Kitchen Galerie Poisson Sleeps With the Fishes

Chef Jean-Philippe St-Denis sold his shares in Kitchen Galerie Poisson in 2012 to travel in Asia and made a move to Le Bic this past April to cook at Auberge Mange Grenouille. Now comes word that the once-popular Old Montreal restaurant is closed. A call to Kitchen Galerie Poisson confirms the news.

The sister restaurant to Kitchen Galerie in Marché Jean-Talon, run by St-Denis and chef Mathieu Cloutier, met with half-decent, unspectacular reviews when it first opened. There were signs, even then.

"I'd imagine the monthly rent here exceeds the full amount used to furnish the restaurant," remarked Lesley Chesterman in The Gazette in October 2010. And yet, despite the weaknesses, the critic "liked most everything" she ate. The best part? Kitchen Galerie Poisson is "the polar opposite of that corporate Toronto experience."

Marie-Claude Lortie's review in La Presse, also from October 2010, took exception to the restaurant's apparent indifferrence and nonchalance over sustainable fish and seafood.

"Étonnant et dommage parce que le KGP compte sur un chef solide, Matthieu Cloutier, qui sait préparer des plats souvent robustes mais savoureux, et qui aurait pu, justement, nous amener sur le chemin des poissons écologiquement corrects et nous faire découvrir tout ce que cette voie offre. Dommage, parce qu'on a vraiment envie de manger un peu plus de poisson, par les temps qui courent, après la surdose de restaurants spécialisés en charcuteries et en viandes braisées des dernières années."

Perhaps the most damning observation, however, comes from an anonymous tipster who lives close to Kitchen Galerie Poisson.

"I just never saw anyone in that restaurant. It was rarely ever busy."

· Kitchen Galerie [Official Site]
· All The Shutter Coverage [-EMTL-]