A Plateau chophouse flips to Bouillon Albert, a 19th-century Paris-inspired eatery

Simple and classic dishes drenched in garlic butter, broken bread, aperitifs, and wine—these aspects defined bouillons of 19th-century Paris, a type of restaurant where quality food could be served quickly and at an affordable price.

They were historically regarded as a form of protest in their day; after all, shouldn’t everyone be able to eat like the bourgeoisie?

So, Bouillon Albert asks in the Plateau, why mess with a good thing?

Filling the space left behind by the departure of the restaurant Hachoir on Saint-Denis Street, this modern bouillon is the latest offering from Groupe Grinder, open as of October 7th, 2024.

Its focus is undoubtedly French, and true to its inspirations, it’s by no means snooty or highbrow. Here, it’s all rough-hewn Parisian nostalgia, where servers ‘uniformed’ in white T-shirts and jeans whisk around tables’ tight corners to serve food devoured by everyone on deck, by hand, and with maybe a little too much wine.

New and rich, not nouveau riche

“When we imagined the concept of Bouillon Albert, we aligned it with simple, flavourful cuisine that is delicate but not extravagant, much like the bouillons found in France,” says General Manager Arthur Dorville.

Think of the bouillon as the original fast-casual restaurant, with escargots in butter thick with garlic and parsley or sole meunière instead of burgers and fries, to a soundtrack of talk and clinking glasses.

Jean-François Corriveau, leading Griffintown projects like Grinder and Boucherie Grinder, as well as their seafood-focused neighbour Makro, saw the writing on the wall for Hachoir after 14 successful years. Burgers and tartares—a former obsession for Montreal, more or less—had run their course.

“After 14 years, it was time for Hachoir to move on,” says Corriveau. “With the trend of luxury tartares and burgers fading, the concept of classic French cuisine naturally imposed itself to meet the needs of Plateau Mont-Royal’s clientele,” noting that the Plateau was hungry for something different.

Enter Bouillon Albert, named after Corriveau’s French bulldog.

Warm and welcoming controlled chaos

If you ever dined at Hachoir, you’ll hardly recognise it. Cream-coloured walls brighten things up, and a bottle-green ceramic bar surrounds the open kitchen, showcasing the controlled chaos of what makes a restaurant hum.

It’s warm, welcoming—like the kind of place where you could settle in for a long, lazy meal. The 76-seat dining room, with 11 bar stools looking into the kitchen, adds to the casual and intimate atmosphere.

As for the food, chefs S’Arto Chartier-Otis (Jatoba & Marcus), Jérémie Marcille (Dur à cuire), and Fernando López Jiménez (Pujol) have created a menu that hits all the right notes for French comfort food, but without any heavy-handedness.

It’s a lot of old-soul dishes like Dauphiné ravioli, rillettes, Niçoise salads, and steak frites. There’s os à moelle (bone marrow) served with a horseradish jus, leeks in vinaigrette with hazelnuts, and bouchée à la reine—a French pastry dish consisting of an individual vol-au-vent filled with chicken, sweetbreads, and mushrooms. These are rounded out with the likes of millefeuille, profiteroles with chocolate sauce, and apple tarte tatin.

Much of this begs some indulgence, as it’s all priced so you won’t second-guess your dessert orders—each sliding in under $10. Starters range from $10 to $20, and mains hover around $20 to $30. Dinners can feel like a heavy financial decision in a given month, and while Montrealers can throw caution to the wind in that respect, this bouillon looks to leave them with full bellies and intact wallets.

No bouillon is complete without a solid wine list, and sommelier Jean-Alexandre Boisclair doesn’t disappoint: with a selection that ranges from classic to natural options—some funky, some surprising—there’s something for everyone, whether by the glass or by commitment to a full litre. Prices are also kept reasonably low, with glasses starting at $9, quarter-litres at $15, half-litres at $29, and litres from $59.

A nod to simpler times with meals that matter more than the fuss around them, Bouillon Albert is a great spot to go, take your time, soak up the atmosphere, and swipe at pools of sauce with buttered bread.

Bouillon Albert is located at 4177 Saint-Denis Street.