I brought my family here for my anniversary dinner, and boy, was I surprised. Having been to this same location for the last two restaurants (Satchels & Perrys), I had high hopes that this obscure location would continue to surprise me with high quality food. The inside of the restaurant has not changed that much over the years. The new open kitchen concept had our table watching with great interest how the team navigated around one another in such a small space. We started with some amazing appetizers (Moroccan potatoes and Fall fatoush). Both of these offerings were bursting with flavor, and while a bit different than expected (e.g. the potatoes were tangy and sweet and the hummus was pureed), the flavors were complex and complimentary. Between our appetizer and our main entree we had a nice palate cleanser of a concord grape sorbet, which was quite a pleasant surprise. For our main course, we had the sea bass and the scallops. Because I noticed the duck confit's presentation seemed to be more to my taste than what came with the scallops, the kitchen was more than happy to place my scallops in this new arrangement. In fact, I got the sense that the kitchen would do practically anything for the customer including create dishes that may or may not have been on the menu. All in all, this is a gem of a neighborhood restaurant. Park Hill is lucky to have these hidden gems. My only knock on Bistro Barbes is that they have a very limited beer list. For such a fine restaurant, it would be nice to have a bit more of an alcohol selection to choose from. read more

This restaurant is fantastic! You can always count on your food being delicious. The staff is so friendly too! A gem in north park hill! read more

Bistro Barbes - Duck breast - French Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Chef Robbins is killing it. My wife and I went for a date night and thoroughly enjoyed everything on the 4-course prix-fixe menu. We were shocked to learn that Chef Robbins was the entire staff. He was the chef, pastry chef, waiter, busser, and bartender. He's picked a smart menu he can pull off in his solo capacity. Amazingly, he never seemed frantic or in the weeds, so the atmosphere was relaxed. The man is working his tail off, and the results are fantastic. Please, please, please support him and this restaurant! read more

If you haven't been here yet you are missing out! If you saw it and drove past it definitely your loss. This place is the best kept secret of Denver. Although it's made top 25 and has increasingly become extremely busy the owners are humble, the staff makes you feel like family and the food is out of this world!! Love the menu and the prices are reasonable. Great place!!!! And a must try!! read more

This is an amazing restaurant. I had one of the best meals ever there last night! Everything was beyond delicious, expertly prepared with layers of delicious flavors. Served with style. Great wine. Dessert out of this world. My favorite was the artichoke appetizer. read more

I'm officially giving this 3.5 stars. It was kind of pricey. And my entree was overcooked. That said... They had a great wine selection. Wine prices weren't too bad, and we found a nice bottle of Langhe Nebbiolo that wasn't too spendy. I had the King Salmon, and unfortunately it was overcooked. A fine piece of salmon should err on the medium-rare side, and this was like medium-well. It came with a really nice garnish of smoked okra however which played really well with the salmon flavors. In fact all the entrees were creative and unique and highlighted the earthy, smoky tones of the food. Ie. this restaurant reminded me of a fine single malt scotch. Quirky and unique and earthy and malty. The goose liver pate was super rich, immensely earthy and amazing once my palate had adjusted. The highlight of the meal was the dessert, a flourless chocolate cake stuffed with foie gras. Yes, that's right, chocolate cake with fatty goose liver. It was supremely rich and decadent. The chocolate frosting was rich dark chocolate and the foie gras and salt just took it to another level. Outstanding. I'll probably come back just for dessert, and perhaps to sample more entrees. read more

Lovely dinner in the neighborhood. Tucked away in park hill this lovely bistro serves French food with a Moroccan flare. Menu is short and seasonal. Started with several appetizers including mussels with a white wine sauce plus a smoked sausage (love when they do that). Used extra bread to soak up the sauce. Followed by a tomatoes salad course. Which was light and refreshing. For the main we shared a Alamosa hybrid bass over seasonal vegetables. The skin was crisp and the sauce was light but flavorful. Shared a dessert and had a calvados. Intimate without any stuffiness. read more

This place is top notch! We've heard it was good, but it took us years to make it here. Food is amazing, service is amazing, this is such a hidden gem. How it took us so long to get here, I don't know! You will not be disappointed. read more

I was lucky to be invited to an amazing dining experience. Fantastic flavors. Definitely a must-try. Highly recommend this fine dining experience for a wonderful romantic date or special celebration. read more

Bistro Barbes - Short ribs were heavenly! Comfort food at its best. - French Near Me - Denver, Colorado

One of the best French Restaurants in Denver. The food is delicious. Seemingly simple dishes with lots of complex and subtle flavors. Service wasn't great. Tables are super close together though. Kinda dampens the romantic feel. But, overall, the food is a must try. read more

Exceptionally good food. The service was great as well. We had dinner on a rainy day and the place was fairly empty. This didn't take away from the over all experience. read more

Hubby took me here for my birthday dinner. The sea bass was delightful. After years of seeing it on Top Chef, I finally got to have crispy fish skin! And the escargot was quite yummy. Hubby, however, felt his steak was very bland. So he's not as excited to go back as I am. I will admit the strip mall is a little off-putting. But I'd like to give it one more try. read more

Such a great spot. The service was amazing and the food was over the top. We shared plates to start and had our entrees then indulged with all three of their deserts. So great. Can't wait to bring new people in to check this out. read more

Ambiance wasn't as fancy as we were looking for but we were delighted with this excellent restaurant hidden away in a residential neighborhood. Fabulous food & great service make it a worthwhile trip. read more

I can't believe we didn't find this place until yesterday. This is IMHO one of the top 5 kitchens in Denver. Very interesting and delicate flavors. The beef cheek and the duck breast entrees were both delicious. And all at a pretty good price point. Only downside is it's a bit noisy. But we are going back for sure. Well done! read more

The food was definitely good, the server was sweet and friendly, but the restaurant is small and there was a feeling of being rushed to get the table ready for another party. In fact, at the end of our dinner, after we paid the $200 tab for 4, the hostess came over to let us know that. It was so rude and could have been hinted at instead. Perhaps she could have said, "is there anything else I can bring you?" We were about to get up and had maybe spent 5 mins longer talking after lthe tab was paid. Also when I asked about Foie gras ice cream the hostess decided rather than answer if it was from a humane source, she went on to tell me that the geese don't mind being force fed and that the pics and info we've seen about foie gras is blown out of proportion. Take out the hostess and the restaurant would improve immensely. I won't being going back. I'd rather go somewhere that doesn't rush me and doesn't serve foie gras. read more

Good food but WAY overpriced and felt a bit scammed. The good: Terrific food. Small portions, but delicious. The bad: Oddball location in a kind of a dank strip mall. Interior ambiance is meh. I'm ok paying $14+tip for a cocktail, but I expect them to have a bit more 'kick'. The ugly: The prices on the menu are on the high side - not crazy - just the top end of the reasonable spectrum but they SEEM to be offset by the print on the menu that says "Service Included"...until the end of the meal when there's some explanation about what that really means and that you're expected to add an ADDITIONAL 15-20% tip! (which sounds a bit like service ISN'T actually included, right?!) For the approx $100 per person that Bistro Barbes costs, we regularly eat at many of Denver's fine restaurants that offer terrific food and great cocktails, plus a location and ambiance that this place lacks...and there's no hokey "service in included,...but not really" scheme. Not sure how other reviewers ate for $100 per couple. We were 4 people:4 appetizers, 4 entrees, 2 desserts, 2 beers, 2 cocktails, 1 middle of the road bottle of wine. Everything was delicious, and everything was small. Food quality = 5-stars (really 4.5 due to portion sizes) Location/Ambiance = 2-stars Value = 0-stars Nice work in the kitchen. Business management...not so much. The place was 3-quarters full on a rainy Saturday night so maybe they don't need customers like me, or maybe the customers were 'first-timers who aren't coming back', like me. read more

I was so hungry after splitting a $200 bill between 4 people that I had to go home and eat something. I am 5'11" and weigh 167 pounds; not a bottomless pit by any means. And I do like high end restaurants like Fruition and Rioja. Bistro Barbes ain't all that. The dining room is minuscule with tables so close together it is basically a communal table. We arrived a little early (10 minutes) and there was no place to stand except for the corridor to the bathroom. There was certainly no place to wait at the area they called 'the bar.' Which looked like 4 stools (already taken). Besides the spatial problem, there is really no decor to speak of. It's noisy and tiny and basic. We had the moroccan potatoes and pork belly, with an amuse bouche to start with. I have no idea what the amuse bouche was. It tasted like ranch dip on a cracker. Not impressed. The potatoes were decent. The pork belly was not. Okay...so on to the entrees. No one that had the short ribs had anything complementary to say about it, and the couple we were with are very vocal about food. I and another friend had the scallops. SO SALTY. Practically inedible, but I did manage to get it down because I was starving after the paltry appetizers. Thank goodness they brought bread, which was good, or I might have taken a bite out of the table cloth. Everyone had wine but me. I had the 'winter margarita.' It was overly tart and tasted like it came from a mix. I didn't ask, though. It certainly was not worth $11. Maybe 7, if that. The service was not good. The wait to get our drinks was outlandish, but I didn't time it, so I won't go out on a limb and exaggerate. It was just too long. But besides this point, our server seemed annoyed we were even there. He did not smile, did not engage us in any way. It was basically, "Here is the menu for tonight." Was he imported from France? You have to wonder. In short, I would never, ever darken the door of this overpriced and pretentious restaurant ever again. But I give it two stars because it wasn't McDonalds, and the server was not OVERTLY rude or obnoxious. If you want to spend a lot on a dinner, go elsewhere. There are plenty of good restaurants in town that are worth it. Not this one. read more

I came here on a Friday night and fell in love. The menu is tight but amazing. The food was awesome. The cocktails and wine excellent. This place is a gem. The neighborhood is lucky. read more

Great spot, with great food. Small so plan ahead but worth the planning. Regularly changing menu as a bistro should be. On one of our visits we had an Amazing chocolate dipped foie gras mousse. read more

I agree with everything that has been written. The food is very tasty and EXCEllent by the owner/chef who was chef d'cuisine at Mizuna and has cooked in Paris. The place itself although small has been designed to maximize what there is and does not feel crowded but actually quite [low key] stylish. The service was impeccable and my mom [ who can be quite fussy] took a few business cards. As she loves to say, "understated elegance" is her mantra and the Bistro scored there. On the flip side, it was pricy [and some of the dishes were a bit on the smaller side -just add 2 more tbls per dish and they would suffice] as they tend to be at high style restaurants so be prepared. It is what it is, not a neighborhood bistro bar but a very very fine dining experience. read more

Really great meal. Creative and delicious, with a backbone of French bistro fare. Very good, short wine list with reasonable prices. Highly recommended, good value for the very high quality. read more

Never heard of this place before but decided to check it out. I tried rabbit for the first time and it was so good! I'm not really a big meat eater either. They have a great happy hour! read more

I really wanted to like this place. Cute little minimalist bistro, good pre-opening buzz. We tried it the second week it was open, and were just, well, underwhelmed. The service was friendly enough; the food was just okay. I think we had our hopes up given Chef Robbins' reputation, and we just didn't love it. The beef was tasty, as was the octopus appetizer, but the fish was blah. The desserts left something to be desired--the carrot cake tasted like a cake made of carrots. The portions were small for their hefty pricetag--seemed like a lot of filler decor on the plates. Things just generally looked better than they tasted. I want to cut this place some slack since it's new, but given all the amazing restaurants Denver has to offer, I doubt we will be back. read more

The food is inventive and tasty, but the prices! omg! My $36 scallop dish came with 3 - yes, count those - 3 scallops. My partner's $32 duck breast dish was equally miserly with the duck. The location is sparse without much atmosphere, so that definitely doesn't account for the prices. Service is attentive and professional, but not outstandingly so. So... if you want some tasty, but very expensive food, this is the place for you. We have not shied away from expensive restaurants and often found them worth the price paid. The now closed Trillium, Colts and Gray, and others are expensive, but worth the money. This one, in our opinion, isn't. read more

I wanted to love it. But it fell just a little bit short. When you pay a premium for great food there is not much room for error. Based on other reviews we may have just hit an off evening but I was sadly underwhelmed. I just didn't get that stand-out dish. I have a rule with fine dining that there has to be at least one memorable dish that you still remember years later. My other roll was fine dining is the food has to be spot-on. My hanger steak unfortunately was chewy beyond belief and resembled a flank steak. I don't expect perfection and don't mind if things are just a little bit chewy. But this may have beat the record for the chewiest steak I have ever eaten. I will add that the service was nice and our waiter was kind. And I will take responsibility that I'm more of a power through kind of girl so I did not mention how chewy the steak was or give anybody a chance to correct it so I cannot comment on how that would have been handled. read more

The best escargot I've ever had; four of us tasted most of the menu-highest recommendations!! Small, I suspect may be hard to get reservations if the word gets out.... read more

Signed up for Yelp just so I could review this restaurant. Our experience was THAT good! Mitch gave us a warm welcome and exceptional service all evening. The space is very cozy and was especially lovely with the bay door up on a warm September evening. We were served a potato chip amuse bouche with creme fraiche. I knew at first bite we were in for a special treat! We began with the shrimp cocktail over which Mitch poured a freshly shaken consomme (great presentation!). The shrimp was tender and delicious and the finely shaved horseradish on top added a nice pop of flavor. Next, we tried the roasted quail. New to this bird, I was a little timid about ordering the quail, but it was fantastic as well! The meat was mild in flavor and the perfect texture. We followed with the courgettes (thinly sliced squash) and melon salads, both of which were amazing. I especially like the courgette with the subtle dressing and pieces of goat cheese along side. For our main courses, we tried the sea bass and the beef coulotte. Again, both amazing. The sea bass was perfectly cooked and served crispy skin-side up. Truly delish and well paired with the accompanying vegetables and spiced yogurt. The steak was also perfectly done and tasted amazing with the moroccan glazed carrots and shallot puree. Mitch, who also helps compose the wine list, recommended a fantastic rose which paired beautifully with both. Would highly recommend this restaurant for those looking for a classy, high-end dinning experience. The team at Barbes are clearly invested in their menu and their diner's experience. Amazing restaurant! read more

Properly run family style restaurant. Everything is prepared and delivered with detail at a reasonable price. And it's not in the middle of noisy neighborhood. The place is quaint and homey. What you get for a small park hill location is savings passed on to you. My entire family felt the entire menu was on point and we will be back! Plus the desserts are the true specialty read more

Stunning. Absolutely stunning. Best meal this year. The food and wine pairing was spot on. I keep thinking about the experience...can't help myself.... This is a must for any true foodie... The vibe is just great. The just feel happy and grateful to have been there... read more

Neighborhood gem. Really solid food and drinks in an unexpected location. Great happy hour. Great service and atmosphere

This is a neighborhood gem. I didn't even know this place existed, and my bf made reservations for their V-day chef tasting menu. So this review is for a special occasion menu and not their regular menu. Kudos to the chef that made that menu. It was amazing. One of the best meals I've had in a long, long time. I also got the wine pairing and I am glad I did. It was a very thoughtful pairing with a fresh menu and to say I enjoyed it immensely is an understatement. While it was not cheap, it was comparable to other V-day special menus other restaurants in LoDo were offering, without having to eff with going to LoDo. I loved the beet dish and the palate cleanser sorbet with champagne was perfect. The place itself was small, tables are a little packed in. I personally find that a teeny awkward, but there are lots of places set up like that and it is what it is. Our reservation was really early (530) so the place was only half full when we got there and quickly filled up as our meal progressed though it never got loud. You can see back into the kitchen and the chefs preparing the meals, which I love (but I also am an avid Top Chef fan so I enjoy that kind of thing). The server was really nice and explained every dish and the wine pairing as each course was served. Our table was right next to the old auto garage glass rolling door that serves as the outer wall, and was a great seat for the sunset. I live in the neighborhood and it is..... eclectic. There was a moment of pretty entertaining local activity outside for our viewing pleasure. I can't wait to try their regular menu. Great food, hip vibe in a more low key setting. My style! read more

So excited to have this new restaurant in this space in the North Park Hill neighborhood. We have frequented the restaurant that occupied this space previously. It's a very small space but I am very impressed with how they have maximized the space to seemingly not seem as small. They have also added a bar that you can actually sit and eat at. The service was friendly, prompt and VERY knowledgeable of the wines, entrees and the pairing of the two. We tried several of their menu options that night. Keep in mind the servings are small and it's quite pricy so be prepared. We are excited to visit again soon! read more

Hey, this place is great! Everything we had was delicious. The restaurant is clean and quaint. I love when the bathroom is well taken care of and it was. The cloth hand towels are always a nice touch. I Really appreciated our server. She was professional and friendly even when we were the only people left in the place. I never overstay my welcome but it's nice when you don't feel like the whole staff is just waiting for you to walk out the door. I will go back! read more

Fantastic top to bottom. Flavors were spot on and the limited drink menu was just the right amount. Also if they have it when you're there the foie gras ice cream is perfectly rich with nearly a Dulce de Leche decadence. Well deserving of its top 25 rating by 5280. read more

We stopped into Bistro Barbes with some friends while visiting Denver. The restaurant is quaint with an intimate, romantic setting that almost seems too "French bistro" cliche. Our servers were extremely attentive and knowledgeable with everything. The food was amazing to say the least. We all decided to share, splitting two delicious entrees, every small plate they had to offer, a pear and Brie salad to die for, and two of the most tantalizing desserts we've had the pleasure of eating in recent months. All in all a great experience at a fantastic bistro perfect for a date or catching up with old friends over French and North African inspired dishes. Our only qualm was the price of some of the dishes. In our experience the prices were 5-10% more than other similar bistros we've had the pleasure of visiting throughout the country as well as overseas. read more

I've been meaning to write this review for a few months... Which should really say something about Bistro Barbes. I ate here with my husband and a friend. We LOVED our food and we LOVED the atmosphere. It's got an understated hip vibe with high quality food that is not outrageously priced. Our waitress was Rio and she rocked. Her passion for food and wine was clear- plus she suggested a delicious Rose for me! read more

Amazing!!! Feeling like I just went to a Bistro in the middle of Paris. Great food, wonderful wine... Loved it all.

I was lucky enough to reserve this restaurant (for a Sunday buyout for 25 people). My guests just keep on raving about the space, the food, the service. Our meals were excellent and the details made the evening. This is the place to go if you want something a bit special, with a relaxed vibe but absolutely innovative food. I can't wait to visit again! Thanks BB team. Job WELL DONE. read more

A wonderful French Moroccan melange of superb food and excellent service. Highly recommend this lovely, somewhat strangely located spot.