In terms of restaurant openings, Old Montreal has been lagging over the past couple of years in comparison to the up and coming neighbourhoods of the city. In fact, only 8 out of 100 restaurant blog posts on Montreal Maven have been on restaurants from this corner of the city! Despite the lack of restaurant/bar openings, Old Montreal still remains one of my favourite areas of Montreal. And so, I am thrilled to see some NEW restaurants popping up in the OLDEST section of our city. I love having a reason to visit and hope this trend continues.

Outside of the restaurant

One of the latest restos to open by the Old Port is Jellyfish Crudo + Charbon. Crudo, for the assortment of raw dishes on the menu, and Charbon for their charcoal grill. Before I get to the food, you should know that the space is visually beautiful. High ceilings, massive modern lighting fixtures, a central square bar, and palm tree wall-papered walls come together to create a gorgeous setting for a wonderful meal. If you are a fan of Chopped Canada (Food Network) you may be drawn-in by the head chef at Jellyfish-  Chopped Canada winner Chef Mathieu Masson-Duceppe.

I was definitely excited to see what this TV star could conjure up in the kitchen. We sat at the bar- my favourite seat in the house. It is always a privilege to watch Brynley Leach, mixologist extraordinaire, craft wild cocktails. Even the dehydrated apple garnishing my drink (which tasted like apple pie in a glass…yum.) was dehydrated in-house! Small touches like these make all the difference when dining out. My date had a cocktail with yuzu and lime that was sweet and smooth with a surprise element of texture- chia seeds.

Here’s what we ordered:

Salmon belly with blueberry and mustard seeds: the salmon sashimi practically melts in your mouth and the sweet blueberry sauce paired with mustard seeds gives the dish a unique sweet and savoury flavour. Highly recommended.

Salmon Belly Sashimi

Charcoal grilled carrots with whipped ricotta, honey, and parsnips: everything is grilled on charcoal and these carrots were no exception. The carrots still had some bite and the smooth ricotta and sweet honey contrasted nicely with the charcoal flavour. Also recommended.

Carrots and Whipped Ricotta

Charcoal grilled cod with edamame two ways: a light and flavourful piece of fish (not as flaky, or buttery as cod usually is) served atop edamame and edamame purée with crispy brussel sprouts. After trying this main, I would likely order something different on my next visit, but it was a tasty dish.

Cod

Cauliflower Caesar with Pancetta: surprisingly my favourite dish of the night. Grilled cauliflower florets, caesar salad, and crispy pancetta. Delicious.

Cauliflower (back)

Sautéed rapini: a simple sidedish that will pair perfectly with any fish or meat dish.

DESSERT
Bacon and Whiskey Pouding chômeur: seriously this needs no description. Pure heaven. Buttery, decadent, ooey gooey, bacon-ey (sp?) goodness.

Take note! You absolutely NEED a reservation at this hotspot. And you should dress to impress ;).

Mind, Taste, Lifestyle.