Gurgles.ca

Few people know it, but there's a Beaubien Ouest that remains little-known to many. In fact, surprisingly, this street isn't even contiguous with Beaubien East. It's here that a small restaurant, now sadly closed, Le Diplomate, was establised. It's in this space that the owners of Salle Climatisée have opened a new, friendly restaurant: La Marelle.

Inside, apart from a private room at the back and a few tables in the window, most of the seats are along a counter facing the bar. Although the restaurant is small, the atmosphere warms up quickly. Don't let the austere exterior put you off. Once through the door, you're greeted with a warm welcome. Settling in at the bar, we had the pleasure of being served by friendly co-owner and sommelier Taylor D'Ottavi, who presented us with a selection of wines by the glass that was as intriguing as it was delicious.

The menu is just as we like it: simple but changing regularly. We started with an incredibly fresh scallop and cucumber aguachille. The beef tartar with peppers and chili, served with a gigantic tortilla, was original and tasty. A wonderful discovery. The dish of radishes with hazelnut butter and fish roe was simply brilliant. Once again, the chef doesn't hesitate to propose original and surprising dishes. The pork chop and white beans were among the best we've tasted in a long time: juicy and flavorful! We finished our meal with a pear poached in red wine and custard, simple but deliciously executed.

In a somewhat isolated corner, on the border of Mile-End and Mile-Ex, La Marelle, now accompanied by the Parapluie restaurant, breathes new life into this neighborhood. At the time of writing, we haven't yet tried sister restaurant Salle Climatisée, but if it's anything like La Marelle, we can't wait to go.