Restaurant review | Long live the Vivar!

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, Bar Vivar, a new addition to Avenue Duluth where we will want to stay all summer long to travel to Spain without leaving the Plateau.

Why talk about it?

Bar Vivar is one of the most exciting openings in recent months. Shame on us for not having told you about it before in our À la carte section, dedicated to restaurant news. But here we come back, and with even more (good) words to devote to the tasty cuisine, between tradition and modernism, between Spain and Quebec, of this new address on the Plateau. What’s more, thanks to its proximity to La Fontaine Park, the young table goes well with a walk in the summer greenery.

Who are they ?

Chef Georges Greiche has been visiting Spain since childhood. It was a favorite vacation destination for his family. This history graduate who was thinking of becoming a lawyer did not envisage a career in catering, but the passion for the profession practiced “in the meantime” took over. The Montrealer then enrolled at the renowned Culinary Institute of America, in New York State, then subsequently worked in several renowned establishments, in the United States (Blackberry Farm) and in British Columbia (Pilgrimme), before ending up in the Joe Beef kitchen for three years. Encouraged by his boss Frédéric Morin, he set off on an adventure to Spain to continue forging his culinary identity. There, he spent a few months at a time in small authentic establishments in Galicia, then also near Cordoba, where he learned to know the products better and discovered a host of different practices. To complete it in the dining room, Georges chose his friend and former colleague of Joe Beef Patrick Oakes, a dean of the service with a strong personality.

Our experience

The weather is warming up and the terrace is under construction when I finally decide to go and check who is telling the truth, between the culinary press who have loved Vivar since its opening in January and a few friends and acquaintances who are still a little unsatisfied. Spoiler: I loved it!

Patrick offers to take care of us from A to Z. Be careful, here as elsewhere, it is a service that can end in a bitter taste if we do not first agree on a quantity and a budget. In our case, it arrived right on time, with a bonus tip of Santiago tarta to accompany the coffee the next morning.

The croquetas arrive first. That evening, they contain morcilla, a Spanish cold meat made from pig’s blood, and are particularly tasty and smoky. Sometimes they are fish. The day the photos were taken, Georges prepared his little square bites from the scraps of his superb jamón iberico of the highest quality Bellota. Don’t forget to ask for a plate as a starter. It tastes nutty and melts in your mouth.

The chicharrón, this puffed and crispy pork skin, is made on site and is particularly airy. You can order it as a tapa filled with a creamy brandade and punctuated with piquillo peppers which round it all out.

If you arrive after 7 p.m., there may be no tortilla left. This is unfortunately our case. We can’t help but cast murderous glances at our neighbor at the counter who shamelessly devours the last portion, topped with a generous creamy lobster garnish with fresh herbs, roll style. Luckily, I get to experience this seasonal splendor during the photo shoot. A must order if it’s still on the menu.

Halibut is also a great small plate. Baked in pork fat, spread with piquillo sauce, topped with chicharrón, placed in braised pork trotter juice, with peas, this fish is a reminder of how warm Spanish cuisine is.

We can notice a certain repetition in the ingredients of the different dishes, but the quality of these is a guarantee against weariness. It’s all about simplicity and perfect execution, with a touch of originality that “Montrealizes” the menu listed on the slate. I also forgot to talk about the salad, a perfect example of the chef’s expression: generous portion of greenery, exquisite Basque Ossau-Irati cheese and sweetbread “croutons” that taste like a sugar shack!

Vivar is a versatile place where you can sit down in the middle of the day to simply have a cocktail with a plate of jamon and a tortilla, or sit down for lunch or dinner and order a complete meal with wine.

To drink

The “Guiri”, Patrick’s Quebec-Spanish invention made from cider and sherry vermouth, is a perfect cocktail for the afternoon or an aperitif. Its name is used in Spain to refer to unrefined tourists. We preferred to start with a glass of bubbles from Barranco Oscuro, in Andalusia. The menu is short, but complete, and all the (artisan) wines are offered by the glass. A small old bathtub placed in the middle of the dining room with around thirty seats keeps the bottles cold. If you like sherry like me, a small glass is also a must, either as an aperitif or with dessert.

The costs

If you opt for the full service plan like us, your (generous) meal, with the heartiest dishes (halibut, huge salad) and a few glasses of wine, could cost around $250 for two people. There is easily a way to be more reasonable. The simple tortilla costs $6, the fried squid, $8, the croquettes, $14, etc. Between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., Guiri is served with two croquetas for $20.

Good to know

This beautiful address is open at lunchtime, then in continuous service until 9 p.m., from Wednesday to Saturday. It’s rather rare around here. On Sundays, doors close at 4 p.m. Without reservation.

533, avenue Duluth Est, Montreal