Barbette

A perfect French omelette, flawless cappuccino, smiley service from people who seem to like their jobs, and warm groovy vibes on a super cold day.

Great atmosphere with a variety of menu items. I went here for breakfast and had the Gruyère and ham omelet. Though the omelet was quite tasty, I was disappointed with the toast that was presented. I also enjoyed the salad with the lemon herb dressing, as well as the coffee. Nothing was outstanding that would make me come back frequently.

Pretty good place. I had a small family celebration to arrange, so I called to set up a reservation. I figured that’d be responsible, as I imagined Barbette does some brisk brunch business.
The guy who took my call was a little snotty, which I guess means they’re doing so well that they don’t need to befriend every single customer they encounter. A sign of prosperity.
My group showed up and assembled on time, when it was about half full on a Sunday afternoon. We looked over the specials and our waitress reviewed all the food they’d run out of. We ordered, and she came back to inform us they’d run out of more food and my wife would have to order something else. Well, that just means they’re so popular that it’s impossible for them to preorder sufficient supplies to accommodate their relentless demand. Another sign of prosperity.
My meal was great (the English muffins were on the tenacious side, to a degree that others had to comment with some wonder, but I persevered and overcame) and everyone else seemed pleased with theirs. I ordered a drink and it arrived without complications. Must not have been a very popular drink, but never mind, I liked it.
The waitress provided my mother, whose birthday it was, a nice bowl of french fries and what I took to be Bearnaise sauce. This was also very delicious, and I appreciated the gesture, as did my mother. My wife ordered the crème brûlée and it met with her approval on every count: the custard was fresh, light and cool, and the hard caramel was still quite warm from being torched shortly before. This is basically all you could desire in a crème brûlée, and my wife insists she will return here as frequently as her craving for it demands.
The other waitresses did a reasonable job of managing the high-​energy and unfettered children of another table, whose parents were unconcerned as to their doings. One woman provided place mats and boxes of nice crayons, which one child promptly swept to the floor and stomped on, but they stuck with it and got two out of three kids to sit quietly and color, exactly as their parents were entirely unable to do. So, good for the staff, but I do not like a family-​friendly place for this reason.

Lots of good food and flavor here, and good service too, but Barbette is not without its critiques as well.
We had a mixed experience with the starters. Cheese plate had some fantastic cheeses complimented by an awesome fruit compote and wild strawberries for garnish. Real good stuff. Frites were a little less exciting, as they were only a little better than McDonalds fries and the garlic aoli was quite plain. Not bad, but not what we were expecting for a bistro of this reputation.
Main courses were overall very good. Arctic char was done very nicely and the mashed turnips and carrot salad were outstanding. We also had the Steak Helene which had a beautiful bernaise sauce that was so damn good. Unfortunately the cut itself was a little less impressive, being a little more tough and chewy than a good prime NY strip should be (yet still flavorful, this is sometimes a problem with grass fed beef). Still the Steak Helene was redeemed by the marvelous vegetables on the side, including some roasted endive that tasted divine with the bernaise sauce.
We topped it off with a molten chocolate cake, which was very good but probably doesn’t merit any more praise than anybody else’s molten chocolate cake.
Our server was delightful and the atmosphere is very comfortable and without pretense. Barbette is very good and save for a handful of small issues, close to being one of the best french bistros in the Twin Cities.

Another pleasant evening with great service, ambiance and food. Easy parking always a plus !

Can I love a restaurant more than this? The first time I was here, it was 2012 and for the next 3 years I dreamed about going back. I would wake up longing for the Truffle Scrambled Eggs. There is something so fascinating about the atmosphere, the waiters and definitely the food. I could eat through the breakfast menu every time I am there. I have not had a better waffle in my life than the one at Barbette.

We had a horrible experience here. As I was eating my salad, something that I thought was lettuce turned out to be very chewy, and lo and behold, it was a crumpled receipt. Our crème brûlée was runny and bad. The waitperson offered no apology or discount, nor did the manager. We wrote a respectful letter with all of the details of the bad experience to the restaurant, and we never heard back.
We’ll never go back. Yuck.

Everything is overpriced and it feels like the wait staff is on a trial run. When it’s busy and you’re sitting on the patio it seems like the servers are confused at who ordered what and which one of them is serving which table.
Once I got the carrot cake dessert and the slice I received was only an inch thick. It was $ 6 for the saddest piece, and i know what the dessert should be like because I’ve ordered it at The Red Stag and it was amazing there. It’s like the wait staff is so new that the person didn’t realize you aren’t suppose to serve the sad piece or just make the last piece a large one.
Mediocre experience all the time.
Get the fries and mussels. Nothing else.
Breakfast is blah.
Service is subpar.

We came here because I had read they had live music. Well they do. Just not on the FRIDAY night we happened to be dining there. ODD. Our waitress was ok, but kinda flighty. The food was very good and the options were also plentiful. I would return, but definitely call ahead if you are hoping for music!

I only stopped here for a drink but loved the atmosphere here! The inside it very cozy and has cool artwork on the walls. The patio has nice lights and plants to set it apart from the street. My friend and I sat outside and each ordered a beer — got happy hour special through a Unilocal check in coupon! They had a small list of tap beers but good craft beers so that made it okay. Our server was very friendly and overall the experience was very nice!

Great atmosphere and great service — but portion size can be a tad larger.
Coming to visit Minneapolis has its pros and cons. There are restaurants that give you American gigantic portion sizes, and then there are ones that starve you for the same price. Barbette is a bit on the latter end, even though it was probably better for my health.
For Sunday brunch, my friends who live locally recommended Barbette and immediately we all spoke about the great open atmosphere. While the waiters/​waitresses were busy, they still tend to every request and questions throwing their way. I specifically ordered the seasonal hash with roasted chicken, while my partner in crime ordered an omelet. The seasonal hash looks big, but there’s a good amount of ‘juice’ that’s on the bottom (don’t ask me why there’s juice in a hash). They tasted okay but we ended up chomping on chips by the time we got back to our car. Don’t worry, our BMI isn’t through the roof, it’s just the portion size could be 30% larger for the price.
Hopefully my local friends will try Barbette a few more times and find out its sweet spots — we just happen to be hungry after spending $ 28 (for the two of us), and there’s no excuse for that.

Stumbled upon this place while on vacation! Very nice décor inside and cute tables outside.
Had a nice dinner consisting of the Pomme fries, get the large! They are SO GOOD! The asparagus risotto with prawn shrimp was delicious! Just the right amount to be satisfied and it was not heavy at all!
The service was prompt and attentive!
Only thing is that it was a bit pricy but i guess we were on vacation and treating ourselves.

It was the perfect day to sit on the patio, our waiter was great as was my mimosa, that’s where it ended.
First they messed up my order so I had to wait for them to redo it while my friends ate, I wasn’t too upset and if the food had been amazing it wouldn’t have even been noted it my review but my meal was not pleasing. I got the croque madame and simply put, it was not good. For a croquet madam I expect a warm gooey egg and béchamel topped ham sandwich, in this case I got a grilled cheese with tomatoes sans cheese… You can add an egg for $ 2, really? Isn’t an egg what makes it a madame vs a monsieur? Also there was no mornay/​béchamel sauce on the top, it literally just looked like a sad empty grilled cheese (note: the tomatoes in it were good). I ended up dipping it in my friends ketchup for some flavor. Also, the side salad was wet which made it appear dressed but it had little to no flavor.
I spent $ 20 on lunch and left hungry and disappointed, I went home and had to eat again.

The ingredients are SO FRESH! I am obsessed with Barbette, I want to eat here every day. When a restaurant uses fresh ingredients it makes all the difference in the world.
Mussels– white wine and herb broth, soooo flavorful. The bread dipped in the broth was heaven
Grilled hearts of palm salad– out of this world delicious and creative
Asparagus risotto– I could eat this every day of my life.
Brown butter cake– a beautifully delicious creation!
Great outdoor seating and friendly staff!

Barbette, to me, is like a burlesque show. I go twice a year, more to watch than to touch. Because touching gets me in trouble.
Safety words here include «fries,» «mussels,» and «oysters.»
Almost everything else I have ever ordered here tastes mysterious. (Not the good kind of mysterious.) Take the salmon nicoise salad, for instance. The salad was laid out on a large white plate like a Klimt painting. The greens, purple potatoes, and olives tasted very fishy. Halfway through the dish, I noticed two long pieces of anchovy. I like anchovies! But those should have been added last so that the strong oils didn’t make the whole salad taste like the alleyway behind a seafood store. I held my nose for every bite (except when I was actually eating the anchovies… weird).
Cocktails never quite taste right. (Moscow mule tasted like a chemistry set.)
Servers often look confused about which table to bring food to.
The patio has a view of a cute tree-​lined neighborhood. The inside has a wide variety of seating arrangements.
Anyway, remember my safety words and get wild at your own risk.

Barbette was disappointing. Mostly because of the service and cleanliness. The food was tasty. The décor was cute/​flamboyant but dirty. There is one bathroom total and it is disgusting. THe service was weird. I waited for several minutes before being acknowledged, blah bah blah… over not welcoming.
They were not busy. The parking is street. I had the special — the lobster tortelli (made up word?) and it tasted good. The esprsso cremem brulee was also good.
I won’t come back here.

Had a great waffle with lemon curd and blueberry compote. It is delicious and is a must try! If you plan on getting a side of fruit with your waffle, note that the side of fruit will cost just as much as the waffle. The fruit was not worth the price, especially when the fruit was overly ripe! While I was unpleasantly surprised by the cost and taste of my side of fruit, I did really enjoy the waffle so I will be back for more!

Damn those lucky bastards that live above Barbette! I envy that they’re able to walk down stairs on a whim and grab some delectable eats and sips at this oh-​so quaint French café. In a perfect world, I would have Barbette, a phở joint, a Chinese bakery, a taco stand, and a coffee shop. Err, maybe a pet store, too. They would all be amazing, of course, and I would visit them everyday. (Everyday!) Yeah, that sounds about right…
****
I stopped by around lunchtime, craving breakfast food. My server suggested either their omelet or buckwheat crêpe, and I went with the former.
I. FOOD
*Ham And Gruyère Omelette (with caramelized onions, greens, and toast): I’m convinced that my brother makes the best ones ever, but Barbette’s is definitely on par. Why? Mine was perfectly executed and had just the right touch of butter. Not to mention, the ham and gruyère sort of made my eyes roll in the back of my head. ***Snaps fingers.***
The toast also came with generous servings of tasty jelly and butter, and I totally didn’t care that I made a promise to myself to ease up on the carbs. (Summer is coming, ya know…)
I also ordered a side of sausages, and they were plenty tooth-​some. The greens had a nice touch of salt.
II. SERVICE
My server was a sweetheart. If there ever was a situation where she was at a bar and had no money, I would totally buy her several beers. #becauseiknowshesagoodperson
III. AMBIENCE
Love it! With beautiful art covering the walls, vintage tables and chairs, and Parisian-​meets-​old-​school bar, what’s not to like? They also play some lounge-​y music that makes me want to return just for that.
IV. OVERALL
I love this place, and I can’t wait to come for happy hour or romantic night out with my boo to try other things on their menu.

Such high reviews led me here but it was average and disappointing. I had high expectations based upon Unilocal photos of eggs benedict. I came in craving poached eggs but evidently the benedicts are only on the weekends. My fault though, I didn’t read the menu first. There was a chicken and veggie hash that came with poached eggs instead. Sold!
The food took a little while to come out, and when it came out it was very pretty and I washoping to get a great yolk porn photo, with it oozing out onto the rest of the food in all its glory. I poked it with my fork, ready to take the picture, but no yolk came. They were compeltely poached hard. Sigh.
I told my server and she was going to take my dish back, but I was on a time crunch on lunch break and had to start eating, so she just took the eggs off the top back and I started on the rest. By the time my new poached eggs were done, I was mostly done with my meal, so I didn’t get to enjoy the eggs with the carrots/​parsnips/​potatoes/​chicken/​kale mixture. I was disappointed. The server gave me a little chip for free fries with my next visit, which doesn’t mean anything to me because I don’t eat french fries. The flavors of the rest of the food was pretty good but overall it was a disappointing experience so I am not going to go out of my way to come back here again.

I still love Barbette and I finally tried their dinner menu. Though by this time, I was sick of eating out and Restaurant Week, I went for my final RW menu to celebrate a friend’s birthday. She picked Barbette. At first, I wasn’t too excited about her choice because I had been there a couple of times; but, at the end, it was okay as our meal was very good.
We got here when happy hour was still in effect. We ordered HH mussels and cheese plate of Brie and Blue. Both were delicious! We were starving and those just came at the right time. For $ 5, I thought they were pretty substantial and good value. The mussels were terrific and we all asked for more bread to soak in the white wine sauce. I wanted another order of those!
We did the RW menu and our server was pushing us towards the vegetarian croquette. Comparing that to the Lobster pasta, it didn’t sound too good. I bet they still had a lot of the croquettes left. Lol. All three of us ordered the Lobster Pasta as the croquette just sounded meh. Nothing can win against lobster unless you’re deathly allergic to shellfish. Nice try though in persuading us to order mashed tater in a ball. It wasn’t my fault you put two contrasting items in the menu and if most of the patrons aren’t flaming idiots, they wouldn’t go for the croquettes. We usually try to order different entrées so we could have a try. However there was 0 interest in the croquettes. Sorry Croquettes! If you were the appetizer, I’d go for you. But you weren’t entrée material.
The first course of curried cauliflower soup was decent and delicious. I wasn’t overly excited about it but it tasted fine. Birthday girl was in love with it and she thought it was so delicious. Another friend got the lamb pâté and since I gave up meat on Friday, I didn’t try it. They loved it. I tried the cherry mostarda and that was very nice.
The lobster pasta was awesome! It was simple and light and basically it was fresh pasta, with chunks of lobsters, spinach, crushed pistachios, in a beurre blanc sauce. Amazing. I am going to replicate it at home. It was tiny portion and again, I wanted another order!
The dessert of tiny vanilla cupcakes with several different sauces of passion fruit, basil, raspberry, and kiwi sorbet was just okay. I didn’t jump up and down but birthday girl was all over it and loved it. That’s most important that she loved her birthday meal. It was pretty presentation but the cupcakes were dry.
Overall, I loved the meal. It was good and satisfying. I thought I’d be hungry in several hours but I wasn’t. The only hiccup was our server jumped from appetizers to dessert by mistake. We didn’t really noticed the hiccup because we were busy chatting but I guess they had to scramble to get our entrées out as he thought we already had it. Not sure how it happened, but like I said we barely noticed it until he was clearing our silverwares and offered us coffee. That was funny. He got it handled and when we finally had dessert he came and offered us our entrées again as a joke. We laughed and thought he was hilarious. He comped us one of the HH appetizers without us asking, as seriously, we could care less and we barely realized there was an issue. That was very cool of them though unnecessary.
So, I still love the food here brunch or dinner. It turned out to be a great close to Restaurant Week. I am going to try to eat in and maybe copy and cook some of the dishes I ate this week at home.