Chef William Bradley is taking his culinary skill into the new Bijou French Bistro, a French-inspired eatery open at 1205 Prospect St., former site of Amaya La Jolla.
Bradley, noted executive chef of the Addison at The Grand Del Mar, will serve as culinary director of the new restaurant, while Shaun Gethin, former Addison sous chef, takes charge as chef de cuisine. The 10,000-square-foot venue includes a wine bar, a main dining room, a wine cellar room, a private dining room and a bar lounge. It will serve French bistro fare for lunch and dinner daily and offer live music in the lounge.
Parisian-inspired and global French bistro entries will be on the menu at the new dining venue, featuring appetizers such as steak Tartare, coq au vin and veal Paillard. French cheeses and daily desserts are also featured. Bijou’s wine program will offer selections from France as well as distinctive regional and global choices. Craft beers and ingredient-driven cocktails round out the beverage list.
The restaurant, designed by Warren Sheets Design, Inc., retains the European-crafted accents and fine finishes employed at Amaya La Jolla. The wine bar stands on what was the front veranda, and the front façade is accented with cubic stone moldings hand-carved by a multi-generational family of artisans, including arched lunettes above the windows.
Dinner is served daily from 5:30 to 10 p.m. (10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays). The wine bar is open daily from 4 to 10 p.m., with the bar lounge open daily from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. (11:30 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays). Live music is featured in the bar lounge, 7 to 11 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays. For more information, call (858) 750-3695 or see bijoufrenchbistro.com.