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Bergen St (F, G)
Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts (A, C, G)
Hoyt St (2, 3)
Mon-Tue. 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Wed-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m.
Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
"I see this place as a piece of France transplanted in Brooklyn. The food and preparation were for less of a better word perfect and I loved…" read more »
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Great place. Takin away a star cuz me bro-in-law's steak wasn't the way he likes it at Bistrot Du Coin, but you know what...we're in NY bitches!!!! Let's get down to it. I saw the menu and knew what I wanted (mussels) but was side-tracked (coq au vin, steak frites, various fish specials), but I went ahead and ordered what I wanted, which was:
Mussels: Flawless. In the way that there was no grit in any one of them, and me and me sis et about 100 btw us both...soo many!
Provencale: the red sauce, creamy, had some tomato, salty, the best sauce, really.
Marinere: nothing to do with marinara (note the provencale has tomato), bit thinner sauce than provencale, quite garlicky and great with frites.
Frites: Wow... Perfectly cooked. Love the tremendo serving. Served with half ketchup half mayo...I heart fries with mayo - OINK!
Fabulous service, great house wine, wonderful bread, lovely ambience...wanna go back!
This place is a DUMP!!!! I went there for dinner with 3 other friends & encountered a filthy restaurant. Not only is the service slow, but the food was undercooked and we notice huge roaches coming out of the kitchen. When I brought this to the attention of the manager, his response was, "well this is NYC" and what do you expect.........
This infuriated us & we walked out & contacted the Dept of Health (sanitation bureau) for an immediate inspection....
You've been warned--STAY AWAY or catch a Roach food pathogen in your zesty moules frites.....
Shame on you ROACH TABAC!!!!
Made my way over to Bar Tabac on Saturday following some beers and boccie near by.
The atmosphere was lively but not obnoxious. Our server had the patience of a saint and gave fantastic recommendations. The Daube de boeuf provençale was most tasty. Thank you to the lovely waitress who made the experience one worth remembering.
Last time I was in, I had my usual mussels + duck salad, but also had the special, a tomato and goat cheese tart. Fantabulous.
Amanda, you're my favorite server at Tabac yet. Awesome suggestions and a hell of a lot of patience for putting up with me and 5 girlfriends. Pancho still lovya baby but Amanda is my new number 1.
This is my go-to late night bite place in Brooklyn. Great food, really reasonable prices, affordable… Read more »
This place has great live music and great food. You can come here to find great jazz manouche and other kinds of jazz guitar. All the bartenders are French. I've had their tuna nicoise salad, it's excellent. Can't wait to come in on a tuesday for all-you-can-eat mussels. Lots of other great French menu items. Pretty solid selection of beers, too.
I was recently here on a Sunday night. Every other place in the neighborhood was closed... this joint was totally hopping!
The only thing is I feel it's a little pretentious.
This is my favorite french place! Their moules make my mouth watery. I like their salad nicoise - the tuna is done well. Their wines are pretty good - both red and white. The service is decent. The best time to be here is when they have live music.
It's a cash or Amex place but the prices are reasonable.
Oh, how I love this place. It's perfect for when you want to go out on a weeknight, and you don't want to feel bad about it. You come here, have some moules frites and a bottle of prosecco, and by the second bottle, you scarcely care that you skipped the gym and haven't fed the cat since yesterday morning. It's also a great post-brunch hang out.
After you eat move to the bar. Though Francois (everyone's favorite) is back in France, there's always lively staff mixing up drinks, cracking jokes, and shaking fists at soccer games. Sometimes there's live music too, if you're into that.
When you go, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, order the duck salad. It is heaven. It somehow combines the tastes of unctuous duck with creamy cheese and thanksgiving stuffing. Don't ask how. Just order.
My friends and I made our way here on a Tuesday night for a casual dinner. We loved every minute of the experience, granted we didn't trek far for the experience, or have high expectations. Unlike some yelpers I had no problem with the service. My friends and I ordered a bottle of wine and I had my first burger in 3 years!!!!!! The wine and the burger did not disappoint! We were pleasantly surprised when a cute and lively jazz band started performing, and the decor was quite cozy on a frigid night. All in all eating and drinking at Bar Tabac was an enjoyable and delicious experience.
Was craving a burger and walked by this guy stuffing his face with one, so I figured it was a sign. I had been here once before for brunch years ago and remembered it was pretty good. It was a nice warm night for Oct, so I figured I'd sit outside on the sidewalk since it might be my last chance for awhile. Tons of foot traffic walking by to keep my attention while waiting for my grub.
The burger is a medium sized patty and it comes on a nice soft bun with little garlic flakes baked into it. You also get a nice size mesculin salad and a decent side of french fries. The potatoes that made the fries were really perfect and were actually some of the better ones I've had recently. The waitress was a real French dame with a cutesy accent and easily convinced me I needed a beer with my dinner. Sure, why not? 1 Six Point "sweet action" to wash down my dinner. The mussels at the table next to me smelled delicious too. $20 when all said and done, a little more then I'd normally spend on a solo dinner for just myself. But it was nice to actually eat a meal solo in a neighborhood where I don't frequent and just unwind after a hectic day.
As I was leaving a French jazz trio was setting up, too bad I missed the tunes, but nice touch Tabac!
I've eaten here a couple of times and thought it was nice, but I just got back from dinner and now I think I'm a fan.
First of all I love how French this place is, from the food that just swims in butter (in a good way) to the waitress whose thick French accent makes you think you're in Paris (except she's not rude like the waiters in Paris).
They sat our party of six in the back room where we happily ordered bottles of wine and listened to the live jazz band playing in the front of the restaurant. The restaurant just has that perfect vibe where you can sit back, relax and talk without feeling rushed by the staff.
The food was really good too. Currently they have a pumpkin ravioli special which was a big hit at our table. The trout, chicken paillard, grilled lamb steak and roasted half chicken were also well received. The special pumpkin soup was eh.
Other reviewers complain about them accepting only cash and Amex. That's like every other restaurant on Smith so I don't see what the big deal is.
I've come here for brunch a couple of times before and it always felt really hectic so not sure I would give four stars for that, but I'll definitely come back for dinner once in awhile. I say once in awhile because it ended up costing $45 and that is not something I can afford to drop on a nightly basis.
Delightful way to spend a Sunday morning/afternoon here with the live jazz music, delicious affordable dishes, and young crowd.
I had the eggs benedict salmon dish which was very yummy, and much cheaper than other times I've had it in Manhattan.
Its very French here, so if there's something about the French you don't do, then you may want to continue on elsewhere.
I would eat here again if ever in Brooklyn again.
The food here is solid; all very French-bistro-in-New York. The fries are very nice, crispy and given to you in a bucket. You can easily share them with the whole table and everyone will smile, laugh, "Ha ha! I love the fries!" And when your main dish comes you'll eat that, too, smile and possibly repeat the same line, sans "fries", plus whatever you ordered.
Late nights are also a really good option here. Decent wine and food that is just as satisfying when inebriated.
One fatal flaw, that of all "French-bistro-NY"s: they only take AmEx or cash. Frankly, that's stupid and it's keeping them at three stars for me.
First time I came here, I stood at the front of the restaurant with the boyfriend for 10 minutes without being greeted. LITERALLY STOOD THERE TRYING TO MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH ANYBODY WHO APPEARED TO WORK THERE. It was obvious I wanted to patron this establishment, but I gave up and went to Apt 138.
You would think I would never try this place again, but no a few months later I gave them another shot. This time I was more assertive and asked for a table. Fine, Bar Tabac, if that is your thing, I was game. Well it went downhill from there. Our waitress for some reason did not know she was our waitress for most of the meal. Did she have amnesia? I don't know, but the service at this place is awful, and the food was ok at best.
I wanted to really like this place because everybody seems to be having a merry time when I walk by the outdoor tables, but I guess I am not cool enough to be a part of this club.
Love the atmosphere here, and have enjoyed the food very much. Lamb merguez is great, as is the hangar steak. The burger didn't quite hit the spot for me, but I have to give it very high ratings based on how much I enjoy coming here anyway.
Ate here yesterday and had a great meal! However, the best part was the cute cafe outdoor seating, which provided lots of great people watching. Their portions are huge! I could have easily split my steak sandwich with someone... as you get the sandwich, salad and very yummy french fries.
I'll be coming here again!
If you are French and are looking for a bistro where you can watch the French soccer championships, this is not a place to go. My husband and I were looking for an alternative to Nevada Smith's and after calling several bistros the barman at Bar Tabac finally told us that yes, they would be showing the game. We got there 20 minutes later only to learn that they were showing American football and would not change the channel. Why people would go to a French bistro to watch American football is beyond me but what is more surprising is a cafe that holds itself out as French doesn't even show one of the biggest French soccer matches of the year. Go to Fada instead in Williamsburg, where at least they were apologetic that they didn't have the channel that was broadcasting the channel that particular game was on.
I ordered the late night burger after having had a few drinks at a school mixer. It was definitely a ten dollar burger ($11.95 with fries and a salad of mixed greens in a vinaigrette) and sadly, the best burger I've had in NY so far. Keep in mind that I was also a few drinks in.
Why is it three stars then instead of 4? When I went to pay with my VISA, the waiter approached me and said that they only take American Express.
Huh? I looked around the restaurant, determined that I was not shopping at Costco, and continued to be confused.
That's all. Just make sure you have American Express or cash before you go.
I've been here for brunch several times, and have never been disappointed. The potatoes have bursts of fresh thyme, and the eggs are just right.
The decor is also charming, in an Anthropologie kind of way.
Amazed at my for-once perfect experience here, on a misty pre-Turkey Day Wednesday at 4 o'clock. Well, 4:05, and annoying that they couldn't give us the lunch menu (really? dinner starts at 4?), but otherwise had a great lunch(ish). Fresh from an enhungering afternoon at the MoMA, we desired French onion soups, and they just hit the spot. But the real surprise? Our waitress was out-of-her-way friendly, checking on us at regular intervals, anticipating our need for more bread, and smiling the whole time! This has rarely happened at Tabac. I approve. (The pate was just okay, by the way.)
Great location, authentic European feel to it, nice patio seating, but the food was not really memorable. It was overpriced, so were the drinks. The waitress was a ghost most of the time. The place filled up with people by eight o'clock and it took forever to get a check. Might as well be cash only because they only take American Express.
3.5 stars. Maybe I need to go again for it to be 4 or 5 stars. [Erm.. so Yelp, once again we really do need a half star rating in the system *wince*]
Went in a late/late afternoon for lunch. M. had their special of the day, it was something with scrambled eggs and sausage plus salad. I had the grilled chicken sandwich. Staff were friendly and very attentive and the food was overall good.
My sandwich's chicken breast was delicious, juicy w/ nice grilled flavor. It came with good amount of salad (yay!) and fries. It was a lot of food for me and fairly priced at almost $9. M.'s food was meh, alright. Not worth $10, cuz we all know eggs are cheap and those sausages were absolutely not memorable.
I'm kind of glad we went on the down time of the venue. Every time we pass by there it's packed with awesome & hip people. I'm not hip or cool anymore... all that nifty energy can suffocate me during my meal.
Bar Tabac will always be like an old friend - no, wait - an old lover...yeah, an old lover who is still really friendly even though you don't come around much any more.
Familiar, comforting, welcoming and sometimes, just sometimes, you can still even get a good hook up. On a drink or a dish, that is!
I'm no francophile and I certainly don't blend in with the Euro-trashy hipster crowd that normally hang out here. I do love their signature burger - one of the tastiest I've had in Brooklyn. I had it medium rare with swiss. It comes with baby greens & fries. The meat is juicy and has a mild maple sweetness to it. Also, the fries are pretty good with its crispy outer layer and combination spicy-salty flavor.
Service is decent but can also be slow during the busy brunch hours. I recommend you ask for seating at the bar since it gets crowded here all the time.
Love the atmosphere! We ordered apps and shared everything. Highly recommend the shrimp, scallop, and salmon brochettes.
We noticed they served lots of burgers so we'll be back to try that next.
The rain and clouds parted for a day and the sun came out to play so I was determined to enjoy a nice alfresco lunch.
We came by and grabbed a seat closer to the corner of Dean and Smith. In hindsight, I probably should have asked for one farther away from the corner. The foot traffic was pretty distracting.
The interior felt warm and very bistro-ish. I can imagine myself hanging out here for dinner and enjoying the atmosphere.
The food was okay at best. We weren't as hungry as we thought we would be, so we went for the combo bistro bites in which we chose the shrimp, the mushrooms, the baked clams with pesto, the prosciutto (with a side of greens) and the calamari. Most of them were grilled on skewers with zucchini. They came with three choices of dipping sauces. I wasn't crazy about the food, but maybe we just made bad choices. Maybe I should have stuck with the mussels or a burger. On the good side, they do have a pretty decent wine list that's affordable.
Overall, it's probably a good neighborhood spot for the locals, but not worth it if you had to take a trip down here.
I went to Bar Tabac for the first time on a recent Friday night. It was warm, so all the windows were open, and dining companion and I got a sweet table half-inside, half-outside the restaurant.
The place is cute, the atmosphere deffffinitely very French, or at least my xenophobic American ideal of what a "French" bar should be. The service was not very great-- took forever to give our order to someone, glasses were whisked away with beer still in them, and I'm pretty sure (though, sure, there's no way to prove this), that the bulk of the waitstaff was under the influence of....something.
Not that I can blame them. And really, I don't mind. If I'm going to a French bar at eleven o'clock on a Friday, what do I expect?
The food was delish. Dining companion got the burger, rare; delicious. I got the steamed mussels with white wine and garlic; also, delicious, though as a single-person entree, WAY too much to eat, especially since they come with a bucket of freaking great french fries.
All in all-- nice little escape on busy Smith Street. I'd go back to eat again, for sure-- I want a burger of my own.
My second time here, this time for a Saturday brunch and bloodies. I had the goat cheese + spinach omlette w/ sausage on the side. Very moist and tastey. My friends had the Nicoise salad with fresh/raw tuna and a goat salad. Didn't taste the goat cheses salad but the Nicoise was pretty good, although the tuna was a little dry. The bloodies were thin, not thick, and very nice. 3 meals, 6 bloodies was $66 before tax + tip. Still recommend it. The atmosphere is great if you like casual. Look foward to trying dinner here in the future.
10/28/09
Been biking by here for a year and finally stopped ine for a drink w/ a friend. Small bar (sits about 6-7) and small eating space (about 6-7 tables that seat 2-4) makes for a cozy atmosphere. Bartender was nice. We didn't eat but, per my friend, the food is pretty good. Quiet on a Monday night so it was easy to carry on a conversation. 2 wines and 2 beers came to $30 w/out tip. Only accept Amex which is a bit of a pain. Outdoor street seating in summer is always full
I recently went to Bar Tabac for some late-ish night food and drinks with friends. I was not very hungry, and got some french fries that I liked. But my friends all got some yummy bites, including some delicious tuna tartare. The beer selection was nice, and the service was attentive and friendly. The vibe was also very refreshing. I would definitely recommend. Just bring cash.
I had a nice dinner here this week. The live music (on a weeknight) was a pleasant surprise, and it was the only restaurant in the area that actually had a crowd. The volume inside was a little loud and I had a hard time hearing the waiter- might be nice if they had the specials written somewhere besides the exterior of the restaurant.
I had a delicious duck salad, with a side of mushroom risotto while my boyfriend had the trout. Both were very rich and flavorful. Considering the quality and size of the portions, the menu seemed very reasonably priced. The service otherwise was nothing to rave about, but certainly better than the service I'm used to receiving at Williamsburg restaurants.
Update: came back again this week. This time, no wait thankfully. The tuna tartare was very tasty as an appetizer. I had the scallop salad also, which was fine, though the contents of the salad itself didn't feel that thoughtful in terms of complementing the scallops. My boyfriend had the swordfish, which was also fine, but nothing special. I guess I'll just have to figure out what the best things on the menu are, and stick to those.
The food here is consistently good--especially the burgers, fries, mussels--standard bistro fare. I used to love coming here and eating outside in the late summer with my small dog who enjoyed people watching just as much as I do. But recently it seems that they no longer allow dogs at the sidewalk tables which means I dine there less frequently. The house wines are always a disappointment and the service is rarely with a smile, but hey, for those of us who lived in France, this is part of the atmosphere of a French cafe!
Whenever I come to Brooklyn I always come here for late night dinner/snacks and drinks. They serve good food until like 2am and not just terrible bar food! My girlfriends and I were here last weekend and all got some serious delicious food and drink. I got the Mushroom brochette, which was basically fresh mushrooms, zucchini and onion kabobs. So fresh and flavorful. My sister got the tuna tar tare which was awesome. They have a great beer selection and fun atmosphere. Great music too! Will be back as always whenever I am in Brooklyn.
Thanks to the economy, you probably have a lot of time on your hands between the hours 9 and 5.
I therefore advise you to screw brunch and hit Tabac on a Thursday around 2 pm. The service will be better, the crowd more diverse, and the moules marnieres and mushroom crougette lovingly prepared. (I dug the Blonde Leffe, too. Definitely worth the extra $1 over the Stella.)
Perfect for brunch! My personal faves are the Croque Madame and the Eggs "Bar Tabac." Delicious food for 10 bucks! Definitely grab a table outside if you can. Warning: the service can be a bit slow, and they only take cash and AmEx.
Dinner, on the other hand, was less memorable. The live music is awesome but the (overall) noise level makes it hard to carry a conversation. I had the seafood paella which isn't on the menu anymore. It was good but I wouldn't go out of my way for it.
Bottom line? Go for bunch!
I would have given 4 stars had I not had 1 too many bad service experiences. I give 2 stars for food only.
The food is great. I live in the neighborhood and I want this place to be great but it's not great.
Where shall I start? For starters, no apparent or recognizable host/hostess makes for an awkward entrance especially when this place is buzzing. It's also surprising that the girl that looked me in the eyes and walked away is in fact the "hostess".
I was finally seated by the Kitchen where we were splashed by the dishwasher during out entire meal. The waitress appeared tired, unenthusiastic, uninterested and unhappy (every time). There's a basic attitude amongst the wait staff "too cool for school" as a friend describes. I describe it as barely cordial which in the end translates to me as.....rude and unpleasant. The food always tends to please which balances out the off beat and uncalled for attitude but honestly when Sunday comes around and we congregate to decide on where to brunch the thought of the exhausting LACK of service comes to mind overpowering the thought of the good food.
The straw that broke the camels back:
2 girlfriends of mine (one of whom has been going there for many years) were in great spirits and excited about meeting at bar tabac for dinner. They scored a table out side and I was to meet them there. By the time I showed up they were munching on a cheese plate and sipping wine, after having cocktails at the bar inside for 45 minutes and many $$$'s later. The waitress came over and very condescendingly asked them if they were ready to order food and dictated the specials. My friend explained that we were waiting for one more person to arrive. The waitress then said "well, people are waiting for tables so if you can please decide soon" and walked away She then stood glaring from the wait station talking about our table which caused her co-workers to look over and stare as well. This thew the entire vibe off and that's where I stepped in and told her that she managed to offend our entire table and asked what her problem was. Of course she played innocent and tried to bulls***t a bullsh**ter and explained that if the "owner" were there then she would be in trouble for letting us simply sit and be leisurely patrons. (If that were true then I would love to have a word with him to explain why I would NEVER bring my business there). I wasn't buying it and neither were my friends. Another waiter came over and tried furiously to clean up his co-workers mess....didn't work. We left and brought dinner elsewhere down Smith Street and Bartabac lost our business.
Had such a great time there this weekend. My partner had the Duck Confit (which was awesome) and I had the Roasted Pork Loin which was moist and comforting. Best of all, our server was seriously one of the nicest guys-- he just made us feel totally welcomed and taken care of. I'm not even particularly picky about service, but this guy really shined. I'd say this place is a step above your neighborhood bistro.
Love it here! Everything from the decor, the atmosphere, the cute outdoor seating, the food....I could go on and on. The salad nicoise was delicious. I wish they had shoe string fries but the french fries they serve are still very tasty. Service was friendly but not overbearing. Wine selection is decent enough. Prices are definitely affordable. A solid 5 stars for me!
Fortunately, the French Bistro has become a mainstay of the New York dining; unfortunately, New York's French Bistro's have caught up--or rather slowed down--with the chronic lack of ingenuity that plagues affordable, everyday Parisian dining.
This is not an outright criticism of Bar Tabac. I stopped in recently and had a glass of Corbieres, slurped up a steaming crock of onion soup, and recklessly plowed through a Gruyere-topped hamburger. Then, I sipped a sweet Grimbergen Palm Ale. My girlfriend was happy, too. Her meal mirrored mine. Nevertheless, the perfunctory bric-a-brac (vintage tin signs) and stylized ephemera that all such bistro attempt to quarter seems less cool that perfectly ordinary.
Again, the food is great. The service is serviceable, but it it is difficult to distinguish between servers and patrons (I am a big supporter of some type of uniform: I desire comfortable distance in the patron/server relationship). The atmosphere seems a bit canned, however.
It is preferable to have Bar Tabac than a bad restaurant, but a place that has so easily copied a staple could surely extend itself beyond the quotidian.
we have now found the only place in the universe that accepts AMEX and nothing else! that's right, no visa, no mastercard, no diner's club card (whatever that is) ... else you can go old fashioned and pay cash!
lunch here was a grilled vegetable sandwich soaked in goat cheese... yumyumyum! their lemonade was interesting ... it was like the lemons were in my glass making lemonade as i sipped / chugged it down... yum! haha .. well u get the point... go here for the fabulous music, food and ambiance..
it may be five stars... just about getting there
Yall are buggin!!!! So many 4 and 5 star reviews...did I just come on a terrible night or something??? It was a Monday and another reviewer said this place's weakness is it's weekdays, so maybe. I Went there with my lady for a reconciliation dinner. We had just gotten in a big fight a couple days earlier and this was our night to kiss and make up. Well let me tell you: the make up sex after dinner was great, the dinner itself...not so much. For one thing, they started out by telling us the specials. The two entree specials sounded great - only problem was THEY WERE OUT OF BOTH (fail) - so my lady decided to get the Duck Confit - wait, what's that? You're out of that too?! I deducted two stars in my head right then and there. My girl ended up SETTLING on the roasted chicken, while I got the roasted pork loin. She didn't think much of the bland and dry chicken, and my pork loin had about as much flavor as Vanilla Ice - the rapper, not the delicious shaved ice with vanilla milk poured over it. It was dry, totally lacking in adequate amounts of sauce (a FRENCH place that fails at sauce!!!!!!!)
I'm sorry but this place has fail written all over it. Bar Tabac is a fitting name because the meal was about as enjoyable as eating the contents of an ashtray.
The make up sex after the meal gets five stars, by the way.
Came here for brunch last weekend with my girlfriend. The restaurant has a lot of character - funky decor etc. We did end up tucked in a corner and consequently had trouble getting a waiter's attention once the food was delivered, but in total the service was fine.
I had poached eggs over a ratatouille, and it was quite good, as was the coffee. I'm looking forward to coming here again and trying the hanger steak, which looked delicious.
Good place for a lazy brunch if you're craving traditional bistro brunch fare.
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