Elena: Coffee, Pizza and Wine in Saint-Henri

The decor of Elena was designed by our friend Kyle Goforth (Boxermans, Loïc). The space has a very retro Italian vibe. “Building Elena was interesting. It’s a beautiful canvas, offering a lot of freedom, and it can open up,” says Ryan. Upon entering, you’re greeted by a 12-seat bar and an open kitchen. To the right, there’s a dining room with about 50 seats. The orange banquettes and blue velvet chairs contrast with the black marble tables and white walls. At the center of the dining room is a service area that ensures remarkable efficiency. The decor is unique and sleek, making Elena one of the most beautiful restaurants in Montreal.

The menu at Elena was created by Chris Cameron. The menu includes a few antipasti, three homemade salads, some of the best homemade pasta in Montreal, and pizzas — now part of our list of the best pizzas in the city. Prices range from $9 to $32 — all dishes are meant to be shared. The menu is fairly accessible but maintains a high standard of quality. It changes based on customer preferences, product arrivals, and seasonal ingredients. Right now, we’re particularly fond of their Kale Caesar salad! “We take classic Italian recipes and tweak them. We take their recipes, but with local ingredients and our local guys; there’s a true sense of terroir. Everything is inspired by Italy, starting with using local products. The pizza is made with natural sourdough, which gives it an incredibly thin and much more digestible crust,” explains Emma. For dessert, there are a few sweet treats to wrap up the meal beautifully! Notably, their cannoli are among the best in Montreal.

The wine list is curated by Ryan. It features a wonderful selection of natural wines, with an emphasis on Italian wines — rosé, sparkling, orange, white, and red (starting at $51+). “These are really fun wines, all natural, from excellent producers, and they’re accessible,” says Ryan. Elena also offers a few simple cocktails, alongside the classics.

What’s really cool, according to us, is that Elena has multiple angles; it’s a multi-faceted establishment with the potential to grow and evolve. “We always say: upstairs, downstairs, inside, outside, dine-in, or take-out, seven days a week.” Indeed, a café with a take-out section has opened at the back of the restaurant: Club Social PS (!) Elena also has a lovely sunny terrace, heated year-round.

“We’re super excited to work with extraordinary people and to grow the Nora family. We’re also really happy to work with Marley; without him, we wouldn’t have been able to do it,” Ryan adds. We love the atmosphere at Elena, we adore their pizzas, homemade pasta, and decor! We also appreciate that the bill isn’t steep and that the project continues to evolve in the coming months. Long live Elena!