Vandorin's Bistro

As the most luxurious and in-demand dining establishment on Starbase Bravo, Vandorin's Bistro is exclusive and hard to get into no matter if the docking bay is full or empty. You either have a table at Vandorin's, or you do not. Run by Esterra Vandorin, a Betazoid chef of impeccable taste, the bistro seeks to provide the most evocative gastronomic experience on the station. Unsurprisingly, it is easier for admirals, diplomats, and highly-respected experts to jump the waiting list and enjoy a booking. With white-linen service, fresh food, music provided by a real string quartet, and Esterra herself often on-hand to provide recommendations, dining at Vandorin's is pure joy. This is not the sort of restaurant, however, that exists to cater to the whims of its customers. While any cocktail or spirit can easily provided, ordering food off-menu or requesting substitutions will be met with a flat "no," regardless of your rank or social standing.

Location and Layout

The entry to the Bistro is on Level 3 of the Upper Promenade, exactly halfway between two of the cross-over bridges that connect the main wheel to one of the medium docking modules and one of the small docking modules. The grand foyer has seating for those waiting for their parties, the restrooms, and a long counter which is staffed with a half-dozen hosts, hostesses, and the maitre d', who keep a close watch on several terminals showing reservations to make sure that everything runs like clockwork.

Though light and airy, the décor of Vandorin's Bistro belies the weight of the conversations that often happen here. Esterra Vandorin herself believes that an understated aesthetic allows her food to shine.

The two identical dining rooms flank the foyer, providing seating for about forty people each. The windows are tinted enough to obscure the view out onto the promenade, but not so much that it's not a place to be seen eating among Starbase Bravo's most senior, most celebrated residents. Each dining room has a mix of tables for different-sized parties, but is mostly set up for parties of two and four at round tables.

Vandorin's also has several private dining rooms on hand for secure meetings over dinner, as Esterra understands her clientele and the need for discretion. These can range from simply providing an oasis within an oasis away from the station's regular population to high-stakes dinners for the top brass, with meticulously-crafted special menus just for the attendees. The private dining rooms are located between the main dining rooms and the station's hull, so they do have viewports looking out into space.

Those not wishing to dine can also take advantage of Vandorin's elaborate cocktail bar, which is located directly behind the foyer. This area is darkly lit, and offers expansive views out into space behind a two-sided cocktail bar, providing any drink one could imagine. As with the rest of the establishment, this isn't somewhere you can just walk into or stop by on a bar crawl; unless you're a regular and very good customer, even impromptu meet-ups for cocktails need to be planned well in advance.

One of the two banquet rooms on the lower level, which is a great place to hold a wedding reception or other commemoration.

The kitchens, wine storage, and food storage areas, as well as Esterra Vandorin's office are located on the level beneath the restaurant itself. Items are brought up via a bank of dumbwaiters (not transporters) to two pantries on either side of the bar, at the corners joining the dining rooms to the bar. There are also two service lifts and a stairway here. In addition, the lower level contains two event rooms, which can be used for large banquets. These are accessed from a special entrance on Level 4 of the Upper Promenade, which is normally hidden in the bulkhead.

Vandorin's Bistro In-Play

During the Osiris Initiative, this space was host to several highly exclusive gatherings for the fleet's biggest big wigs. It's the place that you think of when you hear about backroom dealings or agreements hashed out in smoky rooms. If you're a cadet, you're unlikely to get in here.
Some flag officers use this as either a special treat for visiting captains or their staff or as a way to intimidate the uninitiated. So, if you're invited here for lunch, it either means you're in the 'in crowd', or you're being tormented.
The word 'bistro' belies the true scope and grandeur of this venue, which is equivalent to any of the best restaurants found on one of the Federation's core worlds.
With all this being said about it being hard to get into, the Federation is still an egalitarian society, and so anyone can eat here, if they get their name on the waiting list at the right time. This leads to a blending of wide-eyed first-timers and seasoned veterans of Esterra Vandorin's establishment mixing and intermingling.
Esterra has a notable soft-spot for romance, and so she'll often sneak dates, engagements, and other such reservations past others.