French-inspired eatery with creative small plates & extensive wine




























263 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11231 Get directions
$50–100
"Meet Cobble Hill's requisite destination to drink a pet-nat and have a server tell you to order two-to-three small plates per person. Here, you can split tuna toast and crispy duck fat-fried potatoes at a marble table, and look deeply into someone’s eyes as you both realize that yes, those potatoes might be the best thing on the menu, and yes, you will be here on a regular basis. End your meal with the yellow cake, which has a cake-to-icing ratio of 1:1 and a liberal shower of flaky salt." - willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim, neha talreja, will hartman
"This bistro from Battersby, Joe Ogrodnek, and chef Marc St. Jacques displays a menu rooted in French Canadian cuisine but doesn’t stick to it. Look for scallop crudo, tuna toast, and duck fat potatoes among snacks. There’s also an ultra-rich omelet with peekytoe crab and seaweed butter, as well as baked seat trout and caramelized duck breast. The wine list shines here, too." - Robert Sietsema

"Bar Bête feels like a cozy spot where regulars return again and again. The menu offers a silky chicken liver parfait, a crisp chickpea crepe topped with spiced swiss chard, and creme brulee with green cardamom — and compelling wines (pet-nats and orange wines play a prominent role on the menu)." - Melissa McCart

"Bar Bête is the least traditional option on this list. The menu at this Carroll Gardens restaurant is identifiably French, but it’s more experimental than most, with fun twists like chicken liver served in a parfait glass with prune jam and butter. That liver is reason enough to come here, and the duck fat potatoes served with what we can only describe as a mountain of aioli is worth a trip as well. Come by for an interesting, casual meal, and don’t forget to explore the list of natural wines. Even on a Monday night, the long room with globe lights and marble tables fills out with locals drinking pinot gris." - bryan kim, willa moore, neha talreja, sonal shah, will hartman, molly fitzpatrick
"Bar Bête feels like a cozy spot where regulars return again and again. The menu offers a silky chicken liver parfait, a crisp chickpea crepe topped with spiced swiss chard, and creme brulee with green cardamom — and compelling wines (pet-nats and orange wines play a prominent role on the menu)." - Eater Staff