Review Bistro On Main - Lexington

We came to Lexington for a show at Lime Kiln and ate at the Bistro beforehand. The service and food were incredible. Everything we had was delicious. The calamari was light and perfectly cooked. There is a reason the gumbo is so popular. We'll definitely be back.

My family and I are new to the Lexington area and selected this location to celebrate our arrival. Turns out I had made reservation to another Bistro on Main, in a totally different state. Ni kidding. The owner was nonetheless embracing of my dilemma and ensure me our party of 4 would have a place to continue our celebration. We were not turned away even though the place was busy. Once seated, we were exposed to not only great service by KP, our server, but deliciously cooked dished from appetizers to desserts. Bistro on Main, in Lexington, will not disappoint. Deliciously created dishes, accented by southern service and a "we are so very happy to serve you" environment by the staff is to be enjoyed by all. Please visit this location at your earliest opportunity when in Lexington. Cheers!!!

We went to bistro on main for a birthday celebration. Our server and service could not have been better however The meals had a bit to be desired. The New York strips were tough and a bit overcooked and my shrimp and grits lacked flavor. The appetizers were very good. A bit overpriced but a nice experience. I would encourage that others give it a try and arrive at your own conclusion.

We have fully enjoyed our visit here. Morty has waited on us twice. The food was terrific, I had the gumbo on Morty’s recommendation. I highly recommend.

We were pleasantly surprised at the quality of restaurants on Main Street in Lexington. The food was excellent and the service great! We would recommend for anyone visiting the area!

We were stayed in Lexington on our way from NC to PA. It was a Friday night and there were several events going on so the town was busy. We attempted to dine at a couple of trendier brew pubs but the wait was ridiculous so we wandered the town until we came across the Bistro on Main. Sometimes things happen for a reason because we had an EXCELLENT meal and experience. Most of the tables were reserved so we gladly settled in at the bar. We had a great conversation with the bar keep, who was also running the front of the house and waiting the tables in the bar area as they just can’t find staff. We took his recommendation for the seafood lasagna special. Special it was! The flavors were wonderful and the portion size was just right, not the oversized monstrosity served by many restaurants these days. We paired our reasonably priced dinner with an equally reasonably price Petite Syrah and could not have been happier. We left a very generous tip for what turned out to be incredibly attentive service by a clearly overworked staff member who maintained a positive attitude despite the less than ideal situation. Do yourself a favor and skip the trendy spots for the Bistro. You won’t be disappointed!

We were road tripping from DC to Asheville, so we stopped in Lexington for lunch. Very glad we stumbled upon Bistro on Main! Superior cooking, helpful and knowledgeable staff, and very reasonable prices. I had Portabello Napoleon and my mom had the Oyster Po Boy. If you stop in Lexington -- you need to dine here.

"Welcome May I help you" definitely warmed things up better than "Do you have a reservation?" Lobster Bisque had excellent flavor and warmth, too. Mortye holds down the bar like a DJ handling drinks, menus, and plates.

Due to circumstances beyondr our control we were traveling on the road for our 20th anniversary. We of course wanted to have a really special dinner for this special occasion and as the restaurant was right across the street from the hotel it seemed perfect. We had given them a heads up it was our anniversary. When we arrived we were given complimentary glasses of champagne. While we appreciated the gesture neither one of us drink champagne, so unfortunately it was wasted on us. We did order a bottle of wine to have with dinner and here's where they really fell short. Our waitress opened the bottle and filled 2 full glasses without ever offering my husband a taste to make sure it was ok. Unfortunately neither one of us cared for it (too sweet) so we ordered a different bottle. This time the waitress give us a taste, but..... from the bottle at the bar before opening a new one for us as opposed to a taste from the new bottle. I realize the wait staff are not sommeliers but the proper etiquette for serving wine should be observed in a fine dining restaurant. Overall the food was good, I had the filet which was cooked just right. They kindly let me have the potatoes au gratin that went with one of the specials that evening but I was unfortunately very dissapointed. Very dry..so much so I could not eat it. We each ordered dessert and we had thought that being it was our anniversary they might offer a special complimentary dessert or comp one the the desserts we ordered but they did not so the champagne we did not drink was their only gesture. Next time we happen to be in Lexington we would most likely go back, but in the futrue I hope the management would be cognizant of the fact that not everyone enjoys champagne and there are people who don't drink at all. I would suggest they come up with a different special occasion gesture. Also please train your staff on how to properly serve wine.

My wife and I have been going to Bistro for Sunday Brunch for years. Yesterday I took a friend for brunch and a beer. Upscale food, reasonably priced and excellent service. Thumbs up to the Cajun omelette I had yesterday... my favorite is the smoked salmon omelette. I highly recommend.

Charming & absolutely yummy! We highly recommend this place to anyone in the Lexington, VA area & those driving by on U.S. Route 81 (the town is adorable and just minutes from the highway). �

Stopped in last night and the chef put together a lovely vegan meal for me. One of the best meals I have ever had. Thank you for being open to those of us who do not eat animal products.

Great place, comfortable atmosphere the hostess was really nice and tried to accommodate everyone even though they were really busy. Hight recommend.

Great service and excellent, fresh menu. Crowded at lunch but that's a good indicator of the popularity of this very nice restaurant. The staff is very friendly.

Great location, wonderful staff and excellent food. Best restaurant in Lexington with great prices

Between very good to excellent (4 and 5 stars). Was looking to kill a little time while in Lexington and found the Bistro on Main. Overall, the food was very good, the service was fast and the server (Ashley, I believe) was very pleasant. It was Sunday, just after noon, so we had the brunch menu. I ordered the Steak Benedict and a Caesar Side Salad. Very tasty. One must dig deep to find any negatives. To that end, the steak for this dish was supposed to be a filet, if I remember correctly. I ordered it medium-rare. I understand that two 2-ounce pieces of meat can be challenging to cook properly. It was pink inside. But it just seemed a bit tough for a filet. We look forward to trying this place again in the future. Certainly would recommend. Thanks, Bistro on Main!

Do yourself a favor. Try the fried chicken! We are lucky to have great restaurants in Lexington. I think The Bistro is my favorite because of Jackie the owner, ambiance, Mortye, the bartender and of course food and beverages are wonderful! Thanks!

In town on business.......so glad I stopped here to eat.....best Caesar Salad I have had in a very long time....Chicken Marsala, veggies, mash potatoes, Tiramisu, and even the sweet tea and bread and butter were excellent. Don't know if business will bring me this way again but if it does I'll be sure to stop in to eat

We headed to Lexington for dinner after a somewhat impromptu visit to the Virginia Safari Park and had our 2 little ones (5 & under) with us. Bistro at Main caught my eye & though our children aren't unaccustomed to dining in restaurants, we were traveling and were not sure it would be a good choice for a family with young children. We did stop to check out the menu for future reference. As we started to walk on, a member of the staff came outside to greet us and informed that though they didn't have a kids menu, they were happy to prepare something kid-friendly by request & welcomed us in. It was such a nice surprise to see this effort made, especially given the restaurant was practically full & they seemed to be plenty busy. Everyone was so friendly & accommodating the entire time, the atmosphere is nice but still cozy and casual, our meals came out quickly, service was excellent and everything was delicious! (They prepared a flatbread pizza and pasta for our daughters, my husband & I had the chicken Marsala and shrimp & grits-- all excellent). We try to avoid chains & love to patronize local, small town businesses. While we enjoy trying new places especially when traveling, we would certainly return to this one again and recommend to others. Thank you, Bistro at Main, for going above & beyond for our family, my husband and I were glad to get to enjoy a "grown up dinner" while still having our children along with us. Thankfully our children returned the favor of behaving well and it was just an overall pleasant dining experience for all!

What a pleasure to be able to have brunch at this wonderful little place on Main St. in Lexington. We really lucked out getting a seat not having a reservation. The food was some of the best I've ever had and I particularly loved having a "Polyface" burger!

We had such a good experience here. We ordered the beet gnocchi (delicious!) and the spring rolls (good) for an appetizer. The special was scallop pad Thai and is was really good. Lots of scallop and cooked to perfection. The beer (hefeweissen) and wine (Elouan Pinot Noir) were great and the servers were so nice and helpful. The owner was very pleasant and accommodating.

Just had the most fabulous dinner with my bride of 25 years. The Bistro always delivers an awesome dinner!!!

Always a great meal,service outstanding and the gentleman behind the bar is a master

By far my favorite place in Lexington! Cute little place to enjoy your friends’ company and eat tasty meals. Their beer bread is a delicious way to start the meal. Highly recommend the salmon with spinach and mashed sweet potatoes and the pear salad.

My family and I will definitely be back! The food is great and the ambiance and general vibe of the place is very homey yet upscale at the same time. The staff was very friendly and helpful!! If in the area definitely worth a try 😃

A very pleasant bar and restaurant on one of the main downtown streets of a charming burg. Excellent service, and interesting menu, and reasonable prices for an upscale-tending bistrot. When I looked over the lunch menu, my New Orleanian heritage kicked in and forced me to order an oyster po-boy. <br/><br/>Many people say you shouldn't order seafood when dining inland, especially people from coastal areas. But I found the best oysters of my life in the Rocky Mountains behind Denver -- no, not THAT kind of oyster; regular oysters -- and also the most expensive. The lesson I drew from that experience is that money trumps distance. And so it is here: the oysters were excellent, the preparation was very good, and the presentation, with a nice handful of well-prepared fried potatoes and a very good coleslaw, was likewise very well done. The only upsetting thing was that the sandwich was served on a small, soft round bun, which the purist in me regards as an almost unpardonable breach of propriety. A po-boy must -- MUST, I say -- be served on a crusty baguette. If it wasn't so damned good I'd really have to mark them down for that offense. (Imagine the appropriate emoticon here.)<br/><br/>THE CURMUDGEON’S RATINGS (explained, sort of, on the Curmudgeon-About-Town blog):<br/><br/>FOOD: 4 chili peppers (out of 5)<br/>SERVICE: 4 chili peppers<br/>AMBIENCE: 3 chili peppers<br/>VALUE: 2 1/2 chili peppers

First time visitor. Excellent service. Excellent food. Will definitely come back.

Perfect! The atmosphere is so cozy and festive for the holidays, the hostess and server were SO friendly and accommodating. I got the grilled salmon; cooked perfectly with delicious mashed sweet potatoes, and spinach. It was exactly what I wanted! My husband and I found this restaurant midway on our three hour trip home. So glad we stumbled upon this gem!

Tried to rip me off.. I had a very nice lunch. The food was pretty good but not outstanding. Our server was very nice but not knowledgeable about the menu, the timing of the food was very good, and the atmosphere was nice. BUT when the bill came I handed our server my credit card and she returned later having run my credit card with a 25% gratuity added in, and asked me to sign. I was never asked or given an opportunity to choose an amount. Furthermore the tip was 25% of the total with tax. When I questioned this I was told that if I use an AMEX card, their machine automatically adds 25% of the total including tax to the bill. I was told that I had to give them at least 20% of the total after tax if I used an AMEX card. If I wanted to change it to 20% they would give me back the difference in cash, but they insisted that I had to give them 20%. Not wanting to make a scene I grudgingly took the cash and left vowing to never set foot again in that den of thieves.

My wife and I have dined at Bistro on Main several times for both lunch and dinner. The experience just keeps getting better with each trip. We eat out often and have eaten at all restaurants in Lexington and Staunton that have good ratings. Bistro on Main is a clear favorite followed by Zynodoa in Staunton. Bistro changes its menu regularly. The selections are imaginative and tastefully presented. There isn't a dish that we haven't thoroughly enjoyed. The wine selection is outstanding and desserts to die for. The ambiance and decor are worthy of a nice, romantic evening or a small birthday party for special friends. Jackie, the owner, is nearly always at the restaurant managing things. Service has been perfect each time we have visited. If you're ever near Lexington, Virginia, you should put Bistro on Main on your "must do" list.

I got the lasagna. When it came it was cold in the middle. This makes me think two things: 1- not fresh 2- microwaved. I will not return!

Great lunch. Pork medallions sandwich was great with a very subtle sauce. Crab and shrimp chimi was fantastic. Bed of rice was spot on. Quiche and salad was last main. Very good but the crust was a bit ordinary. Service was really fun they talked with us and made us feel very welcome. Great spot will be back.

Had a a cozy Christmas eve dinner at bistro on main and we were welcomed by the friendly and attentive service along with some delicious house baked bread. Prices were very reasonable and the apps and main were fresh and preserved the flavors of the food. Four dollars for a butternut squash soup or bright house/ Greek salad. Mains ranged from 18-27 and were presented with healthy flavorful sides; julienned vege medley or sweet potato mash, for example. Full dessert menu including some interesting dessert coffees to top off an excellent meal.

If your looking for perfection, this is it! The crab cakes are absolutely fantastic, the way they crumble and almost melt in your mouth. All the flavors from the lemon butter to the garlic mash all mix together to put together a memory I will never forget

This is an absolutely fantastic place. The atmosphere is lovely, and the food is wonderful. It's perfection!

Excellent! Everything we ate was wonderful! From the piping hot bread at the beginning of the meal, the creamy and savory cream of mushroom soup, the stuffed chicken breast and fabulous creme brûlée! We were here visiting, but if I lived here I would defiantly be back and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to friends or family.

The salmon was topped with a mango salsa and served with sides of mashed sweet potatoes and cooked spinach. The salmon with the mango salsa was delicious.