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This Review of Brasserie Bernard in Montreal is from our recent Montreal site inspection trip. While the restaurant isn't walking distance from downtown Montreal, I've often found higher quality neighborhood restaurants outside of the main tourist area. With the exception of destination dining or Michelin-star venues, restaurants in residential areas can't rely on exploiting visitors, and instead have to offer great quality for the price.
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Brasserie Bernard Location, Hours, and Reservations
Brasserie Bernard is located at 1249 Avenue Bernard in the Outremont neighborhood of Montreal, about a 20-30 minute drive from Montreal Golden Mile hotels. It's open daily for dinner from 5-10pm, and also open for lunch from 11:30am on weekdays. Reservations may be made online via the restaurant's Web site.
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Brasserie Bernard Menu and Food
Brasserie Bernard's menu offers many of the brasserie classics, which are classic for good reason: they're so satisfying when done well: French Onion Soup, Escargots, Endive Salad with Blue Cheese, Steak Frites, Duck Confit.
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We shared a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc after ordering our meal.
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We were only two (hungry) people, but we did our best to cover the bases. My husband's endive and radicchio salad with beets, walnuts, and smoked blue cheese was generously portioned and could have served as a main dish for a light lunch.
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My French Onion Soup was the most satisfying version I've had in awhile, and possibly the highlight of the meal. I've tried making this dish at home, and it's a huge amount of work to get the onions properly caramelized and prepare a hearty enough broth.
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Our mains were also excellent. My husband's Steak Frites was cooked just shy of medium, as he requested. He raised an eyebrow at the mayonnaise served alongside the fries, although this is the traditional accompaniment for fries in France and Belgium.
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My Duck Confit likewise was textbook perfect, with succulent meat topped with dried apricots, oven crisped potatoes, and a rich jus, alongside a simply dressed arugula salad.
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We couldn't resist a peek at the dessert menu:
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We finished by sharing profiteroles filled with vanilla ice cream, glazed with dark chocolate sauce, napped with creme anglaise, and sprinkled with toasted almonds.
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The Verdict
Brasserie Bernard is the kind of place you wish you had in your neighborhood, serving up expertly prepared French comfort food with kindness and a smile. We enjoyed everything, with the French Onion Soup, Duck Confit, and Steak Frites as particular highlights. If visiting Montreal, it's worth the short drive to Outremont.
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