Downtown Montreal: Better with Balsam Inn

Downtown Montreal, the heart and soul of this city has just about everything – shopping, beautiful architecture, businesses, entertainment, universities, and some of the coolest pedestrians in the world (seriously..Montrealers are awesome). But one thing has been missing as of late-  trendy restaurants. With Vicolo having just popped up near the Bell Center, and the reopening of Queue de Cheval, it seems that the city is gaining some momentum in this domain. So imagine my excitement when I heard that one of my ultimate favourite spots in the city, Tavern Square Dominion, would be opening a sister restaurant right next door- smack in the center of Downtown Montreal. I knew I had to try it out immediately.

I made a reservation on a busy Saturday night. Upon arriving, I noted that the décor was as I expected: lots of wooden details, quirky touches, and dim lighting. The bar is the stunning central feature of the space and is the reason that I highly recommend Balsam as a date spot. 

I was happily surprised to see their flat breads (a must-try) being made right in front of me. A nice touch! So we sat down at a table and ordered a couple of their unique cocktails as well as a flat bread with roasted tomatoes and a gallette au four (almost like a cheese fondue) to start. I would highly recommend both and also heard that the flat bread with prosciutto and another with mushrooms are delicious. For a main we ordered the Squash Agnolotti (heavenly pillows of pasta with a smooth squash filling) as well as the fried chicken and cabbage (soaked in buttermilk for hours before being fried to perfection- moist and delicious!).

Flat Bread with Roasted Tomatoes and Gallette au Four

Squash Agnolotti

Fried Chicken with Cabbage

Unfortunately we had no room for dessert, but I will be back soon to give it a try!

Overall the food and drinks were delightful and I would highly recommend you pay this new spot a visit.