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Bay Street Bistro, Lakeland, FL

Bay Street Bistro

4.8
4.8
921 Reviews
$50 and over
French

Make a reservation

2 people
7:30 PM
Booked 1 time today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
  • Neighborhood gem
The Bay Street Bistro is an eclectic restaurant and art gallery serving French, Italian and American cuisine, as well as displaying the areas most talented artists.

The Bay Street Bistro is your destination for top quality dining in a relaxed atmosphere, located conveniently in downtown Lakeland, FL. We pride ourselves on making everything possible from scratch, using the highest quality ingredients we can find!

We are also available for private bookings, dinner parties, business meetings and catering for your next event.

NOTE: Reservations of a party of 6 or more, please call us directly at: 863-683-4229.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    French, Contemporary American, Contemporary French / American
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–8:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (863) 683-4229
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive chef
    Kevin Smith
  • Catering
    We are available to cater your next event no matter how big or small. You can choose items from our existing menu or create your own custom menu with our chef Kevin Smith. Please contact us to find out more.
  • Private party facilities
    We are available for private bookings, dinner parties and business meetings. Please contact us to find out more.
  • Neighborhood
    Lakeland
  • Cross street
    N. Kentucky Ave.
  • Parking details
    Free parking is available after 5pm in the parking lot on the ride side of our building. Private lot signs are posted in the parking area, however there is free public parking in the lot after 5pm every day.
  • Public transit
    We are located within a short walk from the main bus station for our local public transit system Citrus Connection, on South Florida Avenue.
  • Entertainment
    We support and display various works from the areas most talented artists in our dining room.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Gluten-free Options, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 921 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Tampa / Central Florida West

    Good for special occasions

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Bay Street Bistro in Lakeland is a "hidden gem" known for its "amazing food" and "world-class service." Ideal for special occasions, the menu offers eclectic dishes like sea bass piccata and escargot. The "lovely ambiance" and attentive staff make it a go-to spot for fine dining experiences.

921 Reviews
  1. Ron

    Tampa

    2 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Another incredible meal and experience at Bay Street!

    Is this helpful?

  2. Barbara

    Tampa

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Big variety to choose from.. great service and great food. Everyone was happy

    Is this helpful?

  3. Angie

    Orlando

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food is always good! Service is professional and polite Very quiet during weekdays

    Is this helpful?

  4. Ginger

    Tampa

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on November 2, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our dinner was amazing. The aervice outstanding. A wonderful evening to celebrate my birthday. Escargot, brie, filet and the shrimp made to perfection… the lemon blueberry cake was so delicious

    Is this helpful?

  5. Kristen

    Tampa

    6 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on October 18, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was delicious and they had a great wine list! I had the shrimp scampi and it was one of the best I’ve had.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Danielle

    Tampa

    6 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on October 13, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food and service, we always have a great experience at Bay Street Bistro! Highly recommend the chicken Cordon Bleu and Bronzed Salmon.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Richard

    San Diego

    37 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    37 reviews

    Dined on October 4, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    This place is super cute and I had high expectations based on the menu and first impressions of the space. The staff was wonderful, friendly and the service was great! The menu was great and the ingredients were all first rate! Unfortunately the execution of the dishes fell a bit short and the plating was not at all in concert with the price level. It felt more like French inspired homemade cooking with restaurant quality ingredients but the price level was at the level of a Michelin rated restaurant so that felt a bit inconsistent. I think the place has real potential and the concept is great. Just need a bit more finesse in the kitchen to match the price level. The portions were generous and the flavors were good overall so perhaps slightly smaller portions and a little more finesse would have brought it home for me.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Joe

    Tampa

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on September 21, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always a lovely dining experience with great ambience.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Mikayla

    Tampa

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 21, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing service and staffing. A great place for any anniversary or celebration. Our server was so kind and assisted us in deciding what to get and even what wine to pair with the entree! Our first time dining with them and won’t be our last!

    Is this helpful?

  10. Kim

    Tampa

    41 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    41 reviews

    Dined on September 13, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The sea bass was cooked perfectly. We asked for the previous Asian sauce. Unfortunately, it was extremely salty, as if they just reduced soy sauce. I won’t go off menu again. The lemon blueberry cake was amazing! The server never replaced used cutlery as needed, which should be standard. Other than that, the service was wonderful. Our only issue was that the prices have exceeded what we consider fair. We dined at Eddy V’s a week ago and our bill was less and we purchased more. Overall, it is very nice to have a fine dining meal so close. I would recommend either lowering prices or having food and service that matches up to other fine dining establishments.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Bay Street Bistro is rated 4.8 stars by 921 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:30 PM
Booked 1 time today
Google Map for Bay Street Bistro

211 E Bay St, Lakeland, FL 33801

Additional information

  • Cross street
    N. Kentucky Ave.
  • Neighborhood
    Lakeland
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–8:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    French, Contemporary American, Contemporary French / American
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Free parking is available after 5pm in the parking lot on the ride side of our building. Private lot signs are posted in the parking area, however there is free public parking in the lot after 5pm every day.
  • Public transit
    We are located within a short walk from the main bus station for our local public transit system Citrus Connection, on South Florida Avenue.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Kevin Smith
  • Entertainment
    We support and display various works from the areas most talented artists in our dining room.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Gluten-free Options, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (863) 683-4229
  • Catering
    We are available to cater your next event no matter how big or small. You can choose items from our existing menu or create your own custom menu with our chef Kevin Smith. Please contact us to find out more.
  • Private party facilities
    We are available for private bookings, dinner parties and business meetings. Please contact us to find out more.
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