Linda’s Bistro

We stopped in to Linda’s bistro on a fluke this past October, as we were new in town (business trip), it was raining cats and dogs, and every other establishment was closed. We must say, it was amazing. Our server was welcoming, friendly, instructive and hilarious. We began the meal with some adventure with avocado and tabasco ice cream. It was savory but light and was complimented by warm crusty bread and butter. We chose a pinot grigio and were instructed on how to taste it to get the full flavor and aroma. I had shrimp scampi, with homemade pasta, and my counterpart had mushroom ravioli with homemade pasta. The meal was only made better with a chocolate flourless cake for dessert and espresso to sip. It was heaven on a plate. I recommend this bistro for anyone from the picky eater to the snooty restaurant elitist, and I speak as someone who has dined at some of Washington DC’s finest restaurants.

If you are in a hurry this may not be the place to go, but if you have the time and enjoy amazing food you won’t be disappointed. The Gorgonzola Penne was amazing!, ribs just fell off the bone and melted in your mouth. Crab cakes were great also.
Atmosphere is cozy and so much better than going to some chain restaurant.
I’d call this a «Must Try» if you find yourself in Aiken.

On a Tuesday night I called Linda’s to make a reservation for 15 people and to my surprise Linda herself answered the call. The restaurant is in a converted home and is lovely. Food was great… Try the risotto! The only thing we tried and didnt like at all was the avocado ice cream with picante sauce. I’ll be back again soon!

I’m going to go with 4 stars. I waffled between 3 and 4.
Let’s break it down:
1. Great ambiance, neat building and location in downtown Aiken.
2. Room temperature– it was toasty! They had the heat set on 79! That’s crazy. I was there on a Tuesday, and there were on, y 3 tables going. If it had been busy and packed with people it would have been too warm.
3. Our server was friendly, but a bit strange.
4. Food was very good, but not mind blowing. I would however love to go back as they have seasonal menus and wine tastings and I’d live to sample!
It was a business dinner and it worked out for us that it was a quiet night. We had a large corner table, (really too big for 3) but large enough for us to have products out and have more than enough space for food.
They have a great wine selection! Plus a full bar.
Okay– FOOD! we had the smoked salmon and mushroom bread pudding appetizers. Both were excellent.
Entrées– we had the ribeye which was cooked beautifully, and came with a HUGE portion of fries. The chicken Milanese, which was served with two roasted carrots and sautéed green beans. It was very good, and I ate all of it– but I felt as though it could have had a little more flavor. The last dish we had was the pork ribs. They were very meaty, well seasoned. It was a huge portion. They also came with the sautéed green beans.
One of the things I appreciated was the portion size on the veggies. Usually you get very little– but I felt as though they were very generous.
For dessert we did a crème brûlée, a flourless chocolate cake and a glass of
Red wine. Cake was great, crème brûlée had great flavor and crust but was a tiny bit runny.
Linda came out and asked how our meal was, it was a nice touch.
I’m looking forward to going back!!!

I was here very recently for a wine pairing dinner. The food, wine, and ambiance werr wonderful! Each of the five courses paired perfectly with the selected half glass of wine. The wine master on this night had a delightful attitude that made me want to go research the history of all the bottles in my wine cooler! Linda also came out to greet the guests at the end of the night. We had a great time and will return.

Very nice restaurant. I felt the southern charm as soon as we stepped foot on the property. Located in what was once a beautiful, extremely well-​kept home, this restaurant boasts a welcoming front porch adorned with rocking chairs and creeping ivy.
Small menu with great selections. I ordered spaghetti bolognese which was very good. Although it was flavored differently than I make at home, I really enjoyed it. It tasted like the sauce had a hint if nutmeg. I really enjoyed it. The cappuccino is strong. The desserts were outrageous: I ordered the coconut bread pudding and my friend ordered the chocolate cake. I tried both — you should, too!
Our server was excellent: attentive, knowledgable and friendly.

We had dinner on Saturday, and of the 3 entrees ordered none were deemed as anything special. I had the Shepherds pie; the presentation was poor, and the taste was just okay. The restaurant lacks atmosphere, and the servers need some more experience.

We ate dinner there last night and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The server was busy but attentive, atmosphere is charming. I had the special, eggplant parmesan, and it was excellent, FIL had calfs liver and loved it, MIL had Linda’s risotta and also loved it. We haven’t been there in several years, but we will definately be back.

Apperently doesnt allow infants (thankyou! The last thing a candlelit, romantic, high priced, dinner needs is a child. Even if they are «not making any noise» at the moment, a 2 hr meal is plenty room for a switch in behavior)

Was just at Linda’s last night for the special Spanish wine tasting and dinner, which was just fabulous! The wines, honestly, were not much to brag about except for the one white wine, which was very clean, soft and pleasant with nearly any foods.
The meal was excellent, starting off with a breadstick and pesto appetizer and moving on to a shaved, aged beef salad that was amazing (I hope that one makes it to the permanent menu!). The soup was very good and the paella was perfect (what she does with those sweet Italian sausages continues to surprise me).
If you live near Aiken or are just visiting, you have to try Linda’s at least once!

Great food, and very good prices on upscale wines. A little pricey but great for a special occasion, or if you just feel like eating out and getting something special.
About once a month they have wine dinners with wines paired with each dish. See the website @

Tue-​Sat 6p-​10p, reservations suggested; jeans and a golf shirt will work, but business casual is the norm…
The address in Unilocal is almost correct, it is the «Alley» not the Aly :-)