Grill restaurant Chez Bebelle in Les Halles of Narbonne is a local institution. Run by the same family for three generations, this place only serves meat and chips that come directly from the covered market. And rugby- a huge deal in the South of France- proudly flows through their veins. It shows clearly when Bebelle himself catches the freshly cut meat from the butcher. Just like the days when he was a pro rugby player, he’s still got the moves.
Queue up
Chez Bebelle, people queue up from Tuesday to Sunday to get a seat at the bar or at one of the tables. It must be because of the simple concept: a fine piece of meat served with homemade fries and a fresh salad. Chez Bebelle has recently opened a new restaurant next to Les Halles at 2 Rue Emile Zola. However, if you want to have the real Bebelle experience, you should go to the original Les Halles restaurant. As we arrived early, Chéri and I got a seat at the bar. The perfect spot to watch all the action. And action there was!
Le Boss
The waitress took our order for drinks and a shared starter. While we enjoyed our charcuterie and cheese board, Bebelle personally came to our table to take our order for the main course. And then the show started: Le Boss grabbed his megaphone to place the meat order with his butcher, who has his shop right on the other side of the bar. The butcher then cut the meat and threw it back to Bebelle, who caught it like a true rugby player. Next, the meat went to the plancha grill run by Bebelle’s sister, and then directly onto our plates. Maybe it was because our meal was prepared right under our noses, but our ‘bavettes’ tasted sweet and tender.
Entertainment
Meanwhile, we loved watching the hustle and bustle around the bar. Although the queue outside was getting longer, Bebelle and his team kept their cool. And the clients in the line remained in a good mood too, as they knew what was to come. Chéri and I completed our meal with an excellent, homemade apple pie and an espresso, before paying the very reasonable check of 50 euros. Chez Bebelle is definitely worth queuing up for, and there’s enough entertainment to make the wait go by fast!
