Walk into Grinder at 11:30pm and expect to see a jam-packed restaurant filled with a hip and young crowd enjoying the food, drinks, and urban music. Grinder has a modern and industrial design with lots of metal, glass, and wooden elements, creating a simple yet eye-catching locale.
Equipped with an open concept kitchen, Grinder knows how to pique their patrons’ interest. Who doesn’t like watching their food being made in front of them? To top it all off, the lighting above the kitchen is courtesy of surgical lights, forcing you to take what the chefs are doing in there very, very seriously.
Grinder has an interesting cocktails list including their most popular drink: the Pimm’s Royal ($11). It has Pimm’s, Cava (a Spanish sparkling wine), Thai basil, and peach. The Thai basil gives this cocktail a fresh taste while the subtle fruitiness of the peach ties it all together. They also have an extensive wine list and an in-house sommelier to help you make the perfect wine pairing with your meal.
Grinder has a raw menu and a cooked menu. The raw menu has an original selection of tatakis, carpaccios, and tartares. Try the bison tartare to experiment with gamey flavours and get out of your comfort zone ($16 for appetizer portion; $25 for meal portion). Their cooked menu boasts a tantalizing selection of fish and meat. The Miso Cod ($30) with shitake and ginger broth is pure deliciousness that incorporates earthy flavours with buttery fish. Their most popular dish is the Braised Beef Short Ribs ($27) with espresso butter, giving this meaty dish an exceptionally unique flavour. Any menu item will leave you with the happiest food baby you could ask for.
In the summer, enjoy Grinder’s beautiful ‘’indoor’’ terrace spanning the length of the restaurant thanks to an open ceiling concept. The terrace incorporates more wooden elements and plenty of greenery to give it that garden party feel. Not to worry, they close up their terrace in the fall and winter so you can still enjoy a seat among potted plants and vines scaling the walls when there is a full-blown snowstorm outside.
Have a special event coming up? Grinder has a private room overlooking the restaurant. It provides you with your own personal chef, complete with an open kitchen, and its own private sound system. Regardless of the occasion, don’t forget to check out Grinder for a night that will be anything but ordinary.
1708 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montréal, QC H3J 1M3
(514) 439-1130