The Witching Hour Is upon Us

The Pitch

Hidden near the end of William Street in Little Burgundy – a stretch commonly but mistakenly referred to as Griffintown – is a practically-invisible restaurant.  Without so much as a streetside logo or a window revealing a dining room, Le Fantôme may be Montreal's hardest restaurant to spot.  Its success, however, is not as shrouded in secrecy.  The three-year-old eatery has earned itself a couple of rave reviews all while remaining below the radar.

The Mood

Le Fantôme puts forth a grave, somber ambiance with dim lighting, dark tones and candlesticks.  The deep industrial space ending with a bar and open kitchen is sparsely decorated, save for large wall-hung large paintings.  So narrow is the dining room that a patron could not squeeze his way between two tables and actually knocked one down, shattering the glassware atop of it all across the floor next to my feet; awkward!

The Food

The tasting-menu-only offering leans towards market-driven French cuisine.  At $50 for five courses – even considering the small-ish portions – your money is well spent.  A few extras are available – giving you some sort of control over your meal – such as an extra main dish, a pre-dessert course – which I opted for – and finally a wine-pairing option.

As with the food, drink selections are laser-focused with a handful of cocktails, spirits and carefully-chosen wines.  Oh, and the homemade bread served with house-churned pine salt butter was sublime!

Amuse-Bouche

Amuse-Bouche

Amuse

Raviolis-of-sorts made of butternut squash with a nutty filling.  They tasted nice, but their bedding of crushed nuts went to waste.

Starter

Starter

Maguro

A clump of Quebec tuna cassoulet was a tad too fishy tasting, but exemplified the spirit of rich, comforting autumn cooking.

Starter

Starter

Spaetzle

Another quintessential, hearty fall dish featuring chewy/springy egg noodle blobs and fall-off-the-bone oxtail morsels drenched in a red wine jus.

Main

Main

Morue

A filet of Icelandic cod and ratte potatoes were smothered in decadent beurre blanc.  Three lonely Quebec clams sat on the side and felt out of place.

Digestif

Digestif

$8

$8

Fromage

Award-winning Louis d'Or cheese – served alongside vegan crackers and a fruit/pistachio spread – was formed into rondelles almost too thin to fully appreciate.

Dessert

Dessert

Cerise

A reimagined version of a diplomate had a base of crème chantilly topped with a cherry sorbet, and capped with a crunchy wafer; a lip-puckering tarty dessert!

tagged:  GREAT VALUE TASTING MENU

The Service

My wife and I were greeted by co-owner/maître d' Kabir Kapoor; it's not every day you see a principal on site at a restaurant after a few years of operation, especially when they've recently opened a second venture – the brand-new Pastel.  Our waitress, while soft spoken and barely audible, was skilled and knowledgeable.  If I had to nitpick, I thought our wine-by-the-glass pourings were a tad paltry.

The Verdict

From floor general Mr. Kapoor's presence and the brigade of chefs' calm professionalism on display to the affordable, comforting kitchen fare, Le Fantôme has positioned itself as a reliable locals' haunt – no pun intended.  On a personal note, I'm not sure I've seen enough to arrive at a final verdict; some dishes excelled, others pas plus que ça.

The eerie setting might be a fit with Halloween right around the corner, but the creative yet unpretentious food evokes more of a Casper the friendly (neighborhood) ghost.

tagged:  DESERVES A RETRY

Price per person:  $50