A state of surprise will define your experience at Gaslight. From the first steps inside to the final bite of dessert, expectations will be formed and falsified at a constant pace. With a combination of authenticity, inventiveness and accessibility, Gaslight challenges preconceptions at every turn.

By Chris Snow — Photographed by Matt Baldelli

Free parking will likely be your first eye-opener. Located adjacent to a popular sports club (of all things), the shared lot instantly alleviates one of the city’s biggest stresses. The restaurant’s minimal exterior is brick and bland by most standards. However, its front door is a gateway leading to an authentic Parisian cafe. White tile walls accent the dining room, with mechanical wooden fans rotating slowly above. Hundreds of wine bottles line the ceiling’s boundary, illuminated naturally by massive sunset windows.

The atmosphere is downright lively here. It’s a full house on this Thursday night, from first dates to large parties with children, plus the abundant wait staff hustling each and every way. Could fine French cuisine really flourish in such a down-to-earth atmosphere?

We begin with a beet salad, an intriguing celebration of the underused vegetable. The tart was gone, cut by accompanying whole walnuts and smooth crème fraiche alongside. Shaved into long strips, the julienned beets arrive aerated at the tongue, and thinner pieces means more surface area for the sweet Dijon dressing to take hold. Each crunchy bite swirls and evolves, as the earthen beetroot and tart glaze compete for dominance in your mouth.

If the beet salad stood out for its complexity, the shrimp cocktail does so for its simplicity. Five colossal shrimp arranged around a tall sundae cup filled with ice – spicy cocktail sauce accompanies. Each well-cleaned shrimp is steamed to perfection, with a succulent, fleshy pop and a satisfyingly cool ocean flavor. Shrimp is best when the taste is allowed to assert itself; Gaslight wisely holds back.

I’d be remiss if I failed to mention the fantastic bread: half loafs of warm baguette, flaky crust on the outside, and a delicate steaming crumb inside. Resistance was impossible and Fabio, our speedy and competent waiter, was good enough to bring seconds, thirds, and fourths! And yet the bread, addicting as it was, didn’t hold a candle to the night’s biggest shock….

Steak tartare can be a scary thing. Sushi—as we all know—has taken off, but raw beef hasn’t exactly enjoyed the same level of wide acceptance yet, at least not in the United States. If you’re a tartare virgin, consider Gaslight your prom night. Never did I expect this restaurant to boast easily the best tartare I’ve yet encountered. Far from simple ground beef, Gaslight’s take is an extensive and exquisite mixture of ingredients. Chopped red onions, Worcestershire, Tabasco, and a host of secret ingredients elevate the spread beyond the sum of its parts. On top, lightly pickled capers and a remarkably understated yellow aioli. The result is a delightfully complex, impossible to decode arrangement of complimentary flavor groups. Newcomers will take a timid, “oh I’ll just try it” bite at first. But after that, the voracious race to scoop every last bit begins. Best of all, the beef itself remains the star. Extra ingredients, numerous as they are, never fall into the trap of “hiding” the raw meat. Gaslight’s famed tartare succeeds not in spite of its beef, but thanks to it.

After three impressive curve balls, I began to think “Guess-light” would’ve been a more appropriate name for this clearly underestimated brasserie. I wondered if entrees could possibly stack up. That is, until Fabio brought out the duck. Served alongside yellow roasted garlic potatoes and resting in a very distinctive orange gastrique, the Frenched duck leg confit was both savory and fruity. The meat itself was dark, cooked just enough, and incorporated subtle notes of cherry. Crispy Swiss chard with tangerine is an unexpected compliment here, but well-paired citrus bits link to the orange reduction below, tying all the elements together nicely.

Gaslight’s Thursday plat du jour is the Bouillabaisse Atlantique, with a just-salty-enough broth forming the base of this cohesive stew. Dark orange in color and hearty in consistency, the flavor was reminiscent of grilled red pepper. Lump crabmeat, shrimp, and a variety of white fish populated the large portion. The real treat, and a testament to the chef’s precise timing, was the ability to distinguish the fish from one another. Flaky haddock contrasted with the fatty sea bass, and prevented the flavors of this tricky dish from running together.

Finally, Gaslight’s Bar Steak has been on the menu since day one, and for good reason. The menu description is modest: “with caramelized shallots, cognac cream sauce & frites” it says. Not only do sweet, caramelized shallots top this seven-ounce rare skirt steak, the flavor utterly saturates the meat. Whatever marinating technique is used behind the scenes, the result is marvelous. Even in the warm, grainy center, shallot sweetness abounds. The underlying cognac cream adds to the indulgence, which the frites will soak up by the time your steak is gone. Skirt cuts are becoming quite fashionable these days, and Gaslight’s is a distinctive, delicious accomplishment.

We tried three of the nine desserts available: the chocolate tartelette, the apple-caramel cake, and—my favorite—the lemon soufflé. Served with berries and a citrus coulis, the light soufflé necessitated long bites that transitioned from sweet to surprisingly tart, with a fresh and smooth finish. The apple-caramel cake was also delicious and subtle, served with a smartly paired maple cider sauce. Lastly, the Tartelette au Chocolat was the richest dessert, melding dark chocolate with a sweet peanut mousse, and I believe I detected some hazelnut as well. For contrast, vanilla ice cream slowly melts above, topped with crème Chantilly (whipped cream) for good measure.

Chef de Cuisine Keenan Langlois was on duty that night. As we talked ingredients and inspiration, he showed me around the kitchen, which actually smelled like French cuisine, rather than the typical Clorox and dish soap. It was the final surprise in an evening full of them.

And that’s really what Gaslight is all about. A dining experience you will never see coming. Gaslight is outwardly plain, resides next to a gym, is family friendly and—most of all—is inexpensive. Yet the caliber of food served here is so far beyond the asking price, it almost doesn’t add up. The tartare and Bar Steak are each worth twice as much as you’ll pay, along with a few other choices. Combine that with a famously extensive wine list, and you’ll wonder why you never dropped in before.

Gaslight is located at 560 Harrison Avenue in the South End. For reservations call 617-422-0224, or try OpenTable.com. Appetizers are under $10, entrees range from $13-24 (again, many are worth double), and desserts are all $6.95. The dining room is open for dinner everyday, and brunch is served on weekends from 10:00am to 3:00pm.

For prices that are downright baffling, and a dining experience that’s one pleasant surprise after another, Gaslight is where the wise diner goes French.