False modesty or a sense of irony must have led the owners of La Gargote to their choice of name. La Gargote is a pejorative term meaning “an inexpensive restaurant where the cuisine or service lack care.” In a more familiar sense, it can mean “local eatery.” La Gargote’s prices are low, but neither the service nor the cuisine has anything to apologize for. In fact, this basement restaurant in Old Montreal is a hidden culinary treasure.

They’re low ceilings; red-floored room with red and stone walls is decorated with architectural photos, botanical drawings, and dried-flower bouquets. The personal eclecticism of the decoration works very well. Gazing out the large windows on to Place d’Youville watching calèches go by, you may feel more European than North American. Don’t worry – the food and wines of this modern French establishment won’t break the spell.

Usually full at lunch time, La Gargote offers a table d’hôte each evening as well as some à la carte selections. The menu is small but varied, and the wine list is extensive for a small restaurant. The tables are simple and comfortable, and everything about this place is relaxed and friendly. The atmosphere is indeed that of a restaurant de quartier, but the food is from a quartier of Paris .

La Gargote’s offerings fit standard bistro categories: pasta, sausage, chops, flank steak, fish, and poultry. This is an evolved bistro, however, where the recipes reflect the vast reawakening of French cuisine over the past several years. For example, their tartar is a blend of traditional French and Japanese flavours.

A rich fish aroma preceded the fish soup to the table. Served with creamy rouille on three croutons, the soup was a large bowl of excellent fish and tomato broth well seasoned with pepper and fennel. Cheese and small bits of fish – no large chunks – added to the superb flavour. The rouille was smooth and garlicky. A slightly bigger bowl would have made it a whole meal.

The crème maraîchère (cream of market vegetable) came with the table d’hôte. It was a cream of turnip and carrot with added spinach and tomato. The texture was remarkably smooth, but unfortunately the portion was small. A larger à la carte version of their daily soup would thus be nice.

The other appetizer choice on the Table d’Hôte was a rougaille de tomates. This chopped tomato salad was served inside a ring of pesto. Mixed with sweet red onions and dressed with a good olive oil, the tomatoes were hereby, garlicky, and juicy. It was served in generous portions, but with its blended flavours, we could have easily eaten more.

We couldn’t resist some of the à la carte appetizers. The gésiers de canard confits were served warm a top a red leaf lettuce salad. Confit is a typical bistro dish. The warm, slow-cooked, marinated duck gizzards and their fat are tossed into the salad, mixing temperatures, textures, and tastes. There were at least 12 gizzards, and the tasty balsamic-based vinaigrette was great on the salad.

The salmon tartar provided the visual and flavour high point of our meal. The patty of raw salmon was mixed with onions, capers, and chives in a binding mayonnaise. It was set in a pool of tamari sauce and crowned with a pink rose made of Japanese ginger slices. East met West in this large, filling and satisfying portion.

The three lobes of ris de l’eau were prepared perfectly and dipped in a very light batter. They were served warm in a smooth, well-seasoned sauce. Cleaned with the master’s touch, they were completely even and veinless, with a cloud-like texture.

The poached colin, a Parisian name for hake, is served with a lemony beurre blanc and a spinach sauce. This white-fleshed fish (sometimes called white salmon) is similar to cod but more delicate. La Gargote serves a large portion of this flaky but firm delight. The two sauces were good, the combination better. Both the ris de veau and the fish were served on plates decorated with curry powder. The paupiette de dinde (stuffed turkey roll) was a thick slice of turkey breast rolled around a chopped-meat-and-herb filling, sautéed in vermouth, then cooked wrapped in bacon and served sliced. It was like a juicy, skinless sausage nicely accented by the bacon. All of these dishes were served with potatoes and al dente vegetables. The mix of peas and thin-sliced carrots was particularly appreciated.

The house desert, moscorite au coulis de kiwis, was a square of flan with a kiwi sauce. The flan was a perfect smooth custard, and this kiwi sauce really tasted like the ripe fruit. The plate was decorated with cocoa powder. We had excellent coffee and enjoyed the music that varied all night and finished on a classical note. Service was excellent, despite some longer preparations. Dinner for three came to $72.10 with soft drinks and tax.