Mon Lapin in Montreal: Farm-Fresh Seasonal Cuisine

Montreal restaurant Mon Lapin has triumphed over Canada's culinary landscape, clinching the number one spot in the prestigious Canada's Best 100 ranking for two years in a row. The accolade cements its status as a culinary powerhouse, elevating Montreal's reputation as a global culinary destination. Nestled in Montreal's Little Italy, the restaurant has since evolved into a cherished neighbourhood institution, celebrated for its farm-to-table cuisine. Opened in Little Italy in 2018, Mon Lapin is the lovechild of husband-wife duo Marc-Olivier Frappier and Vanya Filipovic, who serve as the chef and sommelier, respectively, joined by chef Jessica Noël, co-sommelier Alex Landry and front-of-house manager Marc-Antoine Gélinas. All five herald from Vin Papillon, a sister restaurant to Joe Beef and Liverpool House in Montreal’s Little Burgundy. When they launched Vin Mon Lapin in 2018, the team sought to create a unique dining experience that is rooted in their fine dining background and highlights Québec’s legendary down-to-earth hospitality.  

Seasonality and freshness are Mon Lapin’s watchwords. Known for its natural wine and creative approach to small plates that highlights a wide array of Quebec ingredients, the restaurant has rapidly become a standout address for local gourmands which is why we were thrilled to be invited by good friends while visiting Montreal for a long weekend. Warm and welcoming with a great vibe, the French-italian inspired menu changes daily, depending in part on what Frappier finds in the morning at Jean-Talon Market, which he visits on his Vespa. There was so many tempting dishes from which to choose the evening we visited, but we decided on a pescatarian-vegetarian selection including Razor Clams, Raw Mackerel with beurre noisette and fresh fava beans, Sweet Corn with sea grass, Ricotta Gnudi with local Sungold tomatoes, Poached Gaspé Halibut with local zucchini and outstanding Croque-Pétoncle inspired by Paul Bocuse's Lyon quenelles. Enormously popular, it's the one dish that always stays on the menu. The wine selection is equally impressive, with our server presenting multiple options from which to choose. 

Rabbit paraphernalia lend Mon Lapin a whimsical touch — a tongue-in-cheek reference to well-known French winemaker Jean-Francois Ganevat who affectionately referred to his friends, whether old or new, as ‘mon lapin’. "His winery represents the apex of natural wine, polyculture and respect for the planet and its bounty," explained Mon Lapin's co-owner Vanya Filipovic. "There was no other option for the wine bar's name and the rest is history".

The charming interior of Mon Lapin in Montreal

Mon Lapin's daily changing seasonally driven menu with descriptions that are assertively minimalist 

and often mischievously confounding

Bartender mixing our cocktails

Gin Martini made with Comont Gin from Quebec

Glass of Et Caetera sparkling wine

Seasonality and freshness are Mon Lapin’s watchwords, with a daily changing menu 

that transform local produce into simple but sophisticated small plates

Palourdes Couteaux de Mer très céleri: Razor Clams

Maquereau cru au beurre noisette e fava: Raw Mackerel with fresh fava beans

Wine Bucket with wines offered by the glass

Wondering which Rosé to order, our server brought a magnificent selection from which to choose,

and explained the nuances of each one

We selected the 2022 Bourgogne Avec Histoire Rosé 

Our personable and knowledgeable server pouring the Rosé

Gesturing about how the restaurant began at half the size and has since grown to 

being one of the top restaurants in Canada

Glass of the Avec Histoire Rosé 

One of the many rabbit motifs at Mon Lapin

Le Croque-Pétoncle é oignons verts: Grilled Scallop "croque" with green onion mayonnaise

is one of only two dishes permanently on the menu at Mon Lapin

Unbelievably delicious, the Croque-Pétoncle is inspired by Paul Bocuse's Lyon quenelles 

and the legendary Pierno from Harry's Bar in Venice,

Concombre melon avec stracciatella di Bufala et myrtilles: Cucumber melon 

with stracciatella and local blueberries

Gnudi de Ricotta avec tomatoes Sungold au beurre: Ricotta Gnudi with 

Sungold cherry tomatoes and butter

Maïs du Roi sucré de la famille G. Deneault at Fils avec laitues de mer de Gaspé:

Farm fresh sweet corn from G. Deneault at Fils at Jean-Talon Market with sea lettuce from Gaspé

Flétan de Gaspé avec courgettes: Halibut from Gaspé with local zucchini

Tonnarelli con ragù Bianco di baccalà e zucchine: Tonarelli with salt cod baccala and zucchini

With just eight tables and four high tops by the bar, reservations at Mon Lapin are 

very difficult to get but absolutely worth the effort

Sous chef Charles Éric preparing the fava beans for the Maquereau Cru au Beurre Noisette e Fava

Gateau Sarrasin avec miei et fromage frais

Mousse Chocolat Avana e Sabayon Bluets

Té Jasmine

Mon Lapin is the lovechild of husband-wife duo chef Marc-Olivier Frappier 

and Sommelier Vanya Filipovic

vinmonlapin.com

Grilled Scallop Sandwiches

Makes 4 servings

Recipe courtesy of chef Marc-Olivier Frappier, Mon Lapin

300g scallops

1 egg white

2 tbsp 35% cream

1 pinch of salt

1 pinch of sugar

1 pinch of ground white pepper

4 slices of white sandwich bread, sliced ​​lengthwise

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

1/4 cup clarified butter

In the bowl of the food processor, place the scallops, egg white, cream and seasonings. Pulse until the mixture is smooth, while maintaining a coarse texture. Brush one side of each slice of bread with the mustard.  Divide the scallop mixture between two slices of bread. Close the sandwich with the two remaining slices of bread. In a large frying pan, brown the sandwiches in the clarified butter for 3 minutes on each side. Cut in half and enjoy immediately.

Chocolate-Pinoli Cookies

Recipe courtesy of chef Marc-Olivier Frappier, Mon Lapin

7 1/2 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature

8 oz brown sugar, sifted

4 oz white sugar

1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk

7 oz all purpose flour

7 oz rye flour

3 1/2 oz buckwheat flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

9 oz coarsely chopped dark chocolate

2 1/2 oz pine nuts

Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, and sugar until well incorporated. Add the eggs and mix. Stir the dry ingredients, chocolate, and nuts into the butter-egg-sugar mixture, and let rest for a few hours. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out the dough on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 8-10 minutes.   The centre should still be soft. Let cool and enjoy while looking out the window and wondering how it will all turn out.