Maison Publique

Beet salad with pistachio purée and ricotta- a must try. Also the soft shell chillie crab 🦀 Great place to experience farm fresh gourmet food.

Very good food, excellent service, and lovely low-key neighborhood vibe. Loved the vegetable dishes and the halibut fritters we had were excellent, among the best fish fritters I’ve had—light, crispy, and flavorful, with an excellent tartar sauce. This was a special, as were the roasted mushrooms, which were excellent. Porchetta was tasty and surprisingly large serving after the other small plates. Crudo was alright. Service was excellent, very friendly and accommodating in English, with good drink recommendations. Would happily come back. Note: can be noisy once it fills up, which happens around 7:30 when we were there.

Planning a trip to Montreal and unable to get a reservation at the two well-known popular spots, after recommendations from friends I booked Maison Publique -- and I'm quite happy I did. Especially after I learned chef/owner Derek Dammann is not only a fellow BCer, but a fellow Vancouver Islander, hailing from Campbell River. It's a very small, unassuming pub-like spot on a residential street that was quite a long taxi ride from my hotel near McGill. But as we pulled up and the driver saw where we were going, he said "Oh, this place is really good." -- a good sign. After checking vaccination passports, we were shown to a table that was conveniently right under the menu, which is only written on chalk squares on the wall. Since my French vocabulary usually trends to more pedestrian fare, our excellent server was happy to walk us through the options, suggesting four to five plates shared amongst two people would be an excellent meal. Given that the menu was in French and on a chalkboard, I won't be able to accurately describe every dish we had. But I'll let the pictures do the talking. We began with what was probably my favourite of our dishes: the mushroom toast. I was a bit sad I had to share it, and tried to slow myself to savour every bite. A delicious medley of sauced mushrooms, on a delicious fancy mayo on toasted rye. Divine. Next we had our second vegetarian dish, a delicious pumpkin-stuffed pasta. Delicate homemade pasta, flavorful pumpkin filling, cheese and a balsamic drizzle. I could have eaten two plates myself. My only thought would be some nuts would have added a nice textural contrast. But really good. Moving on to the meat courses, up next was baked cod with vegetables and a sauce that I forget but was quite tasty. The cod was amazing soft and tender, like butter. But I was a bit disappointed. I would have liked some crisp or roast; it was a bit bland and unseasoned and relied too much on the sauce. I tried for a few minutes to find an angle to capture just how massive this lamb leg was. It was huge. The two of us did our best but couldn't quite finish it. It was expertly prepared, the meat tender and delicious. I'll admit I'm not a big lamb guy, but this was pretty good, and the showcase of our meal. Finally, I did manage to save space for desert. A slice of cheesecake with red wine prunes, if my memory of the server's translation is correct. It was fantastic. Graham cracker crumb, which to me is essential to cheesecake but is often overlooked. The cheesecake itself as divine, creamy and smooth and close-your-eyes delicious. Fruit topping a nice complement. It wasn't cheap -- definitely a #TreatYourself meal -- but the food and service were excellent and it ticks the boxes for what you want from a fancy meal out -- quality ingredients well-prepared for dishes you couldn't make yourself. Definitely recommend a visit when you're in Montreal.

What a pleasure it was to dine here. The food was creative and delicious - the mozzarella di bufala with pistachio was a surprise highlight - and the service was top notch. The desserts were also excellent, I wish we could have tried them all. I can’t fault it on anything. We loved the ambiance and the music was great but not too loud. Cocktails were also mixed very well. I only wish I lived closer! Thanks for a beautiful evening - we’ll be back soon to try brunch.

Tres Bien A petite room with wonderful tastes. For those who enjoy meat and sweet meats - this spot hits the mark. From rabbit pate to foie gras you’ll have a taste of something unique and different. Staff were friendly and knowledgeable. This is a plate sharing experience so bring friends and enjoy the food and company.