bistro
Americannoun
plural
bistros-
a small, modest, European-style restaurant or caf é.
-
a small nightclub or restaurant.
noun
Etymology
Origin of bistro
1920–25; < French bistro ( t ), originally argot, first attested in the sense “proprietor of a tavern” (1884); of obscure origin
Compare meaning
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Explanation
A bistro is a cozy little restaurant. The word comes from Paris, of course, but there are bistros all over the world. Bistros started in the boarding houses of Paris, where landlords would serve food to the public in order to make some extra money. The history of the word itself is slippery, but it might be related to the French word bistouille, slang for “bad alcohol.” Or maybe the Russians brought it when they wanted food bystra, or fast. Who knows? We do know that a bistro is a small restaurant that grown-ups like. There’s no room for crayons.
Vocabulary lists containing bistro
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Foot traffic was down at Chesa’s Bistro & Bar, her Cajun-themed restaurant in the trendy Avondale neighborhood.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 8, 2026
They said investors had negatively reacted to concerns around slowing organic growth and the pace of M&A, including Enfusion, Beacon and Bistro , in a short timeframe.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 22, 2025
Bistro culture is also having a social resurgence.
From Salon • Oct. 18, 2025
Hop is co-owned by Laurel, and has the Hide Bar & Bistro on its premises.
From BBC • Jan. 27, 2025
“I was just filling everyone in on dinner plans for prom. We have a six o’clock reservation at the American Grill Bistro at North Point Mall. It’s about twenty minutes from the nature center.”
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
