Rejoice Mile-Ex: Le Diplomate Is Now Open

It took a bit more time than anticipated, but Le Diplomate, the much-anticipated new restaurant from chef Aaron Langille, is now open in earnest. The tidy Mile-Ex spot will launch full dinner service next month; until then customers can enjoy a menu of small snacks and "daily experiments", and wines and spirits. The Beaubien kitchen also features chef Kyle Croutch, late of Salmigondis, Orange Rouge, and Arts Café, and Langille's partner at last summer's Alexandraplatz savoury waffle pop-ups.

Langille recently spoke about his vision for Le Diplomate. "People who haven't eaten at our restaurants—yet—get to find out what the modest fuss was about in the years previous [at the likes of Sardine and Orange Rouge]. We try to be a creative crew that pushes ourselves in order to make food that's perhaps a little more interesting, though with foundations of flavour that remain familiar to many diners. There's going to be a lean towards fish, vegetables, and white wine, as those align more with my tastes, but we'll still have enough meat to make our smaller menus appeal to most. Beyond that, the ability to interact with our customers will allow us to evolve with the desires of our clients faster, perhaps, than some other restaurants. We hope to open a good restaurant that, with time and hard work, can become a great restaurant."

Status: Le Diplomate, 129 Beaubien Ouest, (514) 303-9727, now open Tuesday to Saturday as of 4 p.m. until late.

Photo credit: Randall Brodeur