St. Augustine is rich with European influence. However when
thinking about the history of the city, Ponce De Leon and the Spaniards come to
mind. But the French also played a role in St. Augustine’s history, which is
why I find Bistro De Leon to be one of the city’s gems. While I am a bit biased
on this one (I have been working at this restaurant for over a year now) the
food and atmosphere continues to inspire me.
Owner Jean-Stephane
Poinard and wife Valerie opened the bistro a little over 4 years ago. Chef Jean
is a 5th generation chef and he and his wife came to St. Augustine
from Lyon, France. They decided to open a French bistro in a Spanish town to
give the city a touch of French flair. The name itself shows the sense of humor
of the couple by using a play on words. While they are from Lyon, France, the
town c
ommemorates Ponce De Leon, and thus Bistro de Leon was born.
The restaurant is extremely small and narrow and pictures
around the restaurant allow guests to view the resemblance of this bistro to
Chef Jean’s bistro in Lyon. The tables are small and very close together which
encourages guests to interact with one another in an open environment. Bistro
De Leon is not a place for an intimate evening but rather a gathering to meet
new people and be able to share in conversations with strangers about food,
wine and travel.
The menu features French specialties such as escargot and
pate as well as the Lyon specialty Fish Quenelle (a fish soufflé baked in a
lobster bisque). All of the dishes are rich and serving sizes are larger than
you would expect from a French restaurant.
While I have dined her on occasion my fondest memory was
actually a night working. Last summer a transformer blew downtown leaving the
restaurant without power. Rather than disappointing guests Chef Jean remained
open until all of his guests were fed. We served tables by candle light and I
watched as guests were drawn closer together through laughter and food.
One table consisted of a group of seven men who had made it
a tradition to dine at the bistro every year. They traveled from across the
country to meet up for dinner at our establishment. They continued to chat and
laugh for hours and despite the lack of lighting they enjoyed their meal, even
invited the staff to join them. The men were inspiring and by the end of the
night we were all sitting with them and laughing as well. No one wanted the
night to end.
My favorite characteristic of Bistro De Leon is the
commitment to quality. The restaurant is part of the Slow Food movement, a
campaign began originally out of outrage when a McDonald’s opened in the
Vatican. Slow Food means that every component to every dish is made fresh in
house. While this does mean you may have to wait a little longer for your meal,
it gives customers the chance to enjoy their company or a couple of glasses of
wine while they wait. In addition to receiving the Slow Food “Snail of
Approval”, the Bistro De Leon has been voted by Best of Saint Augustine as Best
French Restaurant since 2010. The restaurant has received approval by AAA and
has been featured in Orlando food magazines as well.
When you go to the Bistro be sure to try the Pork Shank. It
is my favorite! A 24 ounce bone in pork shank slow roasted confit style served
with mashed potatoes. The meat falls of the bone and is packed with flavor.
Bistro De Leon is located in the heart of downtown at 12 Cathedral Place
Hours
Monday 5 p.m.- 9:30 p.m.
Tuesday 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Wednesday CLOSED
Thursday 11 a.m.- 10 p.m.
Friday 11 a.m.- 10 p.m.
Saturday 8:30 a.m.- 10 p.m.
Sunday 8:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
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