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Candide Captures All the Stars From Critic Thierry Daraize

Nailed it.

Candide's Bryan Sham, Marina De Figueiredo, Valérie Bélisle, John Winter Russell, and Evan Baker
Candide's Bryan Sham, Marina De Figueiredo, Valérie Bélisle, John Winter Russell, and Evan Baker
Randall Brodeur

Chef John Winter Russell and company have another rave to celebrate today. A month after Le Devoir critic Jean-Philippe Tastet named Candide a contender for best new Montreal restaurant, the Little Burgundy spot has won over Thierry Daraize in similar fashion. "Une expérience complète à découvrir," extols the critic for Le Journal de Montréal this week.

Candide's charms are manifold, hints Daraize: the renovated St. Joseph's Church space; the lively ambiance that's low-key enough to let diners talk, and not shout; the warmth of maître d’hôtel Valérie Bélisle; the wines proposed by Emily Campeau. The menu at Candide, a four-course $45 prix fixe, with $40 optional wine supplement, is pretty good too. Red cabbage, smoked sturgeon, and yogurt elicits a "Bravo!". Carrot, pheasant, and oats is "Un pur délice!". Another dish, venison, is a bit firm for the critic's taste, but overall the dish, with cipollini onions and pine, is delicious. Candide's take on root veg of the moment, celeriac, charcoal-grilled and served with surf clams and leeks, is "fantastique, carrément divin, fondant en bouche." Desserts fare well too: of the two on offer, Daraize prefers the angelica cake with honey and scotch lovage. The final verdict for Candide? A hefty four and a half stars on five.

Candide

551 Rue Saint-Martin, Le Sud-Ouest, QC H3J 2L6 (514) 447-2717 Visit Website