Bistrot à Franky: A French Table by the Founders of Menu Extra

The name Francis Blais probably rings a bell. The chef has an impressive résumé, highlighted by his Top Chef Canada win. A co-founder of Menu Extra, he is now co-owner of Bistrot à Franky in Mile End.

For years, the Menu Extra team has pushed the limits of what a meal can express, with a level of execution we’ve followed closely and with great admiration. So when we heard the founders were opening their own place, we were (very) excited! Bistrot à Franky is one of the most anticipated openings of the year: reservations are already open, and the doors officially open on October 12.

It’s Francis’s nickname above the storefront, but make no mistake, this project was built as a team. Maxime Beaulieu, general manager, has the kind of warmth and quick wit that makes you stretch out a meal without realizing it. Alexis Demers, a hospitality genius, knows his wines inside out and has built a cellar that alone is worth the trip. “By dividing up the tasks, the responsibilities, the accountability, we’re going to do something grand,” says Francis. The name itself opens onto a whole universe: “You’re stepping into Franky’s world. A warm, generous world.”

Menu Extra has had several lives, from its community events during the pandemic to a creative studio working for brands, where every project starts from scratch and the chef mostly cooks for guests he didn’t choose. The bistro serves as an anchor for Francis, a place “where I can settle in for the long run,” with simpler, more mature cooking, and a table where he can finally host family, friends and collaborators without keeping score.

Bistrot à Franky is a separate project from Menu Extra, one that offers more stability. “Simple things have to be done well. If you exceed people’s expectations with the simple things, that creates unforgettable moments.” Mile End was the obvious choice. “This is home. I wouldn’t have done it in any other neighbourhood.”

A Blank Canvas for the Guests

None other than Zébulon Perron designed the space, so it goes without saying that it’s stunning. Zébulon’s design went through a good ten versions, all beautiful, but ones in which Francis saw less of himself, until his friend Xavier Dolan, filmmaker and world-builder, stepped in to translate his wishes into words and references. “At first, I didn’t really know what I wanted myself. Xavier became my go-between, the one who conveyed my ideas to Zébulon.” Like all good things, the project took time. The end result is a dazzling white dining room that still carries plenty of warmth, thanks in particular to the wood accents and the artwork on the walls. The tones are deliberately neutral, to express a lesser-known side of Francis. “You wouldn’t guess it at first, but deep down, I’m shy, an introvert. It’s a white restaurant that leaves room for people to come and colour the space.” Bistrot à Franky already ranks among the most beautiful restaurants in Montreal.

French Classics, Dissected

Five classics will never leave the menu: the omelette, salmon with sorrel, sole meunière, chicken in vin jaune and filet au poivre. The rest changes with the market, starting with the vegetable plate, which only exists if someone from the kitchen went to pick out the produce that very morning. “We build our dishes so we understand them, so we can improve them without distorting them.”

The filet au poivre takes this logic all the way. The cut, bought on the bone, is aged for two weeks. Some twenty peppers were tasted before landing on the final blend: two African ones for heat, two floral, almost sweet Indian ones, and one from Quebec with minty notes. And since thick cream isn’t part of our Quebec habits, the team makes its own by fermenting cream and buttermilk for ten days, for a rich, coating sauce lifted by a fine acidity. This simple, technically flawless dish is on the pricey side, but it lingers in your dreams long after the last fry and is already earning a spot among the best steak frites in town. Some bites become unforgettable, and this dish is one of them.

You come here to eat well, plain and simple. For cooking where technique and mastery shine without needing seven courses. To open great bottles and stretch out the evening, or simply stop in for a glass and a starter.

Bistrot à Franky is well on its way to becoming one of the best French restaurants in the city, and the kind of bistro where you already can’t wait to become a regular. Bravo!