Sometimes a restaurant does not need to reinvent the room to reinvent the experience. At Bistro Colette, Chef Jeremy Buck has transformed the former Flights Wine Bar on College Way into a warm and welcoming neighborhood French bistro, while keeping much of the comfortable, upscale casual atmosphere that made the space inviting in the first place. Buck, who also owns Salute in downtown Bend, brings a decidedly French sensibility to the new menu, with classic comfort food, an impressive beverage program and plenty of reasons to linger over a meal.
The wine list remains one of the restaurant’s strongest assets. It’s thoughtful and well curated, with plenty of selections that pair naturally with the food. I enjoyed a glass of Christophe Thorigny Vouvray Sec, a lovely white with flavors of Bosc pear, tangerine and lemon. It was outstanding with the food and a reminder that a good neighborhood bistro should make choosing a glass of wine feel as pleasurable as choosing a dish.
The cocktail menu includes classics such as a French 75 made with Le Grand Courtage Blanc de Blanc, gin and lemon; a Black Currant Sidecar with Courvoisier cognac, Cointreau, cassis and lemon, and a Buffalo Trace Boulevardier. The aperitif list is strong as well, with a St-Germain Spritz and the aptly named Death in the Afternoon, made with Blanc de Blanc and Absinthe Ordinaire. For those skipping alcohol, the Soleil d’Or combines pineapple and lime juices with ginger beer and club soda, while a Marionberry Mint Smash is made with NA vodka.
And then there’s the food, which is where Bistro Colette really begins to feel like a proper French neighborhood hangout. The menu is substantial without feeling unwieldy, covering everything from warm herbed olives, salmon profiteroles, steak tartare and croquettes to moules frites, charcuterie, artisan cheese and salads. Classic French dishes make appearances alongside more unexpected choices, including a buckwheat crepe filled with raclette cheese, ham and braised Savoy cabbage.
That crepe immediately caught my attention because it’s not something you see on just any menu. It arrived with a Dijon cheese sauce and an apple frisée salad, and it was excellent. I’m not always a fan of frisée because it can have a bitter edge, but this version was bright and fresh, lightly dressed and scattered with julienned apple that contributed just a hint of sweetness. The crisp freshness of the salad was the perfect counterpoint to the rich, cheesy crepe. At $28, it’s substantial enough to serve as an entrée, although it would also make a terrific appetizer for sharing.
The croquettes were another highlight. These tiny fried morsels are almost too adorable to eat, although they disappeared quickly. Some are filled with salty dry cured ham and béchamel, while others combine shrimp and nduja sausage. Crisp on the outside and rich and savory on the inside, they’re the sort of bite that makes it very easy to order another round.
Entrées continue the French comfort food theme with Steak Frites, Sole à la Meunière, Juniper Sage Duck with Pinot Noir cherry sauce and parsnip purée, and a slow braised Beef Cheek with wild mushrooms and green beans. The beef cheek is exactly the kind of dish I want from a French bistro: deeply flavorful, incredibly tender meat braised in a rich wine gravy with wild mushrooms, green beans with almonds and a potato truffle purée. Hearty without being heavy, it’s the kind of slow cooked dish that begs for a glass of red wine.
The current autumn menu also features daily Plats du Jour, adding another layer of variety. Specials might include quail stuffed with fresh Mission figs, a ripe tomato salad or braised rabbit with buttery noodles. These changing offerings give the kitchen room to follow the seasons while keeping the menu rooted in traditional French cooking.
Happy hour runs from 3:30 to 5 pm daily, with $2 off all food and $3 off all drinks. With such a broad selection of small plates, wine and cocktails, it’s an especially appealing time to settle in and sample a few things.
Do save room for dessert. Bistro Colette offers macarons, Apple Tarte Tatin, coconut cake with lemon sauce, Opera Cake layered with almond sponge, coffee buttercream and dark chocolate ganache, along with a burnt honey crème brûlée. My choice was the Chocolate Crémeux Cake, a flourless chocolate cake served with raspberry sauce and house-made vanilla gelato gently covered with a layer of hazelnut snow (a flavorful powder that melts in your mouth). Paired with a Chateau Roc de Levraut Bordeaux Rouge, it was a beautiful finale. The wine’s black currant, cherry and toasted spice notes complemented the chocolate and raspberry particularly well.
Overall, Bistro Colette feels warm, comfortable and wonderfully inviting. During my happy hour visit, every bite I tried was delicious, and my server was knowledgeable, attentive and generous with recommendations. I felt completely comfortable at my table for two, and the menu offered enough variety to accommodate different appetites while still maintaining a clear French identity. With its classic dishes, thoughtful wine list, lively cocktails and approachable atmosphere, Bistro Colette feels like the kind of place that could become a neighborhood favorite.
And that crepe? I would happily order it again and again.
Bistro Colette
Tue-Sat 3:30pm-8pm
1444 NW College Way, Bend
541-728-0753
bistrocolette.com
IG:bistro.colette
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Traditional French food never is in the same sentence as “comfort food”, it’s far too elegant!