Having been in the mood for something light, but something other than the normal lunch fare in Broad Ripple, Petite Chou Bistro was the perfect early afternoon stop. Around 1 pm on a Saturday, the place was bustling, but there was no wait for a table. And, though I was worried about parking, there quite a few spots within an easy walk of the restaurant available.

This was a mid-January visit, and the patio was enclosed, fully heated, and the patio ceiling was enveloped in string lights and fun, feathery winter decor. It’s already a cute restaurant, and the additional decor just made it that much more adorable.

Inside the restaurant, the decor is typical French bistro-style chairs and tables. Directly to the left of the host stand is a self-serve coffee bar featuring several Stumptown coffees, which I was happy to make full use of — I get irritated pretty quickly when I have to wait on a coffee refill.

For my meal, I ordered the Croque Monsieur… because any sandwich that has a 100% chance of being fried in butter is always going to be my first choice! The dish came with lightly-dressed greens, and, though I turned them down initially after finding out the sandwich came with greens, ended up ordering an order of the duck fat frites.

I only ate about half of my meal (the Croque Monsieur was a generous size) in order to save room for dessert. I was leaning towards crepes but decided on the pavlova, a dessert of meringue, lemon curd, fresh berries and whipped cream. This too, was a generous size, enough for two people to share. I’m happy I tried it, but the dessert was just a little too sweet for my taste. Next time, I’ll definitely go with a crepe instead.

Cute decor and fantastic food make Petite Chou Bistro a winner in my book! I look forward to coming back and trying other items on the menu when I’m back in the area.