Le Chien Fumant

W O W. Recommended to us by our bartender at Dieu du Ciel for a solid late night; said this is where the industry eats, hence, good sign. A simple asparagus app blew our minds. Beautifully seasoned cornish hen and potato entrée, followed by a choco tarte. Perfection! If you don’t love this place, afraid I cannot trust your opinions. :)

This place is awesome. The atmosphere in a little neighborhood restaurant is captured here so perfectly. The bar well hanging above their heads, pots and pans too. The house Tonic & Gin is great. Had the 4 course tasting for 30 $ what a steal!!! Everything was seasoned well, cooked proper and had a unique twist. I am definitely coming back before my stay ends in Montréal!

Recently tried this place out for the first time. I enjoyed it, it’s definitely a nice small «unique» restaurant.
Went there with my girlfriend, we shared the chinatown calamari (very good, a different twist on the typical calamari entrees).
We both got the pork, (the menu is written on a chalkboard, so it always varies). The food was good but the plate was definitely very small.
We then shared a brownie desert which was very big and really tasty.
Overall I would recommend this place, not too expensive and definitely a cool ambiance.
I also noticed there is no information on what to expect price wise anywhere onlime (their website menu does not post prices, and since the menu is on a chalk board we cannot know what to expect, so to help you het an idea I will give you the prices of what we ordered:
— calamari entrée 16 $
— main dish (pork woth octopus) 30 $
— brownie dessert 11 $
Hope that gives you an idea, the main dishes range from 20 to 40 $

I confess, I’m totally bias when it comes to this place. Love everything about it. Wednesday is my fave… but then again, I Always preferred going out on Wednesdays.
Entrees: Korean Beef Tartare + Chinatown Squid = heaven.
Main: Cavatelli veal shank, Greek yogurt, Lemon confit + Hanger Steak, mash, Provençale Tomatoes = Devine, we could not finish…
Desserts: Classic Queen Elisabeth Cake with Home Made Vanilla ice cream + Lime Pie, coconut, marshmallow and chocolate– coconut syrup = my date needed a moment to gather herself, let’s leave it at that.
Champagne and wine kept us company throughout the nite. There are many restaurants in Mtl… but only a few good ones. Le Chien is part of my top 5.

Incredible food. We took menu de degustation and it so worth it. Need tartare is my favourite but everything is simply delicious. Great service and atmosphere!

I got to say that I’m biased. I’ve been to this place a couple of times and always enjoyed it very much. It’s very small, very cozy and you would most likely never stumble upon it unless you know exactly where you’re going. A typical «bistro de quartier» but with a great, ever changing menu. Also have very nice unique mixology drinks.
I’ll keep coming back!

Tiny tiny tiny restaurant but food is big and bold. Try the beef tartare with kimchi and the doner for appetizers. The fried chicken with kimchi was recommended by our waiter, and I normally don’t go for fried chicken, but I’m sure glad I did. the kimchi was a perfect pairing for the fried chicken. It’s a pretty large portion, so you can take it to go. Wine selection is pretty lean.

Les rumeurs sont vraies: le chien fumant est incroyable !
Nous y sommes allé un dimanche soir d’été, et le redtaurant n’était pas complètement bondé. Nous avons commandé un tartare de boeuf corréen en entrée (dont les morceaux étaient gros et savoureux), ainsi que le steak pour plat principal. La viande fondait dans la bouche, avec une acidité parfaite. Les plats sont arrivés TRÈS rapidement. Le service était courtois et agréable, mais j’aurais aimé légèrement plus personnel pour un endroit si petit dont la clientèle semble être composée majoritairement d’habitués. Bref, un resto de quartier incroyable, si vous avez les moyens. À retourner !

First-​time for me, and I will definitely come back for another meal. A mixed of old and new combining classic meats with super fresh ingredients.
The service is rapid as the restaurant is very small and intimate.
Tried baby backs (boneless) accompanied with fresh and crispy vegetables.
Had to go for a throwback and went with a long Island iced tea to top it all off.
Food food, food service, if you’re around the plateau area a must go on your list

Menu très créatif. Les portions sont généreuses. Le service est bon et l’endroit petit mais chaleureux. Essayez le tartare de boeuf style coréen, en entrée. C’est délicieux. Bön choix de cocktails.

Three course brunch anyone? This place is phenomenal! As mentioned by other Unilocalers they have a 3 course brunch special for $ 30. The price is hardly much for the type of food you get. We went on a Sunday around 12:30pm. Be warned if you speak english, this is a part of town that is predominantly french speaking.
I’ll let my pictures do the talking.

I’m from California. I am unaccustomed to walking through snow in 26 degree weather to find a tiny restaurant on a side street, but I would do it all over again to go back to Le Chien Fumant, I don’t think I need to say anymore.

Ordered the waffle with fried chicken which was Incredible!!! for 30 $ it was very reasonable priced especially since it included a dessert and a mamosa and a little amazing appetizer…

This was the PERFECT Valentine’s Day dinner spot. Amazing steaks. The atmosphere is warm, hip, small & cozy and the menu is definitely gourmet and specialty. Service was impeccable, too. Tucked away off the busy street on charming Gilford, it’s the best little romantic retreat. I can’t wait to go back again.

I went for brunch with friends, the setting is nice (big windows with lots of light). They serve mostly revisited classics and it’s good but it’s a little expensive for what it is.
They have a new 3 courses brunch formula: it has a set starter (we got soft-​boiled egg and flaky pastry sticks with ham), a set dessert (a strawberry cream cake), about 6 options for the main dish and a mimosa. Also you have to get the menu, you can’t choose a la carte. It wouldn’t be so much a problem if you we had two options for the starter and if they were a little more accommodating. They made no substitutions whatsoever when we asked for the eggs to be done differently but then our main dishes where slightly different from what was on the menu and they also ran out of their set dessert so they served us something else. All in all the concept isn’t bad, it just need little adjustments (like having the menu on their website so you can know in advance what you’re getting since you don’t really have a lot of options). And again it’s a little expensive for what it is. They should probably put the mimosa as an extra and reduce the price of the menu. I might not go back for brunch but I definitely want to try what they have for supper.

Despite reading recent negative reviews, I decided to finally try out Le Chien Fumant against my better judgement. What struck me first was that it was empty for Sunday brunch. Brunch in Montréal is usually synonymous with long lines and high volume. One table of customers was being served while the rest of the staff awkwardly loitered at the bar. When we were ready to order, I asked if my eggs can be done «over easy», to which the waitress responded that they are done sunny side up. Confused, I asked whether the chef can flip the spatula and turn over the egg, to create an over easy egg. The waitress came back and said that the restaurant «does not have the equipment» to do my eggs over easy (sarcasm noted). Meanwhile, an unshaven and disheveled-​looking manager and kitchen staff at the bar stared at our table, smirking, and seemed to enjoy watching our confused reaction. It was very awkward and we felt like we were being attacked. Needless to say, we walked out after the snide remark from our server, as we have never been treated so rudely in a restaurant setting. Nobody stopped us from leaving nor apologized.
I understand a chef that does not want to change his cooking method, but I will never condone the staff of a restaurant treating patrons with sarcasm and disrespect. An establishment that is this small, empty, and off the beaten path should be very weary of letting a customer walk out with such a bad taste in their mouth. You’ve received an onslaught of negative reviews recently (particularly for service), and it is now blatantly obvious why. Word of mouth is a POWERFUL THING, and we will make sure to do our utmost to dissuade family, friends, and colleagues from funding your unmerited arrogance.
As a Montrealer and food lover, I can easily say this was the worst restaurant experience in my own city.

Food = great
ambiance = great
service = my very worst experience of all time
Cocky Waiter told us we could have wine by the glass but left the bottle on table after opening it up ripping the bottle rim like it was giaconda trash, then kept serving it to us until I told him that we had agreed to just have a glass.
He literally called me dude, man and said: come on man, I leave you the bottle and you know what that means… I replied no and was honest. He insulted me repetitively calling me (man) with a condescending posture like I was some guy transacting in the street.
I honestly will never return to this place as it tells me that restaurant is willing to risk all it’s effort and reputation and hire some off the street disrespectful idiots.

So our friends who live in Montréal made a reservation here for the four of us on a Saturday night and it definitely did not dissapoint. Restaurant was tiny and only had 3 tables which could accomodate more than 2 people. They had several two-​tops. Our firends had been to the restaurant only one time previously and enjoyed it (obviously). Living in DC with some of the best restaurants and variety of cuisines, we are always slightly cautious about what people think is good. We ordered some drinks, the smoked meat appetizer, and discussed our dinner options. We decided to do the «small» tasting menu.
We ended up getting four appetizers and four entrees which were SUPERB!!! The amount and quality of the food for the «small» tasting menu was overwhelming. Every one of the dishes was delicious, had interesting flavors, textures, and was cooked to perfection. I generally dont like lamb and my wife does not generally like any fish, but we both loved the lamb dish (one app & one entrée) and the halibut entrée dish. My favorite dish was the korean bbq tartare which was awesome.
I wish that they had some more wines which were under $ 50 a bottle. We ordered one of the cheapest bottles and it was still $ 57. With the four of us we ended up spending quite a bit in wine. Also, they did not have any wines by the glass so you either had a whole bottle or drank cocktails.
Probably one of the best meals which I have ever had and definitely in the top 3 or 5 of all time.

I made a reservation for Le Chien Fumant a few days ago (note that you must supply a credit card for your spot) for a romantic morning date with my man. We headed out towards the plateau bright and early (despite a rather indulgent night) and ended up at the restaurant an hour before our reservation.
Happily they accommodated our early arrival and seated us in a lovely spot by the window.
The menu is written on a chalkboard in the middle of the restaurant; with four breakfast choices, all rather tempting! I went for the lobster Benedict while my man chose the boudin with apple waffles.
While they do not serve filtered coffee, they do offer a delicious Americano and awesome pulled espresso. I dare say one of the best espressos I’ve had in some time.
The food was spectacular, my Benedict was a traditional florentine Benedict with a pile of lobster on top. How could this be bad? It can’t be! Add in house-​made fresh English muffins and you’ve got yourself a home run!
The boudin plate was also quite impressive, made with house-​made blood sausage… Delicious.
Now, this isn’t an inexpensive brunch. At close to $ 50 for two with no alcohol, this isn’t going to be weekly outing, but it definitely meets the bar as a special treat once in a while!

Le Chien Fumant is a bit out the of the way, reservations are a serious consideration given its teensy tiny size, and it is a tad pricey considering brunch for two cost close to $ 50 without any of their signature cocktails added to the bill and before a tip was added in, but these are just trivial worries when you factor in the flavors, freshness, quality, and the uniqueness of the dishes offered here.
Everything is homemade, from the English muffins used in their lobster Florentine Benedict, to the cured meats and sausages they serve up during the day. Who does that anymore?
The food offerings are as unconventional as this restaurant’s décor that welcomes you with a giant poster of the 1957 B-​movie classic «Attack of the Crab Monsters» at the front door, features Wild Wild West flourishes straight out of a Frontier Town bar, and places 8″ religious candles on each table in place of the typical tea lights one might find elsewhere.
Their ever-​changing yet playful menu was the impetus for this first visit. I’ve checked out their website often over the last few months, just to see what was on the menu after hearing about this place, and have been teased with dishes like rabbit done gumbo style and pork belly served up as a doner kebab.
Their brunch menu this past weekend was no less eclectic. While you could order some «basics» like ham and pineapple, or eggs served with homemade country sausage and biscuits (Biscuits? Real Southern-​style biscuits in Quebec?), I indulged in two quivering chunks of boudin (blood sausage) served atop an apple waffle that was accompanied by a frisée salad with lardons and two perfectly poached eggs.
Worth the trip and spending a good 45 minutes on public transportation and a 15 minute walk under dark, ready-​to-​burst, cloudy skies to get there? Oh yes, yes, yes.
Worth making a reservation even though a credit card was needed to secure it? Fine by me and perfectly understandable given its limited seating.
Worth the cost? Hell yes, especially when you factor in their choice ingredients and how they handle them, the attentive service, and the fact I’ve only seen breakfast and brunch items this creative in Las Vegas.
Worth a return visit? Already booked.

Beaucoup de potentiel ici. Je n’ai eu l’occasion d’y aller qu’une seule fois, en fin de soirée. Moi et mon amie étions installées au bar, donc le service fut très rapide. Avant de commencer notre repas, on nous apporte deux ÉNORMES tranches de pain maison. Délicieux, mais si grosse que j’avais peur de né pas avoir assez faim pour le reste! Notre entrée de calmars frits était parfaite, mon highlight de la soirée. Par contre j’avoue avoir été très déçue par mon sandwich Schnitzel; la viande était caoutchouteuse et dure à mâcher, et ça a tellement gâché le sandwich que je l’ai pas terminé. Les frites étaient A+ par contre. Les cocktails étaient aussi excellent, mais très petit pour leur prix exorbitant. En gros, je donnerai volontiers une autre chance a ce charmant établissement, surtout pour leur brunch (!) et pour un second souper. Peut être que ça me fera changer d’avis, mais pour l’instant je trouve que c’est trop cher pour trop de flafla.

Depuis que j’ai mon blog (la boufferie), je fais beaucoup de recherches sur les endroits intéressants à Montréal. Le chien fumant revenait souvent. J’y suis allée il y a peu de temps et wow!
Je suis tombée amoureuse de ce restaurant! Une allure de bar, peu de places et tellement de saveurs. On sent tout de suite la passion des cuisiniers dans nos assiettes.

Un beau dimanche de printemps, je suis allée bruncher avec une amie qui est fan du Chien Fumant depuis longtemps. L’endroit comme tel est très petit mais aussi bien joli, alors prenez le temps de faire une réservation. Le menu change avec les saisons donc si vous avez un plat favori, profitez-​en pendant qu’il est inscrit au tableau car il n’y sera pas pour toujours. J’aimerais bien y retourner en soirée car la liste de cocktail était bien tentante et les bouteilles suspendues derrière le bar me soupiraient «Marie-​Pier, il est déjà passé midi! C’est l’heure du cocktail non?» J’ai été sage alors ça sera pour une prochaine visite.

Dinner here was amazing! I learned of the place thru the travel magazine AFAR and I’m so glad we went. It’s outside the touristy neighborhoods so I loved the very local vibe and the fact that the menu was only in French. The staff were all very nice and helpful so we had no problem ordering.
We had the mushroom puff pastry appetizer (5 stars!) which was so delicious. The mushrooms tasted so fresh and aromatic. It was a very flavorful dish. We also had the oxtail stew (4.5 stars). It was hearty but not heavy and the use of different textures made it delightful. Then we had the duck with cherry sauce with lentils and green beans (4.5 stars). Also delicious. The meat was tender and moist and the accompanying lentils and beans made it a very satisfying dish. For dessert I had the strawberry bavarois (4.5 stars) which was very yummy and light but the portion size was too much.
Since we were sitting at the bar we watched as the chef prepared the dishes and so many other things looked amazing. There was the carpaccio and bone marrow plate that looked amazing, the escargot, and the rib steak for two that looked divine! I wish I could go back! Interestingly the experience made me think of M. Wells in NY not just because M. Wells was a Québécois diner but also because the dishes there were all exciting, unpredictable, and bursting with flavors. That’s exactly how Le Chien is.
The restaurant is very small so I highly suggest you call for a reservation. And the menu changes often which only makes the place even more likable. The wine list is excellent but their cocktails are also very good. I had the boulevardier and I enjoyed it very much. I was also surprised how reasonable the prices were. Dinner like this in NY would easily cost a lot more. Especially considering the generous servings.
This definitely made our visit to Montréal memorable. I would go back again if I’m ever in Montréal again.

Brunch was the goal. I’m not really sure what I left with. I was full, but I would hardly call anything they had on the menu as brunch. The food was average. The prices were a little on the high side. I did have an incredible coffee!
Here’s the problem in having a bathroom in the middle of the dinning room… when one coffee drinking patron went in for evacuation everyone HAD to smell it. Ouuffff… Luckily I had paid but was on my way out. Not cool.

Déçu du menu en soirée ! Je m’attendais à un petit resto de quartier, prix raisonnables & bonne ambiance. Ce fut le cas pour la bonne ambiance, mais par contre pour ce qui est des prix, c’est assez dispendieux pour ce que c’était, la qualité était là au moins. Bref, je né pense pas retourner au Chien Fumant en soirée car je pense qu’il y à Montréal d’autres restaurants plus abordables et aussi bons.

Vous avez dit Brunch du dimanche ?
Né cherchez plus. ZE PLACE TO BE IS: Le Chien Fumant.
J’ai toujours été «contre» le fait d’aller «bruncher» au resto et de payer des prix exubérants pour manger des oeufs brouillés, des toasts, des saucisses, des cressons et quelques tranches de fruits. Quant à moi, je me prépare rapidement tout ça à la maison (ça prend pas plus de 5 minutes à faire tout ça dans ma cuisine) ou je vais dans un resto de type «grasse joint» pour me faire préparer une assiette de ce genre à quelque 7 ou 8 dollars… pas plus !
Aussi, et par définition, pour qu’un repas puisse être appelé un brunch, il doit combiner et des items du BReakfast (petit-​déjeuner) et des items du lUNCH (lunch, hah !). Look it up ! Et arrêtons de nous faire berner, bon !
Quant à moi, mon opinion sur les brunchs de ce type tient (et tiendra) toujours.
Évidemment, je né peux m’empêcher d’aller dans ces établissements où l’on sert de faux-​brunchs, des déjeuners à la fausse identité, lorsque par exemple je suis invitée à un anniversaire ou une réunion d’affaire; j’ai mes opinions mais je né fais pas *toujours* ma princesse. ;-)
Ceci dit, depuis bientôt un an, je suis fière d’avouer que le brunch est un de mes péchés mignons. Ouiiii ! Mais attention. Pas n’importe quel «brunch»; celui du Chien Fumant particulièrement (et presqu’uniquement).
Le Chien Fumant, à ajouter à son carnet d’adresses si :
A) Tu aimes bruncher ;
B) Tu aimes te régaler ;
C) Tu te considères «foodie» (ou gastronome, pour être correct ;-) ;
D) Tu veux épater ta douce-​moitié /​tes parentes /​ses parents /​tes amis ;
E) Tu veux du WOW dans ta bouche ;
F) Tu as besoin d’une nouvelle adresse dans ton carnet.
Prendre note qu’il faut réserver pour s’assurer d’y manger pour le brunch (servi uniquement le dimanche); l’endroit, de mémoiré, assoit une trentaine de personnes à la fois seulement. Avec sa déco rustique, son mobilier de bois, ses ardoises noires, les conserves sur les étalages comme des bibelots, sa vaisselles aux motifs qui rappellent la campagne (vous savez ces dessins à l’encre bleu marin, rouge presque bourgogne ou même noire ou bleu indigo ?), et sa grande cuisine a aire ouverte, le Chien Fumant est un petit resto bien chaleureux et convivial. On se croirait chez les chefs-​mêmes !
Je n’y suis allée que pour le brunchs; waffles, poulet frit, saucisse maison, croque-​monsieur, pulled-​pork, jus d’orange fraichement pressé et servi dans un assortiment de carafe et de verre à Campari… MAMMA MIA, tout était vraiment un pur délice autant pour les yeux que pour les papilles gustatives et la panse !
Alors, ma prochaine rencontre avec Ze Smoking Dog sera très certainement le soir pour le souper… j’ai très très hâte (et il va sans dire que mes attentes sont élevées).