With 2023 now behind us, it's time to look ahead to 2024 by updating our list of good places to go.
Here are some restaurants that opened last year that deserve your attention – and perhaps a visit!
Myranel
Photo provided by Myranel
The Myranel restaurant discreetly opened in Deschambault-Grondines last autumn and is undoubtedly one to discover in 2024. It offers cuisine with regional flavors, prepared with great finesse and technique. This project is thanks to Mathieu Janes (the chef) and Marina Marcot, a charming couple who want to share their story through the contents of the plates, the glasses and the calm and relaxed atmosphere. Confit arctic char with leeks, crème fraîche and balsam fir in a painting, a duck fillet with polenta and beets, fresh homemade pasta stuffed with Grondines cheese… Since the chef is an incredible pastry chef, there's no need to leave without the sweet to taste medicine.
- myranel.com
- 241, Chemin du Roy, Deschambault-Grondines
Arsenal & Co Distillery
Photo provided by Distillerie Arsenal & Co
From a former munitions factory to a spectacular location for connoisseurs with a thirst for discovery, the Arsenal & Co Distillery has something to offer that will make any connoisseur's eyes light up. In fact, the welcoming place, which can accommodate more than 200 customers, is not only dedicated to the distillation of alcohols in small and large quantities. There you can sit for lunch and dinner and fill your belly with neo-Neapolitan pizzas, homemade smoked meats and several dishes ideal for sharing. As soon as the house produces enough different drinks, the team would like to offer a tasting menu to match their own creations. It promises!
Pony BBQ Korean
Photo provided by Pony BBQ
The atypical decor arouses curiosity, the menu piques the stomach, and the cocktail menu makes you thirsty. Le Pony offers a unique Korean barbecue experience in Quebec. Whether you choose a platter of assorted quality meats to grill on the grill at the center of the table or dip into a rich and hearty homemade broth like a fondue, bowls of noodles will delight your taste buds straight from Korea or finger-licking fried chicken, we love the experience! It's best to go there in a group to fully enjoy the atmosphere and the food on offer. We toast with soju (a typical Korean sweet spirit), natural wine or even homemade cocktails.
- ponybbq.com
- 1608, rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, Montreal
Yoso
Photo provided by Yoso
Located within Asian fusion restaurant Kyomi, Yoso offers an immersive experience inspired by water, earth, air and fire. Therefore, each element is dedicated to a service consisting of several sharing dishes, supported by a chic Japanese design and a subdued atmosphere. Edamame, honey salmon gravlax and pressed tuna and truffle sushi are served before some grilled lobster tails served on a boat board, before moving on to ribeye steak and a rack of lamb flambéed with cognac. Therefore, it is recommended to go in a small group to make the evening even more impressive.
The experience is only possible with reservation
Oorja
Photo provided by Oorja
Before opening Oorja Restaurant, I had never tasted or heard of Indo-Chinese cuisine from the Hakka culture; a people ubiquitous in the southeastern regions of China, but also in India, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. The Hakkas are known for their rich, comforting cuisine, which consists of very complex and aromatic braised or stewed meats and roasted vegetables. Five-spice braised pork with marinated vegetables served with sticky rice; Chicken Manchurian (chicken meatballs with sweet and sour soy sauce, served with Hakka noodles); marinated chicken drumsticks with ginger-garlic sauce; The menu includes curried mussels and many other dishes just waiting to be discovered. Privately imported wines are drunk and a visit wouldn't be complete without a cocktail or two.
- oorja.ca
- 4293, rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal
Le Roux – Refreshment bar and wine merchant
Photo provided by Le Roux – refreshment bar and wine merchant
Opened last summer, Monsieur Le Roux quickly demonstrated the experience it wanted to offer its customers. An inclusive, unifying, friendly place, without fuss… But where the food and the contents of the glasses are taken seriously! With his many years of experience in restaurants (Auberge Saint-Gabriel, Maison Boulud), it was sommelier Jean-Benoît Hinse who, together with his friend Michel Bérubé, designed this tailor-made restaurant to meet the needs of the region's demanding people. The menu, which follows the rhythm of the seasons, is always designed in the spirit of sharing. We snack on oysters, local cheese gougères or cocktail prawns, share Le Roux-style fried chicken, cod acras, a seafood platter or a whole rabbit, or even a duck and mushroom bacon pizza. Whether you prefer cocktails, beer, cider or wine, you can be sure you will be well served.
June Buvette
Photo provided by June Buvette
If you're wondering what trendy restaurant has been rocking Montreal's food scene for several years, I'll point you straight to June Buvette. A neighborhood bar where you can eat well – or a neighborhood restaurant where you can drink well – June's offering has something to suit both the palate and the wallet. Dishes that are daring but pamper the palate sit alongside timeless classics: scallop pogo with buttermilk sauce or spaghetti alla vongole? Yellow pea panisse with mascarpone and green harissa or beef tartare? Deep-fried halibut sandwich or rigatoni with beef ragù?
In the glasses we can expect to drink an unusual natural wine – which also pampers the taste buds.
► Tommy Dion is a gastronomic columnist/critic and founder of the web platform and gourmet guide www.lecuisimane.com.