Have you ever wished you could take a quick departure from hectic Gainesville life and jet to a cozy, European street side café for dinner? Well, thanks to Bistro 1245, now you can.
Located next door to Leonardo’s by the Slice, Bistro 1245 is part of the Leonardo’s trifecta, which is comprised of the two restaurants, plus Leonardo’s 706. An intimate space, Bistro conjures up images of Parisian cafés with chic waiters dressed head-to-toe in black. The tables are small and there is a chance you might be sharing elbowroom with the party next to you, but this just adds to the restaurant’s charm.
With a range of menu items at incredibly reasonable prices, Bistro caters to every diner’s taste. Looking for a vegetarian dish? The grilled eggplant Parmesan sandwich ($7.95) has you covered. Interested in moving a little out of your comfort zone? Try the escargot appetizer ($7.95) or sesame ginger duck sandwich ($10.95). Salads, sandwiches and pastas are available for lunch, with entrees served after 5 p.m. Daily specials are also available, and when my waiter actually included the price after his description of that day’s specials, I was pleasantly surprised.
Having made several visits to Bistro 1245 over the course of my time in Gainesville, I have found that I have enjoyed every different dish I’ve tried. Some of my top selections include their maple roasted chicken breast entrée ($13.95), spicy shrimp pasta ($10.95), mussels marinara ($8.95), which is listed under the appetizers, but is certainly big enough for a meal, and the butternut squash bisque ($3.50/cup, $4.95/bowl).
After sampling the maple sauce served over the chicken, I told the waiter how much I enjoyed it. He said that all of their sauces are made fresh each day. He also explained that each dish is made to order, so you can customize each item any way you want. For instance, they toned down the heat of the spicy shrimp pasta at my request.
And you wouldn’t feel like you were in Europe with a bottle of wine, would you? With many bottles sold for as little as $15, Bistro allows you to pick your wine right off the rack in the restaurant. For a glass of the house white or red, it’s just $4.50. Or if you’re in the mood for sampling, you can attend one of the restaurant’s wine tastings, held every day of the week from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Here you can sample three half glasses of wine for just $6.95.
And if you are not sold yet, while dining at Bistro 1245 you can order ¼ dozen rolls for just $1.50 that will be delivered fresh from next door at Leonardo’s by the Slice. Now that’s teamwork.
Address:
1245 West University Avenue Gainesville, FL 32601
Hours:
Monday - Thurday, Sun 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Friday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Happy Hour:
Monday - Friday 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
*$1 off tap beer, glass of house wine
