Fleur de Lolly: Dining Out - Buckhead/Atlanta, Georgia: Bistro Niko

While visiting Buckhead this past weekend, we chose Bistro Niko for our Sunday brunch destination.

Follow the link for much more information about the restaurant and menus!
https://www.buckheadrestaurants.com/bistro-niko

Bistro Niko is definitely a fine dining establishment which transports you to Paris as soon as you walk through the door. We were warmly greeted by our host and were promptly seated for our 11 a.m. reservation.

The tables were neatly set with white bistro serving pieces and red and white striped table runners. The jazz trio added so much to the atmosphere!

The high ceilings have amazing architecture.

Our server, Turner, was amazing. He offered excellent suggestions to all of our inquiries. He was definitely one of those perfect servers who takes care of you without hovering and somehow appears magically at the exact time you realize you need something.

Before we started our meal, we were treated to this visual display that immediately had our mouths watering.

Beautiful oysters on ice from several different locations.

Baskets of bread and cured meats.

And more cured meat on the slicer ready to be sliced and served!

As you will see from the photos, the presentation of the food is amazing. We eat first with our eyes and I was very impressed with the attention to detail of the plating.

We began our brunch with an assortment of three French cheeses (Gruyere, Brie and Bucherondin), toasted bread (with raisins and nuts), crushed pistachios, and spiced apples. ($12.00) The cheese placed on a bite of this bread (or the bread in the following photo), topped with a little of the spiced apples and a sprinkling of the nuts....Oh, it was a heavenly bite!

And a loaf of delicious French bread with butter.

I ordered the quiche with a choice of frites or a salad. I should have ordered both, but I decided on the frites. They were room temperature at best and I should have followed my first instinct and chosen the salad. The bottom crust was a tad over baked for my taste, but the filling of ham, gruyere, leeks and mushrooms was divine. ($15.00)

Sweet Harold can NEVER pass up an opportunity for a great ham and cheese. So, of course, he immediately chose the Croque Madame complete with an over easy egg. ($16.00) The ratio of ham and cheese was equally proportioned. And those potatoes? Yes, they are Duck Fat Fried Potatoes. Yes, they were very delicious and perfectly fried.

Dining Companion #1 had never tried pork belly prepared with a mustard crust. ($14.00) It was also prepared with a fried egg and crisped duck potatoes. He was pleased with his meal and the few bites I begged from his plate suited me to a T. I would order this in a heartbeat. The greens were an added bonus mixed in with the sauce.

Dining Companion #2 stayed true to her Scandinavian roots with the Norwegian eggs. ($17.00) Two poached eggs layered on top of potato pancakes with smoked salmon, then covered with a dill Hollandaise and topped with crispy onions. The side of haricot verts added a lovely spot of color on the plate.

And the came the desserts.......

The crème brûlée ($8.00) was soft and creamy on the inside as it should be and the caramel crust was perfectly browned to have that "crunch" everyone listens for as your spoon breaks through for that first bite!

I chose the profiteroles. ($8.00) Choux pastry, layered with vanilla ice cream, and topped with bitter chocolate sauce and almonds. Yes, it was as amazing as it sounds!

Sweet Harold loves dark chocolate. No, I mean he LOVES dark chocolate. He chose the flourless chocolate cake ($9.00) Rich. So very, very rich. Even after sharing with everyone at the table there were several bites left. That's a shame.