It's hard to know where to start here. How about with AMAZING!!!!! This was my first trip to Montreal in 20 years. This place was highly recommended to me and it exceeded all expectations. We had made reservations about a month ago for the bar where you can watch the food prep. The room is small, narrow and loud. Sitting at the bar makes it a little more difficult to hear and I had to focus in on the waiter more. Tip #1, listen to your waiter. He/she will definitely use French as their 1st language but English is no problem. With the loudness, you do have to focus in more on what the waiter has to say. They know what's fresh and how to order.
Oddly enough, we started with a snow crab appetizer. Not know for seafood, but we were told the crab season just opened and they had just got a shipment this morning. It was soooooo good! Simply prepared, it came with homemade tarragon mayonnaise to dip in. The crab meat was sweet and succulent. The dish was a lot of fun too. They served a hot bowl of water with hand cloths to clean up after.
Now for the granddaddy of them ALL! The guinea hen for 2. This is the absolute ultimate in fowl. The guinea hen body is roasted to succulent perfection. The legs and wings are removed prior to cooking and are seared and confited then reassembled with a wood skewer. The bird is served whole with carving knives. Again, it's a super fun dish that was even tastier. The bird is served on a mashed potatoes and mushroom and root vegetables. The mashed and vegetables were incredibly rich but it was like eating drugs or something. Once you start you can't stop. Do not plan on going out to party after this meal. You will want to curl out and chill for sure.
I can't speak highly enough of this place. Canadiens and the people of Montreal were incredibly welcoming and made us feel right at home. The bread, beer, wine and attention to detail were incredible as you would expect from a Martin Picard restaurant. Next time, Sugar Shack!