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Canada’s Best New Restaurants 20071 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | CBNR Mission Statement & Index | Home 
Photo by Louise Savoie 04. BISTRO BIENVILLE 4650, rue de Mentana, Montréal, 514-509-1269, bistrobienville.com This is exactly the kind of food we would all cook at home if we could. The lobster burger alone would have guaranteed chefs Sébastien Harrison-Cloutier and Jean-François Cormier a spot on the list. Served on an immaculate little sesame seed bun, it is a textural tour de force of soft lobster, crunchy cornichons and slippery lashings of mayo. The delights don’t stop there, however: An octopus salad with a tomato emulsion features tender du Puy lentils and clean, distinct flavours. Even the parsley tastes good. Nathalie Grégoire owns this pocket-size bistro on a residential street in Montreal’s restaurant-rich Plateau neighbourhood. The menu is brief, just eight items, and straightforward. A little nubbin of Angus beef gilds a cool, rich potato salad topped with salsa verde. An entire loup de mer for two rests atop Israeli couscous (the caviar of couscous), accompanied by the most delicious cherry tomatoes – split, served raw and popping with flavour. No neighbourhood, no city, no country, for that matter, can have too many delicious, casual little spots as good as this.  Photo by Margaret Mulligan 05. COLBORNE LANE 45 Colborne St., Toronto, 416-368-9009, colbornelane.com Chef Claudio Aprile (formerly of Senses) has the confidence to create elaborate dishes that approach but never quite go over the top. Venison crudo with pickled oyster mushrooms, palm sugar dressing, golden beets and watercress resembles a still life and tastes like a surprise party. His prawn ceviche partners with two aiolis – squid ink and saffron – that bring a soft creaminess to balance out the bright acidity. Manicured women in expensive dresses dine with men sporting flashy watches, and even the staff resemble hedge fund managers in their crisp, striped shirts. Still, there is an egalitarian air to the restaurant, and a communal table anchors the room. The post-apocalyptic-chic esthetic leaves the brick raw and the beams rough. The expensive wine list is mollified by a good selection of wines by the glass, and a range of sake options points to that libation’s ability to pair well with complex dishes. Cheesecake comes as a surprise for this ambitious kitchen, but the passion fruit gelée and sweet curry anglaise reinterpret this suburban standard for an urbane audience. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | CBNR Mission Statement & Index | Home |
