What we love about Montreal's food scene—and one of the reasons why it’s so famous—is because of its intimate, multicultural nature. Sometimes nostalgic and always serious, it’s impossible not to feel the warmth of Quebecers—that sense of hospitality and generosity. It breaks down barriers and upholds tradition. In the words of Chef David McMillan, "Quebec’s clientele is the best in the world," adding that diners are also curious, open-minded, and bon vivants—a dream for any chef.
And if there is a chef duo that exemplifies this niche in an exceptional way, continuously making Montreal shine on the international stage with their flagship restaurant, Montreal Plaza, it’s Charles-Antoine Crête and Cheryl Johnson. In February, a new member of their culinary family was born next door to their famous eaterie: welcome, Juliette Plaza.
Juliette Plaza ticks most of the boxes mentioned in the first paragraphs of this review. Guests should expect very personal dishes from the Crête-Johnson duo, plates where you could imagine what Juliette Crête (Charles-Antoine's mother) might have served during family gatherings (with a sprinkle of madness and a zest for life).
Upon arrival, you’ll be welcomed into a cleverly arranged small dining room that can accommodate up to 30 people. When it comes to the decor, the playful nostalgia will make you smile: Asterix comics on the wall, Smurf figurines, and an upside-down boat hanging from the ceiling.
The menu unfolds in four sections: Apéro, Fish/Meat, Sides, and Daily Specials. The team manages to keep the prices under $22 (excluding the daily specials highlighting the snow crab at $35) thanks to the use of humble ingredients such as brain, flank, tongue, mussels, offered in small portions. But that doesn’t mean the bill can’t add up quickly.
We start with cocktail sausages ($9), trout tartare cones ($7 each), Red Lobster-style scallops ($15), deviled eggs ($5 each), and a small bowl with half a dozen shell-on shrimp with two crab legs ($35). The sausages, perfectly sweet and salty, disappear in less than 5 seconds, leaving us wanting more of the yellow mustard.
The deviled egg Caesar-style atop a salpicon, then adorned with an anchovy, should be on every table—just like the trout tartare cone (which we regret not ordering two of). Even though the cone wasn't optimal for creating the "perfect bite" (expect your last one to be just avocado puree), all the pleasure was there—and it whet the appetite for the "Red Lobster" scallops.
The scallops, the highlight of the evening for me, were cleverly made into a mousseline (another strategy to reduce costs) then fried. The addition of smooth spicy mayo and cocktail sauce with a slight kick will make you want to keep them all to yourself.
At this point in the evening, after being served a Petit Marin—an intoxicating mix of agricole rum, vodka and coconut cream that makes the taste buds dance—and a first glass of the Granit Bio bottle from the Beck-Hartweg estate in Alsace (conveniently from Montreal Plaza's shared wine list, nearing $90), I couldn't have been more excited for what was to come next—which was another story.
Next up we chose the St-Jacques shell ($22) and the snow crab alphabet pasta. Under a ring of mashed potatoes and a few cranberries were small cubes of scallops, mussels, shrimp, and nduja sausage balls. It was rich, well balanced with the mornay sauce and just the right seasoning—the nduja spices softly caressing the palate; a dish you wouldn’t want to share with more than two people. The alphabet pasta delivered on the nostalgia, with a tomato crab bisque and an abundance of pepper. I wondered if the walleye eggs were really necessary, as I would have preferred to taste more of the delicate crab meat.
The last two savoury dishes, which arrived with a limp side of raw squash salad lacking acidity, and a dense, dry focaccia, left us a bit wanting. The chawanmushi (a lightly gelatinous steamed egg custard) was a bland, gelatinous mixture blended with poached brain, and inevitably too similar in texture and subtlety.
The lamb flank, four small flavourful, tender slices, was unfortunately overshadowed by a forest of chopped parsley dotted with mint, fried chickpeas, black olives, then hidden under four pieces of crispy papadum. A homemade labneh peeked through, helping us appreciate all the herbs.
From the extremely dense, too-sweet chocolate cone ($15) to the grainy buffalo milk ice cream on a very sugar-forward red wine reduction ($11), we preferred the carrot cake shaped into a madeleine ($12), sauced in a white chocolate yogurt dotted with a fruit caramel.
If Juliette Plaza’s objective is to come for above average small plates between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m., washed down with a good glass of wine or a well-executed cocktail, then mission accomplished. And if you decide to stay for the evening, be prepared for a whole different experience that may require a (very) open mind and wallet.
The atmosphere: Lively, animated, well-paced
What to eat: Expect nostalgic dishes that are a nod to Quebec's culinary culture, sometimes bold, and always seriously executed.
What to drink: Solid cocktails and one of the most exciting wine lists in town via Montreal Plaza
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (out of 5)
For more information about Juliette Plaza, click here.
RECOMMENDED:
Full guide to the best restaurants in Montreal
Why Plaza St. Hubert ranked as one of the coolest streets in the world
Best things to do on Plaza St. Hubert