On Trend Lawrence Holds an Important Spot on Montreal's Gastronomic Scene

Thanks to the perseverance of partners Sefi Amir, Marc Cohen and Ethan and Annika Willis, Lawrence has gone from the cool place "to a restaurant that holds an important spot on our gastronomic scene, perfectly epitomizing the wave of upscale casual dining that's capsizing the high end."

So determines Lesley Chesterman in a rave review of the restaurant on the corner of Saint-Laurent and Fairmount. Three fat stars in The Gazette, with particular focus on Cohen's deft touch:

Despite the protein push, I never feel like Cohen's food is overly masculine. In fact, most dishes, many of which are served on pretty antique plates, are small in portion. Yet as every morsel on these plates is full flavoured, it all adds up to a verging-on-gluttonous experience.

Chesterman has praise for the front of house as well:

Service, provided by Amir, was razor sharp to the point that she knew the colour of the pig of my pork chop. Now that's a first! Lawrence also takes the wine part of the dining equation pretty seriously. Their original sommelier, the dynamic Etheliya Hananova, up and moved to Paris last year. Tough shoes to fill, yet her replacement Lainie Taillefer did a bang up job with wine pairings by the glass followed by a fine Merlot from the Rousillon.