Bar Blanc is a great example of a restaurant that does one thing and does it well: steak frites. Our experience last night was outstanding.
This is the "little sister" restaurant to Little Sparrow downstairs. Both restaurants are French / French-influenced. The food, drink, service, and atmosphere at Bar Blanc were great -- everything we've come to expect of a Ford Fry restaurant (yes, this is yet another Ford Fry gem in Atlanta). For those unfamiliar, Fry is a successful local chef and restauranteur.
I didn't know about Bar Blanc until we saw it when visiting Little Sparrow. It looked cool. The decor and ambiance are gorgeous. Bar Blanc and Little Sparrow share the same kitchen and staff. During our visit to Bar Blanc, I recognized one of our food runners; he was the same as one of our food runners at Little Sparrow. Bar Blanc's food is run out of an employees-only door outside of Little Sparrow and up the stairs.
They say no reservations are needed, but I recommend them (OpenTable). This place was busy.
Bar Blanc opened on November 14, 2023, shortly after Little Sparrow (October 2, 2023). Bar Blanc replaced JCT Bar upstairs and Little Sparrow replaced JCT Kitchen, Fry's first restaurant, downstairs. This is at Westside Provisions District.
We parked in the Westside Provisions District garage at 1100 Howell Mill Rd. On April 19, 2025, parking cost $4.50 for 0-2 hours, $6.50 for 2-4 hours, and up.
Another good place to park is in the parking lot next to the restaurant: ParkMobile Zone 225. Parking there costs $5.10 for 2 hours, $7.10 for 4 hours, and up. I like using the ParkMobile app for ParkMobile lots/garages since it's convenient -- license plate and payment info is saved, you can easily add time to your meter if needed, etc.
Valet is also available in front of Bar Blanc and Little Sparrow, starting at $10 plus tip. The restaurants' entrances face the same direction - towards the parking lot in the back.
Bar Blanc is prix fixe steak frites only: steak and French fries (the dish originating from Belgium and France). It comes with bread and butter, salad, steak frites and bernaise sauce. When we visited, the cost was $49.95 per person; food only. Drinks and dessert were extra.
For us, the bread was a three-day fermented sourdough baguette from The General Muir. For those unfamiliar, The General Muir is a popular, local, New York-style Jewish deli. The bread came with salted grass-fed butter and olive oil. The salad was a lettuce and endive salad with wide, thin slices of aged ricotta and sherry vinaigrette dressing. It looked like the ricotta had been seasoned with fine black pepper and topped with diced chives. Both the bread and salad were fantastic. My wife commented that it might be the best restaurant salad she's ever had. I love salads and it's certainly up there among the best for me. It was so simple yet so satisfying. You just have to try it to see what I mean.
The steak was New York strip steak. Back when the restaurant first opened in November 2023, Rough Draft Atlanta reported that the steak was prime ribeye. Our server Jacob recommended medium rare, which is what we generally prefer. The steak was served on a hot, sizzling plate and sliced into eight thick pieces (four per person). There was salt, thyme, and garlic on top. The steak was tender, juicy, and flavorful. It was so good on its own that it didn't need the bearnaise sauce. The bearnaise made the steak that much tastier. This was some of the best New York strip I've had anywhere in recent memory.
The fries were incredible. They were thick cut, extra crispy, and delicious. I read that they're triple-cooked in beef fat. My wife requested ketchup and garlic aioli. Those weren't offered to us or printed on a menu anywhere - you just have to know. The fries and sauces were so good, we couldn't stop eating them.
Tip: The bread and fries are unlimited at no extra charge. We liked the salad so much, we asked if it's available a la carte, but unfortunately, it's not.
Bar Blanc has a sizable drink menu. Two pages are dedicated to red wine (French and American) and they have a wide selection of spirits. My wife and I had the following cocktails: Sazerac ($16), Kir Royale ($17), Tequila Daisy ($15), and Brandy Alexander ($16). All of the cocktails were terrific; strong, high quality, well made, well balanced, and really good. My favorite was the Sazerac, which was made with both cognac and rye whiskey. The Brandy Alexander was deliciously creamy and paired perfectly with our dessert.
There were three desserts available to us: flourless chocolate cake, gateau nantais, and canales (small French pastries that look like mini Bundt cakes). We chose the gateau nantais ($9), which is a French pound cake made with almond meal. If you like pound cake, I recommend it. It had a wonderful texture, an appetizing hint of citrus, and a delectable, sweet, thin layer of icing on top.
Service was excellent. Jacob took great care of us. read more