Pintxo, Montreal

In the city that invented poutine, the Quebecois staple of French fries drenched in gravy and cheese curds, it’s sometimes easy to ignore Montreal’s blossoming international food scene.

If you decide to indulge in a plate of poutine, chances are you’ll be in the mood for lighter fare for the rest of your stay. Just a few blocks from St. Denis, you’ll find Montreal’s best tapas at the restaurant Pintxo, a name referring to Basque tapas.

Pintxos aren’t the traditional sort of tapas you might find in Madrid, although they are similar. They are Basque small plates, which emphasize local ingredients like the Biscay staple, salt cod, and spices like piment d’espelette.

Guests can sample specialties like txipirones (calamari) cooked in their own ink, Ondarresa-style hake, rice cakes called “canutillos,” as well as a nod to the mother country, with seared foie gras over lentils. They’re all enjoyed in an exposed brick dining room with an open kitchen.

While Pintxo offers some of the best tapas in Montreal, it’s not all about the food. The experience can be summed up as “Txikiteo,” a Basque word which captures the social aspect of enjoying small plates with “zuritos” (small glasses of beer) and “txikitos” (small glasses of wine) with friends, before moving on to the next place.

Think of it as a tapas crawl to beat the cold of a Montreal winter. Pinxto is a good place to start.

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by Trafton Kenney
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