A bistro, sometimes spelled bistrot, is a small restaurant serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. The concept developed in Paris, France. Bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. Slow-cooked foods like braised meats are typical.
The word bistro may derive from the Russian быстро (bystro) which means quick. According to an urban legend, it entered the French language during the Russian occupation of Paris in 1815. Cossacks who wanted to be served quickly would shout 'bistro.'
Another version is that it is an abbreviation of bistrouille, a French term for brandy mixed with coffee.