Written by Julia D'Adamo on 20.12.17

With winter break around the corner, it’s the perfect time to find reasons to get together with friends. This holiday season, Madame Smith is the place to drink, eat, and be merry. If the name rings a bell, it’s probably because you’ve been to the popular bar on Ontario street, Monsieur Smith. Under its new name, Madame Smith (no, this has nothing to do with Brangelina) has launched a brand new menu (don’t worry- they kept some of the classics!) with new décor to give the hot spot a fresh new beat.

Madame Smith Light Up Sign

Madame Smith has a trendy, laid back vibe perfect for a casual night out with friends. The bar is filled with plants from wall to wall, giving a nice escape from the snowy outdoors. In the midst of it all, the neon SMITH sign shines bright. Head toward the back and there is a beautiful plant-filled patio too. One of our favourite things about the bar: the patio has a cover and heat lamps for when the weather starts to get chilly. The patio also has a roaring fire pit where we spotted a gang of college students roasting marshmallows. Unfortunately, the patio shuts down when the snow comes down, but we will definitely be back in the spring to nab that coveted fire pit spot.

Madame Smith Fire Pit

Being such a popular pub, Madame Smith has a wide selection of beers, wines, whiskies, and signature cocktails. Their specialty, however, are gin and tonics. The bar carries sixteen different types of gin (who even KNEW there were sixteen types of gin!?) and four different types of specialty tonics. Their gin and tonic menu describes each gin, its flavours and origin, and the specific garnish and tonic to complement it. We first tried the Madison Park: a citrusy gin with notes of lemon and orange. It was served with 1642 tonic with notes of grapefruit and spruce. It was garnished with black pepper and dehydrated lemon. It was the most artsy gin and tonic with a citrusy pick-me-up.

Madame Smith bar montreal

The first gin and tonic was so different we were curious to try another, so we ordered a round of Romeo’s. Romeo’s is another Quebec gin with a very refreshing and flavourful profile: it contains notes of cucumber, dill, lavender, almond, and lemon. This one was best paired with Fever-tree Mediterranean tonic, which has more of an herby flavour consisting of rosemary, thyme, and lemon. The gins range from $7 to $15 each, with an additional $2 for a specialty tonic.

Madame Smith Gin & Tonics Mine

With the new name comes a fresh new menu, and Madame Smith’s new menu does not disappoint. The bar specializes in a “raw” menu, with all different types of tartares. There are also a ton of unique and delicious vegetarian options. Most of the food also has an ethnic twist to it, and it was interesting to try the unique flavours. The menu offers a lot of options for sharing too, which include sampling platters for up to four people. Of course, there are pitchers of sangria and other cocktails (like pitchers of mojito or Aperol spritz) to share too.

Madame Smith Full Meal Mine

Everything we tried on the menu was super tasty, but our favourite were the Moroccan tacos. The tacos were filled with curry roasted chickpeas, cauliflower, and eggplant puree, and topped with sour cream and coriander. They tasted so delicious and fresh, and the colours made them almost too pretty to eat. Another great vegetarian dish was the wild mushroom tartare. It was served with cashews and mascarpone mousse, adding the perfect amount of crunch and creaminess. We also had a side of veggies with a twist: they were topped with grilled Halloumi cheese and white balsamic caramel.

Madame Smith Moroccan Tacos

From the raw bar, we tried two tasty duck and salmon dishes. The duck was perfectly pan-seared to have a nice crisp edge, and was served with a classic combination of pear chutney and roquette. The salmon dish was a salmon gravlax, which was seasoned with tandoori spices and honey. It was also topped with a mint sour cream, which was very cooling and fresh against the salmon.

Madame Smith Duck

Most items on the food menu range from $10 to $15 dollars, and the portions are great to sample and share. However, every night of the week after 10pm, a selection of beers, shooters, wines, and snacks are only $5 each. They are also open until 3am every night of the week, so it’s the perfect place to go when school’s out for the winter.

Madame Smith Mushroom Tartare

So if there is one place you need to go this winter, it’s Madame Smith. The new name brought the bar an abundance of charm, fun, and flair, as a woman always does.

Madame Smith Salmon Gravlax Mie

4061 Ontario St E, Montreal, QC H1W 1T3
(514) 507-1725

Photos by Julia D’Adamo (@montr.eat.all) and Madame Smith.

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