“Leeds has a really exciting independent restaurant scene… and as a city it needs to be more vocal about that ,” he said.
“I think it’s a Yorkshire thing to just get on with things and not show off.”
The pair said launching a restaurant during a cost-of-living crisis did have “some risks” but they found there was a “real local desire” for more eating options.
They also manage staff costs by working full-time at the restaurant themselves, so there was no need to hire a head chef or general manager.
As well as affordable, seasonally driven and locally sourced food, Mr Cousin, from the Loire Valley, is also keen for Bavette to be known for its organic wines.
The 32-year-old comes from a family of wine-makers and said: “Being able to sell my family wine here is very special for me.
“To promote more traditional wine making, with less chemicals, is one of my aims.”
He said the local community in Horsforth had been very welcoming and wanted them to succeed, especially as so many of their customers are Francophiles.
Bavette now has six chefs, two kitchen porters and seven floor staff.