It’s hot – very hot – on the cobblestones of the Vieux-Port. A woman sings opera in the middle of Place des Armes, surrounded by tourists waving the electronic mini-fans you can buy anywhere – very American.
It’s Montreal’s most European neighborhood, though, and we’ve seen bits of it in a number of Hollywood films as 1930s France (for example, in The Aviator (2004)). The aggressive heat reminds us of Avignon, two motorists argue over who has the right to go first as in the 6th arrondissement, and when we enter Brasserie 701 we feel officially in France.
Brasserie 701
The golden accents, dark wood, banquettes and backlit bar are reminiscent of the great Parisian brasseries we don’t really go to anymore in Paris (we’ve become a bit too cool).
The restaurant’s dining room is already an infusion of nostalgia, of old-fashioned France. You can vaguely hear Louis de Funès laughing from a corner at the end of the room, but it’s obviously not him. A group of finance bros eat oysters on a large metal platter, competitive even when it comes to mignonette.
We’re here to sample Brasserie 701’s new menu, which reimagines classic French bistro cuisine with an American twist . It’s tasty, bon vivant and just deconstructed enough to give a new flavor to nostalgia. Louis de Funès would have loved it…
We ate…
There were two of us, we tasted a bit of everything, and with it we drank two dry martinis, a glass of red and an ice cider. Cheers!
We started by eating a piece of baguette with sun-dried tomato, thyme and basil butter. Then, for starters, we had artichokes barigoule with comté cheese, sweetened with lemon, and crab with fennel and avocado.
The sprouts, herbed oil and layered ingredients lend a nostalgic air to the meal, an elegant coarseness typical of French brasseries that we’re happy to see again.
Afterwards, we tried two of the most nostalgic dishes on the menu: steak-frites with béarnaise sauce and roast chicken. The dishes were just as you imagine them when you think “I’d love to eat steak-frites”.
The steak and chicken were cooked to perfection, with sauces that don’t look complicated but are made with the expertise of decorated French chefs, and recall Sunday dinners with grandparents, visiting Paris.
After the starter and main course, we were happily confit in cream sauce, the little candles on each table were lit, the sun was setting over the Place d’Armes.
And of course, we couldn’t resist the velvety-smooth crème brûlée for dessert, the perfect end to a dinner that – as in France – lasted almost three hours.
After dinner at Brasserie 701, we recommend a long stroll through the cobbled streets of the Old Port – to digest French-style.
Practical info
Where? Brasserie 701, 701 Côte de la Place d’Armes
When? Open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
How? To see the menu and make reservations, visit the Brasserie 701 website here!
Enjoy your meal!