Description: This is exactly the kind of food we would all cook at home if we could. The lobster burger alone would have guaranteed chefs Sébastien Harrison-Cloutier and Jean-François Cormier a spot on the list. Served on an immaculate little sesame seed bun, it is a textural tour de force of soft lobster, crunchy cornichons and slippery lashings of mayo. The delights don’t stop there, however: An octopus salad with a tomato emulsion features tender du Puy lentils and clean, distinct flavours. Even the parsley tastes good.
Nathalie Grégoire owns this pocket-size bistro on a residential street in Montreal’s restaurant-rich Plateau neighbourhood. The menu is brief, just eight items, and straightforward. A little nubbin of Angus beef gilds a cool, rich potato salad topped with salsa verde. An entire loup de mer for two rests atop Israeli couscous (the caviar of couscous), accompanied by the most delicious cherry tomatoes – split, served raw and popping with flavour.
No neighbourhood, no city, no country, for that matter, can have too many delicious, casual little spots as good as this.