Le Bremner Old Montreal is a hidden restaurant in a sunken underground spot at 361 Rue Saint Paul. It is the sister restaurant of Garde Manger, owned by Chef Chuck Hughes. It is easy to get to and the brisk walk around Vieux Montréal is delightful. We came here day two of our brief Montreal gluttony trip and crossed of Le Bremner on our “Montreal Must Eat List”. It’s a hard toss up between Nora Gray and here.

Montreal has a lot of these sunken spaces, back rooms and “caves”. These old buildings and candlelit bunkers were not the most photographic environment but I think our photos turned out ok. Despite the cool laid-back (yet still quite hipster) vibes; the restaurant was quite the gangbuster. The later it got, the busier it was. The same can be said about Grand Manger.

The staff was welcoming, friendly and one was even from Vancouver. He gave us a good list of Must Eat Restaurants in Montreal – broken down my meal of the day. Yes I will share this with you! After all, it’s always nice to be in the know.

We’ve read mixed reviews of Le Bremner, but was still quite interested to witness first hand what the finalist on the third season of Top Chef Canada, Chef Danny Smiles had to offer.

Tuna. Tahini. Cilantro 19: Buttery soft and velvety smooth sashimi with a slight kick.

Lobster, Lanbeh, Rosamarina and chips 25: Typically this is served over a brioche bun. Today: chips were cool and brioche was not. Loved the fresh lobster bites with ultra strained, lightly salty Middle Eastern yogurt. It’s a nice vehicle to dip and carry the lobster in. Chips > brioche any day!

Deep Fried Quail 16: Succulent. Scrumptious. Served with a side of ranch dressing and lemon to squirt. The quail was juicy and super crispy without the grease. Just eat this with your fingers! Enjoy it!

Cavatelli 27: with lamb neck and pecorino. We loved how al dente the pasta was. It had great bite and the rich braising juices and tender meat was to die for! This was a gluttonous trip for sure!!

Pancakes 11: Can I get the pancakes with the ice cream on top? NO! For crying out loud, that is butter? Remember the Munchies video on Vice? The best dessert is this sinful and over the top pancake stack with Pimm’s-spiked butter and a pool of syrup. Soak it up and don’t let a drop go to waste! What diet? Worry about going to maximizing your ClassPass later! Tomorrow you can eat clean Omnivore over salad platters and mezze!

Le Bremner is super easy to get to. Take the subway and get off at Station Champ-de-Mars.

Or take Uber. Have you signed up for Uber yet? Sign up now and get FREE Uber credits. Try it! It’s so much easier than calling a cab!

Le Bremner
URL: http://www.crownsalts.com/lebremner/
Cuisine: Seafood

Hours:

Mon 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Tue 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Wed 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Thu 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Fri 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Sat 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Sun Closed

361 Rue Saint Paul E, Montréal, QC H2Y 1H2
(514) 544-0446

Ancora Vancouver recently opened upscale restaurant opening an unique mix of Pacfic Northwest, Peruvian and Japanese fare. Ancora took over the old space from C Restaurant and turned it into an elegant open space. Tonight we were here to celebrate Ancora’s grand opening with beautiful people and delicious food. Ancora has a gorgeous view of Granville Island and the sea wall. It is just a short Aqua Bus ride away!

The raw bar is lead by Master Sushi Chef Yoshi Tabo who returned from a hiatus after Blue Water Café & Raw  and Ki Modern Japanese.  Chef Yoshi Tabo makes sushi so heavenly, I may have trouble ordering elsewhere from now on.

Head Bartender Matt Cooke leads the spirits and specialty cocktails program. Matt previous worked at Tableau Bar Bistro and Homer Street Cafe. The Ancora Punch above is made with two kinds of rum and pineapple.

Executive Chef Ricardo Valverde’s lend Ancora’s menu with Peruvian flare. Chef Ricardo previously worked CinCin Ristorante, Diva at the Met and also at Blue Water Cafe. We are looking forward to coming back here for a romantic date night!