San Diego Reader

• Restaurant | French | Ocean Beach

Bo Beau

• 4996 W. Point Loma Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92107 | Directions
• 619-224-2884 | Website

To create the rustic, warm decor of BO-beau Kitchen + Bar, designers took a textured, yellowed page right out of Provence. The only downside to this intimate, village-style restaurant is that, as in France, tables and chairs are pushed together, so you can forget about private conversations. Fortunately, the craft cocktails and French-inspired fare make up for in-your-face and on-your-lap fellow patrons.

All the cocktails boast French names, such as Le Provencal (vodka, rosemary, and lavender flavors) and Toulouse-Lautrec’s Earthquake (absinthe and cognac). I enjoy Le Bohemien, which is made with St. Germain Elderflower, rum, mint, and lime juice.

The must-try appetizer (fit for a meal) is crispy Brussels sprouts served on a long wooden board. The charred sprouts are mixed with lean bits of pancetta, shaved Parmesan, and a deliciously sweet balsamic drizzle that harmoniously blends with the savory.

Like any French bistro worth its beret, the steak frites — rib-eye with fantastic shoe-string fries — is spot-on. If you’re looking for something fun and far from the classics, I suggest the Woodstone Oven flatbreads. These are huge, so you definitely want to share. My favorite is blanketed in roasted beets, goat cheese, curry-onion jam, crushed red peppers, and sliced fresh jalapeños scattered on top.

— Barbarella