Barbette

1600 West Lake St
Minneapolis, MN
612-827-5710
http://www.barbette.com

Category: French, Cafe

Rating (Scale 1-10, with 10 being the highest):
Food: 9
Service: 8
Ambience: 8

Recommendation: Excellent. A diverse, bohemian neighborhood bistro in Uptown that serves simple French fare. Barbette also makes a great spot for a weekend brunch and late night dining.

Barbette is a cool bistro in the heart of Uptown with a diverse clientele, hip interiors, and simple food. The interior, with the bright contrasts of oranges and blues, has a trendy vibe, but the environment is friendly with casual seating and outgoing staff. We love the funky pendant lights hanging from the ceilings. They have a breakfast/brunch, lunch, dinner, and late night menu and dishes consist primarily of simple French/Belgian favorites such as Croque Monsieur, Pommes Frites, Steak Frites, and Steamed Mussels. The extensive wine list, global beer selection, and late night dining menu make this a great spot for after-dinner drinks/dessert. Chef Sarah Master uses natural/organic ingredients when possible and the quality is evident in the food…everything we’ve had here always tastes fresh.

For brunch, we like the Eggs Benedict. The hollandaise sauce is home-made and side serving of petite greens tossed with lemon juice and olive oil is simple complement. On a recent visit, we tried the Tomato, Brie, and Leek Quiche (they have daily quiche specials during brunch). The quiche itself was fluffy and creamy and just melted in your mouth but the overall flavors were pretty mild. It also needed to be seasoned with salt and pepper. We ordered a side of French bread that went nicely with the quiche. For lunch or dinner, we highly recommend getting a side of the Pommes Frites – probably the best French fries we’ve had in the Twin Cities. They are thin and golden brown but not as crispy as the ones you may find on the streets of Amsterdam. While we prefer our French fries to be a bit crispier than the ones served, once you start eating them, the texture really grows on you. We didn’t care for the saffron aioli served with the fries. The Steamed Mussels with Red Curry sauce were amazing…the mussels were big and juicy, unlike the ones you normally find in Minneapolis. Another favorite is the Royale with Cheese, a thick and luscious hamburger topped with caramelized onions and brie, served on toasted bread. It was a great burger, albeit a bit messy to eat because the meat patty was thick and very juicy. We didn’t care for the chips that were served with the burger; we recommend ordering a small side of Frites with it instead. Servers were friendly and very accommodating.

$$-$$$$. Open daily from 8-1am (Sun-Thur) and 8-2am (Fri-Sat). Lunch/Brunch entrees priced between $7 and $15, Dinner entrees between $20 and $30. Street parking available.