sparrow (le moineau)

trying to find an open resto in the plateau/little italy/mile end area on a holiday monday proved challenging. thankfully, we happened upon thesparrowwhich i thought was just a drinks place. turns out the food is delicious! it started, as these things often do, with 6 meaty pei oysters and bubbles. prosecco was served in low wide glasses like in a rock hudson film. we then shared a lentil salad which was more yummy and satisfying than it sounds, and a curry squash dish that came with aromatic rice and veg. we hadn't planned on going vegetarian, it just turned out that way. the curry squash was a standout. and our waitress was very attentive.
if you can ignore the "put a bird on it" theme of this place, the vibe is actually very pleasant, and the food surprisingly tasty!

a couple weeks back, my friend isa and i were looking for a new brunch place. you know the rest: we wanted somethin' hip, somethin' new, somethin' good. we chosesparrowbecause it had all those qualities and it wasn't far from my friend's place on le plateau. i also would like to mention that although i am fully bilingual, i'm more on the loi 101's side when it comes to restaurants and shops' names. but you know what, let's face it, 'le moineau' would be a shitty name for a restaurant. 'sparrow' is much prettier and magical (yes, i'm going for 'magical' here).

in her opinion:on our last day in montreal, we had room for only one meal and that was brunch. montreal has a real brunch culture...something i truly love. after checking out different possibilities we settled onsparrowor le moineau. we arrived around 10:30 am, so we were lucky to get a table for three without a reservation (the restaurant does take reservation which is a huge plus in montreal...since a lot of places don't and simply make you line up to wait). the restaurant itself is decorated with church pews, old photographs from the early 1900s, exposed brick and our meals were served on vintage china. i would call it retro chic!

sparrow is amazing! it's my new favourite place! conveniently located in mile end just a few blocks from my house, this is the kind of easy place that i'm going to want to rely on for bright brunches and delicious dinners. most people tend to talk aboutsparrowfor their brunch (saturdays and sundays, 10am-3pm), but i have confirmed that any time of day or meal is excellent there. just look for the sign with thesparrowon it!one of the nicest things about this restaurant is the gorgeous décor. it feels casual while remaining completely on point. the front windows open up to the street in the summertime, letting in tons of natural light. the small touches did no go unnoticed; from the interesting wooden surfaces, trunks being used as tables, to the gorgeous bird-printed wallpaper that creates their signature look. the space feels like what you wish your house would look like (or at least mine, anyway), and it's a comfortable and welcoming room to spend some time in.
i first visited for brunch on a sunday. the wait to get in can be quite long because everyone knows that this place is good. try to beat the rush by showing up a little bit earlier. after about 20 minutes, we were offered a seat on their couches at the front which surround a trunk-like coffee table. this sufficed for us and was quite comfortable. they offer an array of brunch cocktails, including three different types of mimosas, but i decided to go alcohol-free and selected the honey ginger lemonade ($3.50) which sounded magical. this was refreshing and great. i loved that all three parts of the flavours came through clearly, making the drink sweet, zingy and tart all at once. a nice alternative to boring coffee or typical juice options.
before our "main course" we opted for something from the "bites" section of the menu, because the mini doughnuts (pb+j, nutella, or lemon curd - $5.00) could not be refused! these come in three flavours, and you can choose to get all three doughnuts in one flavour or get one of each. one of each seemed like the smartest option. i was most curious about the pb+j and least interested in the nutella one (so over nutella!). however, they were all very warm, sugary, soft and delicious. each pastry orb contained a blast of hidden flavour, and each one worked really well. i loved the tart lemon curd, while the other two were filled with classic sweet flavours.
they have so many interesting and innovative main dishes to choose from, but i was easily drawn to the house-smoked trout (with spinach & green onion pancake, soft boiled egg, beet salad, whipped crème fraiche - $16.00). this plate was incredible. i can't stop thinking about it. and speaking of their plates, all of their dishware is simply gorgeous. everything comes out on eclectic, mis-matched, vintage plates and they are all stunning. it lends so much to the overall lovely experience. but back to this dish: wow. it personified brunch happiness on a plate for me. the trout tasted fresh and was lightly smoked to perfection, and i enjoyed that it was something different than the typical salmon variety. the egg was cooked and seasoned so perfectly and the beet salad was just right, with the chunks of beet glowing like rubies on the plate. the best surprise was the pancake buried underneath it all, savoury and unassuming, providing an excellent vehicle for the rest of the components, all bound together by the beautiful crème fraiche. i also like that they use only locally-sourced free range organic farm eggs in their dishes. i can't say enough about this piece of art.
so clearly, brunch was a very big success.
but sincesparrowoffers dinner also, i didn't want to write this review until i could weigh in on that meal as well. we returned on a friday evening to a restaurant that was much emptier and were able to sit wherever we wanted. by the time that we left, the place was completely packed again. this time we sat at a nice table near the front and were able to take in unobstructed views of the large bar and more of the perfect décor sense. candle light dotted the tables once the evening fell upon us.
the cocktail menu is long and exciting. i decided to go for a trusted favourite, the spicy caesar (vodka, clamato, lemon, pickle, olive, onion, well spiced - $8.50). i've had a lot of caesars in my day, some better than others. this one belongs in the column of excellent ones! while they call it "spicy" it was just the right amount of spice, and not overdone at all. all of the correct components were harmonious and i liked the garnish of some of my favourite pickled items. this was a perfect caesar.
the food menu is interesting because many of the dishes follow an obvious indian theme; from tandoori chicken wings to butter chicken. however, i would certainly not call this an indian restaurant at all. they also reiterate on the dinner menu that they make every effort to source local and sustainable products, which i always favour. to start, we picked the chicken livers on toast ($7.00). wow, wow, wow. these were great! i was so impressed at the portion size, considering the low price. this was savoury and warm, similar to a pâté. i loved the dash of coarse salt and the studs of cured pork on top. this plate really surprised me with its quality and abundance. bold flavours. something that everyone must try!
for my main dish, i was immediately interested in the mussels, chorizo & white wine with fries ($13.00) because coincidentally, this is almost exactly the same dish that i cooked at home for dinner on my most recent episode of erikaeatseverything: the girl can't cook (mine was specifically called steamed mussels with tomato and chorizo broth). so i was super curious to stack mine (which i thought turned out really well) up to this version! it was really, really good. the amount of mussels were so heaping, that there was no way to keep count. this version was a bit spicier than mine, because they used a lot more plump chorizo than i did. the mussels were cooked to perfection and i loved the salty broth that boasted a hint of wine. moules-frites (mussels and fries) is such a popular dish in belgium and france, that it's no surprise that it carries popularity in french canada as well. the fries were cooked to golden perfection and were some of the best fries that i've eaten. served with housemade mayonnaise, of course, as is the french way. this meal was incredibly filling and extremely delicious. i am already living with cravings.
for dessert, they offer a "dessert du moment" ($7.00), a dessert that varies on the particular day of your visit. i didn't think that we'd have any, but after hearing that that evening's dessert was earl grey and lavender crème brûlée... there was no turning back. i liked the reasonable portion size. cracking through the perfectly caramelized shell lead to a light and delicious custard. i loved that the flavours from the tea as well as the lavender came through well, and combined perfectly with the toasty top.
welp.sparrowowns my soul now. i love everything about them so much and only wish that i had started visiting them sooner. the value is incredible because the amazing quality of the food and large portions seem to demand more than their low and reasonable prices. i want this to be another one of my "places" and i want the staff to get sick of seeing me in there. love, love, love!!!

my quest to find new and different tasteful menu brought me to the mile end this week. i was actually impressed by the many restaurants that have opened on st-laurent between st-joseph and st-viateur. my sight was set onsparrowas i wanted to try their brunch menu. i got there just a little before 10:30 and was able to get a table right away without any wait which was great as we were saturday. i had looked up their menu and the uniqueness of a few of their dishes was one of the reasons i wanted to try it. couple of plates caught my attention but i settle my choice on the shakshuka. the dish is composed of two poached eggs in a moroccan spiced tomato sauce served with sourdough toast to which i added a side of merguez.  my sister who how was sharing brunch with had the fried eggs with sage which are two sunny side up eggs with roasted potatoes and grilled tomato also served with sourdough toast. i would suggest showing up before 11 am if you don’t have a reservation as i didn’t see people wait before that time. check out their food and drink menu at the link below.

with a food offering that has never failed to satisfy even the biggest snobs, thesparrowwas a sure bet for a happy and civilized evening. cheeses, oysters, olives; the list of pure indulgences went on and on. on the top of their hit list of the night were poached pears wrapped in caramelized bacon. i’ m dead serious. tender pears enveloped in generous slices of sweetened bacon; more sinful than that and you would die. if you’re looking for an elegant spot for a grown-up girls night out, i’d highly recommend the sparrow. note that they don’t take reservations, except for brunch and even then you need to call before 11am. still, waiting time rarely takes longer than 20 minutes and goes by pretty quickly if you grab a bottle and sit on the church bench by the entrance. cheers! 5322 boulevard st-laurent montreal, qc h2t1a5 (514) 507-1642 to never miss a post again, follow mtl food snob on facebook!

sparrow, located on upper st laurent, has always been on our list of brunch places to check out.  they've been on the brunch scene for quite some time, but they closed for a bit. luckily, they re-opened!  from the outside, it's very simple. be sure to check out for the littlesparrowguy, because there's no other sign.  when we stepped up to the door, we saw that the menu was posted. we always appreciate restaurants that post their menu. we heard about their all-you-can-eat three course brunch menu, but it was obvious that was no longer the concept.  at first glance,sparrowis super cozy. the textures are incredible- a mix of brick, wood, copper and beautiful wallpaper. everything had a vintage feel. we arrived around 11:00 am, so there wasn't a line; we were seated immediately.  there was a bench and a sofa to hang out and have a coffee while you wait for a table though. we thought that was a clever idea. it also makes it less awkward for those who are dining. we don't think there's

lesparrowest l’une des rares places qui gère à merveille sa ‘double personnalité’ d’oiseau du matin pour le brunch et d’oiseau de nuit pour les fêtards, ce qui démontre une organisation de fer. cet endroit est bien ancré dans le carnet d’adresse des montréalais, et tout le mérite revient à ce charmant moineau.

searching for a brunch place that i’ve never tried before with a all time long friend, i foundsparrowas one of the highly regarded option. with that title, i wasn’t surprised that there was a bit of a waiting line on a saturday at 1pm. while i waited, i noticed quickly how charmingsparrowis. the wallpaper, the tables, the chair, the couch….sparrowreally has its own personality. and i guess one of its personality trait is giving mediocre service…the service was so slow and it took more time than needed to settle our payments. anyway, how was the food though? my friend a had shakshuka. as per the menu, it has 2 poached eggs, in a morrocan spiced tomato sauce, sourdough toast. or can be plainly described as 2 eggs put on top of tomato sauce. that was what it tasted like. it was original but not something i was looking for in a brunch menu. i had house-smoked trout, served on spinach and green onion pancake with soft boiled eggs and beet salad. the smoked trout was delicious. but the

just finished eating atsparrowand had a great time! i must say that this is the best restaurant in montreal to attend while high on acid.

my dining partner and i dropped two tabs of lsd right before entering the bar. it's probably a good thing that the waitress took a half hour to come to our table as by that point we were tripping balls. i ordered a st ambroise oatmeal stout and my friend ordered a varietal of scotch. it was while he was ordering that i noticed that the flowery print on her shirt seemed to meld into the extravagant wallpaper (which also featured sounds of tw rainforest and real bird calls).

for an entree, i ordered the blt and she got the hamburger. my blt was great and the overflowing boar bacon juice moisturizer my hands nicely. my dining partner could not approach her burger as they kept returning it too rare (she swears that the patty was pulsating and full of blood, perhaps still alive).

after we finished, we waited for what seeme like forever before we got the bill. to our amazing surprise, the bill had been there the whole time and the waitress abruptly asked us to settle up. i was simply having too great a time with the ceiling fans and over-the-top wall paper!sparrowrules, as does lsd.

i got pretty confused while trying to sort out the bills in my wallet as the colors seemed to bleed together and almost speak to me... but our waitress was so helpful with the math!

i highly recommend this restaurant for anyone high on acid!

our meal at thesparrowwas by no means groundbreaking, but it was good and reasonably priced. service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing and although the wait for a table took a little while, our food was prepared and served pretty rapidly. our breakfast left us feeling as though it would be worth a second visit but since we live a little out of the way its doubtful that we would make the trip to the plateau specifically with this destination in mind. a more likely scenario would be returning if we were already in the neighborhood. thesparrowalso offers a dinner service that might be worth trying sometime in the future.

thesparrowhas one simple concept: fixed menu and all-you-can-eat brunch. the only choice is whether to choose the vegetarian or the carnivore main. you can order as many or as little as you want until your stomach is satisfied. although i have taken the vegetarian main, which was delicious and full of flavours, i preferred the pulled pork and hush puppies which i had to order as an extra side. the red velvet cake, sweet and fluffy, a delicious dessert to end the meal.

two weeks ago, em and i went to thesparrowfor brunch. i have been dreaming of this moment for over a year. it's a bar with a rustic feeling; i had been there for a drink with a friend. i found out they had brunch on weekends, but unfortunately the kitchen staff left to my biggest disappointment. one can only imagine my excitement when i tumbled across a blogger who had been there only 3 months ago. reservations are available, i was lucky the guy accepted mine even though there wasn't any at the time we wanted to arrive. inside, there was a big line up; a bench was at the entrance for people waiting, very practical. we were seated rapidly seated where white daisies brought some sunshine to us on the table. water was brought in a whisky glass bottle, amazing concept. if you're a big eater, you have to try it out! there's a fixed menu that consists of an entrée, main meal and dessert. the main meal is either with meat, fish or vegetarian. also, you can get a refill of each section, all

sparrow is a lovely little bar on upper st. laurent teeming with well dressed youth and intelligent looking people - the antithesis of chez serge, the mechanical bull boasting bar across the street. more along the lines of snack and blues, the place serves all kinds of finger foods, a list of cocktails both basic and specialty and a variety of beers. service is friendly, people are friendly and the food is (vegetarian) friendly. if you want a table, i suggest going early - around 10 or 11. after that, it becomes difficult to even find a space to stand as the bar fills up quite quickly after midnight. having become a favorite in my roster of bars to go to,sparrowhas obviously done well for itself as the owners has recently opened up a full on restaurant a block away called lawrence . i will be going there tonight, so come back and check out the blog tomorrow! jquery(document).ready(function(){ jquery("#gallery-146f25e3 .flickr-thumb img").flightbox({size_callback

thesparrowhas got to be one of the places with the most buzz. i have gotten emails about it as well as read various forum postings raving about this place. unfortunately, i’m slow to getting around to places especially since the places i get to see are