Friends of mine that had visited Old Montreal posted pictures on Facebook and raved about the food at this restaurant. I had told my son about it and he said we totally had to try it out. As luck would have it, my daughter had a dance competition in Old Montreal so guess where we went?
It was nice walking the streets of Old Montreal. In my younger years we'd go up at least once a month to the dance bars or to meet up with friends for breakfast at Cora's. Walking along the port was relaxing and a great way to kill a Sunday afternoon before heading back to Ottawa.
The restaurant opened at 11:00 am, but it was only 10:30. What a disappointment! We were so anxious to check it out, not to mention the fact that we hadn't eaten breakfast and the drive took far longer than expected due to construction and detours. I was able to play the role of tour guide and took my son for a walk through Old Montreal telling him stories of our adventures.
Ok it was cold and 10:49 so we headed back to the restaurant. The door was open! There was already one couple seated and placing their order. A waiter came over right away and brought us to a table by the window. The restaurant is attached to a hotel so on the weekends they offer a brunch menu. I loved the décor which is simple, yet modern. It reminded us of Spain.
Before we even got there, we knew what we were going to have. We ordered our drinks then debated whether or not we should go with our original game plan or opt for the brunch menu. It was tempting, but nope we were sticking to the plan. We ordered the small Charcuterie Maison platter and the small Fromages du Québec platter which the waiter said would be plenty for two people.
Soon after the waiter arrived with a small wooden box with slices of baguette and then a large wooden platter with an assortment of charcuteries and cheeses. It all looked so artistically placed, we didn't want to disturb anything. We had to take a picture. They had artfully smeared a grainy mustard and an apricot jam along the board. In addition there were some baby pickles, onions pickled with beets and fresh greens. Between the layers of cerrano ham and prosciutto, there were thin slices of toasted baguette which were perfect for enjoying with the soft cheese and the pate. To further add to our dinning experience, the hams, chorizo and salami were accompanied by 4 different patés and 4 kinds of cheese ranging from a very soft uncured one to a hard firm one.
There was a paté with pistachios, another that was smooth and silky like a liver sausage, a country style one that was more firm and that last one was like pulled pork in a creamy base.
To drink I had ordered an Americano and I must say it was the best coffee I've had in ages. It came with a miniature pitcher of frothed milk. Adding cold milk or cream to a coffee ruins it, this was brilliant! I'll further add this is the first time I order a second Americano and they treated it as a refill without charging me. Anywhere else I've always been charged as it's treated as a "specialty coffee". You have to celebrate the small victories!
The food was amazing. This is how we love to eat. We had to order more bread, there was no way we were going to leave anything on that platter. Waste not, want not! It was delicious. The textures and different combinations you could create by using the pickled vegetables and the condiments just elevated the flavours. Our taste buds were dancing with joy.
The staff was very attentive and pleasant. They explained what each of the items was in detail and regularly popped by to make sure we had everything we needed without imposing or making us feel rushed. Our water glasses were always full. The restaurant is very bright and clean with soft music playing in the background. We felt relaxed and very comfortable, too bad we had to head back to the dance competition! Lol
No doubt we'll be going back. The atmosphere, level of service, quality and selection was perfect and the prices are reasonable. I strongly recommend this restaurant. Their menus vary offering you a great selection whether you're visiting for brunch, lunch or dinner. Check out their site and menus then plan your date!
Bon appétit!
Carm the Foodie
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