Last year we learned that Barbès owners Lisa and Omar Balouma and Abdellah Ksiyer are taking over Cucharamama’s old location at 233 Clinton Street. And finally – more than a year later – La Bohème, “a slice of the Côte d’Azur”, opened in Hoboken on Friday, December 10. This new location brings a piece of the south of France to downtown Hoboken. Read on to learn more about the menu and the concept.
The very discreet opening
While we have been waiting for news of the opening for a while, the Instagram account of La Bohème has just published the announcement of its opening on Friday evening.
“Hello • Hoboken ✨ We have heard that you are all ready for us to open our doors ••• From tonight our house is yours • A vacation just steps from your apartment awaits you • A little corner of the French Riviera #laboheme
We will open slowly • No reservations and a limited menu • We are delighted to share our new gem with you #cheers. “
Our team checked out the space on opening night, and it was already quite crowded, but the owners want the audience to know that they are slowly solving problems and appreciating understanding as they make sure that things are going well.
A taste of the south of France
The new Clinton Street spot is a totally different concept from the Barbès we all know and love, although still incorporating French roots. While Barbès is a Parisian bistro with Maghrebian accents (inspired by the district of the same name in Paris), the new restaurant is strongly influenced by the French Riviera.
Read more: Madame Claude Bis in Jersey City
“When you’re north of Hoboken you’re basically in northern France, now we’re going to bring the south of France to the city center,” Lisa explained to The Hoboken Girl. The south of France has a strong Mediterranean influence, and the owners wanted to integrate it into the new space.
What to expect
The vibe of the new restaurant is bright and open, with the same brick oven Cucharmama housed in the front and center of the bar.
“We want to bring the outside inside, the design will have a lot of natural materials; imagine concrete floors and Venetian walls, ”said Lisa HG.
The new owners will use the brick oven for most of La Bohème’s menu, while also introducing southern French cuisine that Lisa says has yet to be seen – or tasted – in Hoboken.
“The cuisine is very healthy and light as Mediterranean cuisine is known to be. The menu will offer typical dishes from the south of Provence as well as many vegetarian and gluten-free options, ”explained the owners.
Aperitifs such as French onion soup (French onion soup), Mussels, Marinières or Provençale (Steamed mussels in white wine and herbs or tomato sauce), and Paella are on the menu, along with brick oven pizzas, including gluten-free dough.
The starters include simple events like the Wild Mushroom Risotto (Wild mushroom risotto with asparagus and truffle oil) and Grilled Salmon with Saffron (Grilled salmon with saffron sauce, asparagus and mashed potatoes) are just a few of the stars.
The menu is relatively small and simple but is complemented perfectly by cocktails, similar to Barbes. Saint-Tropez (coconut rum, mango puree, dry tripe, and agave), BB (a cosmo with a twist) and Clubb 55 (tequila, St. Germain, pineapple juice, lime juice and chili flakes) are three to write on the house. A selection of wines and sparkling elixirs complete the whole.
Read more: Seven Valleys: Authentic Persian cuisine in Hoboken
“A lot of ideas for the menu came from my daughter’s visit to the south of France a few summers ago,” Lisa explained. “Layla is now 18, gluten free and very health conscious. The time she spent there made her even more aware of the benefits of a Mediterranean diet.
“The love and support we received during our forties and throughout the past year have made us more eager to invest more in Hoboken,” Lisa said.
“People are in a way stuck here and looking for a stay and Barbès brought it to our community, especially because of the parklets and we’re excited to bring another special piece of Europe to Hoboken.”
Written by: Jennifer Tripucka
Jen is the founder and editor-in-chief of HobokenGirl.com. With deep entrepreneurial roots in Hudson County – when her grandparents owned textile businesses on Tonnelle Ave in North Bergen dating back to the 1950s – she started the site as a resident of Hoboken to find out the amazing things that are happening in the region. When not planning the next Hoboken Girl event or the #HobokenGirlHelps volunteer project, she is usually found shopping at local boutiques, eating an Insta-worthy meal, walking her two puppies, or walking around. watching Bravo TV and ordering takeout with her husband.
