The Griffintown and Little Burgundy areas, located in the southwestern downtown part of Montreal, have seen quite the resurgence in popularity due to many trendy boutiques and restaurants opening in the past few years. Here is my selection of restaurants and bars I suggest you check out to get a piece of the action in these areas:
- Brasseurs de Montréal - 1485, Ottawa – http://www.brasseursdemontreal.ca – You would never think a commercial micro-brewery would be nestled in a predominantly industrial area. The terrasse is vast and can easily accommodate any party you wish to have outdoors. The actual restaurant is urban chic and sells all the beers that it brews next door. Have the awesome nachos with guacamole and drown it down with the appropriately-named Griffintown blond ale.
- le bOucan - 1886 Notre Dame West – http://leboucan.com/ - This restaurant has only gained in notoriety since I reviewed it last October. The little place has some seriously good smoked barbecue that is all too infrequent here in Montreal. The Pit Boss platter with its combo of ribs, pulled pork, roasted chicken and all the fixins remains one of my favourite dishes that I had this past year. Sticky finger goodness…For a full review check out my earlier post: http://t.co/30oia1a
- Pub Burgundy Lion - 2496 Notre Dame O - http://www.burgundylion.com Take your favourite Irish pub and jack it up a notch. The ambiance is as rowdy as an Irish watering hole but the food not only is traditional but the quality is greater. You will find classics such as Bangers & Mash and Toad in a Hole but you must absolutely try their renowned fish n’ chips which led to the subsequent opening of their sister Brit N’ Chips location on McGill street in Old Montreal.
- Restaurant Jane – 1744 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest – Jane has burst onto the scene with some funky pizzas. Dare to try the Schwartza (smoked meat, pickles, mustard sauce and cheddar) or the PhillyCheeseSteakza (steak, caramelized onions, yellow cheddar, etc)? Pizza traditionalists might cringe by the fact that it is somewhat gimmicky but the pizzas have a great crust and fresh ingredients. Be warned: you will be having a hard time to finish your pizza by the sheer size of these “individual” portions.
- Joe Beef – 2491 Notre Dame West – http://www.joebeef.ca/. Your sacrifice of having to cope with tables stuck to each other and air conditioning that is somewhat non-existent will be rewarded handsomely by some of the freshest, most exiting food in the city. Their specialty is meat and fish and the dishes are inventive and flavourful. I recently tried the scallops topped with pulled pork and the hake with mussels in a saffron broth and both were outstanding. It also has the Marjolaine, a multi-coloured cake that is worth the trek alone! The décor is Maritimes chic and check out the bathroom for a hairy surprise…
