Le Pégase: A 25 Year-Old Secret

A good bring-your-own-wine restaurant is a rare jewel. One that has been in business for twenty five years and still puts forth excellent food is a crown jewel. Le Pégase is such a restaurant and it’s one that is so well hidden, it took us three drive-bys to find it. Hiding inside the first floor of a house, this unassuming restaurant brings some much needed refinement to some popular dishes. Perfect for a date night!

The menu works like a table d’hôte. You choose the regular soup/salad and main or the gourmet soup/salad, entrée, main, and dessert for a single price all depending on which main you choose. We strongly suggest the gourmet for both the light and yet flavour-dense starters as well as the devilishly good desserts. But first, don’t forget to bring your wine! If you need inspiration, Le Pégase has their own suggestions on their website.

Their small starter dishes really do pack in the flavor, perfect for that rush of conversation at the beginning of a date. The melt-off-the-fork braised pork flank contrasts beautifully with the little crunch of pine nuts ($10) and the grilled octopus on citrus salsa rebels with the heat of the chipotle ($10). The mains, on the other hand, take their time in divulging their flavours. The bigger plates lend themselves to romantic conversation and sharing the flavours staining each other’s lips. The rack of lamb with two mustards is a subtle masterpiece of grilled meat ($31). The current chef special, a rack of doe with orange sauce, is meatier, gamier, and still zesty enough to relish the memory of the bright taste on your tongue for hours to come ($36).

Of course, nothing says romantic dinner like that chocolate mousse slipping onto your tongue as your upper lips curls it off the spoon. And in this, Le Pégase wins big: Death by Chocolate ($7). Is there a better way to go? This surprisingly beautiful chocolate creation will have you licking your lips, your spoon, and anything else the chocolate may have touched. But if you are leaving the decadence for later, then try something more invigorating, like the Apple Tatin Pie with salted caramel sauce ($7). The burst of fresh sweetness will perk you right out of your food stupor and back into the longing gaze of your date, just in time to catch the bill and a cab heading over to the Botanical Gardens for a romantic walk through the Japanese light garden.

1831 Rue Gilford, Montréal, Québec H2H 1G7
(514) 522-0487