Two years in, this intimate and hospitable restaurant in the Plateau continues to attract a loyal following of local families, couples and serious connoisseurs of Montreal’s fine-dining scene. A good part of its success is attributable to the elegantly understated design — a collaboration between local wunderkind Zébulon Perron and restaurant co-owner Dan Climan, who’s the painter responsible for the striking Dalmatian that anchors the dining room. Then there’s the smart, restrained cooking from co-chefs Danny Smiles and Mitch Laughren and their chef de cuisine, Sara Raspa. The menu is continually evolving, but certain constants can be relied upon — when in season, freshly caught Nova Scotia tuna, for example, or monkfish, the latter paired with a juicy pork dumpling, celeriac threads and a lobster bisque scented with Périgord truffle. Local Montebello trout à l’angevine gets a visually stunning treatment with shaved matsutake and rabioles, which highlights the integrity of the ingredients — a conscious simplicity achieved through the tight, masterful technique. Pastry shows the same MO, with executive pastry chef Laura Faria reimagining classics such as Bombe Alaska with refined grace notes of lemon and pistachio. Esme Millar’s wine list balances natural and traditional selections and is built around smaller producers who share the restaurant’s ethos.

That is one sexy restaurant!” Vanya Filipovic