The Point Brugge Cafe: Pittsburgh's Tiny European Bistro Gets Mixed Reviews

The restaurant space at 401 Hastings St. in Pittsburgh's South Point Breeze neighborhood has been through several incarnations over the years. In 2005, the present owners introduced the European cafe scene to this lovely old residential area via the Point Brugge Café.

Point Breeze is a yuppified, middle-class neighborhood with a teensy one block business cluster. The demographics are perfect here for the Point Brugge which would appeal to an educated, cosmopolitan clientele. It offers upscale Belgian bistro cuisine and beer.

Two friends and I visited the Point Brugge Café for lunch last week, and came away with mixed feelings. It was a first time experience for each of us, and personally, I'd sum it all up in two words: tasty and tiny.

A few small tables sheltered under a large front awning provide outdoor dining. Going through the front door, one walks up three steps to the first level which contains a bar and seating for perhaps 25 people. Several more steps then ascend to the last section with space for about 20 more.. The entire front of the Point Brugge's lower level is a retractable window, so diners enjoy a delightful open air setting.

The tables are artsy little rounds with mosaic surfaces. Seating is tight with little comfort for the claustrophobic. A few booths along one wall could seat parties of four. I couldn't see any place where larger parties would fit.

The Point Brugge lunch menu begins with offerings listed as entrées, but I was confused because this is the place on a menu where you expect to find appetizers. We all ordered from that section, and before I was done I felt like asking if they should change the heading.

One friend got Prince Edward Island mussels in a creamy tomato herb broth. She swooned over them, and they appeared to be an ample portion. The other tried crusted salmon on a bed of greens, accompanied by flatbread. The little salmon plank was about 1 ½" by 5". My choice was crab cakes for $9. I got two small but perfect crab cakes resting on about ½ cup of nice mixed baby greens.

Bread didn't come with my crab cakes or the mussels. When my friend requested it, the waiter cheerfully brought excellent baguette slices, which we guessed to be from Pittsburgh's best source, Breadworks. The server was efficient and friendly as was the hostess.

In no time, I finished my tiny portion and looked around hungrily. I spotted other diners with ample looking hamburgers and normally sized salads. Pittsburghers have a somewhat deserved reputation as unsophisticated louts who judge restaurants by pounds per serving, rather than taste. We do expect lots of food. I understand this isn't the norm in other places, and I try to have a more educated outlook, but, after all, don't we go to restaurants to have a meal, to satisfy hunger? Perhaps there was a printing error and the Point Brugge menu should have listed this section as appetizers.

My friends dawdled over their beverages, but I got antsy to go home and eat something. I was hungry, darn it, and having spent about $14 counting iced tea, tax and tip, I wasn't about to order another tiny tidbit. Pathetically, I started scheming to get out of the Point Brugge and go make a grilled cheese sandwich.

How the Point Brugge accommodates handicapped patrons is questionable. The building sits at an intersection with quite a steep hill on the side. If there is a side door up there, it would let a patron in a wheelchair avoid the front steps, but leave them stuck on the upper level, while the restrooms are in the lower section.

While the quality of the food is apparent, I came away from my Point Brugge visit feeling that I had wasted my money. Perhaps I just ordered the wrong item and should try the place again to be fair, but next time, I think I'll go when I'm not hungry.