Hoboken restaurant favorites: Barbès

The day before I went home for Easter, my friends and I decided to have dinner.

We opted for Barbès: a French and Moroccan restaurant that had long been on my restaurant bucket list. The cast of characters:

• Julia: A self-proclaimed foodie. Conducting culinary research for her newspaper column and Instagram page.
• Kaylee: Who already made a spreadsheet of everything we want to order.
• Olivia: Who had been heavily campaigning for monthly fancy dinners and finally won.

Together, we ventured in with hefty appetites and took “trying a little bit of everything to the next level.”

First Course: Free Bread!

What else to start a meal with than carbs on carbs on carbs? We were treated with multiple baskets of warm pita, served with olive oil. A sprinkling of black pepper in the oil made for a delicious beginning. But don’t fill up on bread: there’s much more to come.

Second Course: Appetizers

Between the three of us, we ordered three appetizers to share: calmars grilles, tomate Montrachet, and hummus. The calmars grilles were cooked to perfection and not the least bit rubbery. Grilling the squid rather than frying it kept it from becoming too heavy of a dish. The tomate Montrachet layered fresh tomato with goat cheese and basil pesto. If you’re a caprese fan like me, this will knock you out of your seat. Finally, the hummus served as a standout star. Bright and refreshing, the lemony undertones paired perfectly with a drizzle of Balsamic. This will make you wonder why you ever bothered with the store-bought stuff.

Third Course: Entrees

For entrees, we chose to split another set of three: crevettes au pistou, kefta tagine, and shawarma. The crevettes au pistou paired shrimp with pesto couscous and harissa sauce. The flavors were a great combination and the perfect for celebrating first warm days of the year. As for the kefta tagine, it’s easy to see why this dish is one of the most mentioned items on the Barbes Yelp page. These lamb meatballs served in sauce are a delicious way to venture into Moroccan cuisine. Plus, they come with more couscous! Finally, the chicken shawarma was cooked to perfection, combining tahini, yogurt, and pepper sauces for a unique profile. If you’re looking for a great takeout item for lunch or dinner, this is a generous portion for a reasonable price.

Fourth Course: Dessert

I argued for ordering dessert (for research purposes, of course). We chose the pastilla au lait: a layered tower of flaky pastry and rose cream. This was something I had never tried before and was so happy I did. The pastry maintained its crisp texture, while the floral notes in the cream offered a refreshing end to the meal. My sweet tooth could not recommend this enough.

All three of us left as fully-fledged members of the clean plate club. If you’re looking for an upscale spot to visit with friends, I vouch for Barbès.

The College Gourmet is an Opinion culture column written and created by Julia Dwight ‘22 to discuss cooking tips for students, explore local restaurants available to students, and more.