Bar Parisette

Bar Parisette calls itself a “neighborhood wine bar and bistro.” And that’s exactly how you should use this French spot in Logan Square —a wine bar first and foremost, a bistro rarely, and only if you happen to be in the neighborhood.

Bar Parisette evolved from Atta Girl , a short-lived, lackluster French-ish restaurant with the same large booths and too-dark lighting schemes. While the space is the same, the menu has shifted to bistro classics like poulet rôti, with a focus on seafood and vegetable-forward dishes like just-fine moules frites and tasty tomato tartines. The inconsistently seasoned food will show up with as many sporadic delays as the Red Line, and your table might suddenly become shrouded in darkness. If you try to flag someone to turn the lights on again in your empty half of the dining room, it'll take about 10 minutes.

Rather than opting for a full meal here, the better move is to meet up with a friend for Happy Hour or enjoy a glass of wine and a snack at the vibrant (and packed) front bar or on the dog-friendly patio . After enough glasses of pinot noir and some fries or one of those tartines, you’ll leave content.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Veda Kilaru

Shredded Carrot Salad

The vegetable-focused dishes are solid, like this carrot salad with lentils and olives. There’s a nice brightness from the lemon and earthiness from the cumin and coriander. Expect this to be more of a small side than a true starter—it is in the “petit” section of the menu, after all.

photo credit: Veda Kilaru

Tomato Tartine

For $16, you’ll get a thick slice of toast slathered with smooth ricotta and topped with hefty slices of tomatoes and peaches. It’s not groundbreaking, but it tastes fine if you’re lucky enough to get a batch of ripe produce.

photo credit: Veda Kilaru

Pappardelle

The Provençal influence on the menu is on display in this dish, with ribbons of well-cooked pasta tossed in a pistou. It’s mild in flavor and could use more salt, despite the generous blanket of parm.

photo credit: Veda Kilaru

Halibut

A six-ounce piece of borderline mushy, bland halibut that arrives swimming in a pond of equally soft white beans. We could see this being very useful to have in rotation after getting your wisdom teeth pulled.

photo credit: Veda Kilaru

Moules Frites

One of the best parts of a big bowl of mussels is sopping up the broth with crispy fries or a crusty piece of bread. Here, the mussels taste fine, and there’s even a welcome hint of spice, but the bowl isn’t fragrant or brothy enough, and the fries are under-salted.

photo credit: Veda Kilaru

Cheeseburger Maison

The fries that come with this burger are crispy, well done, and very salty, much like the burger. A medium rare patty might show up overcooked on a bun charred enough to leave black flecks on your teeth. The smoked onion mayo amps up the umami level, so if you don’t mind pairing your meal with a carafe of water, you’ll probably be able to get over the saltiness.