Bistro Michel huddles under a black canopy bearing its name at 1501 14th St. Perfectly arranged wrought-iron patio sets await alfresco customers near the door. The stretch of street Bistro Michel occupies transports you to a quaint French provincial, with its intricately manicured plants, clean stone sidewalks and open-air windows.

Inside, the atmosphere is quiet except for a delicate tinkling of French jazz in the background. There is a small bar filled with beer, wine, champagne and liquors. Bistro Michel prides itself on the unique selection of beers it has available, said bartending manager Shannon McElroy.

“(Bistro Michel) probably has the most diverse beer menu I’ve ever worked (with),” said McElroy, a 20-year veteran of the industry.

McElroy recommends coming for the happy hour, which is from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. At $2 to $5 a pop, the drinks are affordable for students looking for a post-class cocktail. Bistro Michel’s happy hour also includes its signature drinks like the ginger basil martini and the Bistro tonic, ranging in price from $8 to $12.

“(We have) dollar oysters by the half-dozen or the dozen. People get oysters and martinis,” McElroy said.

For beer aficionados, the bar serves brands that can’t be found anywhere else in Sacramento. Weihenstephaner, a Bavarian beer, is one of the oldest recipes for beer and can be found on the shelves of Bistro Michel’s bar.

“This recipe has been used for 900 years or so,” McElroy said.

This informative and interesting bar experience made me feel like Bistro Michel is the place to go for an affordable and unique drink. Well, how about the food?

Bistro Michel offers a Sunday brunch, ideal for a group of friends to join after a night out to recap the previous evening’s events over a cup of coffee, bottomless mimosas and a variety of eggs Benedict. Drinks such as sangria, mimosa and Bloody Mary are all just $14 for an unlimited supply.

The cuisine is strictly French influenced, made fresh from scratch and very simple. The menu offers several choices of eggs Benedict, along with lamb sliders and sides of fruit or potatoes. Each entree comes with a side of potatoes that is whipped with butter, then baked.

The potatoes were creamy, yet firm and very flavorful. I chose the vegetarian eggs Benedict with a rich Hollandaise sauce. The egg was poached to the perfect thickness so that cutting into it released the yoke without being too runny. The English muffin that cradled the eggs was toasted to prevent it from becoming soggy.

As much as I enjoyed the beautiful presentation and taste of the dish, it had taken too long for the food to reach the table. The food was only room temperature – not hot at all.

The service was slow, but the waiter was friendly and informative. He seemed to really love his job and his attitude eased my annoyance.

The quiet atmosphere, bottomless drinks and delicious food still makes Bistro Michel and good choice for Sunday brunch. After a raging night out, nothing beats relaxing in a quiet room with friends, drinking spiked OJ and starting your day off right with eggs.

Kayla Oliverio can be reached at [email protected]