As someone who has frequented Brontë Bistro when colleagues are in town I was generally the first to recommend this spot for lunch. It was always a favorite of my ex-boss. So, when a new colleague came to the city for a meeting just down the road I quickly suggested Brontë Bistro for lunch and to run through some of his business related questions as this was our first meeting together.
Unfortunately, we started off to a rocky start and were placed at a tiny table by the bar. I can't sit in wooden chairs bc of severe scoliosis and a spinal fusion so we asked to be moved to a booth. We could tell our server was not thrilled. We ate our decent lunch and had acceptable, mid-grade service.
I went to the restroom and upon returning I stopped at the bar to pay for something and was told that they had been on a wait and that the manager had encouraged the sever to have us leave. She was very rude and off putting when she shared this with me and I felt very uncomfortable. It was an inappropriate interaction at best.
A few moments later the store manager came up and scolded us for taking too long at the table and told us (I had no idea and as a customer it's not my concern) that they had been on a wait and that everyone wants a booth. She told us our business meeting was not welcome and we were not welcome to be there. My colleague and I sat stunned and did not say anything to her. He said that he felt like she reprimanded us like children and we had done nothing wrong. Not a good first impression for my new associate.
Sadly, we won't be back. It was embarrassing and uncomfortable for me and very rude and unprofessional on their end. Just do better. Be kinder. And, if our business was not enough and the next guest vying for our valuable booth was that important if they had politely asked us to leave, though still not appropriate, I would have happily obliged.
Hack Saw
I eat here pretty often. The food is excellent for the most part. The service is generally excellent.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Teresa Pacelli
This was a lovely little restaurant off the side of a bookstore and gift shop. The food was very tasty and the after lunch shopping was awesome! Very fun place - lots of treats !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joyce Cutter
Enjoyed the tuna melt and good service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Emily Morgan
I love this restaurant! It's a wonderful place to eat before you peruse the bookstore. They have excellent breakfast/brunch food. It's a little higher end, but absolutely worth it. The service is fabulous too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kallie Lovett
I came in to grab some lunch today with my MIL and my toddlers, it was hot out, the girls were hangry, and I could barely focus on the menu. (So many great options btw). An outing that I thought for sure was a goner, was saved by our fantastic host. Cooper went above and beyond with service today, during a rush, making sure every table was being taken care of. Cooper was super patient with me as I tried to settle my girls and brought everything under the sun to help us get my girls calm so mom could think for a second. I never really feel seen, mostly just judged/ignored at restaurants. Cooper has restored my faith in taking the girls out, and I can’t stress enough how much better that made my day. At the end of our meal I tried to clean up my girls messes (like I always do) and Cooper was 100% all over that, telling me not to worry about it. 100/10 experience, and the energy was so nice for a change. Thank you Cooper!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gary Ross
Very outdated. Very mediocre food
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
ella stevens
Food was great, however wouldn’t recommend coming here for a business meeting
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Johanna Taylor
My sister and I decided to throw a surprise 70th birthday party for our mother. We debated for a long time on where to throw this party. We needed somewhere with gluten-free options, easily accessible parking and bathrooms, and alcohol and coffee options. I wanted a buffet setup of appetizers, but also wanted our guests to leave feeling well fed. We decided on the Bronte Bistro just north of Cincinnati.
Kim, the general manager of Bronte Bistro, was not always the easiest person to get a hold of. We attempted to plan a time to speak over the phone, but could not find a time that suited us both. We eventually settled on planning everything through email. This was nerve wrecking (to say the least), but the results were phenomenal.
Kim and her team curated a buffet of entirely gluten-free foods for us that fit perfectly into our price point. This included shrimp cocktail, mini steak sandwiches with goat cheese, ham and cheese sandwiches, salad with a variety of dressings and more. There was something for everyone. We received so many compliments on the food from our guests, most of who were from out of town. We had one server designated to our party whose name was Blake. He did an exceptional job of keeping our drinks refilled and bringing endless coffees.
We also really enjoyed having the bookstore so close. We rented a private space for three hours, allowing our guests to come and go freely from the party to the shopping area. This was not only great for some of the younger guests at the party, but also for my cousin Aaron from Texas whose wife sent him a two page list of books she would like to add to her collection.
I would plan this party at this venue again, and highly recommend it to anyone with a varied guest list who may require special accommodations. The Bronte Bistro took our ideas and made them a reality.
I like Bronte’s and normally the food is really good along with the service. However, things have changed. I got a cod sandwich it was very bland and the bun looked pretty old. Maybe it was damaged… As for the service, my server has not one time willingly checked on me. I did stop her to ask for napkins. I’m not sure what has happened, but I will give them some space. Maybe in six months things will be better.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 2
Dawn Grady
Nice place for morning meetings. The food is pretty good, too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
mandy jeanne
I hate to write this review, because I love Bronte Bistro, but I am compelled. Our group had a truly abysmal experience last week. From the get go it was clear we were not wanted in the cafe. I teach Tarot, and sometimes will have my students convene at Bronte for a change of pace. This is not dissimilar to say, a book club, or the Cincinnati Atheist group that meets at Bronte once a month.
We had a group of 8 (originally 10) for which I had reserved the back room. I have been frequenting Bronte since 2007, and never once been told the back room must be rented if you want privacy, which means the curtains would be closed. Even in the years I worked there this was not a policy, and we often closed the curtains for parties in the room as a courtesy. (Of course I understand things change, but this must have changed in the past month, as I had a similar group only a few weeks ago in the same room with closed curtains without issue.) Only a few minutes after closing the curtains, the manager, Kim, abruptly yanked them open and chastised us for not paying a rental fee. When I went to speak with her about the fee, I was told I couldn't rent it at that time. So I asked for future information and she couldn't give me an answer, saying it had to go through her Director, but when I asked who I should speak with she said she takes care of rentals. So which is it?
Kim then asked if we were "that same Tarot Card group from last month who didn't order anything". I said we were the same group, but we most certainly ordered drinks and meals. She goes into the back and returns claiming we only ordered 3 soups, which is incorrect. I found all this to be extremely weird. Not only can I not have information on renting the room, there's some sort of directory of bad information of what my guests and I have or haven't ordered in the office?
Our service was miserable. Inattentive. We ordered quite a bit and much of it was slow to come out or didn't come out at all. One of the ladies in my group is Latina, and the waiter became irritated with her accent as she couldn't understand her. To boot, her young son was with us and wanted a plain burger. It's not hard to see he is autistic, so when his burger came out with "vegetables" on the side, it almost triggered a meltdown. When plates did arrive they were dropped on the table. One of of ladies had to ask for her cup of soup 5 times before it came out, and then it wasn't the soup she wanted. It all felt very intentional.
Another girl from our party let me know she could hear the manager Kim complaining about us to her staff as she passed by the bar to use the restroom. I suppose I'm not surprised.
When one of our group reached out to upper management the blame was quickly directed back at us since when we first walked in I had a bottle of Gatorade in my backpack. It was laid out how much restaurants are struggling, and when other patrons see us bring in outside food and drink they might think it's ok as well. I'm not sure this would have been an issue if I hadn't been retrieving items from my bag, but I certainly wasn't trying to pull a fast one on Bronte here. I even ordered 2 drinks, although I was told I would be charged $4 if I didn't put the Gatorade away.
Rude. Embarrassing. Absurd. Unacceptable. Those are only a few of the words that can describe this encounter. We were nothing but polite, and treated indignantly. I'm starting to think maybe someone doesn't like me bringing Tarot into the Bistro. And this whole thing is starting to feel a little bit more like discrimination.
Shame. On. You.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Wanda Vawter
Well prepared food at reasonable costs. Great service. Very attentive wait staff! It can be a little loud in here when it is crowded. Lunchtime is always crowded
Kid-friendliness: Great kids menu!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Omar khan
Kaelyn was so friendly and gave yummy recommendations. I never thought about eating at a bookstore, but maybe I showed more often I stumbled in here by accident. And everything was pretty dang good!
As someone who has frequented Brontë Bistro when colleagues are in town I was generally the first to recommend this spot for lunch. It was always a favorite of my ex-boss. So, when a new colleague came to the city for a meeting just down the road I quickly suggested Brontë Bistro for lunch and to run through some of his business related questions as this was our first meeting together. Unfortunately, we started off to a rocky start and were placed at a tiny table by the bar. I can't sit in wooden chairs bc of severe scoliosis and a spinal fusion so we asked to be moved to a booth. We could tell our server was not thrilled. We ate our decent lunch and had acceptable, mid-grade service. I went to the restroom and upon returning I stopped at the bar to pay for something and was told that they had been on a wait and that the manager had encouraged the sever to have us leave. She was very rude and off putting when she shared this with me and I felt very uncomfortable. It was an inappropriate interaction at best. A few moments later the store manager came up and scolded us for taking too long at the table and told us (I had no idea and as a customer it's not my concern) that they had been on a wait and that everyone wants a booth. She told us our business meeting was not welcome and we were not welcome to be there. My colleague and I sat stunned and did not say anything to her. He said that he felt like she reprimanded us like children and we had done nothing wrong. Not a good first impression for my new associate. Sadly, we won't be back. It was embarrassing and uncomfortable for me and very rude and unprofessional on their end. Just do better. Be kinder. And, if our business was not enough and the next guest vying for our valuable booth was that important if they had politely asked us to leave, though still not appropriate, I would have happily obliged.
I eat here pretty often. The food is excellent for the most part. The service is generally excellent.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
This was a lovely little restaurant off the side of a bookstore and gift shop. The food was very tasty and the after lunch shopping was awesome! Very fun place - lots of treats !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Enjoyed the tuna melt and good service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I love this restaurant! It's a wonderful place to eat before you peruse the bookstore. They have excellent breakfast/brunch food. It's a little higher end, but absolutely worth it. The service is fabulous too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I came in to grab some lunch today with my MIL and my toddlers, it was hot out, the girls were hangry, and I could barely focus on the menu. (So many great options btw). An outing that I thought for sure was a goner, was saved by our fantastic host. Cooper went above and beyond with service today, during a rush, making sure every table was being taken care of. Cooper was super patient with me as I tried to settle my girls and brought everything under the sun to help us get my girls calm so mom could think for a second. I never really feel seen, mostly just judged/ignored at restaurants. Cooper has restored my faith in taking the girls out, and I can’t stress enough how much better that made my day. At the end of our meal I tried to clean up my girls messes (like I always do) and Cooper was 100% all over that, telling me not to worry about it. 100/10 experience, and the energy was so nice for a change. Thank you Cooper!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very outdated. Very mediocre food
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Food was great, however wouldn’t recommend coming here for a business meeting
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My sister and I decided to throw a surprise 70th birthday party for our mother. We debated for a long time on where to throw this party. We needed somewhere with gluten-free options, easily accessible parking and bathrooms, and alcohol and coffee options. I wanted a buffet setup of appetizers, but also wanted our guests to leave feeling well fed. We decided on the Bronte Bistro just north of Cincinnati.
Kim, the general manager of Bronte Bistro, was not always the easiest person to get a hold of. We attempted to plan a time to speak over the phone, but could not find a time that suited us both. We eventually settled on planning everything through email. This was nerve wrecking (to say the least), but the results were phenomenal.
Kim and her team curated a buffet of entirely gluten-free foods for us that fit perfectly into our price point. This included shrimp cocktail, mini steak sandwiches with goat cheese, ham and cheese sandwiches, salad with a variety of dressings and more. There was something for everyone. We received so many compliments on the food from our guests, most of who were from out of town. We had one server designated to our party whose name was Blake. He did an exceptional job of keeping our drinks refilled and bringing endless coffees.
We also really enjoyed having the bookstore so close. We rented a private space for three hours, allowing our guests to come and go freely from the party to the shopping area. This was not only great for some of the younger guests at the party, but also for my cousin Aaron from Texas whose wife sent him a two page list of books she would like to add to her collection.
I would plan this party at this venue again, and highly recommend it to anyone with a varied guest list who may require special accommodations. The Bronte Bistro took our ideas and made them a reality.
Very good food!
Restaurantji Recommends
I like Bronte’s and normally the food is really good along with the service. However, things have changed. I got a cod sandwich it was very bland and the bun looked pretty old. Maybe it was damaged… As for the service, my server has not one time willingly checked on me. I did stop her to ask for napkins. I’m not sure what has happened, but I will give them some space. Maybe in six months things will be better.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 2
Nice place for morning meetings. The food is pretty good, too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
I hate to write this review, because I love Bronte Bistro, but I am compelled. Our group had a truly abysmal experience last week. From the get go it was clear we were not wanted in the cafe. I teach Tarot, and sometimes will have my students convene at Bronte for a change of pace. This is not dissimilar to say, a book club, or the Cincinnati Atheist group that meets at Bronte once a month.
We had a group of 8 (originally 10) for which I had reserved the back room. I have been frequenting Bronte since 2007, and never once been told the back room must be rented if you want privacy, which means the curtains would be closed. Even in the years I worked there this was not a policy, and we often closed the curtains for parties in the room as a courtesy. (Of course I understand things change, but this must have changed in the past month, as I had a similar group only a few weeks ago in the same room with closed curtains without issue.) Only a few minutes after closing the curtains, the manager, Kim, abruptly yanked them open and chastised us for not paying a rental fee. When I went to speak with her about the fee, I was told I couldn't rent it at that time. So I asked for future information and she couldn't give me an answer, saying it had to go through her Director, but when I asked who I should speak with she said she takes care of rentals. So which is it?
Kim then asked if we were "that same Tarot Card group from last month who didn't order anything". I said we were the same group, but we most certainly ordered drinks and meals. She goes into the back and returns claiming we only ordered 3 soups, which is incorrect. I found all this to be extremely weird. Not only can I not have information on renting the room, there's some sort of directory of bad information of what my guests and I have or haven't ordered in the office?
Our service was miserable. Inattentive. We ordered quite a bit and much of it was slow to come out or didn't come out at all. One of the ladies in my group is Latina, and the waiter became irritated with her accent as she couldn't understand her. To boot, her young son was with us and wanted a plain burger. It's not hard to see he is autistic, so when his burger came out with "vegetables" on the side, it almost triggered a meltdown. When plates did arrive they were dropped on the table. One of of ladies had to ask for her cup of soup 5 times before it came out, and then it wasn't the soup she wanted. It all felt very intentional.
Another girl from our party let me know she could hear the manager Kim complaining about us to her staff as she passed by the bar to use the restroom. I suppose I'm not surprised.
When one of our group reached out to upper management the blame was quickly directed back at us since when we first walked in I had a bottle of Gatorade in my backpack. It was laid out how much restaurants are struggling, and when other patrons see us bring in outside food and drink they might think it's ok as well. I'm not sure this would have been an issue if I hadn't been retrieving items from my bag, but I certainly wasn't trying to pull a fast one on Bronte here. I even ordered 2 drinks, although I was told I would be charged $4 if I didn't put the Gatorade away.
Rude. Embarrassing. Absurd. Unacceptable. Those are only a few of the words that can describe this encounter. We were nothing but polite, and treated indignantly. I'm starting to think maybe someone doesn't like me bringing Tarot into the Bistro. And this whole thing is starting to feel a little bit more like discrimination.
Shame. On. You.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Well prepared food at reasonable costs. Great service. Very attentive wait staff! It can be a little loud in here when it is crowded. Lunchtime is always crowded
Kid-friendliness: Great kids menu!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kaelyn was so friendly and gave yummy recommendations. I never thought about eating at a bookstore, but maybe I showed more often I stumbled in here by accident. And everything was pretty dang good!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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