Bistro

Keyboard-first, local-first GitHub pull request review.

Bistro is a desktop app that syncs GitHub pull requests into a local inbox, generates diffs on your machine, and keeps common review actions on the keyboard. It is built for reviewers who need to move through many PRs without living in browser tabs.

Why Bistro?

Code review didn't get slower — pull requests got faster. AI tools open more PRs, push more force-updates, and leave more bot comments than the web UI was designed for. Bistro is built for the reviewer drowning in that stream:

• Triage first. Your inbox separates Needs Action, Waiting on Author, and FYI, computed locally from who actually requested your review.
• Runs on your machine. One Wails v3 process hosts the Go engine and React renderer. A local SQLite cache keeps the UI from waiting on every network call.
• Keyboard everything. j/k to move, Enter to open, a a to approve, : for the command palette, ? for help. Every binding is remappable.
• Local diffs. PR commits are cloned and diffed locally with go-git, then rendered through a virtualized canvas for large reviews.
• Works offline. Replayable review actions queue locally when disconnected or rate-limited. Unsubmitted review drafts stay local until submission succeeds.

Core features

• PR inbox filters, search, and per-repo watch toggles
• Needs Action / Waiting on Author / FYI triage with live lane counters
• Full-screen diffs with file navigation, syntax highlighting, and viewed marks
• Draft line/range comments, thread resolution, and review submission
• Local comment classification, with optional bring-your-own-key AI assistance
• Typed Wails events for live sync, rate-limit, review, and settings updates
• Command palette and help overlay that reflect effective bindings, including remaps

GitHub today; GitLab is next on the roadmap.

Install

Alpha release assets target macOS Apple Silicon, Windows amd64, and Linux amd64. See docs/ALPHA.md for platform installation, unsigned macOS builds, checksum verification, updates, and data-reset cautions. Alpha means rough edges; Bistro is not yet stable v1.0.

Run from source

You need Go 1.26.1, pnpm, a compatible Node runtime, the pinned Wails CLI, and platform build dependencies. Full prerequisites and configuration are in DEVELOPMENT.md.

git clone https://github.com/Thourum/Bistro.git
cd Bistro
go install github.com/wailsapp/wails/v3/cmd/[email protected]
pnpm install
wails3 task dev

Sign-in works out of the box through Bistro's own OAuth app, with code exchange via get-bistro.com. GITHUB_CLIENT_ID overrides the embedded client ID. Setting both GITHUB_CLIENT_ID and GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET in the environment exchanges codes directly with GitHub for your own OAuth app. The GitHub token lives in the OS keychain. Press ? anytime to see the available keyboard actions.

Keyboard shortcuts

Default bindings are documented on the docs site (website/src/pages/docs/keybindings.mdx). Inside the app, press ? for context-aware help or : for the command palette. Navigation styles and overrides are stored in local settings.json; edit them in Settings → Keyboard.

For developers

The layout is a root Go module (main.go, internal/engine, internal/services, internal/shell), a React renderer in frontend/, committed generated bindings in frontend/bindings/, and a separate documentation site in website/.

Architecture, builds, and debugging live in DEVELOPMENT.md. CLAUDE.md is the canonical conventions/verification guide. Contribution requirements, including DCO sign-off, live in CONTRIBUTING.md, with onboarding in design/contribution-guide.md.

Privacy and feedback

Bistro stores PR data in a local SQLite cache, tokens in the OS keychain, and generates diffs locally. Sync and review actions talk directly to GitHub. OAuth code exchange may use Bistro's relay; BYOK classification and telemetry are optional outbound integrations. See the privacy explainer.

Report issues through GitHub issues or discussions. Read the feedback guide before sharing logs or private repository context.

Developed by

Built by Samuel Asvanyi at Itterno ApS.

License

Bistro is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 only.

© 2026 Itterno ApS.