Bistro City vs Restaurant City: what's the same, what's new
Bistro City keeps the core of what Restaurant City players remember: the kitchen and serving rules, the recipes and ingredients, the garden, trading and visiting friends. It adds a higher level cap, bigger restaurants and 12 languages, and it runs in a modern web browser. A few things from the original, such as the seasonal dishes and Facebook integration, are not available.
Bistro City is an independent project inspired by Restaurant City. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Playfish or Electronic Arts.
Bistro City and Restaurant City at a glance
Bistro City matches Restaurant City on core play and recipes, and differs in platform, level cap, restaurant size, currency and how friends connect.
| Restaurant City (2009–2012) | Bistro City | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Playfish (part of EA from Nov 2009) | Bistro City Team (independent) |
| Where to play | Facebook (Flash) | Web browser on phone and desktop; Android and iOS apps in development |
| Kitchen and serving rules | Original | Rebuilt to follow the original behaviour |
| Recipes | Original menu | 75 available now; 28 seasonal recipes not yet reopened |
| Ingredients | Original set | 62 ingredients, rarity 1–5 stars |
| Max level | 65 | 100 |
| Max restaurant size | 19×19 tiles | 29×29 tiles |
| Premium currency | Playfish Cash | Sprouts |
| Friends | Facebook friends, wall posts | Own accounts, no Facebook posting |
| Languages | — | 12 |
Game data as of 10 October 2026.
What stays the same
The core restaurant loop stays the same: tired staff, four courses, dishes that level to 10, rare ingredients, trading, the garden, the quiz, friend visits and the Food King.
- Staff need rest. Cooks, waiters and cleaners use up work time as they work and recover it while resting. A tired cook cooks more slowly.
- No staff, no service. Your restaurant only opens when you have at least one cook and one waiter with work time left.
- Four courses. Starters, mains, desserts and drinks, with drinks unlocking at level 15 and more dishes per course as you level up.
- Dishes level up to 10. Each level needs a full set of the dish's ingredients, and higher-level dishes earn more gourmet points every time they are served.
- Rare ingredients and trading. Ingredients have rarities from one to five stars, and you trade with friends to fill the gaps.
- Garden, quiz and visits. You grow ingredients in garden plots, answer a ten-second daily food quiz, and help friends' restaurants with problems such as fires and leaks.
- The Food King. He still drops by with prizes to choose from.
What's new in Bistro City
Bistro City adds four things the original did not have: levels up to 100, restaurants up to 29×29 tiles, 12 languages and play in a modern browser.
- Levels 66 to 100. The original stopped at level 65. Bistro City continues to level 100.
- Bigger restaurants. Your room keeps growing past the original 19×19 limit, up to 29×29 tiles.
- 12 languages. Including English and Vietnamese.
- No Flash. Bistro City runs in a modern browser and is optimised for both phones and computers.
What's different or not available yet
Bistro City does not connect to Facebook, has not reopened the seasonal dishes and has no mobile apps yet.
- No Facebook. Bistro City uses its own accounts. Friends are added through Bistro City accounts.
- Seasonal dishes have not returned. The 28 seasonal event recipes from the original holidays are in the game data but have not reopened.
- No mobile apps yet. Android and iOS versions are in development; today Bistro City is played in the browser, on phone or desktop.
Who will enjoy Bistro City
Bistro City is a good fit if you enjoyed slowly building up a menu, decorating every corner of your restaurant and checking in on it a few times a day. If you were mainly there for the Facebook social side, expect it to feel different, because friends now come from Bistro City accounts rather than your Facebook list.
Try it yourself
The quickest way to judge is to open a restaurant and serve your first customers. Start with what Bistro City is, then read the beginner's guide.
Related reading: Restaurant City: remembering the Facebook restaurant game · Can you still play Restaurant City? · Learning and levelling up dishes
FAQ
Is Bistro City the same game as Restaurant City?
No. Bistro City is an independent game inspired by Restaurant City. Much of the core play will feel familiar, but it is a separate project, not affiliated with Playfish or Electronic Arts.
Can I play the seasonal dishes from Restaurant City?
Not yet. The game data includes 28 seasonal event recipes, but they have not reopened. 75 recipes are available now.
Does Bistro City work with Facebook?
No. Bistro City uses its own accounts and does not post to Facebook.