Crabmeat and egg on mixed field greens dressed with citrus vinaigrette and half an avocado. Photo by Mark Davis.

Citrus Bistro: Crab cocktail

Crab cocktail, $19.95 (or $16.95 at lunch) Photo by Mark Davis.

Citrus Bistro isn’t one of those restaurants that claim to make authentic food from cities and countries the chefs aren’t even from. Didier Viriot, owner and chef de cuisine, is from Paris, but he has worked in the kitchen at his seafood restaurant since it opened in 2009. Viriot comes from a family of seven chefs, and his brother-in-law owns a similar restaurant in Paris called “Citrus Etoile.” The way the restaurant is situated in a shopping strip makes it look cramped from the outside, but on the inside are two dining areas, two chef’s tables in the kitchen, a special reservation room and sliding glass doors that open up to a patio on the side of the bistro. The light hues and whimsical art mesh well with the restaurant’s staples: citrus and fresh herbs. Diners love the crab cakes because they are full of crab, not bread crumbs, says Viriot’s wife, Nanou. “I like to eat, as you can tell,” says Viriot while pointing to his stomach. “And I like to serve what I like to eat.”

 

Citrus Bistro, 5930 Royal Lane, 214.750.6282, citrusbistro.com

 Ambiance: Breezy

 Price range: $28.95-$62.95 for dinner

 Tip: Call three days in advance to reserve a chef’s table in the kitchen. The atmosphere is sophisticated like the rest of the restaurant, and there’s no additional charge.

 

 

| more dining spots |

1 TJ’s Seafood Market

Stop by TJ’s for fresh stone crabs in large and colossal sizes through May 15. “It’s cheaper than a plane ticket to Key West,” owner Jon Alexis jokes. Don’t want to do the work? TJ’s steams and cracks the crabs for free and carries traditional mustard sauce for dipping.

11661 Preston Road, Suite 149, 214.691.2369, tjsseafood.com

 

2 Al’s Steakhouse & Salad Bar

This fairly priced joint cooks up more than sizzling steaks. Try out the fresh crab and tuna tartar served with a port wine reduction, or the sample of three ceviches with crab, salmon and tuna.

5944 Royal Lane, 214.739.0362, alssteakhousedallas.com

 

3 Seafood Shack

Stop by for the Shack’s boiling pot of crab and shrimp that comes with one pound of crab legs. Want smaller bites of crab? Try the jalapeños stuffed with crab, shrimp, cheese and wrapped with crispy bacon.

11625 Webb Chapel Road, 972.406.0890, seafoodshackdallas.com