Fires and Retirements: Montreal’s Saddest Restaurant Closures of 2016

As is tradition at Eater, we close the year with a survey of food critics, writers, and bloggers. This year we posed eight questions, from meal of the year, to top restaurant newcomers. All will be revealed by the time we turn off the lights at the end of 2016. Responses are unedited, for the most part. Readers, please do add your survey answers in the comments.

Q: What was the saddest closure of 2016?

Lesley Chesterman, The Gazette fine dining critic:

Le Mas des Oliviers. I know why it closed, but it was sad to see it go. I hated the idea of never eating their fish soup again, steak/frites with a good Bordeaux, being served by those wonderful waiters. I ate there a few weeks before it shut and it was such a thrill.

Marie-Claude Lortie, La Presse restaurant critic:

Kanbai

Ian Harrison, Ricardo magazine; Eater Montreal founding editor:

There were a few. The madcap Bethlehem xxx, the terrific but baffling Ma’tine (I still don’t understand what happened there) and Le Mas des Oliviers, where it was heartening to see an industry stalwart like Jacques Muller go out on his own terms.

Iris Paradis-Gagnon, La Presse restaurant reporter:

Bonita — you can't get sadder than that. This cute extra-small cuban-inspired coffee had to be destroy because of the huge fire that took place in the adjacent building in Chinatown, that let him almost standing alone . The owners were heartbroken has they saw the inevitable [destruction] coming. So sad.

Another very sad closure: Ma'tine (it was my favorite brunch spot).

Joanna Fox, Ricardo magazine associate editor:

Le Mas des Oliviers (but special shout out goes out to Bethlehem - you lived fast and you died young)

Élise Tastet, Tastet blog:

Epicerie Fardoche because it brought the end of Société Original.

Mélanie Boudreau, La Pique-Assiette blog:

I’ll definitely miss the craziness of John Mike from Tripes & Caviar in Verdun.

Coming tomorrow: the writers’ best and most disappointing meals of 2016.