Beba

3900 Rue Ethel, Verdun, QC
restaurantbeba.ca

On a quiet residential street corner in the heart of Verdun lies a restaurant that feels like walking into a family friends home. The buzz of conversation mixed with the clinking of glasses fills the small space and within moments of entering the 10-table restaurant you can feel the warmth of the dishes, staff and overall energy of Beba. Inspired by the Spanish and Italian cultures that settled in Argentina, owners and brothers Ari and Pablo Schor have named their restaurant in tribute to their grandmother, Vera, known lovingly as “Beba” to family and friends.

Hailing from Liverpool house, Ari and Pablo understand what it takes to run a tight front of house and kitchen to create a restaurant that evokes the experience of fine-dining while keeping a low-key, down to earth profile. Nothing at Beba feels stuffy and immediately upon being welcomed one feel like they are part of the neighbourhood.

The menu is tight and offers up an eclectic mix of Mediterranean inspiration, Argentinean dishes and Quebecois ingredients to bring together a menu that focuses on seasonal ingredients whilst introducing patrons to classic-comfort food dishes with a twist. Empanada’s with liver and heart, pasta with rabbit and locally foraged mushrooms and even a caviar-filled tarte for those desiring something especially rich and succulent. The wine selection is splendid and the cocktails are delicious. Staff are relaxed and inviting and have a vested knowledge in what one should pair with their dishes to help guide your tastebuds to ultimate satisfaction.

Beba has quickly become a favourite amongst Montreal visitors and locals alike and it’s easy to see why. The food, drinks and scene is simply great. One critique that I have, and that I truthfully have of most restaurants, is that the music, while stellar in selection, is a few decibels too loud. For a restaurant that is smaller and that invites one to want to converse and spend the evening slowing down to enjoy each minute is slightly offset by the music being an element that is slightly overpowering. When the food, lighting, drinks and staff are amazing, the music should enhance - not compete. After all, when you are spending well into the triple-digits for a beautiful meal, why wouldn’t you want to savour every minute and have the experience be a 10/10 for each and every sense?

Beba is well worth the visit if you are looking for simply delicious food and is definitely a place to keep in mind if you are looking to experience a restaurant that is well on it’s way to being a regular staple on Canada’s best-100 list.