OPENED: June 2024
CHEFS: Danny Smiles and Mitch Laughren
SEATS: 50
CUISINE: Le Violon is an elegant neighbourhood restaurant in Montreal’s Plateau neighbourhood, with an ingredient-driven, seasonally attuned menu and stripped-down cooking that showcases great products, solid technique and an enticing mix of Italian, French and Spanish culinary tradition. European spirit, with Canadian hospitality.

Le Violon doesn’t follow the rules. It rewrites them — thoughtfully and purposefully. “We’re questioning what fine dining is in Montreal — with our own version,” says chef and co-owner Danny Smiles.

That version is precise, grounded and understated. Smiles and co-executive chef Mitch Laughren, long-time collaborators, have built something refined and resolutely their own — joined by partners Andrew Park and Dan Climan, chef de cuisine Sara Raspa and sommelier Esme Millar. It’s a kitchen, and a team, working in sync, guided by a shared vision.

The cooking is focused and confident. A Quebec beef tartare channels Lebanese kibbeh nayyeh: hand-cut with bulgur, laced with tahini. Potted shrimp is reimagined with Newfoundland mussels, paired with stout bread and a Presbytère cheddar custard — rich, dark and deliberate. The product leads, and technique is tight. Concept, unmistakable. This isn’t fusion; it’s tradition, sharpened by instinct, restraint and skill.

Smiles and Laughren aren’t following trends. They are honouring producers, cooking with intent and drawing on their Irish, Italian and Egyptian roots through a modern Québécois lens. Call it new Canadian cuisine if you like, but there’s nothing fleeting about it. The room, designed by Climan, fills with families, couples and groups of friends who take comfort in the minimal space. It’s anchored by a massive painting of a Dalmatian — a sly wink to staff favourite Keens Steakhouse in New York. Since opening last June, Le Violon has found its rhythm — and its following.

“Restaurants are for people to forget what real life is all about, and that is what we made Le Violon for,” Smiles says. “We designed the restaurant we want to eat at.” With an intent so sincere — backed by a clearly expressed sense of hospitality — Le Violon handily earns our award for 2025 best new restaurant.

We wanted something timeless, solid, built to last — a place we’d want to dine at ourselves. Because there’s a difference between eating and dining. At Le Violon, it’s a full experience — every detail counts. The food, the art, the scent, the music, the design — it’s all part of it. You’re stepping into our house. No stress, no rules. Just a chance to forget real life for a while. Chef Danny Smiles

—Alana Lapierre