Before we reveal all our secrets, it’s important to define what a speakeasy is ( according to wikipedia): “Speakeasy, also known as blind pig or blind tiger, is a type of American speakeasy, particularly prevalent during Prohibition.” That said, I can now take you through the secret passageway to Speakeasy: Montréa’s well-guarded secret resto/bar It’s on Rue des Communes and in a building dating back to 1800 that the speakeasy holds its secrets.
It was the alliance of two young co-owners Nicolas Delrieu and Cédric St-Onge that led to the restaurant’s creation in 2015. Three years later, it’s now one of Montreal’s hottest spots.
It’s through a creamery (opened in March) that looks like a cigar lounge that you enter the secret door that leads to the world of wonders. It’s a fantastic world, because the cocktails, perfectly crafted and undeniably chic, get you off the ground right from the start, starting your evening in a throwback to the Roaring Twenties.
For it’s in a retro decor just the way I like it that talented chef Ash, now a new partner, and his friendly team serve up some of the most exquisite dishes. As well as the famous cocktail of the same name as the place, things get serious at the speakeasy as soon as the dishes arrive.
My evening was divided into three parts: starter, main course and dessert. For starters, although there were fresh oysters on the menu, my cheese-starved French side set its sights on the platter he was serving. There were three types of cheese on offer, which were a real surprise for me: the roasted provelata, the pan-fried halloumi and finally the moretum. All were more than enough to satisfy my French palate, which until now has not been satisfied with the last few platters I’ve shared, particularly on the Place d’Armes terrace.
Second stop on my culinary journey, the main course: Quebec-style octopus. Every tourist, immigrant or other specimen must eat Quebec’s national dish: poutine. However, it can also be prepared as a “bonne franquette” or Luxsure version. That’s what Speakeasy offers with its poutine-style octopus à la québécoise revisited by the excellent chef Ash, served with a sake and lemon sauce on a bed of sweet potato fries and cheese curds. I’d like to point out that this chef succeeded in getting me to appreciate and taste octopus, a disgusting cephalopod that, until today, would never fit in my mouth. This is my main rhetorical argument for the chef’s talent.
The last step, and the best for me, is dessert. It was with a Creme dulce de leche with coconut mousse caramel, Nutella powder created by molecular gastronomy and, finally, strawberries with thyme. The speakeasy literally put the icing on the cake and gave me a real culinary and visual orgasm.
That evening, I could have accompanied my pleasant evening with a glass of wine from their very good private import list, but, I prefer to wait for the terrace to open this summer to taste, for example, Gnnochis with snails with a glass of nuviana year 2014 from the valle del cinca in Spain.
I urge you to discover this must-visit Montreal address. But a word of advice: make a reservation before you go. As far as I’m concerned, I’m going back on my husband’s birthday, this time for the oysters!
Le Speakeasy
120 McGill Street,
Montreal, QC H2Y 2E5
Tel: (514) 903-7710
Mail: [email protected]
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