Rene's Bistro

We would like to Thank Margaret and Rene , we were late getting to the restaurant and had to order quickly to get in and out and still make are performance. We just had the special( Beef Stew) " I can't spell Bourgignon?". anyways it was out of this world ...then came the warm chocolate cake THE BEST...we will be back, this time a little earlier

It's difficult to choose a dining venue from a booklet published by the Stratford Theatre and all have positive comments but when you've only got one evening and don't know the little nuances inherent in all restaurants - you sure don't want to waste it on lousy food/service. Even online comments were confusing. Cancelled Bentley's after reading less than stellar reviews and booked Rene's due to mostly positive comments. From the moment 'Margaret' answered the phone, it was a positive experience. She was delightful, helpful and informative and promised me a nice booth - one of our favorites as there's absolutely nothing worse than trying to enjoy a tantalizing meal on a table meant to accommodate one plate and not much else.
Thanks to our GPS (and Margaret) we found our way and as we were early, there were lots of available booths. Margaret and another gal traded off their server skills throughout the dining area and it was a seamless and attentive interaction. I was a bit concerned when I saw the very limited menu as I had read where the halibut was outstanding and in fact, this was why I booked the reservation - but no halibut tonight. Five or six pastas, some salads, mussels and one beef, lamb, salmon, or chicken dish. We shared an appetizer of fabulous mussles (a la basquaise) with sweet red peppers, garlic, white wine and onions - yum. BIG mussels and a side of bruschetta (that's pronounced brusKetta!) to soak up the incredible broth. Hubby had the chicken stuffed with goat cheese, done to perfection and I had the grilled/broiled salmon - which could have been a bit more grilled as it was lukewarm and just a tad underdone. The mascarpone polenta was fabulous and a skewer of crunchy sweet peppers and onions. No problem in having a couple of wines to taste before selection and I would suggest the Chilean house red. Lovely.
Two martinis, 1/2 litre of house wine, shared appetizer and a chicken dish along with a salmon dish - bill with tip approximately $120. We will be back!!! We've told our friends.
V. Taylor
London

My ratings for this restaurant are quite high to reflect the fact that the majority of Stratford fine dining restaurants offer extremely poor value for money. There was nothing spectacular or very interesting about the food, but it was tasty, well-prepared, well-presented and, most importantly for Stratford, the portions were adequate. I agree with the previous reviewer that the decor really needs help. In Vancouver or Toronto, I never would have walked through the door. They also don't have an espresso maker which, in a fine dining restaurant, is pretty surprising. They seem to be doing well, so hopefully they will invest some money into upgrading everything and maybe become a bit more adventurous with the menu. My first choice for fine dining in Stratford is the Key Stone, then Raja's Indian, then Renee's. Down the Street and Foster's are both O.K. All the other pretentious rip-off places: Pazzos, Bijou, Old Prune, The Church, Rundles should be avoided. If you have the time, its worth it to drive to St. Mary's for Woolfy's and the Westover.

The space is long and narrow and has a small bar at the front near the door. It is pretty much where the cash was in the old Pickwick. Speaking of which...the red tiles from the old pickwick are still on the floor as are the marks from the old counter stools. As is the front window, entry doors and a number of other Pickwick era reminders. Much and all as the food was good and the service pleasant, I just couldn't get the Pickwick out of my head in this place.

The menu the night we were there was limited and no doubt that was because they literally opened a week or so before. Not withstanding that, the selection suited us and the presentation and flavours where first rate. The menu was a blend of contemporary cuisine with a little italian flair tossed in.

The place was quit though with only one other couple in the booth behind us. Now I like a booth, but these still had the high sides and that cocooned feel to them. A readjustment of the booth arrangment would do this place wonders. Keep the boothes by all means, just bring them into the 21st century.

This was quite possibly the tasitest restaurant meal I've had in quite some time.
The presentation of the food was very artistic, which only added to the enjoyment of the meal.
The service was great -- although we had to wait about 20 minutes for a table to be ready, the hostess gave us regular updates so that we never felt forgotten. And our theatre tickets were taken into consideration, allowing us to have a relxing meal, but still make it to the show on time.
Overall, great experience!

This is a wonderful restaurant with great service, great food and great atmosphere. We will be back.

Good food, good location, good time - what more could you want! Definitely be a regular here.

We came up for 4 days and had a great time the shows were excellent the parks and river area were beautiful.. too much rain though..But the highlight we think of the trip was the dinner at Rene's bistro!..We had such a great time there everyone was so friendly, and the food was amazing. Will be back in the fall and thats where we are eating..thank you

wonderful meal and atmosphere, see you again

thank you so much for everything. best mussels I have ever had, halibut ws cooked perfect and the was a melt in your mouth favourite. Will be back