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You survived this year’s peculiarly icy and slushy winter hellscape — and a whole batch of hot new restaurants have spring openings planned to help you recover and eat away those final traces of seasonal affective disorder. Here’s a rundown of every venue you should know.
Marcus
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Who: American chef Marcus Samuelsson is the star here (as the name implies), but it’s also the restaurant that will accompany the soon-to-open Four Seasons hotel in downtown Montreal, meaning it’s a sort-of partnership situation.
What: Samuelsson is going to focus on seafood and vegetables at this rather large project (it has 100 seats inside, and another 100 on an airy terrasse), plus a bar-lounge will also be part of it. Expect a chic design from Zebulon Perron (Montréal Plaza, Un Po’ di Piú), too.
When: By June 1, since that’s when the hotel opens.
Where: 1430 de la Montagne, on the third level.
Beau Mont
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Who: Christine Lamarche and Normand Laprise (owners of Toqué), Patrick Pichette (a former Google exec), and Doug Harpur owner of reputed farm Cerf de Boileau).
What: The first new concept in a while for this Quebec culinary icon (not counting an expansion of Brasserie T) will be a more casual affair in a Parc-Ex development, offering light meals and coffee during the day, and a more formal restaurant setting by night, as well as a boutique épicerie section (a “showcase for artisans”, Laprise has previously said).
When: Sometime between late April and early June.
Where: 950 Beaumont Avenue in Parc-Extension (right near Acadie).
New trattoria from the owners of Impasto
Who: Michele Forgione and Stefano Faita (Impasto, Pizzeria Gema), and two of their staff from those restaurants, Benjamin Lemay Lemieux and Anthony DiIorio.
What: A casual trattoria —Brooklyn-style pizza will be a focal point (instead of the Neapolitan style at Gema), with a few pasta options, and natural wines. Bonus point of excitement: they’ll be getting into delivery for the first time.
When: April?
Where: On Jarry East, somewhere between St-Laurent and St-Denis.
Parliament
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Who: Kevin Demers, of noted Old Montreal bar the Coldroom.
What: A very British pub and parlour with cask beer, cocktails inspired by the Victorian era, and staples like bangers and mash or English-style meat pies.
When: Early May.
Where: In the former La Gargote location, 351 Place d’Youville in Old Montreal.
Coeur de Loup
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Who: A duo of owners from Plateau nouveau-Québécois restaurant Chasse-Galerie (Vianney Godbout and Carl Gaulthier), and two new owners (Nicolas Corneli and Hudrick Durand).
What: A “Lyon-style bouchon with a Montreal twist”: approachable and reasonably casual, it’ll serve hearty fare like veal blanquette and flammekueche (flatbreads).
When: Late March.
Where: The former location of allergy-friendly resto Zéro8 in Petite-Patrie (1141 Bélanger)
Hello 123
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Who: The people behind Kupfert & Kim, a Toronto import that opened last fall in Old Montreal.
What: An all-day, “coffee to cocktails” set-up for Monkland Village: café vibes by day, beer, cider, and wine by night, with affordable and comforting yet creative vegan food; brunch, too.
When: April.
Where: 5700 Monkland Avenue in NDG (the former Prohibition location).
Le Fricot
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Who: Simon Dunn, Antoine Legault, Éric Le François and Alex Lejeune of popular Little Burgundy bar Drinkerie Ste-Cunégonde
What: A seafood restaurant full of Acadian influences: expect lobster rolls and other seafood dishes that will skew fresher than the often deep-fried offerings on the East Coast. Maritime wines will be served too, in a crab shack-like atmosphere.
When: By the end of March, hopefully.
Where: 2661 Notre-Dame West — the same as Drinkerie, which will give up one of its two rooms to the restaurant.
Jacopo
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Who: Old Montreal restaurant mavens, the Antonopoulos Group, with restaurant number 15. Chefs Giovanni Vella and Matthew Bell will head up the kitchen.
What: A sister restaurant to Bevo, also in Old Montreal, but it’ll go beyond the more pizza-centric approach to include fresh pasta, stone oven-roasted meats (like lamb), and focaccia, drawing more on Roman influences. It’s a big one two, spread across two floors.
When: Mid-April.
Where: 436 Place Jacques-Cartier.
La Bête à Pain Laval
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Who: Marc-André Royal, of the existing Bête à Pain bakeries in Ahuntsic and Griffintown, as well as excellent restaurant Le St-Urbain.
What: A big new outpost for Royal’s fantastic bakery. With more space than at the existing locations, there should be more culinary options, beyond the more classic boulangerie and pâtisserie options — but also plenty of bread and croissants.
When: April, at this stage.
Where: 1965 Autoroute des Laurentides, on the service road.
Other expansions
- Little Burgundy’s excellent September Surf Café is set to open in Pointe-St-Charles’ Nordelec building on St-Patrick very soon, complete with pour-over bar.
- Cheap eats magnates L’Gros Luxe are set to open in NDG before the end of March — it’ll be at 5942 Sherbrooke W.
- Kinton Ramen continues its rapid expansion with a location in the works for Union Street, downtown.
- Italian coffee, sandwich, and snack spot Parma Café will open up in the Jean Talon Market, likely in April.
- Little Burgundy and Rosemont pizzeria Geppetto is set to open in Verdun this spring.
Note: Marcus Samuelsson is hosting a show created by Eater and PBS. This does not impact coverage on Eater Montreal.