blue dahlia bistro

great food and people. we met several friends there last night for a really fine dinner. the waitperson was fun, responsive to our needs, and friendly.

we enjoyed hummus and a cheese plate for appetizers, all delightfully presented. i like the fact that bluedahliais gluten-free friendly, which makes it way easier for me to eat there.

i'm not sure what everyone at my table ate, but i had a fine pork stew - the night's special - and my partner had coq a vin, which she seemed to enjoy a great deal.

the wine list is small, but the bottles we selected were just fine.

the environment is cozy, warm and subtle. as a neighborhood restaurant, parking is simple and getting there is not a challenge (a big plus in the well populated and traffic-rich version of austin we now live in).

bluedahliabistro is a quaint bistro using local, fresh ingredients to create a healthy meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner. with over 15 gluten free dishes, this restaurant has items ranging from truffled duck mousse to coq au vin blanc. try the salade nicoise with the seared ahi tuni. there is also live music most evenings, including buzz guera, a lifelong austin resident, plays acoustic guitar on tuesday, wednesday, and thursday nights.

with a 100% guest rating, we had to try the bluedahliaout while in austin. the service was spot on. the food is amazing. my husband ate the crepes and i had today's frittata. the portions are the perfect size. we are not stuffed to the gills but incredibly satisfied. brava bluedahliabistro for ending our weekend in austin with a wonderful easter brunch!

new location - same great food. the bluedahliabistro is a new addition to the westlake area, but their other location has been around for awhile.

delicious french food, beautifully remodeled restaurant and patio and excellent service.

i went for lunch which is a more casual atmosphere. i got the chicken salad sandwich which also came with some seasonal fruit. very tasty and lovely open faced presentation.

welcome addition to westlake. the bluedahliabistro is a very welcome addition to the paltry restaurant choices available in westlake. a demanding neighborhood that does not support many new restaurants.

i have eaten at this location once for dinner, once at happy hour, and several times at breakfast. at each meal i have been served a really fresh salad of field greens with perfectly ripe tomatoes and a delicious lemon vinaigrette. the bouillabaisse and the salade nicoise were very good if not the best that i've ever had. the fish was generous and not overcooked in the bouillabaisse but the broth could have been a little richer. i missed the addition of haricort verts in the salade nicoise. the salted caramel gelato was every bit as delicious as it sounds.

happy hour was a little less successful. the dining space is quite small and was exceedingly loud due to a large raucous group. when we asked to be seated in the quieter back space our request was denied because they lacked a 2 person table in this space and would not separate 2 small tables pushed together to accommodate 4 people. we ended up sitting on the outdoor patio which is lovely but rather hot on a august day at 5 pm even with the misters and fans going. when i reentered the restaurant a bit later, i did see that they had separated these tables to seat other couples. their delicious wines are priced affordably at hh but the meat and cheese plate that we ordered was nothing special. i enjoyed an egg salad tartine with generous capers.

they are open at 8 o'clock for breakfast on weekdays and this seems to be a well kept secret as there is hardly anyone there. the frittatas are outstanding. the waffle and cheese blintzes and croissants are delicious. somewhat less satisfying was the soft boiled egg and bread basket. the egg was perfectly cooked but the bread basket contained on a couple of slices of a whole grain bread and cold baguette. the plate was dominated by a large salad that was very good but not what i'm in the mood for at 8 in the morning. salad also accompanies the frittatas. i would prefer fruit or potatoes. they serve wonderful raspberry jam and orange