When I was in the process of relocating to Montréal and I was exploring neighbourhoods, it was the month of January. Admittedly, trying to find a place to live in cold and snowy Montréal (without a car, I might add) was not the most practical timing. But there I was, walking north along St Laurent in Little Italy, trying to shield myself from the cold, when my eyes watering from the wind landed on the words, “Salle Climatisée” written on a large window. Air conditioned room? Pardon me, come again? It was too cold to stop moving to try to make sense of what I was seeing, so I kept walking.
Fast forward 13 months to February 2023. After reading restaurant reviews, after following the social media accounts of people and places of interest in Montréal, and after eventually stopping in front of the Salle Climatisée window, I made a reservation. Table for one, on the one-year anniversary of my move back to Montréal, SVP, because I wanted to have dinner with Montréal, in Salle Climatisée, just us. My seat was at the front of the bar area. To my left, the dining room that seats, I would guess, 20 to 30 people. To my right, the rest of the bar counter and the tidy and narrow open kitchen. In front of me, members of l’équipe Salle Climatisée, each of them lovely. And, like any gracious hosts, with them, you are in good hands.
As the restaurant reviews will tell you, the food is excellent. On that point: what they do with leeks is something to experience. Try them. Trust me. When it comes to wine, you can follow their lead, from one course to the next. As photos of the restaurant will show you, the dining room is intimate and has a certain gracefulness to it (those who appreciate the nuances of design might also appreciate, as I do, their post on their selection from Pantone colours). But my favourite of their posts is this one, because it captures the pleasure of being there, the chilled out, yet lively, spirit of the space.
The spirit, as much as the food and the wine, is what I love about this restaurant. If you look around, what you see, what you hear, what you feel, it’s as though you were invited to a dinner party. The hosts of the party — l’équipe Salle Climatisée — have brought you and the other guests together. You may not know everyone else, but you know that you are here to share the evening together. There is candlelight and music. There are moments of thoughtfulness and laughter. Then, when the time comes to put on your coat and bid farewell, well, what came to mind for me was, I can’t wait to come back here.
Salle Climatisée, air conditioned room? Pardon me, come again? Hell yeah.
a few words ... from Montréal 