Looking for a new spot for Saturday night dinner? Look no further than Barbès Restaurant, located at 1300 Park Avenue in Hoboken. While the fusion of French and Moroccan cuisines may seem unique to some, Barbès Restaurant is actually named after the famous Paris neighborhood at the foot of the Sacré-Cœur, known as a little piece of North Africa. Here’s a bit more about uptown Hoboken’s newest restaurant:

History

Omar Balouma and Abdellah Ksiyer first opened Barbès Restaurant in Murray Hill nearly 15 years ago. The two met within the NYC restaurant industry and decided to take the best of parts of their experiences and open their own restaurant venture. Balouma hails from France and Ksiyer is Moroccan, so it seemed natural to open a restaurant that celebrated the marriage of their cultures, cuisines, and decor. Soon after Barbès came their second restaurant, Arabesque, best described as a traditional Moroccan lounge.

Now you may be wondering how Barbès has ended up in the Mile Square. Balouma and his family have been longtime Hoboken residents and always wanted to open a restaurant closer to home. When the building Barbès occupied in NYC was sold, it seemed only right to try and reopen in Hoboken.

Hoping to replicate the neighborhood feel Barbès had in Murray Hill, the partners were thrilled to find that the storefront nestled amongst the brownstones on Park was available for rent. What was once the bottom of a brownstone has truly been transformed into a true French Moroccan bistro.

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The Food

For those of us who eat more mutz and bolognese than we’d probably care to admit, here’s what you can expect see on the menu at Barbès. If you’re craving traditional French cuisine, items such as duck confit and steak au poivre with pommes frites are a must. Moroccan specialties will include couscous — Marocain Traditionnel {couscous with chicken or steak}, Kefta Tagine {lamb meatballs, French green peas, and Moroccan spices in a light tomato sauce}, and a variety of brochettes {skewers served with quinoa tabouleh or french fries}. Pricing is between $9-$15 for an app and $17-$29 for an entree — with specialty cocktails on the menu as well. And for those familiar with Barbès’ original menu — get excited for the debut of some *new* eats as well.

Here’s what we ordered during our visit:

For appetizers, we had the Crevettes Méditerranéennes {sauteed shrimp in garlic a sauce} and the Moules Marocaine {mussels with garlic, cilantro, crushed pepper & tomato} — both equally delicious. We even asked for some pita bread to dip in the *delish* mussel sauce — because, duh.

Entrees pictured above are the Couscous Royale {traditional Moroccan couscous with lamb, chicken & merquez} and the Steak Au Poivre {sirloin steak with peppercorn sauce} that came with veggies and french fries. One traditional French-Morrocan dish, and one more Americanized, but both oh so yummy.

This dessert is a house special, and very unique. It is basically layers of crispy filo-dough in a sweet, creamy sauce topped with cinnamon and strawberries — it was the perfect way to end our meal.

See More: Your Ultimate Foodie Bucketlist For Hoboken + Jersey City

After trying Barbès be sure to check out Balouma and Ksiyer’s other restaurant, Arabesque, the next time you are in the city. We’re so thrilled to have this spot in the Mile Square!

Have you been to Barbès? Share your faves with us in the comments below!

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