What basic difference is there between a French bistro and the kind of bar the French describe as "américain"?

edmund80

In a word, ambience. A bistro is more likely to serve hearty, simple and relatively inexpensive food, beer and wine. It is usually in a residential area, patronized by locals. The food served is usually reflective of the proprietor's regional background (Normande , Alsace, Provençal, or even Vietnamese, Cambodian). It can be staffed by family members who may or may not live in an upstairs apartment and business hours are usually lunch and dinner. A bar américain is usually more posh, more likely to be in a hotel lobby or in an otherwise touristy area and would serve liquor in addition to beer, wine and more creatively presented food and could also have a piano or even a jazz band for entertainment. It is usually open until late into the night. There is some overlap between the two, with some bistros trying for a more polished look and some bar américains dressing down for a more rustic patina. Somewhere in between is a "restaurant" (All of the above is from my own observations, but below are some sources that seem to agree with me). "In Paris, "Bar Americain" means a place that serves liquor as well as wine and beer." http://www.bookrags.com/news/cest-un-bar-americain-bobby-flays-moc/ "a small or unpretentious restaurant" http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bistro "A bistro, sometimes spelled bistrot, is, in its original Parisian incarnation, a small restaurant serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. Bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. Slow-cooked foods like braised meats are typical. Bistro patrons do not necessarily expect professional service or printed menus." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bistro Finally, in searching for sources, I stumbled upon this French forum in which some responders mention a frequent misconception about a bar américain or bar de nuit (night club). You can translate some of the responses, but basically, some people have the view that in a bar américain, something more than libations are on tap....although what they imply is something I have not seen on any bar américain menu. One woman who worked in a bar américain claims that hostesses such as herself served to encourage clients to order a minimum number of drinks (4, in her experience) and what they did after that was their own business. In any case, that is a misconception that one would not confuse with a hearty, homey, family-run bistro. http://www.pulpeclub.com/boards/?fuseaction=board_post&topic=16610 In short, as there can be some overlap in terms of alcohol and food served and since location is not entirely definitive (humble bistros in expensive arrondissements and expensive bar américains in up-and-coming locales), I would say again that the main difference between the two is ambience. Nov 18 09, 11:33 PM

flem-ish

I think there is also a more "practical" difference. Someone put it like this: bar américain is for leaning on your elbow and drinking. But I don't find a precise accurate definition of "bar américain" and I am especially wondering what makes such a bar "américain". Americans would probably use the term cocktail bar. Seems to be something like "lobster à l'americaine" which has nothing particularly American as far as I know.It may even be a confusion with lobster à l'armoricaine (cooked as in Armorica or Brittany). Nov 19 09, 3:34 AM

edmund80

You could be right but....there are a lot of bistros that have a cocktail bar. If you are looking for a more practical difference, then I would say look no further than l'addition (the bill). A bar américain almost always charges more. Nov 20 09, 1:46 PM