Look At Pastel, the Latest From The Owners of Le Fantôme

It’s here: three years after opening their acclaimed Griffintown restaurant Le Fantôme, Kabir Kapoor and chef Jason Morris open a new Old Montreal dining destination today (June 18), with Pastel.

As reported earlier this year, Pastel arrives on McGill Street, giving a hefty makeover to a high-ceilinged space that was previously a Java U café: with much more space (Pastel seats 75), Kapoor said it’ll allow for more research, development, and experimentation, calling it the yin to yang of cozy Fantôme.

Chefs de cuisine Daiki Wajima and Louie Deligianis will oversee the kitchen — while there’s no word what the menu contains yet, Kapoor did note that it likely won’t be too traditional — correspondingly, Fantôme also made its name with intriguing dishes like the foie gras PB&J or celery root lasagne.

“It will have much more of an intellectual or artistic side to it...it’s not necessarily the place where you go if you want a big steak and a glass of red wine, we want people to think about the food they’re eating and look at it in a different way.”

A tasting menu will be offered at $110, with à la carte options ranging from $5 to $50 — and in a departure from Fantôme, Pastel will also do weekday lunch service. Aperitif-leaning cocktails and wine from Fantôme sommelier Caroline Rossignol will be the linchpins of the beverage program.

And if you needed any more hints that Pastel could be a culinary destination, the restaurant is hosting French chef Christophe Dufau, of Michelin-starred restaurant Les Bacchanales, just a week after opening: the event happens Saturday, June 30, with a set menu at $150 with beverage pairings included.

Fitting its name, the grand, airy space is replete with light, pastel colours: take a look.

Randall Brodeur/Eater Montreal

Randall Brodeur/Eater Montreal

Randall Brodeur/Eater Montreal

Randall Brodeur/Eater Montreal

It’s been a busy first half of 2018 for Kapoor and Morris — the duo also had a major part opening a new café for fashion retailer Ssense, in its new Old Montreal flagship store, just a few blocks away.

STATUS — Pastel is open at 124 McGill Street from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. weekdays, and 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday.

• Pastel [Official]
• Le Fantôme Owners Plot a Grand New Restaurant For Old Montreal [EMTL]
• Le Fantôme Owners Get Casual With Café Inside New Montreal Fashion Destination [EMTL]