Absolutely incredible! I live in Miami Beach, where there is an outpost, but had never been. I just couldn't fathom how exquisite food can be until I dined at the original.
We had a noon reservation for lunch and the restaurant filled up quickly. The staff here is a tad more formal than I found at other Montreal fine dining establishments, but were happy to accommodate our fish-peeping and photo taking.
We started with a dry Greek sparkling wine. I was a little hungover from the previous debauched night out, so I had just a sip and was impressed. We next had a sampling of 5 oysters from different regions in the area, ranging from PEI to Maine. They arrived on a bed of ice with all of their liquor and were fresh and delicious. Following the oysters was the grilled octopus. Unreal! It had a wood-grilled smoky flavor and was incredibly tender.
We next went with the prix-fixe lunch; 3 courses for CA$25. We started with lentil soup, smoked salmon and salmon tartare. All were fresh and beautifully presented. Two in our party then had the lamb chops; two had the whole white fish and one had the tuna burger. The tuna burger was ordered solely for the side of fried zucchini and was the only miss of the day, as it was a bit dry and probably not the best way to experience fresh fish. I didn't try the lamb chops, but the fish was perfectly cooked and seasoned. A delight! We all finished with the baklava ice cream, the taste of which I can still recall!
My only complaint was that the restaurant got loud. We were in a corner with poor acoustics and was also significantly warmer around our table than in the rest of the room. However, the service was impeccable and this meal was a true highlight of my Montreal trip!