Les Enfants Terribles

1257 Bernard St W. /Champagneur
Montréal, Québec
H2V 3M8
Telephone: 514-759-9918
http://lesenfantsterriblesbrasserie.ca
Cost: $ 64.39 (excluding tip)
Chef Hats: 3
Type of Cuisine: French Bistro/Brasserie

The name ‘’Les Enfants Terribles’’ taken from Jean Cocteau’s 1929 novel of the same name evokes a tale of tragedy for two siblings, Elizabeth and Paul who after their parents’ death go through hardships, their jealousy and tragic games finally result in their untimely death. As negative in connotation as it may sound, this restaurant does not harbor or exhibit any of these trends. As a matter of fact as un-apropos as this name may sound for a restaurant, clientele do flock here in droves and have been since April 17, 2007. It must be the notion of children playing or the fact that maybe here you can  act out your mischievous tendencies. Whatever the case, this branché Outremont restaurant, is easily one of the most happening places on Bernard Avenue and their terrasse is always filled to the brim on a summer night with people enjoying themselves.

Opened by Francine Brule and Serge Bruneau, Restaurant “Les Enfants Terribles “ has garnished quite a reputation for being very good in this upper class neighborhood where tastes are considered a little more elevated from the rest of us plebeian Montrealers. The type of food served at Les Enfants Terribles can be categorized as French bistro type fare, but this restaurant calls itself a brasserie.
Expect to find on the menu, anything from soups and salads, as well as their renowned  Classic Caesar Salad, Fried Calamari, Foie Gras, Beef Carpaccio, Tartars, Fish, Flank Steak and fries, burgers, and pasta. What makes this restaurant so appealing to the locals is its comfort food, friendly unpretentious service and reasonable prices. The place is vibrant and fun making it a goldmine for the affluent Outremont crowd ,as well as the young professionals, couples and families who come from near and far, to enjoy a convivial meal.

As for the décor, it is basically lots of wood, school room type chairs and wooden tables. Some wall accoutrements can even be classified as rustic with a farmhouse décor feel. The center of the conjoining rooms sport a large central bar and in the corner  of the adjacent room you will find a floor to ceiling glass wine cellar that exudes a very urban chic feeling.

Tonight was a casual night for us , we sat inside as the terrasse looked too crowded and cramped. It was also very humid outside and I was already starting to overheat with my hot flashes. We started with two pints of IPA beers, which quenched our thirst. The heat was also not making us very hungry. It was a good beer and burger night for the Foo Foodie. So I ordered the Burger with Cheddar cheese at $ 15.00 plus an additional $ 2.00 for cheddar cheese, well worth it. The cheeseburger came with all the usual fixings and it was quite big. On the side as an accompaniement with the fries came two condiments an aioli sauce and mayonnaise. The burger was about a 1/4 lb. square patty topped with white cheddar, tomato and pickles . The ground beef was fresh, well done and very tasty. One of the best burgers I had in Montreal as of late .      The fries were served Belgian style in a steel container with a checkered black and white paper wrapper, beautifully presented but lacked the crispness  I expected and were a little overcooked. I had a few with my burger to appease my appetite but Frenchie  found them good and ate the rest.

Frenchie, who is becoming the proverbial gourmand, had the Vine tomatoes stuffed with Beef confit, creamy polenta and arugula.

The Tomates Vignes dish is something more along the lines that Chef Éric Gonzalez would make. Who at the time of visiting Les Enfants Terrible was the Executive chef, but a few weeks ago  I heard he has left “The Enfants Terribles”, as the word is  he was brought on for a short period of time as a consultant. At least you can find Élyse Lambert there as sommelier, who has been getting great reviews for her work the last couple of years. Whatever the case, we went to Les Enfants Terribles because I like Eric Gonzalez work and you could definitely spot a little of his influence here.

Frenchie really loved his red plump perfectly round tomatoes, beautifully presented and mouth watering. The stuffing was delicious and creamy, perfectly complimenting the sweetness of the tomatoes. He really enjoyed it. No pretence here. Les Enfants Terriblse, is a great place for some fun, good beverages and great food, in a great locale. Our waitress was cool, competent, and attentive. She spoke to us in both English and French with no qualms. There was a real sense of neighbourhood friendliness to this to this place with no discrimination. On our way out, we decided to walk along Bernard Street to take a look at the neighborhood and I spotted Denys Arcand the film director seated at the terrasse with some friends enjoying a cool glass of white wine. Like I said the place does not discriminate and is definitely worth a try.