Bistro 33

Doesn't Recommend

NYCNICKK

Joined 4 years ago

.... Bad Service. I was there 2 weeks ago, I walk into the store and there was only 2 people inside, I sat on a 4 people table and the waitress gave the dirty look and said to me "Sir you have to sit on 2 people table because we are getting busy.... I said you are kidding me there are only 2 people here.... anyway I let it go... last nigh the same thing happens again, no people in the store I sat on 4 people table and the waitress comes and tells me that she will have to move me cause they are busy,... I mean are you kidding me????? That why you don’t have any people. Cause you are never busy!!!!! IM NOT GOING AGAIN THAT WAS VERY OFFENSIVE! Keep you empty tables because you are going get busy one day……. When they change waitress!

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parisgreen04

Joined 6 years ago

Order Rolls not Shrimp. I had HIGH hopes for Bistro 33. It's so close to my house...it broke my heart when I went there and everything seemed over priced and the shrimp dish I ordered came and was TINY. 3 Tiny shrimp and about a 1/4 of a cup of salad for 18$. Go with the Dragon Roll or something a little more reasonable and I think you'll be happier with your visit.

Doesn't Recommend

forzato

Joined 5 years ago

Food is amazing, the service ruins it.. I was excited when this place opened up in my neighborhood. It's a short walk from my apartment and the food is AMAZING. But I've been screwed twice. I've given them every chance and they've failed to redeem themselves. The last two times I've been there have been disastrous and I'm never going back.

Instance 1) I went with my wife and ordered what at point was my favorite dish: hangar steak - rare. The steak arrived and it was well done. Ok, no problem everyone has on off day. I hate to complain but I can't eat steak cooked that way. I called the waiter over and he agreed that the steak was unacceptable. He apologized, took it away and I was pleased. Ten minutes later he brought me a freshly cooked steak. When I cut into it and took a bite I realized that again it wasn't rare; instead it was uncooked. It was seared on the outside and cold on the inside. Basically it was raw. Again, reluctantly, I called the waiter over and pointed out the steak wasn't rare, it was raw. At that point I thought the best thing to do was have the steak wrapped up. Which they did. I took it home, finished cooking it and it was delicious.

Instance 2) New Years Eve 2009. Prix Fixe, wife and I went with another couple. We were excited. Trouble started before very long. It was a brutally cold night and we were sitting directly under a heating vent. After no more than 10 minutes we were all completely uncomfortable from being toasted with the heat at full blast. We quickly realized this would be a problem and mentioned it to management. They did their best to mollify us but the heat didn't stop. To make a long, unpleasant evening short: we were never appeased. We were uncomfortable throughout our meal. Again, it was prix fixe, with wine paired with each course. In addition we had cocktails and three bottles of wine. We ended up dropping over $700 for the four of us and I never felt that we were well taken care of. In the end we left before the dessert course and I felt ripped off.

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salonikamama

Joined 4 years ago

Great food Excellent service despite slight annoyances. I was at the restaurant on Friday night. The owners seemed to be having a fight amongst themselves that went outside in heated discussion. However the very professional staff kept their heads above the fray. The service was great. The Shrimp main course was excellent; the cous cous was exceptional. The incessant ringing of the bell for food pick up gets a bit annoying. However, this does not take away from the service and the quality of the food. So, overall I strongly recommend it.

Recommends

cillmylandlord

Joined 4 years ago

Food great Service Great. Every experience I have had at this restaurant has been delightful. I have nothing but great things to say about the food and the service. I have been fequenting the restaurant since its opening and find the food to be unbelieveably consistent and the service to be informative, friendly, without being obtrusive.

Doesn't Recommend

OliversTravels

Joined 4 years ago

Too much praise went into their heads.. We tried this place a year ago, and although the service was not special, inventive menu & impressive skills of the chefs made us recommend this place to friends all over. To all people saying that Astoria had lost it, we would say - "- no it didn't - try Bistro 33 !". Finally, we were back in the neighborhood and without doubt went there. What a disappointment ! I understand that brush waiters, begging for service and complete rudeness of the staff might be considered "Great Service" by recent transplants, who are tired of Cheesecake Factory cheerfulness. But after a hard day of work, being on tight schedule, (some people have kids), you would like to put your drink order in, without yelling at the waiter for 3 times, you would also like to be accommodated when you are the ONLY couple in the restaurant. Our request to be moved to a larger table was met with "We do mind you moving there, you'll need to sit at the smaller table". Great way to keep a customer happy, especially when yours is the ONLY party there! The food was inconsistent, with some appetizers being awesome and others making us wish that they had a Mustard-Ketchup-Salt&Pepper tray on the table. I understand that the restaurant's exceptional menu & owners' media connections had made this little place a financial success, but "professional" restaurant hunters will soon find a new little "gem" in Brooklyn, while these two local diners will not come back. And guess what, the larger table was still empty when we were leaving, because there was still ONLY one couple at the restaurant, crammed at the tiny table trying to place all the plates on the tiny surface.

Doesn't Recommend

MandMastoria

Joined 4 years ago

Bad service, dissapointing food, dingy...will not go back.. So after all this hype in the yellowcab ads we thought we'd find a new favorite in our hood but walked away really dissappointed. The place was dingy (dirty floors and smudged tables, stained chairs with crumbs on them at beginning of brunch service) with old beat up tables and chairs. There were only two other couples in the place at the hight of brunch time - now we know why. Coffee was undrinkable - kept at bar in a thermos - stale, bitter and luke warm. It took 20 minutes for only one of our orders to arrive, waited another 5 minutes for the other - it's been a long time since we saw a restaurant not even make an apology about not bringing both orders at same time. It seemed the chef forgot the second order. The food was dissapointing. Omelette was ok although like warm at best, grits were brought cold and oversalted. Will not go back.

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mrsgodzilla

Joined 4 years ago

Good sushi rolls and specials- now get the storefront next door and expand. The one thing working against Bistro 33 is its size- the place is downright small. That being said, the service is pretty good, the specialty cocktails are tasty, the ambiance is nice, but it's the food that takes it to the next level. The sushi rolls are inventive combinations that work well together. I heart a place that can serve duck that has a crispy skin but isn't greasy. The special foi gras burger was so decadent I just might burst a vein if I had it more than twice a year. None-too-pleased with the lamb chops though; they were prepared too rare for me. Outer boro is the place to go for good eats. Hop on the N and go on an adventure.

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nimmooo

Joined 5 years ago

Perfect Restaurant.... One of the best meals I've had in New York.

Went to dinner with my boss and two clients from Japan and the whole dining experience was impeccable...everything from the food to the service.

My table manners and etiquette shined that night.

Simply classy, graceful and almost perfect.

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ShnnnS

Joined 5 years ago

TOFU STEAK. Holy hell this restaurant is amazing! The food is excellent, the service is great, the atmosphere is relaxing and upbeat, the waitstaff is courteous, well versed in the menu, and fun.

The first time I ate at Bistro 33, I was a little anxious that the prices would break my pocketbook, but No! It was a Wednesday. The DUCK CONFIT was fantastic and was exactly as you'd want it--it had the most perfect crispness to the skin and exact degree of richness without feeling fatty or like too much.

The second time I went I had the TOFU STEAK and holy hell again; I had NO idea what to expect but left soooo satisfied. Plus the deserts are almost beyond imagination.



I go more during the weekday versus weekend, as it is a small space and reservations for weekends are muy muy hard to get. So if you want a weekend date, plan ahead and call for reservations a few days in advance.(That should be obvious for any popular intimate restaurant, I think). On the weekdays, you can step in without too much work. They are very accommodating.