At Bar Bête, Flavor is Fierce and in Harmony

In Carroll Gardens, Bar Bête feels like a neighborhood hang—but what comes out of the kitchen is anything but casual. Chef Marc St. Jacques layers flavor with precision, power, and grace.

The moment my girlfriend told me she was moving to Brooklyn, extensive research commenced. Bar Bête was one of the few Brooklyn restaurants on my Beli recommendation list with a score of ≥ 9.0. Because of that and the appeal of their menu, it was the site of our inaugural post-move dinner. We arrived at 6pm on a Friday with no reservation and snagged the last two seats at their eight-seat bar held for walk-ins. I had immediate appreciation for their larger than normal and sturdy bar chairs. It provided a sense of comfort seldomly found in bar seats where I typically think the seat is going to collapse under my enormous weight like a toothpick. The restaurant is small and can get incredibly loud with chatter—so loud I could not make out the songs being played on the speakers. The unanticipated noise made sitting side by side at the bar with my dining companion ideal since we were able to talk closely.

Photo by Eater New York

As I surveyed the room, I quickly realized this restaurant really was a neighborhood spot that could be whatever you wanted it to be. There was an older gentleman dining by himself at the bar, a group of young women celebrating a birthday and dressed to the nines, a couple with their baby meeting friends for a quick bite, and a pair seated directly behind us at a cocktail table grabbing some wine and light bites. The couple next to us was celebrating an anniversary and were served complimentary bubbles within five minutes of sitting. The food, space, and service clearly had range if they attracted this broad spectrum of diners.

At the bar, the sole bartender will be your server as well. As we perused the tiny menu, the French influence was evident in terms of technique, but the adaptations were unique. One of the first things that caught my eye was the $3 price tag on soda—unheard of in an NYC fine dining restaurant. Based on the dishes being delivered to nearby diners, everything on the menu seemed reasonably priced—and turns out, it was. We ordered: Island Creek Oysters, Leek Vinaigrette, Tuna Toast, Carolina Gold Rice, and Wagyu Brochette (means “skewer”).

Naturally, the ice-cold oysters hit the black stone bar top first. They were served in a silver bowl piled high with crushed ice. The east coast oysters were garnished with chili oil, preserved lemon and shallot. I was punched in the face by the acid from the lemon up front, then came the lingering heat from the chili oil, and finally the sweet oyster meat and liquor to round it out. An exemplary oyster.

Island Creek Oysters Chillin on the Half Shell

After we polished off the half dozen in roughly 54 seconds, the Tuna Toast was ready.

I appreciated the larger dice on the tuna because it provided a superior mouthfeel to that of a mince. There was a pleasant heat from the fermented chili in the tuna mixture. There was also a vegetal bitterness from the garlic chive spread schmeared across the top of the supremely crunchy and charred sesame-seeded toast. I questioned if the tuna was slightly underseasoned, but didn’t think too hard about it because the bite with all components—including the squeeze of lemon—was sublime. The natural, mildly sweet raw tuna flavor was on full display and not overpowered in any way.

Tuna Toast with Fermented Chili & Garlic Chive Spread

We welcomed the Leek Vinaigrette to the table next. This is a classic French dish, where leeks are typically boiled and marinated in a mixture of mustard, herbs, vinegar, etc. This preparation veers off the beaten path mainly because of the parmesan vinaigrette. This was my first time having this dish and it may have spoiled me. Since then, I’ve had it at one of my favorite French restaurants, Le Rock, and Bar Bête’s unconventional rendition blows theirs out of the water. The leeks were delicate and tender and tossed in the savory parmesan-forward vinaigrette with toasted hazelnuts and golden raisins. I despise raisins, but they worked in this supers avory and acidic dish. The hazelnuts added crunch and an earthy undertone. The one word I kept coming back to while eating this dish was: balance.

Leek Vinaigrette with Parm, Hazelnuts & Raisins

I had no preconceived notions about what the $27 Carolina Gold Rice with Green Asparagus, Tokyo Turnip, Country Ham and Sunchoke Broth was going to look like. It turned out to be a cross between a soup and stew. The base flavors were not up my alley as they leaned Asian with garlic, ginger, and possibly Thai chili. As we analyzed the dish, our server quickly instructed us to mix the quenelle of country ham butter into the broth to add overall richness. Objectively, it was an incredibly flavorful dish that was perfectly seasoned – on the brink of being overseasoned. There was soft heat from whatever chili they are using. The ham butter gave the broth a smokiness and unctuousness. The asparagus and Tokyo turnip were very neutral flavored which was exactly what the dish needed because of all the other profound flavors at play. It diluted them, while adding texture and a freshness to the otherwise heavy bowl of food.

Carolina Gold Rice with Asparagus, Turnips, Country Ham Butter & Sunchoke Broth

After this dish was cleared, our server asked us if we saved room for dessert. I said absolutely, but we still have the Wagyu Brochette coming. He looked at me puzzled and said “Oh yes, you’re right.”. At that moment, I thought the Brochette was a lost cause. A few moments later, I spotted our server talking to the expeditor. I assume he was pleading with the chef to get him a steak on the fly. It worked. Our steak appeared ten minutes later in all its glory.

It was an American Wagyu New York Strip Steak with a severe crust from the grill that was chock full of bitter char notes, heavily salted, perfectly mid-rare interior, and tender as all get out. The beef was topped with pickled onion—that may have been grilled prior to pickling—seasoned with a unique myriad of spices. The fat and acid play beautifully here. The raw dandelion leaves offer an inherent bitterness, while the grilled dandelion leaves give another variation of bitterness due to the smoke from the grill. Once I assembled a bite of those three components, it was time to give it a healthy swipe in the puddle of raclette sauce. The result—a flavor bomb. The raclette sauce tasted like the best cacio e pepe sauce I’d ever had due to its savoriness, texture, and copious amount of black pepper. There were huge flavors, but they all worked in harmony.

Wagyu Brochette with Dandelion Greens, Pickled Onion & Raclette Sauce

I had seen countless reviews of the Yellow Cake which made it seem like a must order. I followed suit, but also got their only other dessert which was a Panna Cotta. The cake stood tall, with a mound of dark chocolate frosting to match. The cake crumbled like a muffin and was quite dry. I did not particularly enjoy the texture and the flavor was standard vanilla. The frosting was reminiscent of Duncan Hines, but more thick and naturally flavored. I only wanted the frosting by the end and the flaky salt kept me coming back for more. The ratio of icing to cake seemed off and the contrast in textures did not work well together. It was incredibly top heavy. The frosting needed to be lighter or the cake needed to be more dense.

The Panna Cotta was a different story. I usually would never order panna cotta, but this was a perfect dessert. It was cold, creamy, and jello-like with a gentle sweetness that wasn’t overbearing. It paired superbly with the sour and tart marinated rhubarb. The praline pecans offered up their crusty texture and sugary nuttiness in what completed the trifecta. This will always be ordered over the cake.

Panna Cotta with Rhubarb & Pecans

As for the service, the hostess stood out. She went out of her way to have a thoughtful interaction with every patron. She doubled as a server and happily took drink orders, cleared plates, and ran food. She referred to us as “dears” frequently in an attempt to make the experience feel more intimate. I think it worked? Well, I went back two weeks later, so it definitely worked.

I envision myself coming here once a month. The menu changes frequently enough to keep things interesting, but even if it didn’t, there are items I would gladly eat on repeat. The food here is bold, inspired, and balanced. I have only seen this level of cooking at a handful of other restaurants. This kitchen lets it all hang out and they hit the bullseye nearly every time.

Number of Visits: 2

Favorite Dishes:

Island Creek Oysters, Meredith Dairy Feta, Tuna Toast, Leek Vinaigrette, Caramelized Duck Breast, Wagyu Brochette, Panna Cotta

Reservations:

Available on Resy

Released one month in advance of the date

Contact:

263 Smith Street

Brooklyn, NY 11231

347-844-9950

reservations@barbete.com