Mauvais Garçons

What happens when three veterans of one of Montreal’s most high-end steakhouses decide to scale things down? In Little Burgundy, it led to Mauvais Garçons—a relaxed, detail-driven restaurant where comfort food gets a sharp edit. Chef Robert Goldberg (formerly of La Queue de Cheval, Maison Boulud, and Le Pois Penché) puts out small plates that lean familiar—sliders, tartare, fried chicken—but every element is house-made and deliberately chosen, from the terrines to the pasta. The goal isn’t to surprise so much as to refine, turning recognisable dishes into something memorable. There’s a solid cocktail list, a wine program with fine-dining roots, and daily oyster happy hours that draw in a post-work crowd. The space—copper-accented and softly industrial—balances its polish with a lived-in energy that suits the street.