Bacolod Restaurant Review: Intimate Fine Dining at Z Bistro

Bacolod Restaurant / When my daughter brought up the idea that we will have our dinner at Z Bistro, I agreed without hesitation. This was our second time to visit this place and I guess this is the perfect time to write about their food and services.

Z Bistro is just a small place, which is located right before you enter the new Stonehill Suites Hotel. It has about less than ten 4-seater tables and chairs and a small bar, very suitable for small events.

Parking within the hotel or restaurant area is quite easy during off-peak hours, but maybe difficult when customers are pouring in during lunchtime and dinner, especially on weekends.

My First Impression

The interior looks classy, using subdued colors in black and white. This is a fresh look from the usual restaurant themes of late – elaborate, colorful and too crowded decors.  As it is small, decorations are minimal and the lighting is perfect for an intimate dinner. I like the chandelier made of wood and sort of decorated the ceiling perfectly.

The table and chairs can be re-arranged to suit the number of guests in a group. Since I am with my wife and daughter, they placed the table against the wall, making the three sides usable for the three of us. The unused side of the table saves extra space.

Z Bistro’s Menu

This bacolod restaurant has a lot to offer.  While the choices are not extensive, the menu lists are arranged according to the type of meat – chicken, pork and beef and lamb.  There are appetizers, soup, pasta, seafood, burger and sandwiches, and all-day breakfast meals. It has non-alcoholic drinks, local alcoholic drinks, and imported ones, too; available per shot or bottle.

Hot and cold beverages are available for tea and coffee drinkers as well as desserts for the sweet-toothed guests. Main courses’ bestsellers include pork sisig, fried chicken in a basket, ribeye steak and pepper steak.

Timing

We went there for an early dinner, so understandably, only a few guests were present. The staff got our orders as soon as we were settled in our seats and ate our food after a considerable time.

The take-out orders for my other daughter and bill were given as soon as we requested for them. It helps because they have three frontliners waiting for the guests’ needs of around 10 persons.

I hate bacolod restaurants who have limited staff, especially when I am ignored if I called them to request for something.

Service

The staff have pleasing personality and were generally polite. Requesting for condiments and other eating needs are a breeze, since you may call them immediately, within hearing distance. Asking us if we have additional orders or if we like to have coffee or dessert was an excellent staff’s gesture.

Food

For this bacolod restaurant review, I tried one of their bestsellers, the crunchy and spicy Sisig, while my youngest daughter went for the creamy carbonara and my beloved wifey got the cheesy grilled cheese sandwich.

The serving portion size was decent. My sisig was just enough for me, It has crunchy garlic scattered generously above the grilled ground pork which gave the whole dish a new twist.

My daughter’s carbonara has bacon and mushrooms served with a lavish amount of cream sauce, For wifey, her grilled cheese sandwich came with melted cheese. The looks so tempting, you cannot wait till it reaches your mouth otherwise,  it taste bland when eaten cold.

I observed that the cook took efforts in presenting the dishes in such a way that the food were appetizing to the sight.

The cheesy grilled cheese sandwich costs P140.00

My Rating

I give Z Bistro a FIVE (on the scale of 1-5, with 5 being the highest). I like the cozy ambiance, limited crowd, and the reasonable price dishes, yet delicious and served in standard portion. The friendly staff is a plus, too.

On the minus-points, it might be difficult to find parking space during peak hours. At night time, it is quite a security issue if you find parking space too far from the hotel because the nearby areas are not well-lit.

I would like to go back, with my family to try their backribs and pepper steak or maybe check the additional menu offerings in the future.

Z Bistro is at the Ground Floor of Stonehill Suites Hotel, along San Agustin Drive, Bacolod City. You may get in touch with this restaurant thru their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/zbistro.bcd/about/

Are you fond of eating out? Tell us about your experience in the comment section below.