bistro
Americannoun
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bistros
plural
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a small, modest, European-style restaurant or caf é.
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a small nightclub or restaurant.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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:
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.
See Examples For:
A solution ex machina prevented it from closing, but instead of maintaining the status quo, everybody committed to leveling it up to a Michelin star-worthy bistro.
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
The croissant I ordered was fine, but the atmosphere was lovely — open and airy with a communal wood table inside and green and white bistro chairs outside.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
The barman, who hailed from Aveyron in the south of France, said the food in his bistro was the most representative.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
The bistro is located just a short distance from the Capitol on a block that has long met the appetites of midlevel congressional staff for fast-casual food and dive bars.
From Slate ● Mar. 10, 2026
The outside entrance was designed to look like a bistro from a small Italian village.
From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper
Turning stovetop pasta into a spicy, creamy Cajun version that tastes like if the average Rainforest Cafe were suddenly staffed entirely by people with experience on the line at French bistros.
From Salon ● May 12, 2026
When you think of eating in Paris, bistros come to mind.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
To do so, I stay away from bistros in fancy neighborhoods, which charge too much and often cook up mediocre food.
From Barron's ● Mar. 8, 2026
The landscape has changed considerably: steely grit and urban decay have given way to skyscrapers and endless bistros.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2023
The diners have all been taken over by precious little bistros boasting a menu of indigenous American cuisine.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
