I love searching for French restaurants. It’s research I never tire of because I often find food that I can’t stop thinking about for days, or weeks, till I finally taste it.  

One particular evening that stretched till the next morning, because of the reason mentioned above, I found Bar Bête. This Smith Street French eatery opened late last year and quickly proved itself worthy of its bossy name.

What makes this French-foodie destination so beastly (in a good way)? Here are six reasons why you’ll be smitten with Bar Bête’s fine French cuisine at first taste.

1. A beautiful, glossy, and ebony bar. Bar Bête’s baby grand piano-type bar stands in the middle of the restaurant is a little more than perfect. I love an upscale, yet comfy bar. I would’ve actually preferred to sit there.

Instead, I had the pleasure of sitting at a table opposite the door. I didn’t get cold—thankfully, it was a nice night. 

Bar Bête’s superior execution of its menu, which consists of two short lists of shareable “snacks” and one short list of entrees, spurred reasons two through six. 

2. The Rolled Omelette with peekytoe crab and seaweed butter! Doesn’t it just sound mouthwatering?! Heavenly. Super delicate! Super moist! Ridiculously flavorful! A dish that I inhaled, or rather wanted to inhale and not share at all with anyone. Alas, I ended up sharing it but trust me if I could’ve inhaled it on sight, I definitely would have. 

It came out and it was lovely. A proud moment for us all. Me, for finally getting the chance to enjoy it IRL, after drooling over a few enticing pictures of it for weeks. The godsend chef who created this thing of a life-long dream come true. My dining partner for accompanying me to a French restaurant. Most people claim they don’t like French food but once they go to a genuine French restaurant, not just a convenient fast food chain around the city, they realize how amazing French food truly is. The Rolled Omelette is change your mind about French food good.

3. The mushroom brioche was a perfect balance of truffle and butter and flaky brioche pastry. It honestly was unlike any savory pastry I’ve tried. Packed with swirly sharp and intense flavor, I was sure that among its ingredients was gruyere, but no cheese is listed as a component on the menu. It was said that it was too salty. But I had nothing bad to say about this snack, in fact I thoroughly enjoyed and happily finished it.

4.  Imagine a French quesadilla and you’ll have a basic idea of the chickpea crepe. With gooey but mild fontina cheese married to herbs and swiss chard, I found the familiar zest of French fusion in this crepe. French and Italian cuisine is a fusion that’s so common that I hesitate to call it fusion. I’d prefer a substitution of a stinky brie—and a tiny bit of Dijon mustard—to underscore French authenticity. However, it’s a very popular item on BB’s menu.

5. The crust of the crispy fish, my entrée, was a crunchy and delicious envelope that held moist, flavorful fluke. I was grateful for this dish’s garnishments—grated lemon, creamy mashed potatoes and a small topping of greens.

6. There was no shortage of rave reviews for the smoked chicken at my table. Hence, the reason I didn’t get a chance to try it. Gone in three minutes. I thought I ate fast?! This dish replaced the aged duck dish on BB’s menu, which I really wanted for my entrée initially. Spinach and polenta and fig and onion confit, which probably created a sweet and tart coating/thin gravy of bursting flavor on the chicken. The quintessential French dish. I’ve had many dishes in my lifetime that are similar to this classically French, rustic meal that every French resto’s menu should feature.