Salle Climatisée
Restaurant · District de Saint-Édouard ·
Market-fresh ingredients for playful, familiar fare; superb wines
Market-fresh ingredients for playful, familiar fare; superb wines
"With only about 20 spots, this bistro installed in Little Italy is nothing if not convivial. Its atypical and somewhat surreal name—meaning "air-conditioned room"—is a nod to French signage and a reflection of its distinctive character. Brendan, the charming owner, creates a happy and laid-back atmosphere. The menu, presented on a slate board, changes with the seasons. It generally comprises a choice of seven mains and two desserts, all of them delicious (consider the chicken with clams and beans, or cabbage with browned butter and goat's cheese). From the seats at the bar, facing the kitchen, you get a prime view of these rustic and indulgent dishes being prepared." - Michelin Inspector
"An unassuming, personal La Petite Patrie restaurant that feels like a friendly, unfussy dinner party: a modest handwritten chalkboard menu of fewer than ten items, scant seating, flowers that look plucked from the corner store, and a fridge full of wine; the kitchen highlights market produce with dishes such as asparagus dressed with smoked-egg-yolk mayonnaise, crispy-skinned chicken with buttery morels, and a playful sticky-toffee–style dessert that swaps carrots for dates, reflecting the chef’s background in notable local kitchens." - ByMehdi Brunet-Benkritly, as told to Mia Leimkuhler
"When a trio of Maison Publique alum opened their restaurant/food shop in Montreal’s Little Italy in December, they named it Salle Climatisée after signs in Parisian café windows indicating that the place has air conditioning. In Covid times, the promise of good ventilation and a great meal are almost equally tempting. But it’s the latter that lures the passersby — for morning coffees and apple-tahini turnovers, lunchtime roasted-rutabaga sandwiches lathered with creamy garlic confit and, at dinnertime, bronzed half chickens lined with ’nduja sausage, chicken hearts and Swiss chard."
"Located between Mile End and Mile Ex, just short of Little Italy, this diminutive bistro run by three Maison Publique alums has got dinner covered with a bi-weekly market-inspired Souper à Deux. The three-course menu is posted on Tuesday and available for pick-up Friday to Sunday. A current offering features fennel salad, bollito misto, and a ricotta Paris Brest; sandwiches and sundry snacks are available on pick-up day." - Ivy Lerner-Frank
"A hole-in-the-wall on a busy stretch of Saint-Laurent named in homage to air conditioning, yet home to some of the smartest, most refined and least pretentious cooking a reviewer had the pleasure of eating." - Eater Staff