Balthazar: at this new Plateau spot, you can have your lounge and eat it too

To be or not to be: that is the question. Whether ‘tis nobler to function primarily as a bar and lounge or to venture into traditional resto territory? It’s a question to which Balthazar Lounge Gourmand boldly replies: “Why not both?” One of the newest entries in the category of lounge-cum-gourmet restaurant, this slick drinking and dining spot has recently opened its doors along a particularly colourful stretch of Mont-Royal East.

On the night we decided to check it out, the wide and sizable terrace was primed and perfect for people-watching courtesy of the always busy thoroughfare out front. Balthazar has poised itself as a ‘ 5 à 7 ’ spot and, to this end, they offer decent prices on drinks and fancy munchies. The signature cocktails were a tad uninspired but Balthazar’s location and terrace will surely make it a popular midsummer night hangout with the after-work thirty something crowd.

For those who like to imbibe and feast in equal measure all throughout the night, Balthazar offers a plentiful menu of fusion cuisine that leans heavily towards seafood. The decor is minimal, relaxed and spacious enough to keep the 22 seat rear dining area from encroaching too heavily upon the bar and lounge up front. The kitchen stays open late and although Madonna’s greatest hits provided the soundtrack to our evening, the promise of ‘live DJs’ could make this a livelier spot.

Balthazar
775 Mont-Royal E.