A Charming New Charcuterie- and Wine-Fuelled Apéro Spot Lands in Petite-Patrie

A month after Montreal restaurants were allowed to reopen their dining rooms, a few fresh new arrivals have appeared on the scene — here’s a rundown.

PETITE-PATRIE — A new bar has touched down on Beaubien, with Bar Mamie now open just west of St-Denis. As Silo 57 reported a few months back, it has a menu laden with cheese, charcuterie, and private import wine. Those who frequent trendy Mile End café Pastel Rita may already be aware of Mamie: its owners staged a few pop-ups there back in the heady pre-lockdown days. Mamie is aiming for a casual, bar de quartier kind of vibe: beyond the cheese and charcuterie, expect a menu that riffs on some old school dishes in small plate format (blinis with salmon gravlax, fancied-up deviled eggs). While it definitely looks to be more of an evening scene, the bar is open from noon Thursday to Sunday, with café service and a small gourmet épicerie section indoors.

As for seating, there’s an expansive terrasse that stretches around on Drolet Street, while the indoor seating takes a rustic approach, decked out with plenty of antiquities.

VERDUN — The Wellington promenade has a brand new bar named Verdun Beach — not to be confused with Verdun’s actual beach, just a block away. The nautical new venue has a terrasse with boardwalk vibes out back, plus seating out on the street: expect natural wines, some summery cocktails, and a menu that spans from small dishes like smoked mackerel up to larger options like roasted chicken or seal with lardons.

MILE END — The people behind St-Viateur Street haunt Falafel Yoni have branched out into other takeout-friendly foodstuffs with new counter service spot Pizza Toni. It’s also on St-Viateur, just a couple minutes west of Yoni in a former dépanneur. Expect pizza (surprise!) — specifically, New York-style pies or slices. Toni is keeping things simple to start, with a short menu of five classics including pepperoni and margherita, with prices running $3.25 to $4.25 a slice.

PLATEAU — In other pizza news, the former Café Laika space on St-Laurent is now home to Italian snack bar La Main Folle. Per La Presse, it comes from Paolo Oliveira of NDG’s Pizzeria Melrose — he opened a short-lived second location for Melrose in the space last year, and La Main Folle is a successor of sorts to that. It’s a more casual spot with a cozy, eclectic design — expect a short menu of Neapolitan-leaning pizza options, as well as fresh pasta, calzones, and salads, plus a few approachable wine and beer options.

QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES — Okay, this one isn’t open yet, but it’s coming pretty soon (read: the first half of August). Former Agrikol chef Paul Toussaint is set to open up his own restaurant, Kamúy, in some truly prime real estate — the former Taverne F location right at Place-des-Arts. While Toussaint focused on Haitian fare at Agrikol, Kamúy will take a more pan-Caribbean approach to fine dining. The menu is still in the works, but expect bright, spicy dishes, from curries to barbecue.

GRIFFINTOWN — In case you missed it, one promising Mediterranean restaurant boldly opened its doors during Montreal’s three-month lockdown. Named Ayla, its dining room is now open on Richmond Street, too.

• Un excellent bar à vin trop beau vient d’ouvrir à Verdun! [Nightlife]
• Make way for the former Agrikol chef Paul Toussaint’s new pan-Caribbean restaurant Kamúy [Time Out]
• Pizza Toni: le nouveau comptoir-frère de Falafel Yoni aux airs de pizzeria new-yorkaise [Tastet]