Restaurant review | Verdun Beach: free wines, delicacies and atmosphere in the “Well” street

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: Verdun Beach wine bar.

Eve Dumas
The Press

Why are we talking about it ?

This week, we’re taking you back to “Well” street in Verdun, the coolest street in the world in 2022, according to Time Out! Despite its name, which is more reminiscent of a tiki cocktail bar than a dining cellar, Verdun Beach is a serious address (which does not take itself seriously), perfectly in tune with the theme of the week: wine. We knew that the “pinard” would be good there, since it comes exclusively from the portfolio of one of the first Quebec agencies entirely (and fiercely!) devoted to natural wines, Primavin. But we were less expecting signature cuisine with such a strong signature. Dishes do not just “accompany”. They shine. Addresses like this, where you can drink well, eat well in an atmosphere just festive enough, there are never too many.

Who are they ?

There are three owners here. Marc Frandon is the founder of the Primavin agency. After many years in Quebec, he now lives mainly in France, from where he can more easily visit winemakers and make purchases. Charles Garant worked at the Aux Vivres restaurant for years, indoors, then Philippe Jacquelin, a designer by training, helped design a few terraces in Montreal. His talent is expressed freely here. Chef Philippe Gougeon takes care of filling the plates with his highly original creations. He has worked at Park, Montreal Plaza and Bloomfield restaurants, among others.

Our experience

I book for two, on a Thursday evening, at the very last minute. In line, there were several tables left. But on site, at 6 p.m., the aperitif is already well underway in this little pandemic gem on Wellington Street. At 7 p.m., the small room and the heated terrace are full to capacity.

The atmosphere is reminiscent of that of the Majestic, with a slightly more retro decor seventies than baroque, but just as warm. The place is lively, but not so noisy that my friend and I, who have a whole summer to tell each other, couldn’t hear our bouncy stories.

We snub the cocktails — surely very good — to dive straight into the wine. Glass or bottle? It’s always a dilemma. As we crave variety that night, we decide to order by the glass. There are seven possibilities on the slate.

The menu is a succession of ingredients as we often see, which gives few clues as to how they are prepared and then assembled. But our efficient waitress, Valérie, enlightens us well and we end up opting for three small dishes (without meat) which do not disappoint us.

“Corn, cherry, tomato, coriander” comes in the form of a salad. A rich cream of corn is poured on top, at the table. It’s the end of summer in a few bites. Don’t forget to order the bread with lemon balm butter on the side to make “scarpetta” in the sauce. “Cauliflower, beans, camelina, blueberries”: a lukewarm dish where the well-roasted vegetable offers us a symphony of textures, with its whole beans then mashed, then crackling camelina seeds. “Eggplant, cucumber, yogurt, honey” reveals a perfect harmony between fat (the slice of eggplant is breaded), freshness, salty and sweet.

Before moving on to dessert, the friend decides that she wants oysters. Why not ? Here, Philippe (Jacquelin) opens them well. They arrive perfectly intact. We then rely on Valérie and opt for the “raspberry, white chocolate, lemon balm”. It is a beautiful silky mousse, covered with crumble and topped with a quenelle of white chocolate ice cream.

Funny detail at the end of the meal: around 9 p.m., the lights dim a little and the disco ball starts spinning. This is the “guinguette” side of the establishment, where sometimes spontaneous dance floors are created.

In our glass

It is surely the first time that we have seen such a menu, where the wines are classified by winemaker or winemaker and not by country or color, although all this is also specified. This is an idea that makes sense in a register like this, where we can really talk about “wines of authors”. As I wrote earlier, all the bottles come from the Primavin agency portfolio, so mainly from France and Italy. We (re)find the pioneering Alsatian cuvées of Domaine Pierre Frick, the ultra-fresh Chenins and Cabernet Francs of Nicolas Reau (Clos des Treilles), the Jura delights of Michel Gahier, the beloved cuvées of La Petite Baigneuse, the invigorating macerations by Giulio Armani (Denavolo) and many others now “classic” in the repertoire of natural wines.

Price

Small dishes cost $15-16, larger ones $21-28, and desserts around $12. You’ll pay $13-15 for the glasses of wine, on average.

Information

The wine bar is open Tuesday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to midnight, then Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. The kitchen closes at 11 p.m.

4816 Wellington Street, Montreal