| rev:text
| - On the Montreal dining and party scene, it's true that good things come in small sizes. The city's best restaurants, wine bars and clubs are most often small, cosy and hard to get into - a far cry from the Baton Rouges and Cheesecake Factories of this world. And Le Comptoir? Another, newer, case in point.
This place is hot - I had to call a few days in advance for a Sunday night reservation, and still, the only seating left was at the bar. Fine by me, since the bar is in front of what's essentially an open kitchen where all the plates come together. Free food porn.
Le Comptoir exudes what I would call a "nouveau Mile End cool". It's not shabby-chic but rather manages to be modern and cosy without losing its edge. The menu is made of market-inspired tapas-sized dishes at reasonable prices. The wine list is equally friendly. Ask your waiter about it, he'll know what he's talking about. And chances are, he'll be cute.
We started with a dish in which an onion was cooked sous-vide (in sealed airtight plastic, in water, for a long time), and placed atop a "tartare" of bacon, smoked mackerel and marinated onion, topped with mizuna, a Japanese salad green ($8). The onion was cooked but still crunchy and flavourful, and was well paired with its taratare. Yum.
Next came the beet salad ($9) and the yellowfin tuna confit ($14). If you like beet salads, you have to try this one. It was made with red and orange roasted beets, celery, apples, watercress and argan oil, with a generous smear of goat cheese cream around the side of the bowl.
The tuna was also very tasty, and was paired with an aligot (potato and cheese) croquette and a vinigrette made of olives, capers and herbs. Delicious.
Our last savoury dish consisted of smoked duck breast with a croquette of confit duck leg and a caramelized onion purée ($17). The smoked duck breast and onion purée were delicious, but the croquette had too much potato filler - I could hardly taste the confit. I was disappointed, and especially considering it's one of the most expensive dishes on the menu.
Finally, we ended with the chocolate marquise dessert, which was accompanied by with a light ginger cream, pieces of pineapple and a gingerbread cookie. Not too big nor too sweet. Mmmmm!
In all, this place is solid. For those who like specifics, here are the deets... The food is yummy and well priced, and the atmosphere is lively and urban-cool. It's perfect for an evening that's both upbeat and toned-down, where you can catch up with friends or enjoy a first date. The service, however, is somewhat unpredictable - two evenings gave way to two very different experiences. One waiter was uninterested and never came back for more drink orders while another one was super nice, helpful and attentive. And lastly, there's just one thing to remember - don't come after eating - each person has to order at least one plate to get a drink, since Le Comptoir has a restaurant, not bar, license. And that's all of it!
Food 8.5/10, Atmosphere 8.5/10, Music 8.5/10, Pretty people 8.5/10, Service 7/10, Postdinnerdrinks-friendly (aslongasyouhavedinnerthere) 8/10.
Pictures: http://belledenuitmontreal.com/posts/comptoir/
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