Bapa’s Bistro & Bar

9 Reviews on “Bapa’s Bistro & Bar”

• WeirDave

  Surprise!. I arrived after walking across the street at a competing hotel for my solo dinner on a Tuesday at 7:30p. Walking up to the space located inside the lobby of the Holiday Inn, I could hear the drone from the bar. There wasnt anyone at the host stand so I walked into the bar area. All the stools at the bar were full and two out of the four high tops were also occupied. The space was hopping and although it seemed like it would have been fun for a drinking night I opted to revisit the host stand and hope for the best with a server. When I arrived I was now greeted by a pleasant smile named Amber. She led me into the dining area which is only separated from the bar by a 2/3 partition wall topped with glass. The floors in the space are tile and the noise in the dining area was a distraction to say the least. This is such a shame too as the dcor and feel of the dining area is not unlike a big city bistro. Smart looking chairs and lighting, and tables adorned with linens and surprisingly a correct table setting. Amber also turned out to be my server. I sat at a four top near the server station in the back of the house facing the front of the house. There are about ten, four tops, a few deuces and some double ups with a half booth lining the wall. The lighting is decent but could stand to be dimmed a bit. I cant stress enough how loud it is emanating from the bar. In addition, the music being played was also competing. Such a shame, I guess no one knows what sound baffles are.I thought Amber started me off perfectly with warm bread and what looked to be a fresh dollop of butter while I perused the menu. I was all set to butter my bread when I discovered that I was unable to as it was very cold and solid as a rock. Amber had gone back into the server station and I got the attention of the very lovely Melissa another server on the floor. I asked if she could possibly nuke the butter for a short time so that it was usable and she complied bringing me back some malleable butter. While breaking the bread, I discovered it was so dried out it was practically like a crouton. Amber had come to check on me and she agreed it looked bad to her as well when she had grabbed it and said she would see about making a fresh loaf. Fantastic!I decided on a glass of the house white to start as I was leaning towards either the offered lobster specials or the Mahi. The house white wine was listed as $5 and was Sycamore Lane a Pinot Gris from California. Turned out it was rather bitter but later complimented the fish I choose nicely. After asking Amber which was the better prepared of the dishes, I opted for the Mahi, grilled and served with just a light brush of butter, a side of grilled zucchini and a salad with blue cheese. The salad arrived shortly after I scanned the room and spotted two flat screen TVs positioned on the front walls such that I was able to view what looked to be sports channels. The salad was comprised of very large pieces of romaine, red and green peppers, some red onion, two cherry tomatoes and one slice of cucumber. Despite having to cut the salad up which I hate, everything was nice and crisp. The dressing was served on the side in a ramekin. It was a bit runny but did have one piece of bleu cheese which in my book is a bonus. The replacement bread had arrived after the time it took to prepare my salad for eating and with the soft sweet real butter, it was perfect!The timing on the entre was nice having wrapped up my salad and sitting for a couple of minutes I did not feel rushed or stranded at all. The fish, about a 5oz serving, was cooked perfectly. The plate looked a bit odd to me however, with a very large whole zucchini halved and grilled, served stacked on the plate with some leaf lettuce as a garnish. It felt cumbersome and unnecessary to have to work for my vegetable and although it was grilled nicely the presentation truly detracted from the flow of the meal much like the salad. I found after cutting the vegetable up into something I could eat with a fork, that I had an off balance of vegetables to protein and felt like the plate and my palette, could have used a nice risotto or rice in an appropriate portion to the rest of the meal.I was offered quite a few desserts but turn them all down, asking for a simple scoop of chocolate ice cream for a great finish. All in all, this hidden bistro even with its quirky plating and lack of sound control really impressed me. I was even greeted with a nice, have a good evening sir, by the hotel staff as I exited. You can tell they are really making an effort here and with a little polish you might be fooled to think you were seated in a hot little bistro in a big city instead of a Holiday Inn, in Titusville, Florida.

  October 25, 2012, 2:59 am

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• John Cusimano

  Breakfast buffet on the 27. Absolutely zero service, cold food, no silver ware on tables and over priced. $10 for cold food is a waste of money when I can go next door to cracker barrel for the same price. Will not be back and would suggest a health inspector to check the tempature the of buffet because it was way bellow temp.

  August 27, 2012, 3:28 pm

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