August 4th, 2011
Fare to Share
The real Biarritz is luxurious seaside town in France at the border of Spain. Following the theme, new restaurant Biarritz offers market fresh cuisine with French influences and a Spanish tapas flair.
Seating at the sleek new resto is communal, with a menu made for sharing, listing small, medium and large plates designed to divvy up the delicious fare. We got our fingers lickably messy with a starter of summer fresh peas grilled right in the pod ($4), followed by four medium plates, including a luscious beef tartar with a spicy kick served alongside crispy homemade chips ($10), a rich gnocchi with fava beans and morels ($12), crispy (but not deep fried!) sweetbreads with morels and peas ($14) and a bright ratatouille topped with a fried egg ($9). Almost too full for dessert, we forged ahead, finishing the meal with a dark and delicious chocolate banana cake topped with vanilla bean ice cream.
We may not have been in France or Spain, but we felt very European nonetheless. —Jennifer Nachshen
Biarritz, 4801 St. Laurent Blvd., Montreal, 514-281-2000, www.restobiarritz.com
