
Bistro 197
Quick info
About Bistro 197
Bistro 197 is a bistro on the first floor of Towneley Golf House on the edge of Townley Woods in Burnley. The menu runs to twenty dishes, including English Breakfast and Scotch Egg alongside mac and cheese, a cauliflower starter, chicken dishes, dauphinoise potatoes and red cabbage. Reservations are recommended. Outdoor seating serves guests dining outside, and high chairs accommodate families with young children. It opens Wednesday to Sunday, daytime only, and is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Good to know
- ReservationsAccepts reservations
- ParkingFree of charge street parking · Free parking lot · Paid parking lot
- AccessibilityHas wheelchair-accessible car park · Has wheelchair-accessible toilet
- Good for kidsGood for kids · High chairs available · Has kids' menu
- DietaryServes vegan dishes · Serves vegetarian dishes
Menu & Prices
20 dishes- Coffee
- English Breakfast
- Scotch Egg
- Buttermilk Chicken Burger with Fries
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Seafood
Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention mac & cheese, goats cheese bonbon, salt & chili crispy chicken and hasselback potatoes.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention mac & cheese, goats cheese bonbon, salt & chili crispy chicken and hasselback potatoes.
Customer Review Summary
Diners consistently single out the food at Bistro 197, with the mac & cheese, cauliflower starter, and poached pear dessert earning repeated praise for quality and value. Close behind are the arancini, salt & chili crispy chicken, and chocolate fudge brownie sundae with salted caramel ice cream, all described as excellent or brilliant. Several also highlight the friendly staff and cozy atmosphere, though one reviewer notes a concern about kitchen hygiene practices. A few mention the music selection as a minor drawback, while others appreciate the seasonal additions like red cabbage and Hasselback potatoes. One diner describes the portion of sea bass as modest, but the overall experience remains positive with many planning to return.
Customer Review Summary
Diners consistently single out the food at Bistro 197, with the mac & cheese, cauliflower starter, and poached pear dessert earning repeated praise for quality and value. Close behind are the arancini, salt & chili crispy chicken, and chocolate fudge brownie sundae with salted caramel ice cream, all described as excellent or brilliant. Several also highlight the friendly staff and cozy atmosphere, though one reviewer notes a concern about kitchen hygiene practices. A few mention the music selection as a minor drawback, while others appreciate the seasonal additions like red cabbage and Hasselback potatoes. One diner describes the portion of sea bass as modest, but the overall experience remains positive with many planning to return.
Featured reviews
- ang power
“Great food as usual. Lovely staff who go out of their way to accommodate menu tweaks. Great value and a comfy, cosy spot set on the edge of the beautiful Townley Woods.”
- LINDA WHITAKER
“We only went for coffee & it was good, Lovely atmosphere, don't doubt food good. Hope to book a meal soon. Friendly staff too. .”
- Jackie Cumming
“The food was lovely but the kitchen staff touched everything with their hands when plating it up and no sign of handwashing, just wiping on the same teatowel. Luckily I have no allergies!”
- Kev Rob
“After a long search for a Sunday dinner spot in Burnley we took a chance on 197 after a recommendation. I'm glad we did because the food was 'spot-on'. The starters hit the mark - delicious cauliflower, the tenders were huge. All 5 mains were fantastic. The chicken was cooked superbly, the dauphinoise was a treat. The red cabbage was slightly sweet for my liking but nonetheless a super seasonal addition to the plate. The puddings were generously sized and again wonderful. Poached pear. Yes please. £20 for two courses is great value. First time here but it's now on the list of places that are worthy of a return. The lost star is for having to ensure Shania Twain twice on the piped-in music.”
- Emma Warren
“Absolutely amazing food. I was not expecting the meal to be as good as it was. Mac & cheese is always a terrible idea at restaurants as it is usually bland and dry but I took a chance and it really paid off! Best mac & cheese I've ever had, it was creamy, cheesy and filling. The starter (goats cheese and sun dried tomato) and dessert (chocolate fudge brownie sundae with salted caramel ice cream) that I had were also really really good. Great value for money, a nicely decorated place and the staff were lovely.”
Hours
- Monday
- Closed
- Tuesday
- Closed
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Highlights
- Has great beer selection
- Serves great coffee
- Serves great dessert
- Has great tea selection
- Has great wine list
- Popular for popular for breakfast
Amenities
- Has wheelchair-accessible car park
- Free of charge street parking
- Accepts reservations
- Has outdoor seating
- Serves dine-in
- Good for kids
Show more amenities
- Serves vegan dishes
- Has bar on site
- Casual
- Serves beer
- Serves coffee
- Quick bite
- Offerings· 7
- Serves alcohol
- Serves cocktails
- Serves healthy options
- Serves small plates
- Serves spirits
- Serves vegetarian dishes
- Serves wine
- Facilities· 1
- Has toilet
- Accessibility· 1
- Has wheelchair-accessible toilet
- Parking· 4
- Free parking lot
- Paid parking lot
- Paid street parking
- Plenty of parking
- Dining options· 7
- Serves breakfast
- Serves brunch
- Serves lunch
- Serves dinner
- Serves dessert
- Has seating
- Has table service
- Atmosphere· 3
- Cosy
- Romantic
- Trendy
- Family-friendly· 2
- High chairs available
- Has kids' menu
- Highlights· 4
- Has great beer selection
- Serves great dessert
- Has great tea selection
- Has great wine list
- Popular for· 4
- Popular for breakfast
- Popular for lunch
- Popular for dinner
- Good for solo dining
- Crowd· 1
- Good for groups
- Planning· 3
- Brunch reservations recommended
- Lunch reservations recommended
- Dinner reservations recommended
Location
How Bistro 197 compares to nearby restaurants
- Bistro 197 · This shop4.6307 reviews
Mentioned in reviews: mac & cheese, goats cheese bonbon, salt & chili crispy chicken
- 354 reviews7.5 mi
Mentioned in reviews: salt and pepper halloumi, beef ragu rigatoni, beer battered haddock
- Spicy Bites4.263 reviews8.1 mi
Mentioned in reviews: chicken kebabs, tandoori mixed grill, donner and chips platter
- 93 reviews10 mi
Mentioned in reviews: chicken burger, smokey joe, buffalo bill
Bistro 197 This shop | The Cotton House | Spicy Bites | Frank's Burgers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.6(307) | 4.6(354) | 4.2(63) | 4.9(93) | |
| Price | £10–20 | £20–30 | £10–40 | £10–20 |
| Distance | — | 7.5 mi | 8.1 mi | 10 mi |
| Open today | ||||
| Vegan options | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Vegetarian options | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Good for kids | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
How this listing is sourced
- Where the data comes from
- Name, address, hours, contact details, amenities, ratings and review counts come from the business's publicly available profile data — not from the owner and not from paid submissions.
- How it stays current
- Every listing is re-checked on a recurring crawl, and anything reported as wrong is corrected at the source rather than patched on the page.
- How it is ranked
- Placement is never sold. Every business on the page is ordered and compared using the same public signals, so an owner cannot pay to move up.
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