THANKS TO ITS SENSIBLY delineated spaces, this vast and eminently stylish Old Montreal brasserie manages to feel intimate and comfortable in a manner that belies its 175 seats. You can dine à la carte at the stunning bar with 20 stools and a lounge; or, just beyond, in the brasserie; or if you’re inclined toward something more elevated, enjoy an entirely different multi-course menu in the back room, with its elegant black banquettes and white tablecloths. The tiled expanse of Alain Carle’s design is decidedly modern while paying obvious tribute to iconic local restaurants, like L’Express and Lux. The food, from the talented Jérémie Bastien, updates classic French flavour profiles with lightening contemporary touches.

On point every time. Vanya Filipovic

Menus for both rooms evolve constantly. In the brasserie, don’t miss a classic of roast bone marrow with snails and parsley, or the bouillabaisse with each piece of fish and shellfish cooked to a perfect state of doneness à la minute. In the salle à manger, expect more inventive cookery, with more Asian flavours enlivening the French — perhaps grilled veal sweetbread with maitake and XO sauce, or striped bass with Japanese turnips and ginger-infused beurre blanc and chili oil. Fish and shellfish is a strong point on the menus, but then, so is the dry-aged P.E.I. beef program. Pastry chef Lisa Yu does exceptional work with the classics (say, tarte Tatin), often lending them an inventive twist. Service is deft, the wine list extensive and contemporary (yes, orange wines included).

Jérémie and Richard Bastien.

Monarque entrance

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Jérémie and Richard Bastien.

Monarque entrance