Reviews of Bistro Le Relais (Restaurant)

Marshall Lee

Easily one of the best menus in Louisville. Classic, but relevant cuisine. Accessible, but refined, classic, with a flare of innovation. If you like classic French or New American you'll love this place. Standard setting service, comfortable, charming, great Louisville pricing. J'adore Bistro Le Relais!

Kristy Watkins

For was great, service was good, but a bit slow in the beginning. I think they were prioritizing getting drink orders for their entire area instead of at least getting appetizers in or even serving bread. But once everyone had drinks, service was great, attentive, and the food was wonderful.

Bob Langford

Awesome great food and service. Perfect for a special occasion or a great meal out

Murray Wilson

Very nice, frenchie-upscale-but-not-snooty bistro in beautiful Art Deco terminal building at Louisville municipal field (not the international airport). I flew there from Cincinnati and pulled my plane right up. Romantic setting, very good good food, professional service. 4-1/2 stars.

Mirsad B

Not bad place

HOM USA

This place is magical. Sitting on the deck overlooking Bowman Field on a beautiful night harkens back to a simpler time. The host\owner is so gregarious and accommodating we feel as though we are dear friends when we arrive. As a Champaign lover, the half bottle of Schramsberg is a perfect start to the event. It was an ideal pairing with our salad course (me, with the house and my companion, with the Lyonnaise). Our host, who also plays the role of sommelier, worked closely with us to ensure our wine selection enhanced our dining experience. I ordered the fillet, which was prepared to my temperature and was delicious. I replaced the fingerling potatoes for the gratin dauphinois which I LOVED. My date enjoyed the lamb chops which came with a Ratatouille of which I was extremely jealous and grateful for a taste. We concluded with a delicate chocolate mousse paired with a glass of sparkling rose. The entire staff anticipated our every need and worked well as a team. It was a special night and this meal was a tribute to the occasion.

Julie Henderson

Great food, great owner, less great server attitude

Scott Eberle

Authentic and delicious.

Sergei Churbanov

Nice place not too crowded, great food and service

Machinen Kanone

My wife and I went for an early dinner. It was great. The food was great. Awesome trout, fantastic pate, tasty salmon, and an out of this world bone-in chop. Dessert was so good I had two ! Service was top shelf. Topped off with a duo playing soothing jazz at a perfect volume. Thanks to all there. We'll be back.

Lee Burchfield

Always perfect.

Douglas Cushing

Amazing!!

Scott Ballard

Absolutely delicious!

Matt Skahen

Friendly servers and staff. Fun to watch planes. But service was fairly slow and food was average. For the price I would go somewhere else. Won’t be back.

Sean Moore

Exquisite and remarkable cusine.

Judy Craig

Great food

jim taylor

Classically trained kitchen and wait staff ensure that everything is done to perfection. For the quality of food and service, the prices are more than reasonable.

Burt Chandler

Fantastic restaurant! Wonderful historic location at Bowman Field. Great food, varied menu, very good wine list and exceptional service. A must visit when in Louisville.

Ken Kalmey

We gave a $20 tip with a $104 bill for 2 people. Our food was good not flavorful. Our service was okay but those who more people at their table got more attention .

Brice Robinson

The food, service, and location are all top notch.

Mike Dunleavy

One of our favorite restaurants in Louisville. The food is always fantastic and service has always been great. It's fairly small so I'd recommend reservations.

Michael Blair

We went there for a Birthday dinner and we're treated to a WONDERFUL dinner and Devon delivered exceptional service. Definitely a go to! The cod was wonderful! Definitely going back!

Beth Gallagher

Impeccable service and food!!

Cupie Cupie

Worst experience we ever had in dining. Went there several months ago for the first time to celebrate our daughter's milestone (21st) birthday. Server was very irritated cause we didn't order any drinks, appetizers or desserts! Owner/host was very rude too. When I asked if they have a complimentary dessert for birthday girl, he actually said a "candle"! Our daughter didn't even want a dessert, she just wanted to share a picture on social media. We had a birthday cake at home.The drink menus were snatched out of our hands as well as the dessert menus. They need to realize that not everyone drinks alcohol!!! Management and staff need to be trained on etiquette and courtesy. We of course made up our daughter's birthday dinner the following week at Ruth's Chris! Le Relais needs to increase their portion size too. We left hungry on top of everything else. Ruth's Chris you leave full and always a fantastic experience! Only regret was trying a new restaurant on a special occasion.

Frances Thompson

Always the best place for an amazing dinner in Louisville.

Lindsay Endicott

wonderful steak.

Graham Cull

The best French cuisine in the city by far.

adam stephens

Awesome. Everything about dinner was great. Added to favorite spots. If you haven't been you need to go.

DeAnna Werle

They ran out of bottled wine. Only able to purchase per glass. Very old dining room. The tables were packed in too close. Felt like I was dining with the people at the table next to me. The food is EXTREMELY OVERPRICED! Very small portions for top dollar. The food was ok but nothing special for the price. Would not reccomend.

David Seligson

Great food and ambience but be sure that Anthony is there. When he is away, it may take 20 minutes for them to take your order (which they had to come back and verify 3 times), not great advice on wine, insipid dessert, and cold coffee.

Kelly Redmon

Food is delicious

Heath Rico

The filet was the best I’ve ever had. It melted in my mouth. The service was fantastic as well.

Sara Provines

Great French cuisine

Maria F

This is our favorite restaurant in town. Staff is extremely refined and the ambience is just romantic and classy. Menu is wonderful and quality excellent. Their menu du hour is always great, and seasonal as should be and it is at any restaurant in Europe..hard to find this at any other restaurant in town. Their wine selection is very good and you can get good advise if not sure how to "marry" your food. Soufflé is a must, and if you like and actually can appreciate fine dining this restaurant will be your favorite. Come on Sunday and enjoy awesome music! Even the coffee is good.. and the cocktails. What else can you ask! Love it!!!

John Marshall

The owner of this restaurant couldn't be more HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!! I can't even believe our experience. There was a dining party in the main lobby of the airport. We had a special dinner planned for a family member who was celebrating her birthday. Everything that came out of the kitchen for the main dining room was slow. We expressed concern about how long it was taking. The owner was defensive at that point. The whole dining experience took a ridiculously long period of time. Naturally, we were really hungry. We waited for an hour and a half before we were served our main entrée. We were frustrated. We expressed that our displeasure to the owner. At that point he became rude and insulting and literally chased us out of the restaurant. I've never been so upset with the dining experience in my whole life. I would never recommend this restaurant!! It is supposed to be a dining experience. The prices are expensive. I really cannot believe this happened. I would rarely post something like this on the website. However, I cannot express how incredibly rude the owner was. He would not even hear what I had to say. He kept talking over me. I really don't know what else to say only that I will never ever go back there, and I will let everyone know about this horrible experience. Please think about spending your money elsewhere! I am only giving it one star because I had to. Otherwise, I could not have made this review. After I posted this response I looked at other reviews. There is a consistent response from customers that if they expressed displeasure with a part of the dining experience that the owner became unpleasant. Please be forewarned

Sandy Ralsten

Wonderful food and setting but discriminatory treatment! While my wife waited for an hour for the delayed flight arrival of a dining group, Anthony, the owner constantly harassed her about the time (3 hours before closing), the table availability (almost half were empty - when I called for reservation was told none were needed that evening) and intimated that she should leave. Although she is well dressed and had ordered wine and an appetizer, she has a foreign accent. His attitude became less rude when he found she owned the plane that was delayed and he was downright gracious when the full party taxied to the front of the restaurant. The service is absolutely outstanding and the food superbly prepared. The restaurant is located in the historical Louisville airport terminal built in 1929 and has an elegant decor. Worthy of a romantic dinner if you don't have the wrong foreign accent. To whom does one complain when the owner is the jerk? Visited August 2016

J.Landon Overfield

Wonderful dining experience.

Ed Cochrane

Ok

Eddie Hager

Listening to the 2 man band play on the patio while relaxing with a glass of wine the owner Anthony recommended, as a gentle breeze comes and goes on such a wonderful evening i see a small single engine plane take off in the distance wow what a way to start my evening off as this spectacular meal is then placed before me i must let everyone know about this amazing experience on a Sunday as the sun falls in the sky.

Cynthia Weinmann

The food is the star, but the service won't take second place! Informed and friendly, the timing is as perfect as your meal. Enjoy the accessible wine list and try the Gruet sparkling wines. Try the Grand Marnier soufflé, the signature dessert. Bon appetit!

Adam Howard

“Cool location” Very cool locations, our waitress was really nice. The hot brown had a ton of cheese and the beer cheese appetizer was awesome.

Victor Jenkins

We had a wonderful night

Cara P

This was a birthday dinner (surprise) for my dear friend, a gift from me and her two grandchildren. The restaurant was charming and inviting. The cocktails were expertly done and very well presented, and the menu diverse, catering to a wide range in pallets. Each person in our party thoroughly enjoyed their entree's and the portions were generous. Each dish that was brought to our table was exquisite, the seasonings and presentation beautiful (Lamb, Salmon and Trout were what was ordered for our table). The desserts were amazing, the Crème Brule had a beautiful caramelized top with a rich and creamy custard. The delicious espresso ice-cream was hand-made in the restaurant and the chocolate truffle with raspberry sauce melted in your mouth. However, all of that doesn't compare to the outstanding service we received. The staff was professional, friendly and warm which provided our dinner party with an excellent birthday memory!! Thank you Le Relais for making BB's birthday truly a memorable one for all of us. I look forward to visiting you all again soon!! Sincerely, Cara

Casey Lewis

Excellent food and atmosphere. Cocktails were perfect.

Elizabeth Springer

Our family's favorite! Consistently fantastic food, with some standards and some seasonal changes every few months. Get Anthony to pick a wine for your dinner if you can, he has never led us astray!

james long

This place is amazing

Matthew Thompson

Experienced the soup du jour, which was a lentil smoked sausage type soup. Full of great flavor and not too small of a portion. However, many Americans might find plat size small. Endive salad had good portion to it, and overall was good. Could have used a bit more variety of ingredients in salad. Heavy on the endive. Serivce very good for European standards, but Americans might be a bit disappointed since you are left alone for most of dinner. Great fpod, but it is important to have the right expectations when coming here.

Ahmer Murad

Went for dinner as a couple while in Louisville for the long weekend. The ambiance and service were great and they have an extensive wine list and well stocked bar. The food was very good overall but everything I ate seemed just a tad under-seasoned (there was salt on the table, so I was able to add a little and that made a huge difference). I had the Escargot (very nice). the Beet Salad (wonderful!), and the Duck Breast (I wanted a little acidity on the plate, but otherwise very good), and my wife had the Crab Cake starter, a Mixed Greens Salad, and the Trout. She said liked everything she had, but wasn't blown away by anything in particular. For dessert, I had the Profiteroles and she ordered the Bread Pudding, both of which were very nice.

Joseph Richardson

Amazing restaurant! The service was fantastic, the classic ambiance was great, and the food was amazing. Will be going back time and time again to this gem!

Hortencia Safier

Visited with friends at 11:00am in fall. I tried to make reservation but the restaurant didn't take any reservation told me to walk in and wait for seats. We waited for 45mins and ordered the famous tofu gozen. Tofu was extremely nice but side dishes were soso...

Holly Hamilton

The food, the service, the atmosphere.... everything was wonderful!

Paul T Carney

What they do is simple and impeccable.

Wagner Baskett

Great food, great staff,

Mark Inderlied

Great food owner is amazing

Ben Phillips

Very good menu, great service outstanding food.

Anita Matzker

Delicious

Bruce Billedeaux

Perfect service, perfect cocktails, perfect food. It's as good as they say.

alan coleman

Waited for years to eat here! Had been told by business associates who had been here the I had to try it on my next business trip. Never got the chance. Then when I visited with my husband, we made a point to have dinner at Jack Frys. Better than I could have expected. DELISH! Awesome service.

Hugh Shoff

Really nice food, service made the evening,.will frequent often

G P

Absolutely fantastic. Best meal I've had in quite some time. Atmosphere is great and the service was top notch! Thanks for a memorable evening!

Paul Hejja MD

Nice venue. Food prepared well. Portions somewhat meager.

Todd Epley

High-end French cuisine inside a historic building. The atmosphere is nice, the service is excellent and the food is quite good. My wife and I went for a romantic dinner and we were not disappointed. The dining room was a bit crowded but that is to be expected at any restraunt on a Saturday night. The foie gras was slightly undercooked but still pretty good. The standout for the night was the scallops which were excellent, and the bread pudding which was a great ending to the meal. The prices are high but this is a good option for those who are looking to splurge and would rather try something different than a chain like Ruth's Chris. We will certainly go again in the future.

Kristina Morgan

The server was horrible!!! Food was fine, the decor old fashioned, and the bathroom smelled like urine- but the worst part was our Middle aged Asian waiter. He was rude and sarcastic. There was a bug in my son’s drink and the $44 bottle of …

Josephine Welch

There is no shortage of great restaurants in Louisville but none can compare with Bistro Le Relais. A beautiful dining room, impeccable service, delicious, exquisite food; a perfect evening. The menu offers a wide range of delicious entrees (including duck and trout.); some are available in half portions as well. Would love to try the deck sometime.

lcmg doctor

Absolute worst experience. I’m not sure how there are so many great reviews. I’m usually not one to complain, but this was completely unacceptable. We waited for an hour and a half before we even got any bread. My pasta was a joke. Butter …

Mark Byrum

Romantic and Cozy with Excellent Food - we had a birthday dinner out at Bistro Le Relais. The service is personal and top notch. The menu offerings are very good - most will find something to their liking. The chef's specials were superb. The soufflé was "to die for." Highly recommended!

Cathy Snyder

Intimate enough for special occasions while still laid back enough for friends and family. Food is amazing.

David Cummins

Overpriced.

Mckenzie Lile

Bluuuu

Justin Fra

O M G worst experience ever. First let's start with the greeting a nice dressed Man greeted us at the door which was nice, from there all else was downhill. The restaurant doesn't have a handicapped entrance, no you enter from the lobby beside the resteraunt, how is this legal? Then the door was locked and no one was there to unlock it so we had to go back around to the front to get someone to unlock it. Once in the resteraunt has the stench of old varnish (gave us all headaches) the walls looked to be wood wallpaper that was peeling and in spots had major water damage. The service was very poor for the pompus atmosphere where the waiters bring you 1 slice of bread and a ice free water... Yes you had to ask for ice! Next let's talk about dinner quality.. we had the top suggestion of filet and potatoes with asparagus, also our group got salmon and pasta of those all were very very poor quality with sad looking veggies and embarrassing sides. The main meals were very poor and small portion sizes especially for the filet. One person got the steak and frits and that was the only that was quality food, and it was the cheapest! This place is so overpriced for the quality! At 50$ to 60$ per plate this was super expensive and I warn you, go elsewhere! Save your senses!

Michal Bobko

As good as its been for some years. Great cocktails. All the right things on basic Bistro menu are present and excellent. One small note: if more than one steak is ordered be careful to make sure the waiter serves the correct doneness to each person.

Peter Loeb

Great food and atmosphere

Dennis James

Quaint and Friendly place to relax.

Bryan Provines

Fantastic dinner destination

gary merritt

Excellent service, excellent food, great ambiance.

David Chick

Very rude

Clay Greene

Delicious French cuisine in Louisville KY. The service and food is impeccable and I highly recommend giving it a try. I was so excited that I forgot to take a photo of my scallops and risotto but trust me it was amazing.

Mimi Pritchett-Louiso

Worth the experience with close friends. Exceptional food by Anthony

Bruce Sauer

Very long wait for dinner with small crowd, but quality was excellent.

Tad Allen

The food was amazing and the service was excellent. Teddy was our server and he was fantastic.

Brian Carson

Positively outstanding food.

Mike Schay

Great French food! My favorite place to eat in Louisville. The service is excellent. But bring your wallet. It is pricey.

Kayla Evans

The lamb chops were tender and perfectly cooked. My significant other had the scallops and loved them. The service was great.