Restaurant review | Race lunch at Améa

Through the good times and, sometimes, the not so good, our restaurant critics tell you about their experience, present the team in the dining room and in the kitchen, while explaining what motivated their choice of restaurant. This week, a café that has everything going for it: Améa.

Why talk about it?

We love going to restaurants, but in this chilly January, there are many reasons that could push you to avoid an evening out: your budget, the desire to stay comfortably at home or perhaps you have even decided, like me, to offer you a month without alcohol (which in no way prevents you from enjoying a good meal on a Friday evening, we agree!). In short, all good reasons to move our desire for outings to lunchtime. In fact, I’ve been wanting to return to Améa for a while, established since 2022 in Maison Alcan, in the heart of the city center. As the place is only open during the day, the excuse was perfect!

Who are they ?

Pino Forgione and Max Caprio, owners of Ristorante Beatrice, an institution dedicated to Italian cuisine located on rue Sherbrooke, are at the origin of this project. To carry it out, they called on the talented chef Michael Coppa, pastry chef at Beatrice for 10 years before taking the reins at Améa. His career includes mandates as a private chef as well as stints in other Italian institutions, such as Industria.

Our experience

If the chef takes care of the savory and sweet portions, his pastry chef’s skirt goes beyond, as evidenced by these irresistible delicacies displayed in the window. Everything is homemade, fresh, every morning. There are pastries – éclairs, lemon or pecan tartlets, tiramisu, not forgetting the famous plump cannolis – but also a whole range of pastries made on site. Among the specialties, you have to try the croissants filled with pistachio nuts, the raspberry “Rocher” and the incredibly decadent “Supreme” croissants – a cross between the rolled croissant and the donut, filled with pistachio, strawberries or even Oreo cookies!

But let’s start at the beginning. What a great initiative to settle in the luminous grounds of Maison Alcan! This gives life and charm to this historic downtown building. You can access the vast dining room with around a hundred seats – without reservation – once you have gone through the door and up a flight of stairs. The space is open, decorated with hanging green plants, armchairs, benches and comfortable chairs, making it the ideal place for friendly or business meetings, or for teleworking. Moreover, coffee has been adopted by a diverse urban population, as I noticed during my visit on a Thursday lunchtime. It’s lively, but the atmosphere remains peaceful, for those who like to hear themselves talk… and think!

The menu is Mediterranean-inspired, one of my favorite cuisines. A good dose of sunshine in the heart of winter! You have the choice: pizzas in teglia (Roman) with their various toppings, cooked in the Moretti Forni Italian oven; crostini with the wonderful sourdough bread from the Miette bakery; salads, sandwiches and other à la carte dishes, many of which feature vegetables, make your mouth water.

It’s hard to find fault with what I tasted that day: the burrata tostada, topped with white anchovies (if I have to complain, I would have had more than three, because I love anchovies !) and grilled peppers, was a real cloud of happiness. The flame-burned eggplant dish, placed on a nest of whipped ricotta and accompanied by browned gray shallots, pomegranate salsa and a sumac vinaigrette, is a little bomb of flavors and textures that I am obsessed with Since. The fattouche salad, very fresh with its brunoise of tomatoes, onions, peppers and cucumbers and its focaccia croutons with zaatar, all enhanced by a feta vinaigrette, had everything to satisfy fans of this popular salad.

Another favorite: the “calamari” fritti, a vegetarian variation of the fried squid dish, here with oyster mushrooms and breaded hearts of palm. They were incredibly soft, despite their crispy exterior, and I think I preferred them to the traditional version, especially since they came with a tasty saffron aioli.

I came out full, but not weighed down, with the impression of having eaten healthy, fresh and frankly well-prepared food, ready to attack my afternoon. Isn’t that all we want from a lunch, at the end of the day?

To drink

Let’s talk about coffee, first: it’s made according to the rules of the art! The place uses a house blend whose provenance was not revealed to me, but it is clear that it is perfectly balanced. Those looking for an alternative to caffeine can opt for the delicious beetroot or butterfly pea flower latte. Otherwise, there are many options to quench your thirst, such as fresh organic Station juices, a range of aperitivos and a fine selection of non-alcoholic cocktails. The espresso martini also seems to be one of the local favorites! As for wine, the choice is rather limited, with a few whites, reds, rosés or bubbles offered both by the glass and the bottle.

Good to know

At Améa, orders are placed at the counter, then everything is brought to you at your place. There are plenty of vegetarian options and a few vegan options on the menu. An access ramp is available for people with reduced mobility (entrance via Stanley Street). To follow: the opening of a restaurant in the adjacent space, planned between fall 2024 and spring 2025.

Information

Améa is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is closed on Saturdays and offers brunches on Sundays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Without reservation.

1188 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal