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Sleek eatery with a casual vibe serving French inspired fare alongside a deep wine list.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 263 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Phone: (347) 844-9950
Website: http://barbete.com/
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Order and Reservations
Reservations: resy.com
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Bar Bête
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Menus – Bar Bête
COCKTAILS, BEER, WINE BY THE GLASS · Forthave Spirits, Marseille, NY $12. Nonino Amaro, Percato, IT $14. Varnelli, Amaro Sibilla, Macerata, IT $14. Montenegro …
Bar Bête (@barbetebk) · Brooklyn, NY – Instagram
13K followers · 84 posts · open 5:30pm-10pm monday – saturday neighborhood bistro fare by Chef Marc St. Jacques.
Reviews
Britney Chen
I’ve been looking forward to trying Bar Bete for awhile, so I came in with high expectations. We ordered roughly half the menu, so I feel like I got a thorough sense of the kitchen.
The biggest issue across the board was balance. Many of the dishes leaned heavily into salt and acidity, but not in a way that felt intentional or complementary. The sour elements, which should act as a bright, citrusy counterpoint to the richer plates, came across as just aggressively tart with a heavy hand on the seasoning. By the end of the meal I was genuinely uncomfortable, which is never a great sign.
That said, there were highlights. The oysters were some of the best I’ve had at a restaurant. Incredibly fresh, with a clean citrus profile and a chili oil finish that really worked. The tuna toast was also great: fresh, a touch of heat, nothing overworked.
The chicken liver parfait, on the other hand, was a miss. It was overwhelmingly rich with too much butter and an odd sweetness, and it came without any bread or vessel to cut through it. The honey garlic butter that arrived separately with bread was solid, and I ended up using that bread for the parfait instead.
The little salad had a nice anchovy-forward profile, good in theory for balancing out the heavier dishes, but the vinaigrette was so assertive and salty that it worked against itself.
The grilled striped bass was the only main we ordered, and I wish it had delivered. It was swimming in butter and blanketed in pecans to the point where those two elements dominated everything else. The real surprise was the carrots, which were lightly charred with a gentle sweetness and citrus quality that I actually wished the rest of the dish had.
The duck fat potatoes were aggressively salted, and the accompanying sauce doubled down on that. They also came out scorching hot, which combined with how greasy they were made them tough to enjoy.
I wanted to love this place and the menu concept is genuinely appealing. But the execution felt heavy-handed across most of the dishes. With some recalibration on seasoning and richness, this could be a really great spot.
… moreThe biggest issue across the board was balance. Many of the dishes leaned heavily into salt and acidity, but not in a way that felt intentional or complementary. The sour elements, which should act as a bright, citrusy counterpoint to the richer plates, came across as just aggressively tart with a heavy hand on the seasoning. By the end of the meal I was genuinely uncomfortable, which is never a great sign.
That said, there were highlights. The oysters were some of the best I’ve had at a restaurant. Incredibly fresh, with a clean citrus profile and a chili oil finish that really worked. The tuna toast was also great: fresh, a touch of heat, nothing overworked.
The chicken liver parfait, on the other hand, was a miss. It was overwhelmingly rich with too much butter and an odd sweetness, and it came without any bread or vessel to cut through it. The honey garlic butter that arrived separately with bread was solid, and I ended up using that bread for the parfait instead.
The little salad had a nice anchovy-forward profile, good in theory for balancing out the heavier dishes, but the vinaigrette was so assertive and salty that it worked against itself.
The grilled striped bass was the only main we ordered, and I wish it had delivered. It was swimming in butter and blanketed in pecans to the point where those two elements dominated everything else. The real surprise was the carrots, which were lightly charred with a gentle sweetness and citrus quality that I actually wished the rest of the dish had.
The duck fat potatoes were aggressively salted, and the accompanying sauce doubled down on that. They also came out scorching hot, which combined with how greasy they were made them tough to enjoy.
I wanted to love this place and the menu concept is genuinely appealing. But the execution felt heavy-handed across most of the dishes. With some recalibration on seasoning and richness, this could be a really great spot.
Yujoon Jang
I truly do not want to dismiss the hard work of the kitchen staff, but our experience at Bar Bête was deeply disappointing. The food was overwhelmingly salty. At first, it was noticeable but still tolerable. As more dishes arrived, the saltiness kept increasing and eventually became unbearable. We asked the server to reduce the salt because we could barely eat what was being served. Each person at our table took just one bite and stopped eating.
Despite our repeated and polite requests to go lighter on the salt, the main courses such as the cod and duck were incredibly oversalted. If I had hypertension, I genuinely believe this meal could have been dangerous. I could not taste anything except salt. Not the meat, not the sauce, nothing. Even Katz’s Deli’s famously salty corned beef tastes mild in comparison.
To be clear, I am not someone who prefers bland food. I enjoy bold, seasoned flavors, but this went far beyond that and completely ruined what could have been delicious dishes. Honestly, a more accurate name for some of the plates would be “Salt with a Side of Romaine.” It is unfortunate because the ingredients and presentation looked promising, but the execution was careless.
What made the experience worse was the lack of acknowledgment or accountability. We raised our concerns multiple times during the meal and left our plates mostly untouched. Still, there was no offer to remake anything, no apology, and no adjustment. Our feedback was clearly ignored.
This left us not only disappointed but also wondering whether our table, which happened to be the only Asian group in the restaurant, was being deliberately dismissed. I truly hope that was not the case, but the staff’s complete lack of response made us feel that way.
Unless you have an extremely high salt tolerance and do not mind being ignored after raising valid concerns, I cannot recommend Bar Bête. I totally wasted my money in this place.
… moreDespite our repeated and polite requests to go lighter on the salt, the main courses such as the cod and duck were incredibly oversalted. If I had hypertension, I genuinely believe this meal could have been dangerous. I could not taste anything except salt. Not the meat, not the sauce, nothing. Even Katz’s Deli’s famously salty corned beef tastes mild in comparison.
To be clear, I am not someone who prefers bland food. I enjoy bold, seasoned flavors, but this went far beyond that and completely ruined what could have been delicious dishes. Honestly, a more accurate name for some of the plates would be “Salt with a Side of Romaine.” It is unfortunate because the ingredients and presentation looked promising, but the execution was careless.
What made the experience worse was the lack of acknowledgment or accountability. We raised our concerns multiple times during the meal and left our plates mostly untouched. Still, there was no offer to remake anything, no apology, and no adjustment. Our feedback was clearly ignored.
This left us not only disappointed but also wondering whether our table, which happened to be the only Asian group in the restaurant, was being deliberately dismissed. I truly hope that was not the case, but the staff’s complete lack of response made us feel that way.
Unless you have an extremely high salt tolerance and do not mind being ignored after raising valid concerns, I cannot recommend Bar Bête. I totally wasted my money in this place.
Jack Ifrah
Just unreal food and environment. Surprising I can still walk in on a Thursday night and be seated immediately. Duck fat potatoes, fermented garlic (I think) spicy tuna toast, yellow cake are the stars/most ordered but you can’t go wrong. Totally satiating.
… moreSkylar T
Love this place! Have been here a handful of times and always bring friends and family here. One of the first restaurants to introduce me to a chef-driven menu and it did not disappoint. The dishes which are always changing with the seasons, are always delicious. The service is also superb. From the servers to the sommelier, I always feel welcomed and well-tended to.
… moreCooper Boyd
The food was INSANE.
The steak a must, the tuna a must, the dessert, the potatoes…literally everything is a must.
And our waiter Chase made the experience that much better. Dude is the man. Thank you for a great meal, Bar Bete. We will be back.
… moreThe steak a must, the tuna a must, the dessert, the potatoes…literally everything is a must.
And our waiter Chase made the experience that much better. Dude is the man. Thank you for a great meal, Bar Bete. We will be back.
Hilary P
A small place resembling a European wine bar. I stopped in, alone, unscheduled, on my way home from work around 7pm. They found me a seat with gracious style. I ordered thd pate starter and a glass of Riesling. The staff were very attentive and thd food was exquisit. Ill definitely be back.
… moreKaylan Mills
One of the best meals I’ve had in a long time, anywhere! Outstanding bread and pate to start. We had the duck fat potatoes with aioli which were insanely crispy, and the leek dish which was light and luscious. The swordfish was a sleeper hit and everyone was impressed with that too. An awesome wine selection to boot, plus some spectacular desserts sealed the deal as the best dinner I’ve had in a while.
… moreSheila Xia
A restaurant that has been on my list for too long! Tried their winter menu and it was so good! The ricotta gnodi has the most fresh red crab. The tuna toast was so flavorful. The yellow cake is so simple yet so delicious. A good restaurant can really turn simplicity into perfection. Bar Bête really did it! The service and ambience were outstanding too! The only thing is (not the restaurant’s fault at all) I wish the party of bros were not there yelling. I think they might have some misunderstanding about the restaurant’s name. It’s not a bar. It’s a perfect spot for date nights and friends gatherings but respect other guests’ experiences first.
… morejade
Bar bete was overall pleasant. Though some sauces or elements of a dish are prepared so poorly whether over salted or just improperly charred or whatever (several things being way oversalted)
Bar bete redeemed itself with that duck dish which is so insanely good. Top 3 ive had in nyc. And i forgot to snag a pic BUT THE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE FROSTING IS SUPERB. genuinely one of the best baked goods ive ever had in my life i think about it like every week at least.
… moreBar bete redeemed itself with that duck dish which is so insanely good. Top 3 ive had in nyc. And i forgot to snag a pic BUT THE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE FROSTING IS SUPERB. genuinely one of the best baked goods ive ever had in my life i think about it like every week at least.
Sandy
Cute restaurant with great service. We sat outside so I can’t speak to the inside but the outdoor seating was very spacious and our server was very kind and attentive.
The food was good, we got the feta, the potatoes, the oysters, the haricot vert, and the gnocchi, and the cake. I personally loved the potato’s – the garlic dip it comes with is worth it alone, the haricot vert was also good and the oysters (not sure worth the price) the feta fell a little short to me, expected a little more from the flavor, but good nonetheless, and finally the cake was 1. Extremely large – definitely a sharing size for a group 2. Had mixed reviews from the group, some felt the cake wasn’t moist enough and too crumbly and too sweet, I personally enjoyed it, the chocolate with the sea salt I liked and the cake was decent but definitely think you only need 2-3 bites before it becomes overwhelming. Overall recommend trying out!
… moreThe food was good, we got the feta, the potatoes, the oysters, the haricot vert, and the gnocchi, and the cake. I personally loved the potato’s – the garlic dip it comes with is worth it alone, the haricot vert was also good and the oysters (not sure worth the price) the feta fell a little short to me, expected a little more from the flavor, but good nonetheless, and finally the cake was 1. Extremely large – definitely a sharing size for a group 2. Had mixed reviews from the group, some felt the cake wasn’t moist enough and too crumbly and too sweet, I personally enjoyed it, the chocolate with the sea salt I liked and the cake was decent but definitely think you only need 2-3 bites before it becomes overwhelming. Overall recommend trying out!