Bye-Bye, Bistro Barbès

They say that good things come in small packages, and that’s certainly been true of Bistro Barbès, a tiny French restaurant in Park Hill.

For the last 12 years, the small space at 5021 E. 28th Ave. that holds just thirty seats and has an equally small menu has wowed guests with North African-inspired French cuisine that honors the multicultural makeup of the Paris neighborhood for which it’s named.

Soon, however, that space will close its doors for good. According to an email sent by chef-owner Jon Robbins, the restaurant plans to hold its final service on Saturday, June 13.

“I’ve made the decision to close Bistro Barbès as I move on to the next chapter of my career,” he writes. “Thank you to everyone who joined us over the years … Running Bistro Barbès has been one of the defining experiences of my life. For 12 years, we tried to create a restaurant that was personal, thoughtful, and independent. A place where hospitality mattered and where a small dining room could still feel special.”

That “next chapter” has Robbins joining the team at the soon-to-open Soda Club, as chef de cuisine at the fresh pasta and wine bar. The original Soda Club is a four-time Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant in New York that recently announced plans for its first expansion; it’s taking over the former Super Mega Bien space at the Ramble Hotel in RiNo.

Before opening Bistro Barbès in April 2014, Robbins was a chef at Mizuna. He then started the Gypsy Kitchen pop-up supper club, which eventually morphed into Bistro Barbès. He opened an Italian red-sauce eatery, appropriately called Red Sauce, not far from Bistro Barbes in November 2017; that restaurant was twice the capacity of Bistro Barbès with 60 seats and enjoyed a brief run. Today, the space is an Illegal Pete’s. Along the way, Robbins also founded Temper Chocolates & Confections.

Ahead of its closure, Bistro Barbès is serving a final four-course tasting menu priced at $90. Seasonally focused as always, it features an English pea agnolotti, roasted beets, short-rib shepherd’s pie, and cappuccino cup de creme.

“We still have a short time left,” writes Robbins, “and I would love to see familiar faces one more time before the doors close.”

Bistro Barbes is located at 5021 E. 28th Ave. and is open from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. For more information, visit bistrobarbes.com or follow on Instagram at @bistrobarbes.