bistro

American  

[bis-troh, bee-stroh] / ˈbɪs troʊ, biˈstroʊ /

noun

plural

bistros

1. a small, modest, European-style restaurant or caf é.

2. a small nightclub or restaurant.

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bistro British  

/ ˈbiːstrəʊ /

noun

1. a small restaurant

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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

How does bistro compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• bistro vs. CAFE
• bistro vs. restaurant

Example Sentences

Now, though, he’s a contented family man operating a successful neighborhood bistro called Chez Paul—until fate comes calling and returns him to a life he’d just as soon forget.

From The Wall Street Journal

Dormant since 1985, the distillery recently announced it would reopen, and build the region’s first “whisky resort,” complete with a spa, a five-star hotel and a bistro housed in a former piggery.

From The Wall Street Journal

That same thump carried me back to Eixample and Batea, a sleek bistro where Catalan and Galician food dance until closing time.

From Salon

I walked to the neighborhood bistro for lunch and proudly slipped into the booth, feeling that heaviness I’d longed for, that glimpse of a different future.

From The Wall Street Journal

From West Village bistros to London brasseries, French cuisine — once dismissed as too heavy or too fussy — is suddenly what’s on everyone’s lips.

From Salon

Related Words

• lounge
• restaurant
• tavern