A Running List of Montreal Restaurants That Opened in July 2021

PLATEAU — Denizens of the Plateau are treated to a new drinking hub this month, with the addition of Projet Pilote, a distillery, microbrewery, restaurant, and bar all under one roof. Read more here.

Projet Pilote is open from 4 p.m. to midnight Tuesday through Saturday at 980 Rachel East.

LA PETITE-PATRIE — The team behind Laurier Avenue pizzeria Stella has opened a second outpost on Bélanger, in a space that previously housed two other pizza purveyors: Pizzarium and, before that, Bistro Napoli. The location seats 80 indoors and 30 outside on a street-side terrasse, where diners can enjoy its menu of cheesy Neapolitan pies, Italian appetizers, and some kid-friendly fare.

Stella Pizzeria’s second outpost is open from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday at 1100 Bélanger Street.

Stella/Supplied

MILE END — Restaurateur trio Franco Parreira, Maxime Tremblay, and Emmanuel Goubard are striving to revive Montreal rotisserie chicken landmark Laurier BBQ — but on St-Viateur instead. They’re serving up a takeout menu of rotisserie chicken meals with fries, coleslaw, and gravy, as well as salads, sandwiches, and desserts, including reproductions of the restaurant’s beloved moka and carrot cakes. Read more here.

Laurier BBQ is open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday at 231 St-Viateur West.

WESTMOUNT — H4C chef Dany Bolduc has opened a second location of his gourmet grocery story Marché La Pantry Par Dany Bolduc — almost a year since the launch of the first in Saint-Henri. It sells bread, pastries, canned goods, ready-made meals, and local wines.

Marché La Pantry Par Dany Bolduc’s Westmount location is open Tuesday to Sunday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., at 4879 Sherbrooke Street West.

GRIFFINTOWN — Nightclub New City Gas has morphed into Bazart, a multipurpose space featuring indoor and outdoor art galleries, a boutique, and a new Mediterranean restaurant, conceived by chefs Massimo Piedimonte (formerly of Le Mousso), Athiraj Pharsavath (previously at now-defunct Old Montreal restaurant Mercuri), and Guillaume Daly (chef and partner of downtown supper club Soubois). The menu features charcoal-grilled meats, fish, and veggies; and mezze-style dips (including muhammara, labneh, and one with almond, tahini, peas, and mint). Read more here.

Bazart is open from 5 p.m. to midnight Wednesday to Sunday at 969 Wellington Street.

GRIFFINTOWN — Upscale sushi purveyor Ryu has expanded its reach to Griffintown, where as of July 20, it’s now running a third outpost. The new location seats up to 70 diners and is designed by the prolific Gauley Brothers, who recently also executed Old Montreal restaurant 212 and Italian hot spot BarBara. Ryu Griffintown features plush booth seating, dark fan-patterned walls, and wooden furniture throughout. And while the new arrival to Richmond Street carries the Ryu name, it promises to bring some fresh menu items, including wagyu sliders, dumplings, and miso black cod — courtesy of a “hot kitchen” that the restaurant group says is unique to this location. Other Ryu firsts include seafood towers, lobster lettuce cups, and seafood tacos.

Ryu/Supplied

Ryu Griffintown is open Tuesday and Wednesday, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m, and Thursday to Saturday, 5 to 11 p.m., at 388 Richmond.

GRIFFINTOWN — A unique mash-up of 90s nostalgia and New York City bodega culture is the inspiration behind this new Montreal cafe. Bodega comes complete with Dunkaroos, coffee served in NYC’s iconic blue and white Anthora paper cups (but with the requisite “We are happy to serve you” scrawled in French), and a short sandwich menu, which Time Out reports comes courtesy of Jellyfish chef Mathieu Masson Duceppe.

Bodega is open Monday to Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 248 De la Montagne.

OLD MONTREAL — On July 15, Old Montreal became home to a new restaurant dishing out flavours that seem to span the Middle East, North Africa, and Greece. Babacool is putting out all manner of dips (muhammara, baba ghanoush, hummus), salads, including a halloumi one described as “Greek salad style” and a Moroccan cooked salad with tomatoes, peppers, and olives, and other dishes like shakshuka, lamb kefta, and tomato cumin shrimps with star anise, ouzo, feta, and radish.

The word “babacool” generally refers to a person adopting a free-spirited, hippie-like lifestyle. Combined with some of the language and imagery on the restaurant’s social media account, that seems to be the ethos it’s angling for. However, photos of the space show a look replete with sleek, modern touches like linear fluorescent lighting, exposed metal piping, and a large circular mirror.

The project comes from the same group behind poke restaurants Venice, Asian-fusion spot Jatoba, and mezcal and tequila bar Clandestino — all with locations not too far off.

Babacool is open from 6 to 11 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday at 140 Notre-Dame Street West.

OLD MONTREAL — 49th Parallel opened its first coffee shop outside of Vancouver on July 16, occupying the space that once housed 40-year-old diner Plaza McGill. The location also serves doughnuts in classic favours and Quebec-specific renditions like pouding chômeur and Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean blueberry. Read more here.

49th Parallel Café is open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 488 McGill Street.

49th Parallel/Supplied

WEST ISLAND — A buzzy new restaurant serving 15 types of chicken wings has touched down in Dollard-Des Ormeaux. Smoked apple habanero, sriracha lime, and cacio e pepe are among the flavour options at Birdhouse Wingerie & Bar, open since July 5. Read more here.

Birdhouse Wingerie & Bar is open daily as of 11 a.m at 63 Brunswick Boulevard. It closes at 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

OLD MONTREAL — In the works for just shy of two years, Place Carmin, a new French brasserie from the folks that brought us fine dining icon Bouillon Bilk and its more casual sibling Cadet, finally opened on July 2. It takes over the space that once belonged to restaurant Le Local on William Street, where it now serves up seafood platters, beef tartare, and foie gras terrine. Read more here.

Place Carmin is open Wednesday to Sunday, from 4 to 11 p.m. at 740 William Street.

Did we miss a July opening? Drop us a note on the tipline.

• Montreal gets an uptown slice of NYC with Bodega MTL, a new coffee shop in Griffintown [Time Out]
• 49th Parallel Readies to Open Its First Cafe Outside of Vancouver, in Old Montreal [EMTL]
• Place Carmin Is Montreal’s Chic New French Brasserie [EMTL]
• Birdhouse Wingerie & Bar is the Latest to Hatch in West Island’s Bubbling Restaurant Scene [EMTL]