Jiko or Bistro de Paris?

[butterfly8]

Help me pick!
(Already doing California Grill, The Yachtsman, Flying Fish and probably, Narcoosees.)

 

[OKW Lover]

Both are very good. Do you have a coin handy.

Tell us what you and the rest of your party likes and we may be able to steer you one way or the other. Also, does the location of one fit into your schedule better than the other? That may be the deciding factor.

 

[butterfly8]

We have tried nearly every restaurant on property EXCEPT the signatures so this trip we are doing 5 nights on the DxDP
Now I just have to narrow it down to 5. Decisions, decisions.

Originally we were going to try the Hoop Dee Doo but honestly none of us can get too excited about it. There is me, dh, and ds 16 and none of us likes chicken on bones, so the food doesnt appeal to us and the show itself just looks, well, corny! And hubs and I wouldn't drink, so the booze that's included in the price is wasted on us. I think it might have been a better fit for us back when the kids were little.

So we dedided to cancel HDD and do one more "siggy". We will have a car so either one is easy to get to, and we already know we like both Boma and Chefs de France.... Thus the problem deciding....

 

[tarheelmjfan]

We prefer Le Bistro. We ate at LB on 12/30 & Jiko Saturday before last. Both restaurants were quiet, which is something we appreciate in a restaurant.

I had to look at the menu to remember what we ordered at Jiko. Obviously, I found it good, but not memorable. I do remember thinking the bread & butter were a strange combo. We enjoyed the wild boar appetizer very much. Everything else was good. It just wasn't outstanding.

FWIW, I remember everything we ate at LB w/o looking. Good bread at a nice dinner is important to me, & I loved theirs. My DH thoroughly enjoyed his soup. My appetizer (tuna) was only okay. I will try something different next time. We thought both entrees & desserts were outstanding.

I'm always hesitate to recommend LB, without adding that our visit was pre-DDP. I don't know if DDP has had any affect on the food or atmosphere.

 

[Pakey]

We've dined at both regularly. I think Jiko's appetizers and soups are better and the look of the restaurant is nice.

The entrees and desserts have always been better at Bistro but like PP, we have not dined at Bistro since it's joined the dining plan. I'm sure the amazing desserts will be a thing of the past.

 

[butterfly8]

Thanks for your fast input everyone but as of right now, I'm still on the fence. Guess I'll just have to sit back and wait for more reviews to come in now that Bistro is on the DP.

 

[XGrumpy1]

When we eat at Jiko, we take extra time and visit the overlook of the Savannah. There is a guide to talk to about the animals.

I think that adds quite a bit to the experience and makes dinner more of a total experience.

I have liked the food at Jiko a lot.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[shannonstar]

It's Jiko for me. I like the menu better.

The coin toss isn't a bad idea though.

 

[cbg1027]

I've eaten at both and much prefer Jiko. Bistro was good, there wasn't really anything wrong with it....it just didn't wow me the way Jiko usually does.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I've eaten at both and much prefer Jiko. Bistro was good, there wasn't really anything wrong with it....it just didn't wow me the way Jiko usually does.

Same. Don't get me wrong - the food at Bistro was well-executed and beautifully presented. The flavors just didn't excite me very much, which upscale French cuisine has the potential to do (the crêpe duo dessert was great). Plus, the restaurant was surprisingly noisy and tables were extremely close together (and this was before Bistro started taking the DDP).

As a half-South African, I'm very impressed with Jiko's attempts to infuse African flavors into its dishes. I always recognize quite a few authentic ingredients and preparations on the menu, and the food almost always delivers on both flavor and excitement. The wild boar appetizer is particularly brilliant IMO - it's inspired by a common South African dish (pap and wors), but elevated to fine dining levels. Plus, Jiko is quieter and the tables are spaced further apart, and the ambiance is interesting yet soothing (with deep blue tones and a sunset-inspired wall that changes color).

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) I wish the choices were between two others.
2) This one is truly a toss-up
3) Bistro:
. . . uniqueness: good french food, pretty authentic
. . . quality: lowered since DDP (snails are a good example of lesser quality)
. . . atmosphere: VERY noisy, as kids now are welcome
. . . congested: tables are too close to another
4) Jiko:
. . . uniqueness: semi-good try at African cuisine, but Americanized
. . . quality: not bad
. . . atmosphere: some decorations, but too industrial looking, noisy
. . . congested: surprisingly, appears beter spacing between tables

NOTE: We patronize only five TS eateries at WDW, and neither of
these are on the list. They are just not worth the time or the expense.
We prefer
. . . fine food
. . . excellent, top notch service
. . . innovative dishes with flair and quality
. . . overall great value
. . . relaxed and soothing dining atmosphere
. . . behaved and somewhat quiet patrons
The only sit-down restaurants we patronize at WDW are
. . . Victoria & Albert's
. . . Shula's Steakhouse
. . . Artist Point
. . . Il Mulino
. . . Citricos
As an example, we are spending 3-nights at GF-RPC in March as a
quickie get-away, and are eating at Citricos and Artist Point for TS meals.