Le Bon Vivant

Saint-Henri Strikes Again

2705 Notre-Dame St W Montreal, QC H3J1N9

The neighbourhood of Saint-Henri is no longer "up and coming". I think it has reached a point where we could say it has arrived. Full of trendy cafés, bars, restaurants, this neighbourhood has established itself as one of the coolest in the city at this moment. People live in spacious lofts and spend their winter weekends hanging out at cafés, and during the summer, find them by the canal, or at the nearby Atwater market.

Le Bon Vivant fits the Saint-Henri mould perfectly. Cozy, trendy, and wholesome, the restaurant uses market fresh ingredients to craft meals that are (mostly) healthy and full of seasonal ingredients. The menu truly caters to everyone. Their seasonal "Farmer Bowl" for vegetarians, and plenty of meat and fish options too!

Farmer's Bowl

We started with the tacos of the day (shrimp) which were served on a grilled corn tortilla, topped with avocado and other fresh vegetables, and drizzled with a mildly spicy sauce. The char on the tortilla combined with the grilled shrimp worked perfectly. Order as a starter to share, or as a meal for yourself (they were that good!). Our other starters were the Kalbi Short-Ribs, fried cauliflower (with Brussel sprouts and Halloumi), and the farmers bowl (beats, squash, zucchini, onions and goats cheese). Equally fresh and delicious.

Shrimp Tacos

Kalbi Short Ribs

Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts, and Fried Halloumi

For our mains we tried both the Tandoori Chicken for two and the Lamb Shank. The lamb shank was fall-off-the-bone tender and was served on a bed of Israeli cous cous and broccolini. The perfect winter dish. But the item I would definitely come back for- the Tandoori Chicken. The chicken was moist and served on a bed of quinoa and Mediterranean salad (more of a stew)- another dish to complement the cold weather we've been having, but I would truly eat this dish any time of year!

Chicken Tandoori for Two

Lamb Shank on Israeli Cous Cous and Broccolini

For dessert we ordered the "Rochers", which were kind of like coconut macaroons served with whipped cream. A sweet and light ending to an exquisite meal!

Rochers

If you are looking for a dinner spot where you could leave satisfied, but without feeling overstuffed, or greasy, this is definitely for you. They take reservations and the space is small, so reserve!

http://lebonvivantmtl.com/

Mind, Taste, Love.

VORO

Sweet & Savoury

275 Fairmount, Ouest, Montréal, Quebec, H2A 0A1

VORO has been at the top of my list for a while now, so I decided to stop by for brunch on a Sunday. 

Tons of sunlight enters through the floor-to-ceiling windows and makes dining here in the daytime ever so pleasant and cheerful. The ceilings are high and the space is large and industrial feeling. 

The menu is not too large (and differs slightly from what is shown on their website), but has plenty of sweet, savoury, and sweet AND savoury options to choose from. We went with a simple poached egg on focaccia with portobello mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, goat's cheese and arugula as well as a more eccentric panko-crusted french toast with porchetta, poached eggs, and a MAPLE béchamel. Both dishes were exquisitely presented and tasted incredible. The star was the sweet and savoury french toast, which was unlike anything I have ever had before.

Portobello mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, goat's cheese, arugula, and a poached egg on focaccia

Panko-crusted french toast with porchetta, poached eggs, and a maple béchamel

Sit by the window and order a latté. It's easy to spend an entire Sunday afternoon at this spacious and inviting location. Highly recommended for brunch (their lunch dishes sounded great too!) I will definitely be back to try their biscuits and homemade blueberry jam with truffle honey butter! Yum!

Mind, Taste, Love.