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bistro

/ˈbistroʊ/

/ˈbistrəʊ/

Other forms: bistros

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.

Definitions of bistro
  1. noun
    a small informal restaurant; serves wine
    see moresee less
    type of:
    eatery, eating house, eating place, restaurant
    a building where people go to eat
Pronunciation
US

/ˈbistroʊ/

UK

/ˈbistrəʊ/

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