Saint-Henri’s Tuck Shop Re-Opens with a New and Improved Kitchen

After a three-week closure for renovations, upscale Saint-Henri bistro Tuck Shop re-opened this week with a new and improved kitchen, dining room, and menu.

Tuck Shop officially re-opened on Tuesday, January 29 — though the team (led by Amelia Stines, chef Theo Lerikos, and Jon Bloom) held a soft re-opening the week prior.

According to Jonathan Metcalfe, managing partner at Tuck Shop, this is the first time the restaurant has been remodeled since its opening in the South West borough of Montreal nine years ago. The kitchen underwent a “total rebuild” in order to “offer better work conditions for staff and to accomplish more projects, with the ultimate goal of offering the best client experience possible,” Metcalfe said.

“The old kitchen was functional, but it had been through many busy services,” he said. “We wanted a space which would allow us to take on more projects while still being able to tackle the day to day obligations related to service.”

Over the course of a mere three-week closure, staff at Rhoncus Design (the interior design team behind Notman House and Cafe Saint-Henri) updated the kitchen with new stoves, floors, shelving, walk-in refrigerators and freezers, and floor-to-ceiling windows. They also built a raw bar to prepare oysters and other fresh seafood.

“We are thrilled,” Metcalfe said of the new and improved kitchen. “Chef Theo Lerikos and his team are firing on all cylinders with their new space.”

The updated dining room is also sleeker and more modern-looking, with new black leather seating and improved lighting and acoustics, which Metcalfe hopes will make the dining experience more comfortable.

Michael Flomen (Tuck Shop)

And with their re-opening, Lerikos also debuted a new seasonal menu, which focuses on hearty dishes to comfort patrons during cold winter months. Diners can look forward braised beef cheeks served with blue cheese and pommes Dauphine, pan roasted skate wing served with bacon and beluga lentils, and squid ink linguine with sea urchin and calamari — among other noteworthy dishes.

In the few days since re-opening to the public, support from clientele has been “overwhelmingly positive,” Metcalfe noted. This is hardly a surprise, considering the plethora of positive reviews Tuck Shop has received in its nine years on the Montreal food scene. The team hopes only to continue pleasing diners and critics alike as they enter a new phase.

“The emphasis is still on working with the best products throughout the year,” Metcalfe said.

“The whole Tuck Shop family is excited to see everyone again.”

• Critic: Chef Theo Lerikos Shines at Elegant Tuck Shop [EMTL]
• Montreal Food Pros Name Their Single Best Meals From 2018 [EMTL]
• All Tuck Shop coverage [EMTL]
• Fine Dining: Tuck Shop [Montreal Gazette]