- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Taverne Gaspar
Category: Restaurants Gastropubs Gastropubs [Edit]
89 Rue de la Commune EMontréal, QC H2Y 1J1
(514) 392-1649
- Hours:
Mon-Wed, Sun 5 pm - 11 pm
Thu-Sat 5 pm - 12 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
13 reviews for Taverne Gaspar
12 reviews in English
-
Review from Matt P.
2/20/2012
Solid food in the heart of Old Montreal! It's basically a big gastropub, with a large bar and lots of tables. It gets kind of loud, but that's fine. The atmosphere is pretty relaxed otherwise. We had an 8:45 reservation, got there at 8:30, and had a pint at the bar. The bartenders were quite busy but still very friendly, which was nice.
We sat down and ordered some appetizers - I had the steak tartare with the poached quail's egg, which was delicious. My cousin had the pea soup, a dish that I'm not really a fan of in general, but I did try it and they made it well. For dinner we both had their special burger with pork belly and onions. This was very well done too, although it took a VERY long time to come, maybe 45 minutes. Slow service knocks one star off, but the food is definitely worth a return trip.
A great introduction to the pub scene of Montreal! -
Review from rhonda t.
Montréal, QC
5/4/2012
To reiterate my charming companion, and her meager-looking Jamieson...
Came here on a rainy Wednesday @ 6ish. The crowd was a mix of tourists and business folk. I suspect this place is more happening on the week-end. They might want to try a happy-hour drinks/food menu to draw in a more hip, local crowd during off-times.
Do NOT order the "popcorn" sweetbreads. I was expecting substantial nuggets of hot, crispy-coated offal with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. What I got was luke-warm, flour-dusted bits of sweetbreads, with some droplets of sauce, drowning in too-large cuts of green onion as garnish... I expect to impart an Asian feeling? Mission not accomplished.
The bartender, after giving great service the whole evening, asked what I had thought of them, and promptly took them off my bill after she received a resounding, "Meh?", even though I had ordered nothing else but tap water.
In conclusion... Great service, good fancy-business ambiance, probably happening on the weekend, but don't use it as an opportunity to round out your Facebook Food List Challenge.
PS. I really want to give this place 2 1/2 stars, but since there's no option it gets 3 'cause I'm nice :) -
Review from Sabrina L.
Laval, QC
3/24/2012 6 photos
I went to Taverne Gaspar during the Happening Gourmand back in January. I understand it might not be the best moment to judge a restaurant as the menu is fixed and the clientèle increases significantly because of the low price for a fixed menu but still, it is also their opportunity to shine and to gain loyal customers.
First off, I must say this restaurant makes itself very discreet. We literally passed in front of it three times before noticing it! As you go in, the walls are in brick and the feeling you get of the place is more of a relaxed pub for a happy hour after a long day at work. As for food, there was some interesting choices! I chose the onion soup with bone marrow; the soup itself was very sweet and they were not too generous on the bone marrow, only a small bit on the top of the cheese. Then I went ahead with the Tavern burger with manchego cheese, pork belly and onion rings. The pork belly was much more like a slice of bacon and again they are not very generous in portion. The burger was small and they included four onion rings. I have to say that although there was not a lot of them, the rings were crispy and flavorful. Finally, a dark chocolate flan was included in the menu along with creme anglaise. A flan in my dictionary is a custard-like dessert. It seems that according to them, it was a brownie! The brownie itself was powdery and not too visually appealing.
Again, I will give them a second chance as I went during an event and they have not been opened for that long. The service on the other hand was absolutely flawless! -
Review from Gregory S.
Montréal, QC
3/12/2012
Came to Gaspar with a couple friends on a Sunday night. It was kind of dead, just a few people at the tables. The space is very big and has an old taverny feel to it. I really liked the stone walls and wood, made for a cozy atmosphere.
They have a list of mixed cocktails that have a slew of different liquors. My favorite liquor, bourbon, was featured in a couple drinks. I ended up with an Old Fashioned, which I found to be excellent (made with Makers Mark :)). They also have a slow gin fizz, which intrigues me and will need to be tried next.
We started off with a couple of shared plates (cod fritters, chips and truffle mayo, olives). The cod fritters were very good, but the chips used with the truffle mayo could use some work. Olives are olives...kinda hard to mess those up.
As I have given up all animals except for seafood for Lent, I decided to get the standard mussels and frites in white wine sauce. It was ok, nothing spectacular. However, perusing the menu, there seems to be somethings I definitely want to try (that tavern burger with pork belly and manchego cheese sounds delicious).
So I definitely need to go back once Lent is over so I can try the various meat dishes that they have. -
Review from Risa D.
I was going to go with Meh, 2 stars, because that's how I feel, but the gal behind the bar deserves a couple stars all her own. 8$ for a small shot of Jameson? Alright, I guess I'll allow it since we're in an old stone room in the old port. This vibe should have been cozy and right up my alley but left me feeling all businessny aaaand shrug. My charming companion ordered the popcorn sweetbreads and they were a bit greasy and flavourless - but these were comp'd when the waitress saw her sad shrug, so I reiterate: much love for the service, but something else here is definitely missing.
-
Review from Niel K.
4/15/2012
Cozy English-style gastropub is good for groups or those seeking something more intimate. Fairly standard menu - we had arugula salad and pea soup to start, then baked salmon over lentils and lamb shank - all very tasty.
Extensive cocktail and wine menu as well, I tried a local lager that was very good. -
Review from Matthew P.
Montréal, QC
Gastropub eh???
Frequented Gaspar for the Happening Gourmand thingy. We had to take a Res for 9 and even at that, the guy who took the Res didn't seem to mark it in the computer so we had the option of waiting for a table, running up a drink bill in their 'lounge' area(which I think is part of the gimmick) or eating at the bar. Jokes on you Tavern Gaspar and incompetent maitre d'...I love eating at the bar.
I stuck with the 'Gourmand' menu because I am not in the habit of lookin' a gift horse in the mouth. The Onion soup was serious, like Judge Judy serious. Molten cheese, bone marrow, beautifully caramelized onions...it is a meal in itself. No seriously, I ate like a third of it or I wouldn't have had room for my 'Tavern Burger'. In retrospect I should have finished the soup.
The burger came....and went. They were really busy so I am thinking the grill man got ahead of himself. When the burger finally came, it was fairly apparent it had been sitting on the pass for a little while....hot on top and lukewarm in the middle.
Allow me to say this, I don't send food back. When I go out to eat, as a cook myself and someone who has an unrelenting pursuit of perfection, a restaurant has one chance to get it right. If I send something back, I don't want another one. You've ruined my meal and I am not paying...it is kinda cut throat but I hold myself to the same standard...that is all I've got.
That being said, the burger was almost a send back. The burger was lukewarm and the piece of 'pork belly'(call it pork belly when you braise it, when it is on a burger it is called 'bacon' motherfuckers) had a very 'Birkenstockish' texture...but the onion rings were pretty good. My girlfriend had the roasted salmon on a bed of lentils which were both cooked to absolute perfection. Finally, the gateaux chomeur was very 'classic Quebec' and tasty...the flan...meh.
All and all, a middle of the road experience. The old fashioned I started with was great, our bartender was pleasant and the gourmand deal was OK but I wouldn't go back otherwise. Personally, callin' this place a Gastropub is like putting lipstick on pig...another Quebec past time.
Waka Waka -
Review from Belle D.
Montréal, QC
3/3/2012
Every January, the Antonopoulos group offers especially well-priced table d'hôte menus at its Old Port restaurants in hope of giving Montreal's winter go-out scene a facelift. The event - Happening Gourmand - also encourages people to try these restaurants in hopes of creating new patrons. This year, the event was particularly successful. Tables were booked early and the participating restaurants were buzzing during a month that usually leaves even the best spots high-and-dry. Wanting in on the deal, I decided to try Tavenre Gaspar, the groups' newest addition.
I was excited to try this place. There had been an incredible buzz since its recent opening. We walked in, were greeted in a very friendly and welcoming way and brought to our table. The place is nice - stone walls, vintage art, wooden tables, chandeliers... A great alternative spot for watching the game, especially since it seems conducive to groups. And the music was fun - it included Interpol and Jace Everett (True Blood theme song). All great things.
Keep reading: http://belledenuitmont... -
Review from Ms. V.
Mont-Royal, QC
12/27/2011
I was able to make a last minute Monday night dinner reservation directly on their site which was convenient!
We were so distracted by the "Grand Marnier" ice sculpture out front (who doesn't love an ice sculpture?) that it took us a few tries to figure out which of the large windows was actually the entrance....thankfully the diners seemed too taken by their food to notice us!
As soon as we walked in we both looked at each other and said "love the decor" - its very wood and cozy taverne-esque....very nice on a chilly winter's night!
The waitress and host who greeted us at the door were the only small "miss" on an otherwise perfect restaurant experience - she seemed distracted and walked away when I told her we had reservations, leaving us to a male host who silently led us to our table in back.
If I wanted to be picky I would complain that while the restaurant was nowhere near full and had many larger tables available up front, our "reserved" table was a tiny rectangle in back stuck to the staircase which appeared to lead to the downstairs kitchen. However, the 2 of us are on the small side, it was a very private spot, it was warmer in back and our waiter and food were so fantastic that we barely noticed the size of our table at the end!
The menu and cocktail menu are not extensive but well thought out and easy to read. They have different daily "specials" for each weekday. Not all of the menu choices were available and the Monday daily special had been replaced by a different option which our waiter took the time to point out and explain to us.
We started off with the Mango Bellini cocktail - delicious!
We shared the homemade chips with truffle dip - the portion was small but delicious and we were thankful it wasn't any bigger when we saw our main dishes! The homemade chips were thin, crispy waffles and the dip was tasty without being too rich or heavy.
I had the tavern burger with manchego cheese and pork belly served with onion rings - it was a generous plate - delicious and very filling. My friend had the equally generous cornish hen served with french fries which smelled and apparently tasted just as good. Both plates were served with cole slaw - very fresh and tart.
We had pudding chomeur for dessert - it hit the spot!
Our waiter was fantatic - very attentive, took the time to explain the menu choices to us, offered us a variety of dipping sauces for the fries, checked up on us with a smile...in short, fantastic!
Would definitely reccomend! -
Review from Bria D.
12/29/2011
Gaspar was lovely! We escaped there for supper with our toddler after a less-than-sterling time at Pub-St.-Paul as part of a large gathering, and it soothed us into recognizing that we had, indeed, found the quality Quebecois fare that we had sought.
My steak frites were lovely, with meat that was a perfect medium-rare. My husband attempted to order his burger medium-rare, but was informed that the burgers only come medium-well, and that this is the case within all of Canada. Now, I can respect a restaurant that is sufficiently confident in their dishes to only serve them in the way that they were designed to be served, but we did both think that the the burger would have been tastier medium-rare. The pork belly was a nice addition.
Our server was very friendly and accommodating, which is hugely gratifying when traveling with a toddler. We felt completely at ease eating with him there, which we weren't at first certain would be the case given the menu and decor. We felt welcomed and valued, and appreciated the warm smiles from other staff as well.
We're thinking about heading back up to Montreal in the spring or summer, with the aim of hitting a number of amazing-sounding eateries that we didn't try the first time. Other than Au Pied de Cochon, which would be the main reason for the trip, Taverne Gaspar is probably the only place we visited this time that we'd give a second try on a very limited engagement, thus giving up the opportunity to try someplace new for that meal. It has definitely earned a return visit. -
Review from Lara P.
3/22/2012
We had the pleasure of staying at Auberge Du Vieux Port hotel and this restaurant was attached to it How convenient. The drinks are sexy, the decor and servers had a steakpunk vibe to it and the food offerings are "solid" as mentioned by the previous reviewer. They have good French comfort food, which will remind you of any good bistro. I had the grilled scallops with Puy lentils and French beans while my boyfriend had the mac and cheese, which was packed with chunks of bacon. (I only ever experience Puy lentils when I am in Montreal). We enjoyed our food immensely and wish we could have everything on the menu. Definitely coming back here next time.
-
Review from Andrew A.
Montréal, QC
11/21/2011
Food was good to great, not a huge selection, but the quality makes up for it. The service was good, but since it was a Monday night, and not very busy this might not be a good indicator of service on busy night. Also more expensive than the $$ would indicate to me. Loved the decor.
Read more reviews for this business:
French (1)
