The Montreal wine bar spiffs itself up with a new focus on food

It wasn’t long ago that signs for “resto bars” on Montreal streets called to mind draft beer, pretzels and video poker machines. Not so these days. From Mexican supper clubs to Victorian wine emporiums, 2004 has brought a resto bar renaissance to the city, welcoming a new breed of evening establishment, where wining and dining get equal billing.

Pullman
It’s the little details that make this former carpet store a strange but successful marriage of Antiques Roadshow and industrial chic. Just inside the discreeter-than-thou entranceway hangs a framed portrait of George Pullman, father of the luxury sleeper cars that defined train travel in the mid-1800s. He looks on proudly as his namesake wine bar revives the golden age of pampering. Beneath a chandelier of cut crystal stemware, hot hand towels are proffered by waiters (er, stewards), all the better to enjoy fine finger foods: deep-fried olives, caviar blinis and venison tartare presented on two-tiered Limoges china.
3424, avenue du Parc, 514-288-7779

Bu
Part trattoria, part wine bar, Bu understands that customers, like wines, need time to breathe. Its airy space and relaxed pace, not to mention the 2 a.m. closing, are appreciated by savvy snackers and off-duty chefs. Bu’s menu rests comfortably between upscale and down-home. The kitchen, manned by two matrons from Milan, serves rustic fare — spiced sausages and sumptuous vitello tonnato — that complements a 300-strong list of labels. Maximize tasting with wine trios spotlighting whites from the Loire or reds from Côteaux de Languedoc.
5245, boulevard Saint-Laurent, 514-276-0249

L’Assommoir
A little bit loco and a little bit local, L’Assommoir is a warm and woody bistro-brasserie that attracts the tony residents of nearby condos with food and drink from the terroir. That means Quebec-grown apple beer, ice ciders and homemade coolers like Verglas or L’habitant funneled into slender bottles. Seafood from the Gaspé and Îles-de-la-Madeleine turns up in bowls of bubbling bouillabaisse and on platters of chilled ceviche, surrounded by supersize capers, squiggles of citrus zest and fluffy greens.
112 rue Bernard O., 514-272-0777

Nuevo
This mod Mex supper club’s patio furniture, tan-tastic lighting and splishy-splashy cocktails push the “I can’t believe it’s not summer” angle well into the sunless months. Pink and green neon lighting and pulsating beats transport an animated afterwork crowd to Mexico City circa 1990. Against this manic backdrop, wily waitresses somehow manage to get hot nuevo latino dishes to the tables, like tangy red snapper, filet mignon in mole sauce and sweet potato fries.
775, avenue du Mont-Royal E., 514-525-7000

La Montée de lait
As the name might suggest, La Montée de lait is a cheese bar. From an intriguing lineup of privately imported labels and raw-milk products, the convivial owner might suggest pairing a vin jaune from the Jura with three-year-old Comté de montagne fromage. Dairy decadences also feature in the market cuisine of this haute-meets-homey neighborhood hideaway, where only a handful of tables await a lucky few.
371, rue Villeneuve E., 514-289-9921

Getting there
Craving a little ooh-la-la, or at least some venison tartare? Air Canada can help, with our extensive schedule, and low one-way fares, to Montreal from across Canada and the US.