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| - Full disclosure: This restaurant is owned by old friends of mine. I live in another city so I was unable to visit until last week (it has been open for over a year).
Zero8's primary feature is to offer an environment free of the 8 most common allergens (fish and seafood, peanuts, nuts, sesame seeds, milk, soya, eggs, and wheat and other sources of gluten). I am not allergic or intolerant to anything, but I gather that for people who are this is a really big relief, as it can be pretty difficult to eat out safely and comfortably when one has possibly life-threatening allergies.
Many people think that allergen-free food must surely be bland, but frankly I was impressed with everything I have eaten at the restaurant. I had two meals there (dinner and lunch), and ate everything from carrot soup to lamb and a lovely pear dessert, while enjoying their broad selection of wines and cocktails. I thoroughly enjoyed every course, and I wouldn't have guessed that the food was prepared to serve particular dietary requirements. The only exception to this is the chocolate cake, which was lovely but just not what I expected, texture-wise, due to the different kind of flour one has to bake with to avoid gluten.
Due to my bias, I cannot offer an independent appraisal of service. However from talking with my friends I can tell that they care *a lot* about good service and in particular about keeping the restaurant allergen-free.
I will add that the decor is quite pleasant and thoughtful, with a really cool looking bar. Prices seemed average to me but I haven't eaten out in Montreal in a long time so I am not totally sure.
I give five stars for the quality of the food, good looks of the space, and for the coolness of the zero-allergen concept.
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