three hour dining window .. Because of the service ...or lack of ...this Bistro get 2 stars ( generously give)
(2)Howie O.
Finally! So I am an east coaster and the dining scene in Washington DC is awesome. This place ranks right up there with some of my favorite eateries. I had the hanger steak bloody rare with with plenty of red wine. It was perfect! My trustworthy sidekick Vida A dined on the fresh del mar type pasta and it look fantastic. I stole a bite or two and it was super delicious. I would nix the pizza and add a few more desserts. You guys rock, keep up the good work.
(5)Stephanie S.
I have mixed feelings about this place. Some days, I find myself craving their soups, and other days I'm left feeling disappointed. First issue, they need to get their lunch special sorted. I've been charged differently the last 3 times I've been by. Let me just start off by saying that they advertise a lunch deal for something like $4.95 outside. On my first visit, I had a premade Caesar salad from the bar and a cup of soup. I was charged just over $6. Amazing! Today I ordered the same thing, soup of the day + a premade salad, and was charged $12+. Talk about inconsistency! Their lunch salads leave a lot to be desired. They're visually appealing deconstructed salads that are completely impractical to eat. I don't want to have to take a bite off the chicken, cut off a piece of a full leaf of lettuce, cut some avocado, and dip it in the dressing....just to get a comprehensive bite. The worst part about it is the slab of boiled flavorless chicken they throw on the side of each salad. With that being said, their soup of the day is typically pretty good, but it really just depends on the day. Their cauliflower soup is served daily but is charged as a premium. The servers that have helped me have also been very nice. Their other reviews look pretty good, so I'm not sure if it was in their plan to serve sub-par food to the businessmen & women nearby. Maybe I'll come by to have dinner, but I'm definitely not rushing. Honestly, I think I'd rather pay $10 for a nearby buffet than $12+ for an OK soup & salad.
(2)Jason G.
Just had an excellent dinner at Bistro 222 in downtown Salt Lake City. Be sure to try the fish tacos and chocolate ganache cake! Loved the delicious food, friendly service, and high end contemporary design all for extremely reasonable prices.
(5)Dalynn G.
Amazing service! Such a Beautiful patio. The ambiance is fresh, hip, and extremely sophisticated! The mushroom brusheta and cauliflower soup was amazing! Fresh churned butter and a menu that suits everyone's taste! Loved it. Favorite new spot in salt lake!
(5)Anj G.
Restaurants have their good days and bad, and I showed up on one of their bad days.... My appetizer was humdrum, entree was over salted, service was ditzy and forgetful, and dessert left more to be desired. From the food to the service everything was mediocre, except the atmosphere/décor of the venue. I started with the chicken bites, followed by the carrot ginger soup. The chicken bites were just ok - Chick Fil A is arguably better. The carrot ginger soup offered nothing unique or gourmet in its flavors and presentation. Worst of all was the over salted, overpriced halibut entrée. I considered having it sent back (something I rarely, if ever, do) but the waitress took so long to check on us that I succumbed to my appetite and lack of patience, eating what I could keep down. I thought the bread pudding would make up for the less than desirable meal, but it was just ok - not the warm gooey delight I've experienced at other restaurants. I definitely would not come back, and I recommend trying the hundreds of other great restaurants in Salt Lake before visiting here. The only reason this place is getting a 2 is because I liked the ambiance and my dinner companion enjoyed his roasted chicken -- said it was moist and he would order it again.
(2)Al P.
Upon walking into Bistro 222, I knew that the Salt Lake dining scene had changed immensely from when I was growing up in Utah. The ambiance is very sleek, without being cold--it seemed inviting and bright and very thoughtfully designed. I really liked the open window atmosphere, good for people watching and letting in the sunshine. I think this would be a nice place for both a semi-casual night out or a romantic dinner. Our server was excellent--attentive without being overbearing. She knew we were there to chat and enjoy ourselves, and she gave us just the right amount of assistance. She also didn't try to rush us out--we were there for a few hours. This only added to our overall pleasant experience. We started with cocktails, and I had the jewel, which is my favorite kind of cocktail--sweet, a little tart, and tastes like adult candy. It was mixed to perfection. My friend had a sparkling cranberry cocktail that I thought was a perfect summer drink, refreshing and a good mix of sweet and tart, again. The appetizers all looked very appetizing, but I knew I wanted to save room for dessert, so we started with entrees. I had the gnocchi, and my friend had the roasted chicken. Mine was so delicious--an almond pesto gave it a nice salty flavor, the gnocchi was cooked perfectly (not too doughy or chewy the way some can get), and the veggies in it were very fresh and flavorful. How I love Utah summer veggies. The whole dish worked well. It was so good in fact that it made my friend's slightly overlooked, very bland chicken taste even moreso. She sent it back and asked for the gnocchi. The staff was extremely accommodating about this request, showing they wanted us to be happy with our experience. And her gnocchi was just as good as mine. As for portions, I thought them just right for the price--not too big or small, but if you are looking for a place that serves big meals for big appetites or for leftovers, the portions might seem small. We had a nice champagne with dinner, and overall, I was pleased with the wine menu options, which ranged from mid-priced $30 bottles to much nicer, more expensive bottles that had I more money to spend, I would have certainly enjoyed. Not many restaurants offer decently priced champagne, and the bottle of Bouvet we shared was really delicious. The only thing I found confusing was how the menu lumped rose in the sparkling/champagne section. I thought it was a sparkling rose, but it wasn't. Luckily, the server explained that to us before she opened the bottle, so we could switch for the bubbles we craved for our celebration. The dessert list seemed a bit limited, with only a panacotta and a butterscotch pudding, but they had several flavors of gelato to offer. My friend had the espresso, which she liked, and I had the chocolate peanut butter, which was actually peanut butter ice cream with chocolate chips (so I would have named it a peanut butter chocolate gelato to avoid confusion, but that's just me, and I am not holding that against them). Not very exciting, far too many chips that weren't very interesting chocolate, though the gelato itself was creamy and good. Overall, a very good restaurant. I would go again, and I would certainly recommend it to others.
(4)Alejandro M.
Had a business dinner here and it was a great atmosphere. Food was delicious. I had the pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon. I would recommend.
(5)Marsha G.
Unbelievable . Ordered wine for an outrageous $12 per glass and then the bill charged every guest at the table $19 per glass! When questioned manager stood by $19 per glass. Waited one hour for dry halibut for $30. Never going back there again. Watch your wine tab!
(1)Eric M.
This place looks very cool from the outside. I was hopeful the restaurant would live up to its very hip look. The food matched the decor, it was excellent. We tried appetizers, dinner, and dessert and loved everything. We will return to try more options very soon!
(5)Michelle D.
Unfortunately, had a (-) experience at bistro 222 tonight. Yes, big tradeshow in town so they were staffed up, but apparently not up enough as our meal for 4 took almost 2 hours. No big wine or cocktail drinking to drag it out-the server disappeared for a good amount of time & we had to flag down the manager to finally bring us our entrees. When our salad entrees arrived-they were small appetizer in size. We were all hungry at the end of our dinner. The calamari appetizer and cucumber soup were mediocre. We never were asked if anyone wanted a 2nd round if drinks, we had to ask repeatedly for salt and pepper, no one ever filled our empty water glasses. We would not recommend spending a hard earned dollar in this establishment. Way too many other fantastic, consistent options in Salt Lake.
(1)Rob Z.
**** update**** The Bistro has removed the grab-and -go options from the menu and replaced it with a half-full freezer of mediocre gelato. I came in to grab a quick salad and when I got my check it was almost $13 (the same salad was $6.50 last week). I'm changing my original 4 star review to 2 stars. It would be one star if the quality of the food suffered, but despite incompetent management and total lack of awareness what the downtown lunch crowd is looking for, the food is still fresh and tastes decent (though by now and great or innovative). I will think very closely as to whether I return to Bistro 222 and will probably discourage other from coming as well. Sorry guys, you're really blowing it. Ignore the rest of this as the above negates any positives the restaurant had in my eyes. I've only ever been to the bistro for lunch, but I've always had good service and great food. Their grab-and-go selection is fairly limited, but fresh and flavorful. I personally love the build-your-own-sandwich option. Hard to beat for $5 downtown! The chicken they use is juicy, the bread is fresh... It's all pretty stellar for the price point. You can go to another sandwich joint down the street that charges $2 more and uses pressed chicken... Not my favorite. One thing that really impressed me was when I came in on a slow day and commented they didn't have tomatoes. The manager said "They're not in season, and the greenhouse stuff you can get is total crap. We do have a tomato jam that we use in the winter." Way more thought than most lunch places downtown put into their food! Overall I give the bistro 4 stars because of my lack of experience with their non-express menu. Hopefully I'll get the chance to try the rest of their food and bump it up to 5.
(2)Mary J.
very good meal and honestly the most beautiful meal i have ever been served. i have never taken a photo of a meal until i was served this dish. we ate outdoors and they took reservations. good service vwould definitely go back if in the area. i will attempt to post pic.
(4)Brian P.
I've been here about 5 times in the past, and always enjoyed it. But their special New Year's Eve menu, which we weren't aware of until after we'd already ordered drinks, was a disaster. The food was mediocre, and the shock when we got the bill! $75 per person before drinks, 2-3 times what we normally spend to eat here. We paid it, since ultimately we should've asked about pricing when we saw the special menu, but none of us will be returning again, that's for sure. Nothing about Bistro 222 is worth that kind of money, not the food, not the service, not the atmosphere.
(2)Christian P.
After a day-long drive from SoCal, we chose to drive straight to Bistro 222 before checking in to our Hotel. So very glad we did. First off, free Valet, who took excellent care of our car loaded with ALL of our belongings and cold-weather apparel for the week. Thank you, Anderson! For our meal, my wife and two foodie kids started with orders of the Moroccan Meatballs, Mushroom Bruschetta and the Butternut Squash soup. All three were resounding hits. I also had the Beet, Avocado and Citrus salad. It was tasty and refreshing. Nothing spectacular, but very solid. Admittedly, I am a tough one to impress when it comes to beets - given my deep love for them. I would certainly order it again. Then came entree time. Now, unfortunately for Bistro 222, I have been spoiled by Flora Farms ( flora-farms.com/#!field-… ) Rosemary Ham, Mozzarella and Egg pizza. So, when I spotted Bistro 222's "Hang-Over", I was excited. Had I never been to Flora, the Hang Over would have been fantastic. However, I have. So I would have to rated it a quite good. I would certainly recommend it to others. However, the seasoning on the Pizza is a tad dull for me. However, the true tragedy - in my opinion - was the fact that while the marshmallow for the Butternut Soup is house-made, there is no use of this on their dessert menu. Our server explained that it was a savory-style marshmallow, yet all of us at the table failed to see why that would limit them. We certainly all could think of ways a savory marshmallow could still work in either a true s'more, decontructed s'more or other dessert. All said, we get to SLC as often as we can to visit family, and I would love to stop in for lunch or even dinner again - as I am a Gnocchi fanatic and would love to see how their Roasted Beet Gnocchi is executed. It would be a make-or-break for me personally on future visits.
(4)Rd D.
Waiter was great. Food was just okay and over priced. Steak was cooked to proper temperature but was tough.
(2)Erica P.
While the reviews were iffy, we decided to give this place a try, as they were running a deal on Groupon. We really loved it. We had a starter of popcorn chicken (kind of like fried giblets) - which were great! I had the Seafood Risotto and my husband had the rabbit con fit over some kind of pasta. Both our meals, though "small" in portions - which really means "plenty", were fabulous! We'd definitely head back to Bistro 222.
(4)Jared F.
There was a Groupon for a $50 gift certificate for $25. Couldn't pass that up. Went with another couple for dinner before seeing Wicked. Our server was Melinda, she gave us recommendations for appetizers, and entrees. Was very helpful in giving us and idea on what to try. Started off with some meatballs, pork belly, heirloom tomato plate and asparagus and mushroom crust-ini. I had the seafood risotto, and my wife had the hangar steak and frites. Risotto was great, but I was envious of my wife's meal, it looked delicious, and I begged for a bite. It tasted as good as it looked. Overall the atmosphere is great, we had a very enjoyable time and the manager even came by our table to joke with us before we left. We had a great experience and would definitely dine there again.
(5)Robert C.
Had an amazing dinner here last Monday night. The restaurant was very slow but the atmosphere was still welcoming. I was pleasantly greeted at the door by the manager and because it was slow I was able to get a table right by the window. I found the Bistro very upscale and its best feature was the surrounding windows. The entire restaurant is enclosed with glass giving a great view of the downtown salt lake area. Even with the upscale environment the menu prices were very affordable. The beet salad was perfectly priced and delicious as well. As a dinner option I choose the Sea Bass. I found it very savoury with the tomato based sauce. Dessert options seemed to be lacking yet I still wanted to give the Bistro a five star because of the apple tart. As a connoisseur of wine I can at times be critical. I did find a nice $25 dollar Chianti which was a beautiful wine for the price. I did find it a little warm for my taste but as I said I can be a bit critical. Overall I found this place to be very welcoming and the staff to be very professional, even though there were only two of them. I would definitely recommend this establishment to anyone who is looking for a upscale environment, with a menu that has something for everyone, and a wine list that has a world wide selection.
(5)Mars A.
Ambiance: Pleasant decor but discordant music. Average quality food and average wait staff. Several flies throughout the restaurant. Verdict: Worth going with a Groupon but not otherwise.
(2)Emily B.
Great new restaurant in a fabulous downtown location. Sit by the front windows if you can for some entertaining people watching. The first course was out of this world. The clam chowder beat out any chowder we have had at any specialty seafood restaurant and the beet/tomato salad was a true work of art.
(4)Charlynn T.
I had mixed feelings about the dishes at Bistro 222. I can see how other reviewers rated so high, one being the fact that the flavor profiles are there. Two, the atmosphere and service are top notch. And three, the fresh menu options including house made pasta are great. Our appetizers were all a hit. Entrées not so much. Deserts were forgettable and dry. I wanted to love my pasta dish but ended up asking for more sauce because the pasta was dry and a bit over cooked making the serving portion lithely hard to swallow. Both the strawberry desert and chocolate cake were tasty, but again really dry. A bit stale and possibly a day old. I debated between three or four stars on the overall rating. I chose 4 because the flavors were there and we were mostly satisfied. I think with a bit more quality control it would have been stellar. Really close to greatness.
(4)Jasen F.
Went two weeks back with some work colleagues and was underwhelmed in every regard. They miss the little things that make the experience off putting, like featuring wine lists on iPads that aren't updated; why have electronics if they're not connected or updated? Ordering a bottle of wine took three attempts. They food was ok. It felt like it should be buried in the heart of a Marriott hotel in downtown Cleveland. There is definitely something not kosher with the vibe of this joint.
(2)Lynda G.
We ate at Bistro 222 on Valentine's Day.. We ordered off the Valentines menu, each of us chose an appetizer, salad, entree and dessert. the food was good with the exception of my entree, I ordered Halibut, it was extremely dry and over cooked. the service was very slow to the point where we finally asked why we had been waiting 30 minutes for our salads. The food (with the exception of the halibut) was good enough that I would be tempted to try them again, but not on any type of a holiday.
(3)Lindsey K.
Beautiful! Chef Michael is amazing and artistic. Appetizers are wonderful. Great flavors. Parking behind the building. (Helps downtown) I got the halibut. Amazing. So soft and nice crusty shell. The veggies with it were amazing. I wanted to ask for more. Pasta is house made. Love it.
(5)Sam S.
I first went to Bistro 222 2 or 3 years ago after they first opened. As I recall, the food was good, but the service and organization was terrible and it left a bad taste in my mouth. I figured they were a new restaurant so would give them the benefit of the doubt and let them work through their issues. Went back for brunch today and experienced exactly the same thing. Food was alright I guess (nothing special), but service was poor and the same disorganization. The server was nice enough, but he must have been stretched thin because there were long periods of time between any interaction. The poor out of towners behind us were about to walk out because they had been waiting so long to order. When the server finally gave them some attention, he didn't bother to apologize. Instead, he went on to say how busy they were and how they were running around. And they weren't really that busy. This isn't an issue of bad servers, but folks who need to learn how to run a restaurant. From what I can see in the other reviews, this isn't a new thing and management needs to pull it together. I don't plan on going back any time soon.
(2)Lisa A.
Utah is notorious for bland unseasoned food but this place takes the cake. And if they had cake, it would probably be flavorless as well. I had high hopes for our meal as we were seated at the cute outdoor patio. But they were quickly dashed, and not by the rain clouds that were threatening. We had the cauliflower soup which sounded delicious and had great reviews. However, it was tasteless. The margherita pizza had a decent amount of cheese but was lacking basil and the red sauce was barely tomato flavored, much less seasoned. The wait staff was just as bland. We won't be returning.
(1)Art C.
Food is Good but service is slow!! Took forever for us together our food! Not crowded so no excuses!
(2)Michael R.
The lobster corn dogs were okay at best but the bacon wrapped pork was delicious. Great decor and ambiance and very professional wait staff. Wine list a bit better than expected. Not one of my all time favorites but I will be back.
(3)Andrea M.
Had a really nice experience here. We went on a Saturday early evening and it was clear and not crowded. Our food was very good and the staff was great. I would come back and maybe sit outside for a relaxing lunch.
(5)Alex J.
I have been wanting to try this restaurant since they opened, but I have also been a little wary given some of the reviews that had popped up about it. It seemed that either people had a great experience or they had a really bad experience. However, despite that, when the opportunity arose, I decided to give Bistro 222 a try... and honestly? I had a really great experience. I went to Bistro 222 on 9/18/15 around 11:00am. My dining companion and I choose to have lunch inside and we were seated in a booth next to a nested fireplace, which was perfect because it was slightly chilly outside. The inside of the restaurant instantly struck me as very clean and organized with a very modern design. The contrast of the blacks and whites with the colors they used to decorate was really enjoyable visually. Some other reviewers have mentioned that the wine list was on an iPad, but my wine/cocktail menu was presented in the old-fashioned print variety, so that may be a new addition. During my visit I ordered the Vidarita and the 222 Martini (on the rocks). Both were really delicious and I felt like I was getting my money's worth (as much as you can get your money's worth when ordering drinks in Utah). I was also informed that Bistro 222 has a special license to offer drinks before 11:30am and that food doesn't need to be ordered when ordering a drink, which I liked a lot. My dining companion and I took advantage of the dine o'round special to try the NY Steak Sandwich. We also shared an order of the Cauliflower soup because I have heard that it was delicious and I've also heard that it was bland so I felt compelled to give it a try. All of the food was absolutely delicious! The soup was flavorful with a tiny bit of spice and a creamy mouth feel. The meat on the sandwich was a perfect medium and the bread (which was both flaky and soft) was grilled perfectly. The salad was flavorful and light. My dining companion let me try his fries (a thinner, shoe string variety) and they came out hot and perfectly seasoned. They were served with un-doctored ketchup, which complimented them rather well. We learned that Bistro 222's head chef was new (there for a week at the time of our visit) and that he hadn't had any influence on the menu we tried, but that he was working on some revisions to the menu, so my food opinions might by out of date soon after my review, just a heads up. Our server, Issac, was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive--not just to our table, but from what I saw to the other tables he got as well. There were fresh flowers used on the table, and the bathrooms available were very nice, clean, and perfectly maintained. At the time of our visit, the restaurant was not busy. It seemed to be before the lunch rush, so I can't say how service and food speed would be in such a circumstance, but our food came out quickly and fresh. From my experience, in the confines of the time of day and how busy the restaurant was, I would definitely recommend Bistro 222 to others.
(5)Howie O.
Finally! So I am an east coaster and the dining scene in Washington DC is awesome. This place ranks right up there with some of my favorite eateries. I had the hanger steak bloody rare with with plenty of red wine. It was perfect! My trustworthy sidekick Vida A dined on the fresh del mar type pasta and it look fantastic. I stole a bite or two and it was super delicious. I would nix the pizza and add a few more desserts. You guys rock, keep up the good work.
(5)Eric D.
Had a great meal here tonight. Service was impeccable. The meatballs had a great texture and flavor, too often meatballs are big and bloated, these were not like that. Arugula salad was delicious, and chicken marsala had a great flavor too, with sun dried tomatoes that complemented without overpowering. Will definitely come back sooner to the triple deuce!
(4)Ali Y.
I had the ahi tuna tacos. They were really light and delicious. If your looking for a smaller, yummy meal this is perfect!
(3)Cindy W.
Was personally attacked by a member whom accused me of being an ex-employee. Mike M, I am not l, nor would I ever be. Sorry for your sad attempt to discredit my opinion about this restaurant. Your efforts lead me to believe that you work for them and are trolling reviews to save face. This is sad, perhaps you should focus on the issues that paying customers have and not lash out at negative reviews. Here is the message. Yelp Hi Cindy, Mike M. sent you a message on Yelp: Subject: Doubt it "So then your just a miserable lady who complains about everything and is always bitter. Putting down others is probably your way of feeling good about yourself, making your miserable, "poor me" life seem a little better!! Good luck with that!! Have fun, I feel sorry for you!! At least people won't care when you finally bite the bullet!! -just my opinion!! And I'm guessing many others, u miserable little c***t!!"
(1)Jason H.
Good: Food was great. The place was nice. Bad: Wine list on an iPad was embarrassingly stupid. Ditch the iPads. The waitress asked how we were doing every 3 minutes. It was annoyingly too often. My friend's comment: "The chef is a little bit too sure of themselves for there to be no salt or pepper on the table."
(4)Nate B.
Not a fan. I'm pretty easy going in terms of food quality but this place is a classic overpriced-but-upscale-looking hotel restaurant. The service was terrible - had to ask for more water on two different occasions. Food wasn't bad, but for the price I paid I expect MUCH better.
(1)Amanda M.
Went here for Valentines Day & of course it was busy. The service was SO bad though! I hate calling the waiter out but Alan forgot to put in our order so we sat forever without our cocktails or food. Once the table next to us, who arrived after us, started getting their food we were concerned & he realized he lost our order and took our order again. anyway, the food was hit and miss. My husbands steak was really really good. My dessert, the leche de sundae or something like that, was amazing! My arugula salad was gross and my fish was over cooked. So yeah I would maybe try this place again, but only because some of the food was really great.
(2)Kjersti G.
I finally had the opportunity to try this place after months of wanting to go and I loved it! I made a reservation for 5 and when I showed up the restaurant was empty! I felt like I had rented out the entire place with the amazing service and lack of other diners.(It turns out they get busier later in the night.) The "Cauliflower Soup" is indeed amazing and I totally agree with all the other users who said it was delicious. It was even sprinkled with pumpkin seeds! loved it! i ordered the "Bistro Burger", which came out with apple slices on it. it was a surprise and I liked it. I took advantage of the award winning Wine List and I'm happy I did! Amazing French Rose! It went well with the cheese appetizer I also ordered. They also have an interesting White Bordeaux, for the curious Wino. I should also probably state that I didn't pay for any of this, It was put onto an expense Account. So I might not have gorged myself as much if I had to actually pay with my own money! :)
(4)Brian B.
Stumbled on this place with a group of friends and decided to try it out. First we were told it would be at least a 20 minute wait which was weird because the place was pretty empty and there were lots of open tables. After finally getting seated it took a long time before anyone cane to take our orders. At least 4 out of the 6 of us had water. Yeah I wasn't one of the lucky ones. We ordered eventually. When the food came out most of us were kind of disappointed. When they said it came with fruit we kind of assumed that it would just be a garnish. My fruit consisted of a strawberry cut in half and two blackberries. While the food tasted good it wasn't anything special. The staff was nice enough but over all the service was severely lacking. I won't be back. Too many other options.
(2)Stephanie S.
I have mixed feelings about this place. Some days, I find myself craving their soups, and other days I'm left feeling disappointed. First issue, they need to get their lunch special sorted. I've been charged differently the last 3 times I've been by. Let me just start off by saying that they advertise a lunch deal for something like $4.95 outside. On my first visit, I had a premade Caesar salad from the bar and a cup of soup. I was charged just over $6. Amazing! Today I ordered the same thing, soup of the day + a premade salad, and was charged $12+. Talk about inconsistency! Their lunch salads leave a lot to be desired. They're visually appealing deconstructed salads that are completely impractical to eat. I don't want to have to take a bite off the chicken, cut off a piece of a full leaf of lettuce, cut some avocado, and dip it in the dressing....just to get a comprehensive bite. The worst part about it is the slab of boiled flavorless chicken they throw on the side of each salad. With that being said, their soup of the day is typically pretty good, but it really just depends on the day. Their cauliflower soup is served daily but is charged as a premium. The servers that have helped me have also been very nice. Their other reviews look pretty good, so I'm not sure if it was in their plan to serve sub-par food to the businessmen & women nearby. Maybe I'll come by to have dinner, but I'm definitely not rushing. Honestly, I think I'd rather pay $10 for a nearby buffet than $12+ for an OK soup & salad.
(2)Jason G.
Just had an excellent dinner at Bistro 222 in downtown Salt Lake City. Be sure to try the fish tacos and chocolate ganache cake! Loved the delicious food, friendly service, and high end contemporary design all for extremely reasonable prices.
(5)Dalynn G.
Amazing service! Such a Beautiful patio. The ambiance is fresh, hip, and extremely sophisticated! The mushroom brusheta and cauliflower soup was amazing! Fresh churned butter and a menu that suits everyone's taste! Loved it. Favorite new spot in salt lake!
(5)Laurence B.
We had dinner here Friday night. The place has good atmosphere, nice chairs and tables. However, the food was lackluster. I had a pizza margherita which had a brick-hard crust and a soupy amount of sauce. Flavors were nice, but much better versions of this item can be had locally at Settebello or Vinto. My wife and I shared a beet salad that was ho-hum. She had sea bass, which she said had zero flavor. Overall, I'd say (at least so far) Bistro 222 is all style but no substance.
(3)Robert C.
Had an amazing dinner here last Monday night. The restaurant was very slow but the atmosphere was still welcoming. I was pleasantly greeted at the door by the manager and because it was slow I was able to get a table right by the window. I found the Bistro very upscale and its best feature was the surrounding windows. The entire restaurant is enclosed with glass giving a great view of the downtown salt lake area. Even with the upscale environment the menu prices were very affordable. The beet salad was perfectly priced and delicious as well. As a dinner option I choose the Sea Bass. I found it very savoury with the tomato based sauce. Dessert options seemed to be lacking yet I still wanted to give the Bistro a five star because of the apple tart. As a connoisseur of wine I can at times be critical. I did find a nice $25 dollar Chianti which was a beautiful wine for the price. I did find it a little warm for my taste but as I said I can be a bit critical. Overall I found this place to be very welcoming and the staff to be very professional, even though there were only two of them. I would definitely recommend this establishment to anyone who is looking for a upscale environment, with a menu that has something for everyone, and a wine list that has a world wide selection.
(5)Natalie R.
This was the worst dining experience I have ever had. I am not using hyperbole. I was unimpressed right off the bat when I arrived and the hostess was on the phone. She barely acknowledged me. I understand she was taking a reservation, but she didn't smile or anything- just mouthed "one minute." When she sat us, our whole party hadn't arrived and she only provided one of each menu for the entire table of 10, which was actually only set for 8. Water arrived at some point and our server just breezed by and said his name and that he'd be back. Some time later, he came back and took drink orders and told us about the specials, including the Dine-O-Round menu. It took an inordinate amount of time to get our drinks- a glass of wine, a cocktail, and a beer. The server kept making excuses about the lengthy waits for things and was clearly getting flustered. One of my dining companions asked for some bread because we were quite hungry. He said the kitchen would be pissed if he went and got us bread for free and there was no way he could charge us for it when we offered to pay because there wasn't a button in the system. Yes, he really said the kitchen would be "pissed." He got quite defensive about it when pressed on the issue, then offered to bring us olives. He made sure to point out he brought us a double order, so there were like 12 in the container. So by this point, it had been close to 45 minutes. He finally brought me my beer after I was notified the one I wanted was out of stock. Most of us ordered the dine-o-round menu, which started with a tomato basil soup. It was overly salted and lacked flavor. I'm pretty sure the tomato soup at Paradise Bakery is better. After another long wait and many empty waters and Diet Cokes, our entrees came out. I'll give my braised short rib or whatever it was, a big fat "meh." It was pot roast and mashed sweet potatoes. There was truly nothing special about it. It was ok, but it was pretty on par with what I can cook at home. Another long wait ensued and dessert arrived. It was probably the only good thing I ate all evening. We scarcely saw our server throughout the whole meal and when we did, he was full of half-baked apologies and excuses for the waits and timing; he was flustered and rude. He brought one check, but we didn't want to wait for him to separate it, nor did he even offer. Isn't that customary these days? Who knows how long that would have taken, anyhow. We were approaching 2.5 hours of seat time. We wrote down how much to put on each of our cards and a few threw in cash, but I guess this was too complicated for him to handle. We also got lectured about how we should have told him at the beginning that we wanted separate checks and that there is a charge for it. Who charges for separate checks?! He finally got everything charged to the right person. Oh, by the way, during this whole fiasco, one of my friends hadn't even received her dessert yet. 40 minutes after she ordered it. The manager dropped it at the table and ran. He knew we were pissed, but he was too much of a coward to talk to us. He did nothing to improve our dining experience- didn't offer to comp anything, ask for feedback, or even sincerely apologize.I think this speaks to the biggest problem of all- the whole fiasco starts with poor management. The kitchen was backed up, the server was a disaster, the host was unpleasant. This all indicates poor leadership and planning. This place is doomed to fail. It's a shame because it's in a great location and has a nice atmosphere. I can assure you, I will never go back there and I will tell everyone I know never to go there too. I am not often angered by a bad experience in a restaurant. I was a server. I get it. I think the thing that irritates me the most is it was clear we were unhappy and no one did anything to fix it.
(1)Neal C.
Valentine's Day brought my wife and I back to Bistro 222 for the second time. We wanted to try the Rib Eye for 2. We started with the field greens salad, two of them. We were sorry we shared one on our first visit because it was exquisite. The cranberry maple vinaigrette is outstanding, especially with blue cheese crumbles, nuts, and dried cranberries. The steak was slightly undercooked, but not enough to send it back for a tad more heat. And an undercooked steak is far better than an overcooked steak. The red miso glaze made the steak deliciously savory. And the steak was perfectly tender. 222 seems determined to make less popular vegetables taste good. They do pretty well, but it's tough to make a Brussel sprout something I want with an outstanding steak. Not bad, but nobody yet has been able to make Brussel sprout bitterness desirable. I ate them, but would've preferred something else. The Cauliflower au gratin was very good, as long is it was consumed by itself. Having a bite with a piece of steak didn't combine well. A side effect of trying to do something wonderful with a less popular vegetable? The dessert was good. If it was advertised as a dense chocolate cake instead of a lava cake, it would've been great, but it wasn't what we expected from the description. Still, the accompanying salted caramel gelato was wonderful! Next time I go to 222--and I will--I'll see if I can get a bowl of the gelato by itself. Service was fine, considering how busy they were on Valentine's Day evening.
(4)Maria M.
The saying "money can't buy class" can be used with bistro 222 "expensive prices doesn't mean it's good food". The service was good. I got what the waitress suggested- seafood risotto and the clams and shrimp were extremely dry. The best part of our meal was the fries... I had a groupon and I feel like we still over paid. ALSO... I got the sangria- it was very obvious that they just poured pineapple juice and red wine together. It was so gross. and so expensive!!
(2)Nick C.
I wanted to like this place but my initial experience was very poor. My server was extremely unprofessional. Waited 10 minutes to even be greeted. At which point no waters were put on the table, we gave a drink order, and thinking it might be a while before we saw the guy again, told him we might be ready to order. Asked if there were any mixed greens on the beet salad, he said there were, there was not just, a sprinkle of arugula micro greens. No specials were offered, and we had to repeat our drink order and request water as well. Our main courses were both tepid when we got them. The pork shoulder tasted amazing, but I was off by the fact that it wasn't hot. My girlfriends steak was undercooked, and tepid as well. Additionally the restaurant has the audacity to not put salt on the table, but the fries and polenta both could have used some. I feel bad giving 1 star for service but when I'm running up a $130+ bill I expect a little more than tepid food and having to stop the waiter for a refill. I'd like to say that I'm gonna go back and update my review, but there are many other restaurants I'd rather spend my money at.
(1)Mel W.
the server here was extremely attentive and pleasant. highly appreciated that. for some inexplicable reason there was this fish smell that permeated the entire place-but there was only one other table in there at the time i was, and they didn't have fish. calamari-meh. would not order again. had the spinach and artichoke pizza. i was very pleasantly surprised. i thought it was pretty darn good. my friend had the margherita. that also was good. so i guess decent enough overall but it wasn't mind blowing either.
(3)Brendan S.
Went here last minute as it was the only place in SLC that had availably on a Saturday night. This concerned us a bit as did the lack of customers inside. I will chalk that up to them being new because the food was great. Mussels app was fantastic with a solid pepper broth to dip the bread. The cauliflower soup was very good as well but could have used a touch more cream. The entree and dessert were the highlights. They had a fillet as the special topped with a shrimp based hollandaise. It was unreal. It was cooked perfectly and the hollandaise really went well with the steak. The dessert was a homemade molten chocolate cake topped with fresh whipped cream and salted caramel ice cream. That was probably the best dessert I have had in SLC. Service was a bit slow at times which is why I gave this a 4 star. They did make up for it by removing the dessert from the bill. I would say 222 is one of SLC top 10 restaurants.
(4)Shacey P.
This used to be a 4 for me. But then they changed the manager and I hosted a work dinner here. 12 people, empty restaurant, slow to nonexistent service, over cooked fish and surly host. No thanks - there are so many other great restaurants in the area this relative new comer does not deserve my business.
(2)Mary A.
On a recent visit to Salt Lake City, we tried this restaurant for the first time. It's only been open for a short time, but I think it's going to be a keeper! First of all, it's a great addition to Main Street. The space has large windows giving a lot of light and allows pedestrians to observe diners and nice plates of food. The interior is done in shades of gray with corion like tabletops completed with woven placemats. The menu is fairly simple and offers four or five choices for each category. They also feature selections of pizzas for those who might bring a small child in to dine or to have a light meal. My husband and I shared a salad of arugula, julienned apple, and candied pecans topped with shaved manchego. It was ample for both of us and dressed with a light sherry vinaigrette. For the main course he had roast chicken breast on a bed of pureed cauliflower and dried peas. The chicken was crisp on the outside and very moist, with a hint of what tasted like herbes of provence. I had halibut, served with asparagus and that was lightly dusted with flour and sautéed. Also it was very flavorful and moist. What I also liked about these entrees were the portions---they were sized appropriately and one didn't feel stuffed afterwards. After all, there is dessert to follow! My margarita panna cotta was very rich and creamy and had a dusting of chopped mint with sugar--perfect end to the meal. My husband had a pear crisp dessert and that was excellent! The service was also very good and the server was good about recommending wines and also pointed out wines that were only offered at this restaurant. I chose the white wine of the day and was not disappointed. It went well with the halibut. We're glad to discover another good restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City. We'll definitely return to Bistro 222!
(5)Mary Anne D.
We recently tried Bistro 222 and its a wonderful addition to downtown SLC. The service is top notch and the restaurant has a sophisticated atmosphere. Two note worthy dishes include the cauliflower soup and the braised short rib. What makes Bistro 222 a real stand out is that it feels like the type of restaurant you would find in a busy urban downtown in a large city. I love SLC and it has many wonderful qualities, but SLC is neither urban, large, or busy. Its sleepy and quiet which has its merits, but sometimes I want a dining experience that includes nice wine, impeccable food, and the chance to leisurely enjoy good conversation with my guests. Bistro 222 is all of these things.
(5)Marissa F.
This was yummy. Definitely fresh tasting food and good quality ingredients but I'm just not sure if it's worth the $$. Nothing wowed me it was just really solid and well done. I've had similar dishes in other places. So it's not unique (not that a restaurant needs to be unique) but like I said it was good. My hang up is the price. And for their prices I kind of want to be wowed. We ordered: -The Dine-O Round Meal which I'm not remembering what kind of meat it was with some mashed sweet potatoes and greens. This was very tasty -The Osso Bucco Pasta this was yummy but I think it needed a little more salt but there was no salt and pepper on the table and I always feel weird asking for salt at restaurants The service was great. We had a baby with us and they were very nice and accommodating. This does not factor into the rating but there is no changing table in the bathroom (I just know I like to know that kind of stuff). Parking is very difficult but that's expected from the location.
(4)Jim H.
Had an amazing meal celebrating the Mrs.'s passing the Utah Bar Exam (hooray!!). Very nice restaurant in a building that was still under construction when we moved from SLC to LA for her law school. Memories aside, let's get to the reviewing. This restaurant is a bit upscale, I'd say 3 out of 4 ($$$), but at the same time it is not stuffy (it's not like the New Yorker--I think you'd feel comfortable in casual clothes, but it's also a place to go on a fancy date night). I ordered the rib-eye steak and it was nothing short of a miracle--I feel it's worth noting that I usually eat vegetarian, so indeed this was a special occasion! Another in our party ordered the lamb meatballs and cauliflower soup (the soup was worthy of note, as I do not like cauliflower or cream soups, but this soup was fantastic and was not made with dairy--well done!). Can't wait for another reason to visit Bistro 222.
(5)Barry S.
New chef and food is much better than 1 year ago when my wife I were there. Isaac took great care of us and had great recommendations, definitely returning soon.
(5)Dave B.
Made a late reservation for New Years eve. They had a five course menu for one price. I had the duck, my wife had the fish with curry sauce. Both dishes were really good. Scallop appetizer was excellent, as was the pork belly. A little fatty, but really good flavor. We enjoyed the wines , and one cocktail. Service was good. We will come back next time we are downtown.
(5)Michael W.
What a treat to stumble onto this fantastic restaurant. We were actually following a YELP lead for a nearby Greek restaurant that no longer exists...(Thanks YELP for being up to date! LOL)..... So on our way back to the car, we saw this bistro filled with what appeared to be well dressed lunch time diners. The dishes on all of the tables looked so artistically presented. We went in and luck have it, secured the table in the front corner with huge glass windows behind me and my guest. Our server was the engaging, handsome, and knowledgeable Tony. He painted fantastic word pictures of the lunch we would soon order. I ended up getting the soup special, a Clam and Halibut Chowder. It was so LIGHT and delicious...not some cream soaked, out of a can clam chowder soup. The halibut really added to the diversity of flavor and texture. The clam shells were included in the bowl. ...My lunch companion ordered the fish and chips. Two beautiful pieces of lightly fried cod, served at the perfect temperature on a bed of fresh fries. Not the greasy, thickly coated Fish and Chips you would get at an Irish Pub.... She was very pleased. My entree was a creative and delicious beet salad on which I added four pieces of medium sized shrimp. The meal was light and flavorful. The service was impeccable, with our water glasses never going empty, food service time was prompt and food temp was perfect. Once again, really enjoyed the corner table with the amazing high-rise views. The restaurant was clean, architecturally interesting, with clean lines, and a bright color palette. Did I mention how awesome our service was from Tony? A real treat during the lunch hour. Check it out if you are in the area. You'll be glad you did.
(5)Jenn O.
My friends and I had dinner on a not to busy Friday night .. Our waiter Matt promptly approached our group,took our drink order.. And then forewarned us it would take awhile as he was also the bar tender ..to make a long story short .. 25 min later he came back with our drinks (Which sorry to say we're marginal at best ) He then shared that he had to go make a desserts ( as he apparently was also the pastry chef )and would be back to take our dinner order.. Again 30 mins later he returned We could not figure out if the management here needs help In training their servers,Or if they have never been in the service industry before,the whole system needs a major adjustment ! The food and prices are actually pretty good but you better have a three hour dining window .. Because of the service ...or lack of ...this Bistro get 2 stars ( generously give)
(2)michael c.
Very poor service here. Booked for show before ballet and was told 6pm sitting would be enough time. Arrive 5:40pm and at 7:06pm only just finished entree (had to rush to eat) no dessert and table service was some of the slowest I've experienced for some time. No offer of drink refills and now scrambling to get to show. Observed missed orders and wrong orders coming out and other patrons with similar experiences. Will definitely NOT come here again
(1)Anj G.
Restaurants have their good days and bad, and I showed up on one of their bad days.... My appetizer was humdrum, entree was over salted, service was ditzy and forgetful, and dessert left more to be desired. From the food to the service everything was mediocre, except the atmosphere/décor of the venue. I started with the chicken bites, followed by the carrot ginger soup. The chicken bites were just ok - Chick Fil A is arguably better. The carrot ginger soup offered nothing unique or gourmet in its flavors and presentation. Worst of all was the over salted, overpriced halibut entrée. I considered having it sent back (something I rarely, if ever, do) but the waitress took so long to check on us that I succumbed to my appetite and lack of patience, eating what I could keep down. I thought the bread pudding would make up for the less than desirable meal, but it was just ok - not the warm gooey delight I've experienced at other restaurants. I definitely would not come back, and I recommend trying the hundreds of other great restaurants in Salt Lake before visiting here. The only reason this place is getting a 2 is because I liked the ambiance and my dinner companion enjoyed his roasted chicken -- said it was moist and he would order it again.
(2)Maro L.
First off, I think it's important to know that I've never written a bad review of anything. I am one of the more laid back people in the world and have worked in the restaurant industry, so if anything, I'm overly empathetic. But this experience was so poor and involved particularly bad business practices, so I felt it was important to warn potential guests. I visit SLC twice a year for a tradeshow, and host a ladies dinner each trip. Last year, we dined at Bistro 222 and had a wonderful experience, so I decided to book it again. The night prior to our reservation, a small group of my co-workers went to have dinner there, and I was alarmed to see that the prices on the menu were significantly higher than what they were the year prior, and what was on their online menu. So I asked to speak to the manager. He stated that they have "special menus during special events and holidays". I explained that I had booked a dinner for the next night, naturally assuming the menu and prices I saw online would be in effect...nobody told me otherwise when I called in the reservation, nor when I called a second time to confirm the reservation. I further explained that this is a business dinner and I have a budget, and this was basically price gouging. He only said "sorry", and repeated the special menu statement, continuing to say that this was standard practice. But as I mentioned, they didn't do that last year and I've dined at many restaurants in SLC during this show and have never seen others do it. I was upset and felt robbed, but it was too late to cancel or rebook the dinner for the next night. So! The next night, our party of 14 arrives for our 8pm reservation, and our table isn't ready. In fact, the group that is sitting at our table is JUST getting their dinner when we get there. The manager says he's going to try to move them, and for us to wait in the lobby. I say fine, can we please get some drinks while we wait. He says yes, and a server will be right out. We waited 30 minutes, with no drinks (I ordered four bottles of wine and followed up two times), not even water, no staff to check on us or give us an update. When we finally were seated, it took another 15 minutes to get wine and water. I had asked if we could order appetizers (mind you, this group has been working at a fast paced event all day and were starving) and the server impatiently says "I have to take another order from a table that was here before you." What?? So - in addition to the very poor business practice of jacking up prices without letting customers know, we had poor service, without any apologies or attempts to make it right. From a customer service standpoint, I was floored. The food was fine, but I will never go there again.
(1)Michael B.
Great service and wonderful food. Nice presentation. Nice hip restaurant, youthful ambiance; but great for all ages. I'd definitely recommend this for dinner.
(4)Sara w.
Chef Dave is amazing! Our group loved everything we ordered, which is very difficult to do. The five spiced ribs are not to be missed. We also thought the calamari was especially tasty, tender and light. The warm mushroom salad was a great combination of mushrooms, quinoa, sunchokes, and poached egg perfection. My favorite dish was the lamb osso buco with mint polenta cheddar deliciousness. This place is not to be missed. The food is simply outstanding down to the salted caramel chocolate tart. Chef Dave is a talented individual and also very personable. Do yourself a favor and go here!
(5)Al P.
Upon walking into Bistro 222, I knew that the Salt Lake dining scene had changed immensely from when I was growing up in Utah. The ambiance is very sleek, without being cold--it seemed inviting and bright and very thoughtfully designed. I really liked the open window atmosphere, good for people watching and letting in the sunshine. I think this would be a nice place for both a semi-casual night out or a romantic dinner. Our server was excellent--attentive without being overbearing. She knew we were there to chat and enjoy ourselves, and she gave us just the right amount of assistance. She also didn't try to rush us out--we were there for a few hours. This only added to our overall pleasant experience. We started with cocktails, and I had the jewel, which is my favorite kind of cocktail--sweet, a little tart, and tastes like adult candy. It was mixed to perfection. My friend had a sparkling cranberry cocktail that I thought was a perfect summer drink, refreshing and a good mix of sweet and tart, again. The appetizers all looked very appetizing, but I knew I wanted to save room for dessert, so we started with entrees. I had the gnocchi, and my friend had the roasted chicken. Mine was so delicious--an almond pesto gave it a nice salty flavor, the gnocchi was cooked perfectly (not too doughy or chewy the way some can get), and the veggies in it were very fresh and flavorful. How I love Utah summer veggies. The whole dish worked well. It was so good in fact that it made my friend's slightly overlooked, very bland chicken taste even moreso. She sent it back and asked for the gnocchi. The staff was extremely accommodating about this request, showing they wanted us to be happy with our experience. And her gnocchi was just as good as mine. As for portions, I thought them just right for the price--not too big or small, but if you are looking for a place that serves big meals for big appetites or for leftovers, the portions might seem small. We had a nice champagne with dinner, and overall, I was pleased with the wine menu options, which ranged from mid-priced $30 bottles to much nicer, more expensive bottles that had I more money to spend, I would have certainly enjoyed. Not many restaurants offer decently priced champagne, and the bottle of Bouvet we shared was really delicious. The only thing I found confusing was how the menu lumped rose in the sparkling/champagne section. I thought it was a sparkling rose, but it wasn't. Luckily, the server explained that to us before she opened the bottle, so we could switch for the bubbles we craved for our celebration. The dessert list seemed a bit limited, with only a panacotta and a butterscotch pudding, but they had several flavors of gelato to offer. My friend had the espresso, which she liked, and I had the chocolate peanut butter, which was actually peanut butter ice cream with chocolate chips (so I would have named it a peanut butter chocolate gelato to avoid confusion, but that's just me, and I am not holding that against them). Not very exciting, far too many chips that weren't very interesting chocolate, though the gelato itself was creamy and good. Overall, a very good restaurant. I would go again, and I would certainly recommend it to others.
(4)Alejandro M.
Had a business dinner here and it was a great atmosphere. Food was delicious. I had the pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon. I would recommend.
(5)Marsha G.
Unbelievable . Ordered wine for an outrageous $12 per glass and then the bill charged every guest at the table $19 per glass! When questioned manager stood by $19 per glass. Waited one hour for dry halibut for $30. Never going back there again. Watch your wine tab!
(1)Ryan C.
Had a lovely early lunch today with the place to myself. You can rail against the merits of many things, but I'm afraid arguments against lunch at 11 am are going to find no purchase here. The place was quiet and the staff was attentive without hovering. Anyway, I started with the mushroom bruschetta. Absolutely delicious, even given my bias against tomato jam as a general concept; it seems like an excuse to use bad tomatoes, covering them over with a bunch of sugar. Sure enough, this particular jam was on the sweet side, but the sweet note wasn't wholly unwelcome. It did verge on overwhelming the flavor of the mushrooms, which were beautifully roasted and meaty. My main was the mahi mahi tacos. I love seafood, but tend not to order fish tacos very often after having been spoiled by ubiquitous and amazing versions in San Diego. However, the extremely helpful server sold me on house made corn tortillas, so I jumped. There are three tacos in the order. They are on tiny tortillas, around three inches in diameter. The fish, on the other hand, it copious, and the result is a very protein-heavy dish that I really enjoyed. Rather than eating a mouth full of tortilla, I was eating fish, and that's a nice change of pace when it comes to my fish taco experience. The condiments on the tacos were a bit clunky. The pineapple relish was too chunky for the tiny form factor of the taco, though the flavor was nice and surprisingly spicy. The pickled onions were also a bit hard to manage. That said, the flavors were dead on. The price was right, the food was delicious, and I'll be back very soon. It looks like they have a few dinner-only items, which will probably be when I'll return.
(5)Jason H.
Don't go. This place is awful. Extremely poor service. We had to ask for everything - someone to take our order after being ignored for 10 minutes, water, our meals took forever to come and when they came they were luke warm. Explanation given was that they were short staffed - ok but that isn't your diners problem. One of our party of 5 received their meal 5 min after the rest of us. Total waste of money and I was hungry when I left. Very few restaurants make me angry - this is one of them.
(1)Charlynn T.
I had mixed feelings about the dishes at Bistro 222. I can see how other reviewers rated so high, one being the fact that the flavor profiles are there. Two, the atmosphere and service are top notch. And three, the fresh menu options including house made pasta are great. Our appetizers were all a hit. Entrées not so much. Deserts were forgettable and dry. I wanted to love my pasta dish but ended up asking for more sauce because the pasta was dry and a bit over cooked making the serving portion lithely hard to swallow. Both the strawberry desert and chocolate cake were tasty, but again really dry. A bit stale and possibly a day old. I debated between three or four stars on the overall rating. I chose 4 because the flavors were there and we were mostly satisfied. I think with a bit more quality control it would have been stellar. Really close to greatness.
(4)Michelle D.
Unfortunately, had a (-) experience at bistro 222 tonight. Yes, big tradeshow in town so they were staffed up, but apparently not up enough as our meal for 4 took almost 2 hours. No big wine or cocktail drinking to drag it out-the server disappeared for a good amount of time & we had to flag down the manager to finally bring us our entrees. When our salad entrees arrived-they were small appetizer in size. We were all hungry at the end of our dinner. The calamari appetizer and cucumber soup were mediocre. We never were asked if anyone wanted a 2nd round if drinks, we had to ask repeatedly for salt and pepper, no one ever filled our empty water glasses. We would not recommend spending a hard earned dollar in this establishment. Way too many other fantastic, consistent options in Salt Lake.
(1)Ashley B.
My fiance and I have eaten here only a few times, but we always love it. They have wonderful service, food and wine pairings and suggestions. They always let us go at our own speed and enjoy the ambiance. This is our go to place for a random date night and it's never regrettable.
(5)Louise J.
Poor service. Cocktails nothing special at all. Took way too long to get our food. Calamaris was chewy and not to out liking. We ordered steak, both medium. One came out well done and the other one basically raw. We opted to leave. Had the manager come over. We didn't have to pay for our dinner and we got a gift card for a dinner for two as compensation. We are not planning on using the gift card. So many other great restaurants in Salt Lake City that we rather go to.
(1)Mars A.
Ambiance: Pleasant decor but discordant music. Average quality food and average wait staff. Several flies throughout the restaurant. Verdict: Worth going with a Groupon but not otherwise.
(2)Emily B.
Great new restaurant in a fabulous downtown location. Sit by the front windows if you can for some entertaining people watching. The first course was out of this world. The clam chowder beat out any chowder we have had at any specialty seafood restaurant and the beet/tomato salad was a true work of art.
(4)Rob Z.
**** update**** The Bistro has removed the grab-and -go options from the menu and replaced it with a half-full freezer of mediocre gelato. I came in to grab a quick salad and when I got my check it was almost $13 (the same salad was $6.50 last week). I'm changing my original 4 star review to 2 stars. It would be one star if the quality of the food suffered, but despite incompetent management and total lack of awareness what the downtown lunch crowd is looking for, the food is still fresh and tastes decent (though by now and great or innovative). I will think very closely as to whether I return to Bistro 222 and will probably discourage other from coming as well. Sorry guys, you're really blowing it. Ignore the rest of this as the above negates any positives the restaurant had in my eyes. I've only ever been to the bistro for lunch, but I've always had good service and great food. Their grab-and-go selection is fairly limited, but fresh and flavorful. I personally love the build-your-own-sandwich option. Hard to beat for $5 downtown! The chicken they use is juicy, the bread is fresh... It's all pretty stellar for the price point. You can go to another sandwich joint down the street that charges $2 more and uses pressed chicken... Not my favorite. One thing that really impressed me was when I came in on a slow day and commented they didn't have tomatoes. The manager said "They're not in season, and the greenhouse stuff you can get is total crap. We do have a tomato jam that we use in the winter." Way more thought than most lunch places downtown put into their food! Overall I give the bistro 4 stars because of my lack of experience with their non-express menu. Hopefully I'll get the chance to try the rest of their food and bump it up to 5.
(2)Mary J.
very good meal and honestly the most beautiful meal i have ever been served. i have never taken a photo of a meal until i was served this dish. we ate outdoors and they took reservations. good service vwould definitely go back if in the area. i will attempt to post pic.
(4)Brian P.
I've been here about 5 times in the past, and always enjoyed it. But their special New Year's Eve menu, which we weren't aware of until after we'd already ordered drinks, was a disaster. The food was mediocre, and the shock when we got the bill! $75 per person before drinks, 2-3 times what we normally spend to eat here. We paid it, since ultimately we should've asked about pricing when we saw the special menu, but none of us will be returning again, that's for sure. Nothing about Bistro 222 is worth that kind of money, not the food, not the service, not the atmosphere.
(2)Eric M.
This place looks very cool from the outside. I was hopeful the restaurant would live up to its very hip look. The food matched the decor, it was excellent. We tried appetizers, dinner, and dessert and loved everything. We will return to try more options very soon!
(5)Christian P.
After a day-long drive from SoCal, we chose to drive straight to Bistro 222 before checking in to our Hotel. So very glad we did. First off, free Valet, who took excellent care of our car loaded with ALL of our belongings and cold-weather apparel for the week. Thank you, Anderson! For our meal, my wife and two foodie kids started with orders of the Moroccan Meatballs, Mushroom Bruschetta and the Butternut Squash soup. All three were resounding hits. I also had the Beet, Avocado and Citrus salad. It was tasty and refreshing. Nothing spectacular, but very solid. Admittedly, I am a tough one to impress when it comes to beets - given my deep love for them. I would certainly order it again. Then came entree time. Now, unfortunately for Bistro 222, I have been spoiled by Flora Farms ( flora-farms.com/#!field-… ) Rosemary Ham, Mozzarella and Egg pizza. So, when I spotted Bistro 222's "Hang-Over", I was excited. Had I never been to Flora, the Hang Over would have been fantastic. However, I have. So I would have to rated it a quite good. I would certainly recommend it to others. However, the seasoning on the Pizza is a tad dull for me. However, the true tragedy - in my opinion - was the fact that while the marshmallow for the Butternut Soup is house-made, there is no use of this on their dessert menu. Our server explained that it was a savory-style marshmallow, yet all of us at the table failed to see why that would limit them. We certainly all could think of ways a savory marshmallow could still work in either a true s'more, decontructed s'more or other dessert. All said, we get to SLC as often as we can to visit family, and I would love to stop in for lunch or even dinner again - as I am a Gnocchi fanatic and would love to see how their Roasted Beet Gnocchi is executed. It would be a make-or-break for me personally on future visits.
(4)Rd D.
Waiter was great. Food was just okay and over priced. Steak was cooked to proper temperature but was tough.
(2)Erica P.
While the reviews were iffy, we decided to give this place a try, as they were running a deal on Groupon. We really loved it. We had a starter of popcorn chicken (kind of like fried giblets) - which were great! I had the Seafood Risotto and my husband had the rabbit con fit over some kind of pasta. Both our meals, though "small" in portions - which really means "plenty", were fabulous! We'd definitely head back to Bistro 222.
(4)Jared F.
There was a Groupon for a $50 gift certificate for $25. Couldn't pass that up. Went with another couple for dinner before seeing Wicked. Our server was Melinda, she gave us recommendations for appetizers, and entrees. Was very helpful in giving us and idea on what to try. Started off with some meatballs, pork belly, heirloom tomato plate and asparagus and mushroom crust-ini. I had the seafood risotto, and my wife had the hangar steak and frites. Risotto was great, but I was envious of my wife's meal, it looked delicious, and I begged for a bite. It tasted as good as it looked. Overall the atmosphere is great, we had a very enjoyable time and the manager even came by our table to joke with us before we left. We had a great experience and would definitely dine there again.
(5)Vida A.
Glad we had reservations. Sat at a window seat great for people watching but honestly not a bad seat in the house. Beautiful space, very sleek, great fireplace, art and use of wood. Started with calamari. Very fresh and tasty. Seafood parpadelle pasta was amazing. Tasted the saffron in it and decent amount of seafood. Side of au gratin potatoes were cheese bliss. Companions steak was tasty. The dessert was heaven in a jar, literally. Prices are very reasonable. I already cant wait to come back to try more items. Place was hopping and service was a little slow like initial server coming over and greeting us and getting our meals but worth it. Valet is only $3. Bathrooms are in the Goldman Sachs building and you need a code.
(4)Victoria H.
I made reservations at Bistro 222 last night for a nice meal with my husband. It was highly recommended by a colleague. For Starters we ordered the calamari and butternut squash/homemade marshmallow soup. The soup sounds peculiar but it works. Both Starters were delicious - we ate every bite and spoonful. For Entrees my husband ordered the escarol and I ordered the scallops. We each tried each other's meals and the escarol was the run away winner. Their wine list is good and they carry all the usual high-end liquors if you prefer cocktails. They also have a decent beer list. The atmosphere is comfortable but upscale. It was on the chilly side as more people began to arrive. Our waitress was able to provide solid recommendations all over the menu. I agree with Howie O's review - they could cut a few of the pizza choices and add some other entrees or desserts. I will go back!
(4)Leslie B.
Tried this restaurant while on a weekend ski-trip in the SLC area. Most of the food was to our liking and had a nice presentation but it was overpriced. We did run into an issue though -- my husband ordered the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin. We believe he was really served bacon wrapped ham. It did not have the texture of tenderloin nor the taste -- it was definitely ham. If you are out of something - be honest, don't try to pass off another type of food -- people have more sophisticated taste buds than that!!!
(1)Rolando F.
My experience here was amazing. I love the place, the staff, and the food. It is a great place to go eat anytime.
(5)Tony S.
I had a good experience at this restaurant. We ordered the pizza with pancetta which was delicious. My friends ordered the chicken and the gnocchi which they enjoyed. My short rib lasagna was overcooked but was edible. The cheesecake was very nice. I would return but perhaps would skip the lasagna. By the way, the service on 11/7 was impeccable. I would return to this restaurant because of the atmosphere the waitress demonstrated. The one problem is the restrooms that had to be opened by building staff every time. Management should make sure that the restroom remains open while the restaurant is.
(4)Rachel J.
Food is mediocre - not terrible but nothing to write home about. Service is extremely poor - give yourself at least 2.5 hours for dinner. We had the fixed price menu which included dessert, but we did not have time to eat the dessert, as we had a show (after being there 2 hours). We had the wrong food brought to us, and a couple near us had the wrong food brought to them three times. Witnessed servers not knowing where to take the food they were holding... It seemed extremely unorganized. We made it pretty apparent we were not happy, but not one person did a thing. And when we told our waiter we needed the check and didn't have time for the dessert (which we of course still paid for), there was no apology or acknowledgement of the situation. Thank goodness we arrived 20 minutes before our scheduled reservation, otherwise we would not have eaten our main course at all (it was very rushed as it was). We also were never offered refills on our beverages. Needless to say we will not be going back, and from the looks of many of these reviews our experience was not out of the norm.
(1)Tyler S.
Plain and simple it's not that good. It's nothing horrible but it's not worth anybody's time or money.
(2)Stephanie B.
I've been here 4 Fridays in a row now and just love this place! The prices are fantastic, and the service is great. I'm just hoping they amp up the white wine menu. It's a VERY new restaurant with the chance of being VERY successful. I just hope they get their consistency under control. I absolutely want this place to survive because it's such a great, downtown option. And it's affordable enough to eat there every week.
(5)Andrew W.
Couldn't get into Bambara next door so concierge recommended Bistro 222. After our meal, we were very happy he did. Salads were nice and fresh, and the butternut soup with a marshmallow floating in it was very good. Lamb meatballs were the winner for our appetizers, though. New York strip was cooked perfectly, accompanied by a mountain of fries. Short rib pasta and seafood pasta was, too. Pizzas were great with interesting (in a good way) mixes of toppings. Beet gnocchi got sent back: a bit too fancy for our table. Beverage list was good, too. Still trying to decide whether service was "unhurried" or just "slow..." But the food was very good and I will definitely return in the future.
(5)Sean W.
The interior is very 1992 flashback, neon lights dimming up & down, a tacky glass waterfall, bad paintings and potted plastic grass, yikes! The room however has amazing high ceilings and huge windows. We started with the calamari, it was way too crunchy, too much breading. Next I had the hangar steak medium rare, it came medium well. No one came to check back until we were on our last bite. I told waiter and he said he though I ordered med-well, ah no I didn't! My friend had the sea bass, said it was ok, she didn't finish it. The wines by the glass are not consistent. My first glass was amazing, when I ordered another he brought another kind. Waiter told me they serve whatever is open. During our meal we would get HUGE gusts of wind coming from the HUGE doors. One time the door stayed open and I had to go close it, we were seated next to the back bar. The manager kind enough to take steak off, but not before the waiter dropped the complete check first.
(2)Neal C.
Valentine's Day brought my wife and I back to Bistro 222 for the second time. We wanted to try the Rib Eye for 2. We started with the field greens salad, two of them. We were sorry we shared one on our first visit because it was exquisite. The cranberry maple vinaigrette is outstanding, especially with blue cheese crumbles, nuts, and dried cranberries. The steak was slightly undercooked, but not enough to send it back for a tad more heat. And an undercooked steak is far better than an overcooked steak. The red miso glaze made the steak deliciously savory. And the steak was perfectly tender. 222 seems determined to make less popular vegetables taste good. They do pretty well, but it's tough to make a Brussel sprout something I want with an outstanding steak. Not bad, but nobody yet has been able to make Brussel sprout bitterness desirable. I ate them, but would've preferred something else. The Cauliflower au gratin was very good, as long is it was consumed by itself. Having a bite with a piece of steak didn't combine well. A side effect of trying to do something wonderful with a less popular vegetable? The dessert was good. If it was advertised as a dense chocolate cake instead of a lava cake, it would've been great, but it wasn't what we expected from the description. Still, the accompanying salted caramel gelato was wonderful! Next time I go to 222--and I will--I'll see if I can get a bowl of the gelato by itself. Service was fine, considering how busy they were on Valentine's Day evening.
(4)Maria M.
The saying "money can't buy class" can be used with bistro 222 "expensive prices doesn't mean it's good food". The service was good. I got what the waitress suggested- seafood risotto and the clams and shrimp were extremely dry. The best part of our meal was the fries... I had a groupon and I feel like we still over paid. ALSO... I got the sangria- it was very obvious that they just poured pineapple juice and red wine together. It was so gross. and so expensive!!
(2)Ashley B.
My fiance and I have eaten here only a few times, but we always love it. They have wonderful service, food and wine pairings and suggestions. They always let us go at our own speed and enjoy the ambiance. This is our go to place for a random date night and it's never regrettable.
(5)Vida A.
Glad we had reservations. Sat at a window seat great for people watching but honestly not a bad seat in the house. Beautiful space, very sleek, great fireplace, art and use of wood. Started with calamari. Very fresh and tasty. Seafood parpadelle pasta was amazing. Tasted the saffron in it and decent amount of seafood. Side of au gratin potatoes were cheese bliss. Companions steak was tasty. The dessert was heaven in a jar, literally. Prices are very reasonable. I already cant wait to come back to try more items. Place was hopping and service was a little slow like initial server coming over and greeting us and getting our meals but worth it. Valet is only $3. Bathrooms are in the Goldman Sachs building and you need a code.
(4)Victoria H.
I made reservations at Bistro 222 last night for a nice meal with my husband. It was highly recommended by a colleague. For Starters we ordered the calamari and butternut squash/homemade marshmallow soup. The soup sounds peculiar but it works. Both Starters were delicious - we ate every bite and spoonful. For Entrees my husband ordered the escarol and I ordered the scallops. We each tried each other's meals and the escarol was the run away winner. Their wine list is good and they carry all the usual high-end liquors if you prefer cocktails. They also have a decent beer list. The atmosphere is comfortable but upscale. It was on the chilly side as more people began to arrive. Our waitress was able to provide solid recommendations all over the menu. I agree with Howie O's review - they could cut a few of the pizza choices and add some other entrees or desserts. I will go back!
(4)Leslie B.
Tried this restaurant while on a weekend ski-trip in the SLC area. Most of the food was to our liking and had a nice presentation but it was overpriced. We did run into an issue though -- my husband ordered the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin. We believe he was really served bacon wrapped ham. It did not have the texture of tenderloin nor the taste -- it was definitely ham. If you are out of something - be honest, don't try to pass off another type of food -- people have more sophisticated taste buds than that!!!
(1)Rolando F.
My experience here was amazing. I love the place, the staff, and the food. It is a great place to go eat anytime.
(5)Tony S.
I had a good experience at this restaurant. We ordered the pizza with pancetta which was delicious. My friends ordered the chicken and the gnocchi which they enjoyed. My short rib lasagna was overcooked but was edible. The cheesecake was very nice. I would return but perhaps would skip the lasagna. By the way, the service on 11/7 was impeccable. I would return to this restaurant because of the atmosphere the waitress demonstrated. The one problem is the restrooms that had to be opened by building staff every time. Management should make sure that the restroom remains open while the restaurant is.
(4)Louise J.
Poor service. Cocktails nothing special at all. Took way too long to get our food. Calamaris was chewy and not to out liking. We ordered steak, both medium. One came out well done and the other one basically raw. We opted to leave. Had the manager come over. We didn't have to pay for our dinner and we got a gift card for a dinner for two as compensation. We are not planning on using the gift card. So many other great restaurants in Salt Lake City that we rather go to.
(1)Rachel J.
Food is mediocre - not terrible but nothing to write home about. Service is extremely poor - give yourself at least 2.5 hours for dinner. We had the fixed price menu which included dessert, but we did not have time to eat the dessert, as we had a show (after being there 2 hours). We had the wrong food brought to us, and a couple near us had the wrong food brought to them three times. Witnessed servers not knowing where to take the food they were holding... It seemed extremely unorganized. We made it pretty apparent we were not happy, but not one person did a thing. And when we told our waiter we needed the check and didn't have time for the dessert (which we of course still paid for), there was no apology or acknowledgement of the situation. Thank goodness we arrived 20 minutes before our scheduled reservation, otherwise we would not have eaten our main course at all (it was very rushed as it was). We also were never offered refills on our beverages. Needless to say we will not be going back, and from the looks of many of these reviews our experience was not out of the norm.
(1)Tyler S.
Plain and simple it's not that good. It's nothing horrible but it's not worth anybody's time or money.
(2)Stephanie B.
I've been here 4 Fridays in a row now and just love this place! The prices are fantastic, and the service is great. I'm just hoping they amp up the white wine menu. It's a VERY new restaurant with the chance of being VERY successful. I just hope they get their consistency under control. I absolutely want this place to survive because it's such a great, downtown option. And it's affordable enough to eat there every week.
(5)Andrew W.
Couldn't get into Bambara next door so concierge recommended Bistro 222. After our meal, we were very happy he did. Salads were nice and fresh, and the butternut soup with a marshmallow floating in it was very good. Lamb meatballs were the winner for our appetizers, though. New York strip was cooked perfectly, accompanied by a mountain of fries. Short rib pasta and seafood pasta was, too. Pizzas were great with interesting (in a good way) mixes of toppings. Beet gnocchi got sent back: a bit too fancy for our table. Beverage list was good, too. Still trying to decide whether service was "unhurried" or just "slow..." But the food was very good and I will definitely return in the future.
(5)Sean W.
The interior is very 1992 flashback, neon lights dimming up & down, a tacky glass waterfall, bad paintings and potted plastic grass, yikes! The room however has amazing high ceilings and huge windows. We started with the calamari, it was way too crunchy, too much breading. Next I had the hangar steak medium rare, it came medium well. No one came to check back until we were on our last bite. I told waiter and he said he though I ordered med-well, ah no I didn't! My friend had the sea bass, said it was ok, she didn't finish it. The wines by the glass are not consistent. My first glass was amazing, when I ordered another he brought another kind. Waiter told me they serve whatever is open. During our meal we would get HUGE gusts of wind coming from the HUGE doors. One time the door stayed open and I had to go close it, we were seated next to the back bar. The manager kind enough to take steak off, but not before the waiter dropped the complete check first.
(2)Nick C.
I wanted to like this place but my initial experience was very poor. My server was extremely unprofessional. Waited 10 minutes to even be greeted. At which point no waters were put on the table, we gave a drink order, and thinking it might be a while before we saw the guy again, told him we might be ready to order. Asked if there were any mixed greens on the beet salad, he said there were, there was not just, a sprinkle of arugula micro greens. No specials were offered, and we had to repeat our drink order and request water as well. Our main courses were both tepid when we got them. The pork shoulder tasted amazing, but I was off by the fact that it wasn't hot. My girlfriends steak was undercooked, and tepid as well. Additionally the restaurant has the audacity to not put salt on the table, but the fries and polenta both could have used some. I feel bad giving 1 star for service but when I'm running up a $130+ bill I expect a little more than tepid food and having to stop the waiter for a refill. I'd like to say that I'm gonna go back and update my review, but there are many other restaurants I'd rather spend my money at.
(1)Mel W.
the server here was extremely attentive and pleasant. highly appreciated that. for some inexplicable reason there was this fish smell that permeated the entire place-but there was only one other table in there at the time i was, and they didn't have fish. calamari-meh. would not order again. had the spinach and artichoke pizza. i was very pleasantly surprised. i thought it was pretty darn good. my friend had the margherita. that also was good. so i guess decent enough overall but it wasn't mind blowing either.
(3)Laurence B.
We had dinner here Friday night. The place has good atmosphere, nice chairs and tables. However, the food was lackluster. I had a pizza margherita which had a brick-hard crust and a soupy amount of sauce. Flavors were nice, but much better versions of this item can be had locally at Settebello or Vinto. My wife and I shared a beet salad that was ho-hum. She had sea bass, which she said had zero flavor. Overall, I'd say (at least so far) Bistro 222 is all style but no substance.
(3)Brendan S.
Went here last minute as it was the only place in SLC that had availably on a Saturday night. This concerned us a bit as did the lack of customers inside. I will chalk that up to them being new because the food was great. Mussels app was fantastic with a solid pepper broth to dip the bread. The cauliflower soup was very good as well but could have used a touch more cream. The entree and dessert were the highlights. They had a fillet as the special topped with a shrimp based hollandaise. It was unreal. It was cooked perfectly and the hollandaise really went well with the steak. The dessert was a homemade molten chocolate cake topped with fresh whipped cream and salted caramel ice cream. That was probably the best dessert I have had in SLC. Service was a bit slow at times which is why I gave this a 4 star. They did make up for it by removing the dessert from the bill. I would say 222 is one of SLC top 10 restaurants.
(4)Shacey P.
This used to be a 4 for me. But then they changed the manager and I hosted a work dinner here. 12 people, empty restaurant, slow to nonexistent service, over cooked fish and surly host. No thanks - there are so many other great restaurants in the area this relative new comer does not deserve my business.
(2)Mary A.
On a recent visit to Salt Lake City, we tried this restaurant for the first time. It's only been open for a short time, but I think it's going to be a keeper! First of all, it's a great addition to Main Street. The space has large windows giving a lot of light and allows pedestrians to observe diners and nice plates of food. The interior is done in shades of gray with corion like tabletops completed with woven placemats. The menu is fairly simple and offers four or five choices for each category. They also feature selections of pizzas for those who might bring a small child in to dine or to have a light meal. My husband and I shared a salad of arugula, julienned apple, and candied pecans topped with shaved manchego. It was ample for both of us and dressed with a light sherry vinaigrette. For the main course he had roast chicken breast on a bed of pureed cauliflower and dried peas. The chicken was crisp on the outside and very moist, with a hint of what tasted like herbes of provence. I had halibut, served with asparagus and that was lightly dusted with flour and sautéed. Also it was very flavorful and moist. What I also liked about these entrees were the portions---they were sized appropriately and one didn't feel stuffed afterwards. After all, there is dessert to follow! My margarita panna cotta was very rich and creamy and had a dusting of chopped mint with sugar--perfect end to the meal. My husband had a pear crisp dessert and that was excellent! The service was also very good and the server was good about recommending wines and also pointed out wines that were only offered at this restaurant. I chose the white wine of the day and was not disappointed. It went well with the halibut. We're glad to discover another good restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City. We'll definitely return to Bistro 222!
(5)Natalie R.
This was the worst dining experience I have ever had. I am not using hyperbole. I was unimpressed right off the bat when I arrived and the hostess was on the phone. She barely acknowledged me. I understand she was taking a reservation, but she didn't smile or anything- just mouthed "one minute." When she sat us, our whole party hadn't arrived and she only provided one of each menu for the entire table of 10, which was actually only set for 8. Water arrived at some point and our server just breezed by and said his name and that he'd be back. Some time later, he came back and took drink orders and told us about the specials, including the Dine-O-Round menu. It took an inordinate amount of time to get our drinks- a glass of wine, a cocktail, and a beer. The server kept making excuses about the lengthy waits for things and was clearly getting flustered. One of my dining companions asked for some bread because we were quite hungry. He said the kitchen would be pissed if he went and got us bread for free and there was no way he could charge us for it when we offered to pay because there wasn't a button in the system. Yes, he really said the kitchen would be "pissed." He got quite defensive about it when pressed on the issue, then offered to bring us olives. He made sure to point out he brought us a double order, so there were like 12 in the container. So by this point, it had been close to 45 minutes. He finally brought me my beer after I was notified the one I wanted was out of stock. Most of us ordered the dine-o-round menu, which started with a tomato basil soup. It was overly salted and lacked flavor. I'm pretty sure the tomato soup at Paradise Bakery is better. After another long wait and many empty waters and Diet Cokes, our entrees came out. I'll give my braised short rib or whatever it was, a big fat "meh." It was pot roast and mashed sweet potatoes. There was truly nothing special about it. It was ok, but it was pretty on par with what I can cook at home. Another long wait ensued and dessert arrived. It was probably the only good thing I ate all evening. We scarcely saw our server throughout the whole meal and when we did, he was full of half-baked apologies and excuses for the waits and timing; he was flustered and rude. He brought one check, but we didn't want to wait for him to separate it, nor did he even offer. Isn't that customary these days? Who knows how long that would have taken, anyhow. We were approaching 2.5 hours of seat time. We wrote down how much to put on each of our cards and a few threw in cash, but I guess this was too complicated for him to handle. We also got lectured about how we should have told him at the beginning that we wanted separate checks and that there is a charge for it. Who charges for separate checks?! He finally got everything charged to the right person. Oh, by the way, during this whole fiasco, one of my friends hadn't even received her dessert yet. 40 minutes after she ordered it. The manager dropped it at the table and ran. He knew we were pissed, but he was too much of a coward to talk to us. He did nothing to improve our dining experience- didn't offer to comp anything, ask for feedback, or even sincerely apologize.I think this speaks to the biggest problem of all- the whole fiasco starts with poor management. The kitchen was backed up, the server was a disaster, the host was unpleasant. This all indicates poor leadership and planning. This place is doomed to fail. It's a shame because it's in a great location and has a nice atmosphere. I can assure you, I will never go back there and I will tell everyone I know never to go there too. I am not often angered by a bad experience in a restaurant. I was a server. I get it. I think the thing that irritates me the most is it was clear we were unhappy and no one did anything to fix it.
(1)Victoria H.
I made reservations at Bistro 222 last night for a nice meal with my husband. It was highly recommended by a colleague. For Starters we ordered the calamari and butternut squash/homemade marshmallow soup. The soup sounds peculiar but it works. Both Starters were delicious - we ate every bite and spoonful. For Entrees my husband ordered the escarol and I ordered the scallops. We each tried each other's meals and the escarol was the run away winner. Their wine list is good and they carry all the usual high-end liquors if you prefer cocktails. They also have a decent beer list. The atmosphere is comfortable but upscale. It was on the chilly side as more people began to arrive. Our waitress was able to provide solid recommendations all over the menu. I agree with Howie O's review - they could cut a few of the pizza choices and add some other entrees or desserts. I will go back!
(4)Leslie B.
Tried this restaurant while on a weekend ski-trip in the SLC area. Most of the food was to our liking and had a nice presentation but it was overpriced. We did run into an issue though -- my husband ordered the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin. We believe he was really served bacon wrapped ham. It did not have the texture of tenderloin nor the taste -- it was definitely ham. If you are out of something - be honest, don't try to pass off another type of food -- people have more sophisticated taste buds than that!!!
(1)Rolando F.
My experience here was amazing. I love the place, the staff, and the food. It is a great place to go eat anytime.
(5)Tony S.
I had a good experience at this restaurant. We ordered the pizza with pancetta which was delicious. My friends ordered the chicken and the gnocchi which they enjoyed. My short rib lasagna was overcooked but was edible. The cheesecake was very nice. I would return but perhaps would skip the lasagna. By the way, the service on 11/7 was impeccable. I would return to this restaurant because of the atmosphere the waitress demonstrated. The one problem is the restrooms that had to be opened by building staff every time. Management should make sure that the restroom remains open while the restaurant is.
(4)Louise J.
Poor service. Cocktails nothing special at all. Took way too long to get our food. Calamaris was chewy and not to out liking. We ordered steak, both medium. One came out well done and the other one basically raw. We opted to leave. Had the manager come over. We didn't have to pay for our dinner and we got a gift card for a dinner for two as compensation. We are not planning on using the gift card. So many other great restaurants in Salt Lake City that we rather go to.
(1)Alex J.
I have been wanting to try this restaurant since they opened, but I have also been a little wary given some of the reviews that had popped up about it. It seemed that either people had a great experience or they had a really bad experience. However, despite that, when the opportunity arose, I decided to give Bistro 222 a try... and honestly? I had a really great experience. I went to Bistro 222 on 9/18/15 around 11:00am. My dining companion and I choose to have lunch inside and we were seated in a booth next to a nested fireplace, which was perfect because it was slightly chilly outside. The inside of the restaurant instantly struck me as very clean and organized with a very modern design. The contrast of the blacks and whites with the colors they used to decorate was really enjoyable visually. Some other reviewers have mentioned that the wine list was on an iPad, but my wine/cocktail menu was presented in the old-fashioned print variety, so that may be a new addition. During my visit I ordered the Vidarita and the 222 Martini (on the rocks). Both were really delicious and I felt like I was getting my money's worth (as much as you can get your money's worth when ordering drinks in Utah). I was also informed that Bistro 222 has a special license to offer drinks before 11:30am and that food doesn't need to be ordered when ordering a drink, which I liked a lot. My dining companion and I took advantage of the dine o'round special to try the NY Steak Sandwich. We also shared an order of the Cauliflower soup because I have heard that it was delicious and I've also heard that it was bland so I felt compelled to give it a try. All of the food was absolutely delicious! The soup was flavorful with a tiny bit of spice and a creamy mouth feel. The meat on the sandwich was a perfect medium and the bread (which was both flaky and soft) was grilled perfectly. The salad was flavorful and light. My dining companion let me try his fries (a thinner, shoe string variety) and they came out hot and perfectly seasoned. They were served with un-doctored ketchup, which complimented them rather well. We learned that Bistro 222's head chef was new (there for a week at the time of our visit) and that he hadn't had any influence on the menu we tried, but that he was working on some revisions to the menu, so my food opinions might by out of date soon after my review, just a heads up. Our server, Issac, was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive--not just to our table, but from what I saw to the other tables he got as well. There were fresh flowers used on the table, and the bathrooms available were very nice, clean, and perfectly maintained. At the time of our visit, the restaurant was not busy. It seemed to be before the lunch rush, so I can't say how service and food speed would be in such a circumstance, but our food came out quickly and fresh. From my experience, in the confines of the time of day and how busy the restaurant was, I would definitely recommend Bistro 222 to others.
(5)Jasen F.
Went two weeks back with some work colleagues and was underwhelmed in every regard. They miss the little things that make the experience off putting, like featuring wine lists on iPads that aren't updated; why have electronics if they're not connected or updated? Ordering a bottle of wine took three attempts. They food was ok. It felt like it should be buried in the heart of a Marriott hotel in downtown Cleveland. There is definitely something not kosher with the vibe of this joint.
(2)Sam S.
I first went to Bistro 222 2 or 3 years ago after they first opened. As I recall, the food was good, but the service and organization was terrible and it left a bad taste in my mouth. I figured they were a new restaurant so would give them the benefit of the doubt and let them work through their issues. Went back for brunch today and experienced exactly the same thing. Food was alright I guess (nothing special), but service was poor and the same disorganization. The server was nice enough, but he must have been stretched thin because there were long periods of time between any interaction. The poor out of towners behind us were about to walk out because they had been waiting so long to order. When the server finally gave them some attention, he didn't bother to apologize. Instead, he went on to say how busy they were and how they were running around. And they weren't really that busy. This isn't an issue of bad servers, but folks who need to learn how to run a restaurant. From what I can see in the other reviews, this isn't a new thing and management needs to pull it together. I don't plan on going back any time soon.
(2)Lisa A.
Utah is notorious for bland unseasoned food but this place takes the cake. And if they had cake, it would probably be flavorless as well. I had high hopes for our meal as we were seated at the cute outdoor patio. But they were quickly dashed, and not by the rain clouds that were threatening. We had the cauliflower soup which sounded delicious and had great reviews. However, it was tasteless. The margherita pizza had a decent amount of cheese but was lacking basil and the red sauce was barely tomato flavored, much less seasoned. The wait staff was just as bland. We won't be returning.
(1)Art C.
Food is Good but service is slow!! Took forever for us together our food! Not crowded so no excuses!
(2)Michael R.
The lobster corn dogs were okay at best but the bacon wrapped pork was delicious. Great decor and ambiance and very professional wait staff. Wine list a bit better than expected. Not one of my all time favorites but I will be back.
(3)Andrea M.
Had a really nice experience here. We went on a Saturday early evening and it was clear and not crowded. Our food was very good and the staff was great. I would come back and maybe sit outside for a relaxing lunch.
(5)Eric D.
Had a great meal here tonight. Service was impeccable. The meatballs had a great texture and flavor, too often meatballs are big and bloated, these were not like that. Arugula salad was delicious, and chicken marsala had a great flavor too, with sun dried tomatoes that complemented without overpowering. Will definitely come back sooner to the triple deuce!
(4)Ali Y.
I had the ahi tuna tacos. They were really light and delicious. If your looking for a smaller, yummy meal this is perfect!
(3)Cindy W.
Was personally attacked by a member whom accused me of being an ex-employee. Mike M, I am not l, nor would I ever be. Sorry for your sad attempt to discredit my opinion about this restaurant. Your efforts lead me to believe that you work for them and are trolling reviews to save face. This is sad, perhaps you should focus on the issues that paying customers have and not lash out at negative reviews. Here is the message. Yelp Hi Cindy, Mike M. sent you a message on Yelp: Subject: Doubt it "So then your just a miserable lady who complains about everything and is always bitter. Putting down others is probably your way of feeling good about yourself, making your miserable, "poor me" life seem a little better!! Good luck with that!! Have fun, I feel sorry for you!! At least people won't care when you finally bite the bullet!! -just my opinion!! And I'm guessing many others, u miserable little c***t!!"
(1)Jason H.
Good: Food was great. The place was nice. Bad: Wine list on an iPad was embarrassingly stupid. Ditch the iPads. The waitress asked how we were doing every 3 minutes. It was annoyingly too often. My friend's comment: "The chef is a little bit too sure of themselves for there to be no salt or pepper on the table."
(4)Nate B.
Not a fan. I'm pretty easy going in terms of food quality but this place is a classic overpriced-but-upscale-looking hotel restaurant. The service was terrible - had to ask for more water on two different occasions. Food wasn't bad, but for the price I paid I expect MUCH better.
(1)Amanda M.
Went here for Valentines Day & of course it was busy. The service was SO bad though! I hate calling the waiter out but Alan forgot to put in our order so we sat forever without our cocktails or food. Once the table next to us, who arrived after us, started getting their food we were concerned & he realized he lost our order and took our order again. anyway, the food was hit and miss. My husbands steak was really really good. My dessert, the leche de sundae or something like that, was amazing! My arugula salad was gross and my fish was over cooked. So yeah I would maybe try this place again, but only because some of the food was really great.
(2)Kjersti G.
I finally had the opportunity to try this place after months of wanting to go and I loved it! I made a reservation for 5 and when I showed up the restaurant was empty! I felt like I had rented out the entire place with the amazing service and lack of other diners.(It turns out they get busier later in the night.) The "Cauliflower Soup" is indeed amazing and I totally agree with all the other users who said it was delicious. It was even sprinkled with pumpkin seeds! loved it! i ordered the "Bistro Burger", which came out with apple slices on it. it was a surprise and I liked it. I took advantage of the award winning Wine List and I'm happy I did! Amazing French Rose! It went well with the cheese appetizer I also ordered. They also have an interesting White Bordeaux, for the curious Wino. I should also probably state that I didn't pay for any of this, It was put onto an expense Account. So I might not have gorged myself as much if I had to actually pay with my own money! :)
(4)Brian B.
Stumbled on this place with a group of friends and decided to try it out. First we were told it would be at least a 20 minute wait which was weird because the place was pretty empty and there were lots of open tables. After finally getting seated it took a long time before anyone cane to take our orders. At least 4 out of the 6 of us had water. Yeah I wasn't one of the lucky ones. We ordered eventually. When the food came out most of us were kind of disappointed. When they said it came with fruit we kind of assumed that it would just be a garnish. My fruit consisted of a strawberry cut in half and two blackberries. While the food tasted good it wasn't anything special. The staff was nice enough but over all the service was severely lacking. I won't be back. Too many other options.
(2)Stephanie S.
I have mixed feelings about this place. Some days, I find myself craving their soups, and other days I'm left feeling disappointed. First issue, they need to get their lunch special sorted. I've been charged differently the last 3 times I've been by. Let me just start off by saying that they advertise a lunch deal for something like $4.95 outside. On my first visit, I had a premade Caesar salad from the bar and a cup of soup. I was charged just over $6. Amazing! Today I ordered the same thing, soup of the day + a premade salad, and was charged $12+. Talk about inconsistency! Their lunch salads leave a lot to be desired. They're visually appealing deconstructed salads that are completely impractical to eat. I don't want to have to take a bite off the chicken, cut off a piece of a full leaf of lettuce, cut some avocado, and dip it in the dressing....just to get a comprehensive bite. The worst part about it is the slab of boiled flavorless chicken they throw on the side of each salad. With that being said, their soup of the day is typically pretty good, but it really just depends on the day. Their cauliflower soup is served daily but is charged as a premium. The servers that have helped me have also been very nice. Their other reviews look pretty good, so I'm not sure if it was in their plan to serve sub-par food to the businessmen & women nearby. Maybe I'll come by to have dinner, but I'm definitely not rushing. Honestly, I think I'd rather pay $10 for a nearby buffet than $12+ for an OK soup & salad.
(2)Jason G.
Just had an excellent dinner at Bistro 222 in downtown Salt Lake City. Be sure to try the fish tacos and chocolate ganache cake! Loved the delicious food, friendly service, and high end contemporary design all for extremely reasonable prices.
(5)Dalynn G.
Amazing service! Such a Beautiful patio. The ambiance is fresh, hip, and extremely sophisticated! The mushroom brusheta and cauliflower soup was amazing! Fresh churned butter and a menu that suits everyone's taste! Loved it. Favorite new spot in salt lake!
(5)Mary Anne D.
We recently tried Bistro 222 and its a wonderful addition to downtown SLC. The service is top notch and the restaurant has a sophisticated atmosphere. Two note worthy dishes include the cauliflower soup and the braised short rib. What makes Bistro 222 a real stand out is that it feels like the type of restaurant you would find in a busy urban downtown in a large city. I love SLC and it has many wonderful qualities, but SLC is neither urban, large, or busy. Its sleepy and quiet which has its merits, but sometimes I want a dining experience that includes nice wine, impeccable food, and the chance to leisurely enjoy good conversation with my guests. Bistro 222 is all of these things.
(5)Marissa F.
This was yummy. Definitely fresh tasting food and good quality ingredients but I'm just not sure if it's worth the $$. Nothing wowed me it was just really solid and well done. I've had similar dishes in other places. So it's not unique (not that a restaurant needs to be unique) but like I said it was good. My hang up is the price. And for their prices I kind of want to be wowed. We ordered: -The Dine-O Round Meal which I'm not remembering what kind of meat it was with some mashed sweet potatoes and greens. This was very tasty -The Osso Bucco Pasta this was yummy but I think it needed a little more salt but there was no salt and pepper on the table and I always feel weird asking for salt at restaurants The service was great. We had a baby with us and they were very nice and accommodating. This does not factor into the rating but there is no changing table in the bathroom (I just know I like to know that kind of stuff). Parking is very difficult but that's expected from the location.
(4)Jim H.
Had an amazing meal celebrating the Mrs.'s passing the Utah Bar Exam (hooray!!). Very nice restaurant in a building that was still under construction when we moved from SLC to LA for her law school. Memories aside, let's get to the reviewing. This restaurant is a bit upscale, I'd say 3 out of 4 ($$$), but at the same time it is not stuffy (it's not like the New Yorker--I think you'd feel comfortable in casual clothes, but it's also a place to go on a fancy date night). I ordered the rib-eye steak and it was nothing short of a miracle--I feel it's worth noting that I usually eat vegetarian, so indeed this was a special occasion! Another in our party ordered the lamb meatballs and cauliflower soup (the soup was worthy of note, as I do not like cauliflower or cream soups, but this soup was fantastic and was not made with dairy--well done!). Can't wait for another reason to visit Bistro 222.
(5)Barry S.
New chef and food is much better than 1 year ago when my wife I were there. Isaac took great care of us and had great recommendations, definitely returning soon.
(5)Dave B.
Made a late reservation for New Years eve. They had a five course menu for one price. I had the duck, my wife had the fish with curry sauce. Both dishes were really good. Scallop appetizer was excellent, as was the pork belly. A little fatty, but really good flavor. We enjoyed the wines , and one cocktail. Service was good. We will come back next time we are downtown.
(5)Michael W.
What a treat to stumble onto this fantastic restaurant. We were actually following a YELP lead for a nearby Greek restaurant that no longer exists...(Thanks YELP for being up to date! LOL)..... So on our way back to the car, we saw this bistro filled with what appeared to be well dressed lunch time diners. The dishes on all of the tables looked so artistically presented. We went in and luck have it, secured the table in the front corner with huge glass windows behind me and my guest. Our server was the engaging, handsome, and knowledgeable Tony. He painted fantastic word pictures of the lunch we would soon order. I ended up getting the soup special, a Clam and Halibut Chowder. It was so LIGHT and delicious...not some cream soaked, out of a can clam chowder soup. The halibut really added to the diversity of flavor and texture. The clam shells were included in the bowl. ...My lunch companion ordered the fish and chips. Two beautiful pieces of lightly fried cod, served at the perfect temperature on a bed of fresh fries. Not the greasy, thickly coated Fish and Chips you would get at an Irish Pub.... She was very pleased. My entree was a creative and delicious beet salad on which I added four pieces of medium sized shrimp. The meal was light and flavorful. The service was impeccable, with our water glasses never going empty, food service time was prompt and food temp was perfect. Once again, really enjoyed the corner table with the amazing high-rise views. The restaurant was clean, architecturally interesting, with clean lines, and a bright color palette. Did I mention how awesome our service was from Tony? A real treat during the lunch hour. Check it out if you are in the area. You'll be glad you did.
(5)Howie O.
Finally! So I am an east coaster and the dining scene in Washington DC is awesome. This place ranks right up there with some of my favorite eateries. I had the hanger steak bloody rare with with plenty of red wine. It was perfect! My trustworthy sidekick Vida A dined on the fresh del mar type pasta and it look fantastic. I stole a bite or two and it was super delicious. I would nix the pizza and add a few more desserts. You guys rock, keep up the good work.
(5)Jenn O.
My friends and I had dinner on a not to busy Friday night .. Our waiter Matt promptly approached our group,took our drink order.. And then forewarned us it would take awhile as he was also the bar tender ..to make a long story short .. 25 min later he came back with our drinks (Which sorry to say we're marginal at best ) He then shared that he had to go make a desserts ( as he apparently was also the pastry chef )and would be back to take our dinner order.. Again 30 mins later he returned We could not figure out if the management here needs help In training their servers,Or if they have never been in the service industry before,the whole system needs a major adjustment ! The food and prices are actually pretty good but you better have a three hour dining window .. Because of the service ...or lack of ...this Bistro get 2 stars ( generously give)
(2)michael c.
Very poor service here. Booked for show before ballet and was told 6pm sitting would be enough time. Arrive 5:40pm and at 7:06pm only just finished entree (had to rush to eat) no dessert and table service was some of the slowest I've experienced for some time. No offer of drink refills and now scrambling to get to show. Observed missed orders and wrong orders coming out and other patrons with similar experiences. Will definitely NOT come here again
(1)Lynda G.
We ate at Bistro 222 on Valentine's Day.. We ordered off the Valentines menu, each of us chose an appetizer, salad, entree and dessert. the food was good with the exception of my entree, I ordered Halibut, it was extremely dry and over cooked. the service was very slow to the point where we finally asked why we had been waiting 30 minutes for our salads. The food (with the exception of the halibut) was good enough that I would be tempted to try them again, but not on any type of a holiday.
(3)Lindsey K.
Beautiful! Chef Michael is amazing and artistic. Appetizers are wonderful. Great flavors. Parking behind the building. (Helps downtown) I got the halibut. Amazing. So soft and nice crusty shell. The veggies with it were amazing. I wanted to ask for more. Pasta is house made. Love it.
(5)Anj G.
Restaurants have their good days and bad, and I showed up on one of their bad days.... My appetizer was humdrum, entree was over salted, service was ditzy and forgetful, and dessert left more to be desired. From the food to the service everything was mediocre, except the atmosphere/décor of the venue. I started with the chicken bites, followed by the carrot ginger soup. The chicken bites were just ok - Chick Fil A is arguably better. The carrot ginger soup offered nothing unique or gourmet in its flavors and presentation. Worst of all was the over salted, overpriced halibut entrée. I considered having it sent back (something I rarely, if ever, do) but the waitress took so long to check on us that I succumbed to my appetite and lack of patience, eating what I could keep down. I thought the bread pudding would make up for the less than desirable meal, but it was just ok - not the warm gooey delight I've experienced at other restaurants. I definitely would not come back, and I recommend trying the hundreds of other great restaurants in Salt Lake before visiting here. The only reason this place is getting a 2 is because I liked the ambiance and my dinner companion enjoyed his roasted chicken -- said it was moist and he would order it again.
(2)Eric M.
This place looks very cool from the outside. I was hopeful the restaurant would live up to its very hip look. The food matched the decor, it was excellent. We tried appetizers, dinner, and dessert and loved everything. We will return to try more options very soon!
(5)Maro L.
First off, I think it's important to know that I've never written a bad review of anything. I am one of the more laid back people in the world and have worked in the restaurant industry, so if anything, I'm overly empathetic. But this experience was so poor and involved particularly bad business practices, so I felt it was important to warn potential guests. I visit SLC twice a year for a tradeshow, and host a ladies dinner each trip. Last year, we dined at Bistro 222 and had a wonderful experience, so I decided to book it again. The night prior to our reservation, a small group of my co-workers went to have dinner there, and I was alarmed to see that the prices on the menu were significantly higher than what they were the year prior, and what was on their online menu. So I asked to speak to the manager. He stated that they have "special menus during special events and holidays". I explained that I had booked a dinner for the next night, naturally assuming the menu and prices I saw online would be in effect...nobody told me otherwise when I called in the reservation, nor when I called a second time to confirm the reservation. I further explained that this is a business dinner and I have a budget, and this was basically price gouging. He only said "sorry", and repeated the special menu statement, continuing to say that this was standard practice. But as I mentioned, they didn't do that last year and I've dined at many restaurants in SLC during this show and have never seen others do it. I was upset and felt robbed, but it was too late to cancel or rebook the dinner for the next night. So! The next night, our party of 14 arrives for our 8pm reservation, and our table isn't ready. In fact, the group that is sitting at our table is JUST getting their dinner when we get there. The manager says he's going to try to move them, and for us to wait in the lobby. I say fine, can we please get some drinks while we wait. He says yes, and a server will be right out. We waited 30 minutes, with no drinks (I ordered four bottles of wine and followed up two times), not even water, no staff to check on us or give us an update. When we finally were seated, it took another 15 minutes to get wine and water. I had asked if we could order appetizers (mind you, this group has been working at a fast paced event all day and were starving) and the server impatiently says "I have to take another order from a table that was here before you." What?? So - in addition to the very poor business practice of jacking up prices without letting customers know, we had poor service, without any apologies or attempts to make it right. From a customer service standpoint, I was floored. The food was fine, but I will never go there again.
(1)Michael B.
Great service and wonderful food. Nice presentation. Nice hip restaurant, youthful ambiance; but great for all ages. I'd definitely recommend this for dinner.
(4)Sara w.
Chef Dave is amazing! Our group loved everything we ordered, which is very difficult to do. The five spiced ribs are not to be missed. We also thought the calamari was especially tasty, tender and light. The warm mushroom salad was a great combination of mushrooms, quinoa, sunchokes, and poached egg perfection. My favorite dish was the lamb osso buco with mint polenta cheddar deliciousness. This place is not to be missed. The food is simply outstanding down to the salted caramel chocolate tart. Chef Dave is a talented individual and also very personable. Do yourself a favor and go here!
(5)Al P.
Upon walking into Bistro 222, I knew that the Salt Lake dining scene had changed immensely from when I was growing up in Utah. The ambiance is very sleek, without being cold--it seemed inviting and bright and very thoughtfully designed. I really liked the open window atmosphere, good for people watching and letting in the sunshine. I think this would be a nice place for both a semi-casual night out or a romantic dinner. Our server was excellent--attentive without being overbearing. She knew we were there to chat and enjoy ourselves, and she gave us just the right amount of assistance. She also didn't try to rush us out--we were there for a few hours. This only added to our overall pleasant experience. We started with cocktails, and I had the jewel, which is my favorite kind of cocktail--sweet, a little tart, and tastes like adult candy. It was mixed to perfection. My friend had a sparkling cranberry cocktail that I thought was a perfect summer drink, refreshing and a good mix of sweet and tart, again. The appetizers all looked very appetizing, but I knew I wanted to save room for dessert, so we started with entrees. I had the gnocchi, and my friend had the roasted chicken. Mine was so delicious--an almond pesto gave it a nice salty flavor, the gnocchi was cooked perfectly (not too doughy or chewy the way some can get), and the veggies in it were very fresh and flavorful. How I love Utah summer veggies. The whole dish worked well. It was so good in fact that it made my friend's slightly overlooked, very bland chicken taste even moreso. She sent it back and asked for the gnocchi. The staff was extremely accommodating about this request, showing they wanted us to be happy with our experience. And her gnocchi was just as good as mine. As for portions, I thought them just right for the price--not too big or small, but if you are looking for a place that serves big meals for big appetites or for leftovers, the portions might seem small. We had a nice champagne with dinner, and overall, I was pleased with the wine menu options, which ranged from mid-priced $30 bottles to much nicer, more expensive bottles that had I more money to spend, I would have certainly enjoyed. Not many restaurants offer decently priced champagne, and the bottle of Bouvet we shared was really delicious. The only thing I found confusing was how the menu lumped rose in the sparkling/champagne section. I thought it was a sparkling rose, but it wasn't. Luckily, the server explained that to us before she opened the bottle, so we could switch for the bubbles we craved for our celebration. The dessert list seemed a bit limited, with only a panacotta and a butterscotch pudding, but they had several flavors of gelato to offer. My friend had the espresso, which she liked, and I had the chocolate peanut butter, which was actually peanut butter ice cream with chocolate chips (so I would have named it a peanut butter chocolate gelato to avoid confusion, but that's just me, and I am not holding that against them). Not very exciting, far too many chips that weren't very interesting chocolate, though the gelato itself was creamy and good. Overall, a very good restaurant. I would go again, and I would certainly recommend it to others.
(4)Alejandro M.
Had a business dinner here and it was a great atmosphere. Food was delicious. I had the pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon. I would recommend.
(5)Marsha G.
Unbelievable . Ordered wine for an outrageous $12 per glass and then the bill charged every guest at the table $19 per glass! When questioned manager stood by $19 per glass. Waited one hour for dry halibut for $30. Never going back there again. Watch your wine tab!
(1)Ryan C.
Had a lovely early lunch today with the place to myself. You can rail against the merits of many things, but I'm afraid arguments against lunch at 11 am are going to find no purchase here. The place was quiet and the staff was attentive without hovering. Anyway, I started with the mushroom bruschetta. Absolutely delicious, even given my bias against tomato jam as a general concept; it seems like an excuse to use bad tomatoes, covering them over with a bunch of sugar. Sure enough, this particular jam was on the sweet side, but the sweet note wasn't wholly unwelcome. It did verge on overwhelming the flavor of the mushrooms, which were beautifully roasted and meaty. My main was the mahi mahi tacos. I love seafood, but tend not to order fish tacos very often after having been spoiled by ubiquitous and amazing versions in San Diego. However, the extremely helpful server sold me on house made corn tortillas, so I jumped. There are three tacos in the order. They are on tiny tortillas, around three inches in diameter. The fish, on the other hand, it copious, and the result is a very protein-heavy dish that I really enjoyed. Rather than eating a mouth full of tortilla, I was eating fish, and that's a nice change of pace when it comes to my fish taco experience. The condiments on the tacos were a bit clunky. The pineapple relish was too chunky for the tiny form factor of the taco, though the flavor was nice and surprisingly spicy. The pickled onions were also a bit hard to manage. That said, the flavors were dead on. The price was right, the food was delicious, and I'll be back very soon. It looks like they have a few dinner-only items, which will probably be when I'll return.
(5)Jason H.
Don't go. This place is awful. Extremely poor service. We had to ask for everything - someone to take our order after being ignored for 10 minutes, water, our meals took forever to come and when they came they were luke warm. Explanation given was that they were short staffed - ok but that isn't your diners problem. One of our party of 5 received their meal 5 min after the rest of us. Total waste of money and I was hungry when I left. Very few restaurants make me angry - this is one of them.
(1)Charlynn T.
I had mixed feelings about the dishes at Bistro 222. I can see how other reviewers rated so high, one being the fact that the flavor profiles are there. Two, the atmosphere and service are top notch. And three, the fresh menu options including house made pasta are great. Our appetizers were all a hit. Entrées not so much. Deserts were forgettable and dry. I wanted to love my pasta dish but ended up asking for more sauce because the pasta was dry and a bit over cooked making the serving portion lithely hard to swallow. Both the strawberry desert and chocolate cake were tasty, but again really dry. A bit stale and possibly a day old. I debated between three or four stars on the overall rating. I chose 4 because the flavors were there and we were mostly satisfied. I think with a bit more quality control it would have been stellar. Really close to greatness.
(4)Michelle D.
Unfortunately, had a (-) experience at bistro 222 tonight. Yes, big tradeshow in town so they were staffed up, but apparently not up enough as our meal for 4 took almost 2 hours. No big wine or cocktail drinking to drag it out-the server disappeared for a good amount of time & we had to flag down the manager to finally bring us our entrees. When our salad entrees arrived-they were small appetizer in size. We were all hungry at the end of our dinner. The calamari appetizer and cucumber soup were mediocre. We never were asked if anyone wanted a 2nd round if drinks, we had to ask repeatedly for salt and pepper, no one ever filled our empty water glasses. We would not recommend spending a hard earned dollar in this establishment. Way too many other fantastic, consistent options in Salt Lake.
(1)Rob Z.
**** update**** The Bistro has removed the grab-and -go options from the menu and replaced it with a half-full freezer of mediocre gelato. I came in to grab a quick salad and when I got my check it was almost $13 (the same salad was $6.50 last week). I'm changing my original 4 star review to 2 stars. It would be one star if the quality of the food suffered, but despite incompetent management and total lack of awareness what the downtown lunch crowd is looking for, the food is still fresh and tastes decent (though by now and great or innovative). I will think very closely as to whether I return to Bistro 222 and will probably discourage other from coming as well. Sorry guys, you're really blowing it. Ignore the rest of this as the above negates any positives the restaurant had in my eyes. I've only ever been to the bistro for lunch, but I've always had good service and great food. Their grab-and-go selection is fairly limited, but fresh and flavorful. I personally love the build-your-own-sandwich option. Hard to beat for $5 downtown! The chicken they use is juicy, the bread is fresh... It's all pretty stellar for the price point. You can go to another sandwich joint down the street that charges $2 more and uses pressed chicken... Not my favorite. One thing that really impressed me was when I came in on a slow day and commented they didn't have tomatoes. The manager said "They're not in season, and the greenhouse stuff you can get is total crap. We do have a tomato jam that we use in the winter." Way more thought than most lunch places downtown put into their food! Overall I give the bistro 4 stars because of my lack of experience with their non-express menu. Hopefully I'll get the chance to try the rest of their food and bump it up to 5.
(2)Mary J.
very good meal and honestly the most beautiful meal i have ever been served. i have never taken a photo of a meal until i was served this dish. we ate outdoors and they took reservations. good service vwould definitely go back if in the area. i will attempt to post pic.
(4)Brian P.
I've been here about 5 times in the past, and always enjoyed it. But their special New Year's Eve menu, which we weren't aware of until after we'd already ordered drinks, was a disaster. The food was mediocre, and the shock when we got the bill! $75 per person before drinks, 2-3 times what we normally spend to eat here. We paid it, since ultimately we should've asked about pricing when we saw the special menu, but none of us will be returning again, that's for sure. Nothing about Bistro 222 is worth that kind of money, not the food, not the service, not the atmosphere.
(2)Christian P.
After a day-long drive from SoCal, we chose to drive straight to Bistro 222 before checking in to our Hotel. So very glad we did. First off, free Valet, who took excellent care of our car loaded with ALL of our belongings and cold-weather apparel for the week. Thank you, Anderson! For our meal, my wife and two foodie kids started with orders of the Moroccan Meatballs, Mushroom Bruschetta and the Butternut Squash soup. All three were resounding hits. I also had the Beet, Avocado and Citrus salad. It was tasty and refreshing. Nothing spectacular, but very solid. Admittedly, I am a tough one to impress when it comes to beets - given my deep love for them. I would certainly order it again. Then came entree time. Now, unfortunately for Bistro 222, I have been spoiled by Flora Farms ( flora-farms.com/#!field-… ) Rosemary Ham, Mozzarella and Egg pizza. So, when I spotted Bistro 222's "Hang-Over", I was excited. Had I never been to Flora, the Hang Over would have been fantastic. However, I have. So I would have to rated it a quite good. I would certainly recommend it to others. However, the seasoning on the Pizza is a tad dull for me. However, the true tragedy - in my opinion - was the fact that while the marshmallow for the Butternut Soup is house-made, there is no use of this on their dessert menu. Our server explained that it was a savory-style marshmallow, yet all of us at the table failed to see why that would limit them. We certainly all could think of ways a savory marshmallow could still work in either a true s'more, decontructed s'more or other dessert. All said, we get to SLC as often as we can to visit family, and I would love to stop in for lunch or even dinner again - as I am a Gnocchi fanatic and would love to see how their Roasted Beet Gnocchi is executed. It would be a make-or-break for me personally on future visits.
(4)Rd D.
Waiter was great. Food was just okay and over priced. Steak was cooked to proper temperature but was tough.
(2)Erica P.
While the reviews were iffy, we decided to give this place a try, as they were running a deal on Groupon. We really loved it. We had a starter of popcorn chicken (kind of like fried giblets) - which were great! I had the Seafood Risotto and my husband had the rabbit con fit over some kind of pasta. Both our meals, though "small" in portions - which really means "plenty", were fabulous! We'd definitely head back to Bistro 222.
(4)Jared F.
There was a Groupon for a $50 gift certificate for $25. Couldn't pass that up. Went with another couple for dinner before seeing Wicked. Our server was Melinda, she gave us recommendations for appetizers, and entrees. Was very helpful in giving us and idea on what to try. Started off with some meatballs, pork belly, heirloom tomato plate and asparagus and mushroom crust-ini. I had the seafood risotto, and my wife had the hangar steak and frites. Risotto was great, but I was envious of my wife's meal, it looked delicious, and I begged for a bite. It tasted as good as it looked. Overall the atmosphere is great, we had a very enjoyable time and the manager even came by our table to joke with us before we left. We had a great experience and would definitely dine there again.
(5)Robert C.
Had an amazing dinner here last Monday night. The restaurant was very slow but the atmosphere was still welcoming. I was pleasantly greeted at the door by the manager and because it was slow I was able to get a table right by the window. I found the Bistro very upscale and its best feature was the surrounding windows. The entire restaurant is enclosed with glass giving a great view of the downtown salt lake area. Even with the upscale environment the menu prices were very affordable. The beet salad was perfectly priced and delicious as well. As a dinner option I choose the Sea Bass. I found it very savoury with the tomato based sauce. Dessert options seemed to be lacking yet I still wanted to give the Bistro a five star because of the apple tart. As a connoisseur of wine I can at times be critical. I did find a nice $25 dollar Chianti which was a beautiful wine for the price. I did find it a little warm for my taste but as I said I can be a bit critical. Overall I found this place to be very welcoming and the staff to be very professional, even though there were only two of them. I would definitely recommend this establishment to anyone who is looking for a upscale environment, with a menu that has something for everyone, and a wine list that has a world wide selection.
(5)Neal C.
Valentine's Day brought my wife and I back to Bistro 222 for the second time. We wanted to try the Rib Eye for 2. We started with the field greens salad, two of them. We were sorry we shared one on our first visit because it was exquisite. The cranberry maple vinaigrette is outstanding, especially with blue cheese crumbles, nuts, and dried cranberries. The steak was slightly undercooked, but not enough to send it back for a tad more heat. And an undercooked steak is far better than an overcooked steak. The red miso glaze made the steak deliciously savory. And the steak was perfectly tender. 222 seems determined to make less popular vegetables taste good. They do pretty well, but it's tough to make a Brussel sprout something I want with an outstanding steak. Not bad, but nobody yet has been able to make Brussel sprout bitterness desirable. I ate them, but would've preferred something else. The Cauliflower au gratin was very good, as long is it was consumed by itself. Having a bite with a piece of steak didn't combine well. A side effect of trying to do something wonderful with a less popular vegetable? The dessert was good. If it was advertised as a dense chocolate cake instead of a lava cake, it would've been great, but it wasn't what we expected from the description. Still, the accompanying salted caramel gelato was wonderful! Next time I go to 222--and I will--I'll see if I can get a bowl of the gelato by itself. Service was fine, considering how busy they were on Valentine's Day evening.
(4)Maria M.
The saying "money can't buy class" can be used with bistro 222 "expensive prices doesn't mean it's good food". The service was good. I got what the waitress suggested- seafood risotto and the clams and shrimp were extremely dry. The best part of our meal was the fries... I had a groupon and I feel like we still over paid. ALSO... I got the sangria- it was very obvious that they just poured pineapple juice and red wine together. It was so gross. and so expensive!!
(2)Ashley B.
My fiance and I have eaten here only a few times, but we always love it. They have wonderful service, food and wine pairings and suggestions. They always let us go at our own speed and enjoy the ambiance. This is our go to place for a random date night and it's never regrettable.
(5)Vida A.
Glad we had reservations. Sat at a window seat great for people watching but honestly not a bad seat in the house. Beautiful space, very sleek, great fireplace, art and use of wood. Started with calamari. Very fresh and tasty. Seafood parpadelle pasta was amazing. Tasted the saffron in it and decent amount of seafood. Side of au gratin potatoes were cheese bliss. Companions steak was tasty. The dessert was heaven in a jar, literally. Prices are very reasonable. I already cant wait to come back to try more items. Place was hopping and service was a little slow like initial server coming over and greeting us and getting our meals but worth it. Valet is only $3. Bathrooms are in the Goldman Sachs building and you need a code.
(4)Rachel J.
Food is mediocre - not terrible but nothing to write home about. Service is extremely poor - give yourself at least 2.5 hours for dinner. We had the fixed price menu which included dessert, but we did not have time to eat the dessert, as we had a show (after being there 2 hours). We had the wrong food brought to us, and a couple near us had the wrong food brought to them three times. Witnessed servers not knowing where to take the food they were holding... It seemed extremely unorganized. We made it pretty apparent we were not happy, but not one person did a thing. And when we told our waiter we needed the check and didn't have time for the dessert (which we of course still paid for), there was no apology or acknowledgement of the situation. Thank goodness we arrived 20 minutes before our scheduled reservation, otherwise we would not have eaten our main course at all (it was very rushed as it was). We also were never offered refills on our beverages. Needless to say we will not be going back, and from the looks of many of these reviews our experience was not out of the norm.
(1)Tyler S.
Plain and simple it's not that good. It's nothing horrible but it's not worth anybody's time or money.
(2)Stephanie B.
I've been here 4 Fridays in a row now and just love this place! The prices are fantastic, and the service is great. I'm just hoping they amp up the white wine menu. It's a VERY new restaurant with the chance of being VERY successful. I just hope they get their consistency under control. I absolutely want this place to survive because it's such a great, downtown option. And it's affordable enough to eat there every week.
(5)Andrew W.
Couldn't get into Bambara next door so concierge recommended Bistro 222. After our meal, we were very happy he did. Salads were nice and fresh, and the butternut soup with a marshmallow floating in it was very good. Lamb meatballs were the winner for our appetizers, though. New York strip was cooked perfectly, accompanied by a mountain of fries. Short rib pasta and seafood pasta was, too. Pizzas were great with interesting (in a good way) mixes of toppings. Beet gnocchi got sent back: a bit too fancy for our table. Beverage list was good, too. Still trying to decide whether service was "unhurried" or just "slow..." But the food was very good and I will definitely return in the future.
(5)Sean W.
The interior is very 1992 flashback, neon lights dimming up & down, a tacky glass waterfall, bad paintings and potted plastic grass, yikes! The room however has amazing high ceilings and huge windows. We started with the calamari, it was way too crunchy, too much breading. Next I had the hangar steak medium rare, it came medium well. No one came to check back until we were on our last bite. I told waiter and he said he though I ordered med-well, ah no I didn't! My friend had the sea bass, said it was ok, she didn't finish it. The wines by the glass are not consistent. My first glass was amazing, when I ordered another he brought another kind. Waiter told me they serve whatever is open. During our meal we would get HUGE gusts of wind coming from the HUGE doors. One time the door stayed open and I had to go close it, we were seated next to the back bar. The manager kind enough to take steak off, but not before the waiter dropped the complete check first.
(2)Mars A.
Ambiance: Pleasant decor but discordant music. Average quality food and average wait staff. Several flies throughout the restaurant. Verdict: Worth going with a Groupon but not otherwise.
(2)Emily B.
Great new restaurant in a fabulous downtown location. Sit by the front windows if you can for some entertaining people watching. The first course was out of this world. The clam chowder beat out any chowder we have had at any specialty seafood restaurant and the beet/tomato salad was a true work of art.
(4)Nick C.
I wanted to like this place but my initial experience was very poor. My server was extremely unprofessional. Waited 10 minutes to even be greeted. At which point no waters were put on the table, we gave a drink order, and thinking it might be a while before we saw the guy again, told him we might be ready to order. Asked if there were any mixed greens on the beet salad, he said there were, there was not just, a sprinkle of arugula micro greens. No specials were offered, and we had to repeat our drink order and request water as well. Our main courses were both tepid when we got them. The pork shoulder tasted amazing, but I was off by the fact that it wasn't hot. My girlfriends steak was undercooked, and tepid as well. Additionally the restaurant has the audacity to not put salt on the table, but the fries and polenta both could have used some. I feel bad giving 1 star for service but when I'm running up a $130+ bill I expect a little more than tepid food and having to stop the waiter for a refill. I'd like to say that I'm gonna go back and update my review, but there are many other restaurants I'd rather spend my money at.
(1)Mel W.
the server here was extremely attentive and pleasant. highly appreciated that. for some inexplicable reason there was this fish smell that permeated the entire place-but there was only one other table in there at the time i was, and they didn't have fish. calamari-meh. would not order again. had the spinach and artichoke pizza. i was very pleasantly surprised. i thought it was pretty darn good. my friend had the margherita. that also was good. so i guess decent enough overall but it wasn't mind blowing either.
(3)Laurence B.
We had dinner here Friday night. The place has good atmosphere, nice chairs and tables. However, the food was lackluster. I had a pizza margherita which had a brick-hard crust and a soupy amount of sauce. Flavors were nice, but much better versions of this item can be had locally at Settebello or Vinto. My wife and I shared a beet salad that was ho-hum. She had sea bass, which she said had zero flavor. Overall, I'd say (at least so far) Bistro 222 is all style but no substance.
(3)Brendan S.
Went here last minute as it was the only place in SLC that had availably on a Saturday night. This concerned us a bit as did the lack of customers inside. I will chalk that up to them being new because the food was great. Mussels app was fantastic with a solid pepper broth to dip the bread. The cauliflower soup was very good as well but could have used a touch more cream. The entree and dessert were the highlights. They had a fillet as the special topped with a shrimp based hollandaise. It was unreal. It was cooked perfectly and the hollandaise really went well with the steak. The dessert was a homemade molten chocolate cake topped with fresh whipped cream and salted caramel ice cream. That was probably the best dessert I have had in SLC. Service was a bit slow at times which is why I gave this a 4 star. They did make up for it by removing the dessert from the bill. I would say 222 is one of SLC top 10 restaurants.
(4)Shacey P.
This used to be a 4 for me. But then they changed the manager and I hosted a work dinner here. 12 people, empty restaurant, slow to nonexistent service, over cooked fish and surly host. No thanks - there are so many other great restaurants in the area this relative new comer does not deserve my business.
(2)Mary A.
On a recent visit to Salt Lake City, we tried this restaurant for the first time. It's only been open for a short time, but I think it's going to be a keeper! First of all, it's a great addition to Main Street. The space has large windows giving a lot of light and allows pedestrians to observe diners and nice plates of food. The interior is done in shades of gray with corion like tabletops completed with woven placemats. The menu is fairly simple and offers four or five choices for each category. They also feature selections of pizzas for those who might bring a small child in to dine or to have a light meal. My husband and I shared a salad of arugula, julienned apple, and candied pecans topped with shaved manchego. It was ample for both of us and dressed with a light sherry vinaigrette. For the main course he had roast chicken breast on a bed of pureed cauliflower and dried peas. The chicken was crisp on the outside and very moist, with a hint of what tasted like herbes of provence. I had halibut, served with asparagus and that was lightly dusted with flour and sautéed. Also it was very flavorful and moist. What I also liked about these entrees were the portions---they were sized appropriately and one didn't feel stuffed afterwards. After all, there is dessert to follow! My margarita panna cotta was very rich and creamy and had a dusting of chopped mint with sugar--perfect end to the meal. My husband had a pear crisp dessert and that was excellent! The service was also very good and the server was good about recommending wines and also pointed out wines that were only offered at this restaurant. I chose the white wine of the day and was not disappointed. It went well with the halibut. We're glad to discover another good restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City. We'll definitely return to Bistro 222!
(5)