Restaurant review | Tinc Set: quench your thirst in joy

Through the good shots and, sometimes, the not so good, our restaurant critics tell you about their experience, introduce the team in the dining room and in the kitchen, while explaining what motivated the choice of the restaurant. This week: Tinc Set, Barcelona-inspired jewel in the heart of Outremont.

Eve Dumas
The Press

Why talk about it?

Let’s face it, summer is coming to an end and there are not an infinite number of beautiful days left to enjoy the terraces. That of Tinc Set, with its abundance of plants, its garlands of lights, its turquoise accents, is one of the most beautiful in Montreal. Settling there in the afternoon, with a barrel as a table to put down your glass of Catalan wine and some tapas, is without a doubt one of the most charming outings in town. In recent months, Tinc Set and its eldest, Alma, have differentiated themselves considerably. While Alma offers a carte blanche experience exclusively indoors, Tinc Set can spill over onto its terrace and welcome even more strollers without reservations.

Who are they ?

Lindsay Brennan and Juan Lopez Luna met in 2006 when they both worked in an Italian restaurant in… Wyoming! He takes care of the kitchen, she manages the dining room and the wine cellar. The couple’s deep love for Catalonia is the basis of Tinc Set, launched in the midst of a pandemic, first in the alley of Alma, then in its own premises (the adjacent former convenience store). It was quite a chance to be able to deploy a coherent universe on this tiny stretch of avenue, where Outremont is fully residential. We can well imagine Lindsay and Juan making a long way in this magical island that they occupy so well.

Our experience

Experiences at Tinc Set, there have been a few since the opening, whether in a take-out formula when the rooms were closed or – much more pleasant – on site, inside or outside, at the counter or at a table.

The most recent visits have been made in the middle of the afternoon, the perfect time of day to enjoy the sun and the availability of staff, who are freer to chat about wine. Because here, we are strong on advice. Lindsay is a perfectionist and she works in depth so that each of the products served in her restaurant, whether liquid or solid, is appreciated at its true value. She insists that the humans who have worked hard to give birth to exceptional wines or tomatoes are celebrated as they deserve. Everything tastes better in this weather!

We advise you to start very simply with the pan con tomate and the boquerones, these delicate little anchovy fillets served in a very green oil with parsley. Afterwards, all formulas are possible: continue with a tapas meal with preserved fish or seafood, hot olives, patatas bravas or opt for the Barcelona-style roast chicken to be ordered whole or in half. This one is never dry and its orange sauce is inspired by one of the house’s favorite wines, La Buffarella.

“This wine comes from a magnificent plot of xarel-lo grape variety planted by Toni Carbó and his father in 1982. There is always a magical golden light shining there and the vines are surrounded by wild fennel, rosemary and orange trees. These aromas are found in the wine with each vintage and have greatly inspired Juan for his recipe for Barcelona-style roast chicken,” says Lindsay.

On Saturdays and Sundays, starting at 11 a.m., you can also snack on a bocadillo (delicious grilled chicken or octopus sandwich in brioche bread) with a small glass of textured white or electric rosé.

It is the pride of the couple to be able to offer local customers a versatile and welcoming place. And it’s having this freer space that allows him to offer a more formal experience at the neighboring address, where the nine-course menu is served for everyone at set times.

Moreover, places for these Alma carte blanche evenings, which become available at the end of each month for the following month, often sell out in less than an hour. Tinc Set is often full in the evening, but it is always possible, with a bit of a wait, to sit down if you haven’t made a reservation in advance. A great success and proof that a patient, rigorous and well-targeted approach always ends up bearing fruit.

In our glass

Here, the glass is as important as the plate. After all, Tinc Set is “I’m thirsty” in Catalan. The wine list is “visual”, that is to say that you have to enter the restaurant to choose your bottle, displayed in the wine cellar style. When you drink it on the spot, you pay the advertised price and a corkage fee of $15 per bottle, as is done in Europe. Moreover, between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., this corkage fee is offered. Another good reason to come early! I myself tend to rely on Lindsay’s choice of the day, which always offers a few Catalan or Galician cuvées by the glass. These wines are among my favorites of recent years, with their tension, character and salinity. The sommelier, who also has her own agency, Vin i Vida, knows how to select the best.

Price

Tapas cost between $8 and $12. A generous salad will be charged around $15. You can order the half chicken for $24 or the whole chicken for $39, even if you have leftovers. The $9 churros are definitely worth the expense and the calories.

Information

Tinc Set is open Wednesday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.