La Spada: Roman Italian classics in St-Henri

La Spada is the Italian address with a chic, eclectic décor on Notre-Dame West in Saint-Henri, in the very space that once housed the vegan restaurant Conceria.

Behind this beautiful project is Scott Usheroff, a name that will certainly sound familiar—Scott is one of the city’s most renowned food photographers. Before turning to culinary photography full-time, Scott (also known as Craving Curator) spent many years working in kitchens. After a brief detour into the tech world, his passion for food never left him. When he finally took the leap to focus entirely on food photography, the timing felt right. “I’ve always felt at home in restaurants. It was inevitable that I’d end up opening one,” he confides. Scott brings his photographer’s eye and creative vision to the menu, especially when it comes time to plate the dishes—naturally, the photos accompanying this article are his.

Blue velvet banquettes, marble statues, white tablecloths, and rococo chandeliers; imagine New York’s legendary Carbone redesigned by a street art and street photography enthusiast—that should give you a good idea of the vibe. The restaurant’s walls are covered with found images, family memories, black-and-white photos Scott captured during his travels in Italy, and portraits of soccer players and Italian celebrities (there’s even a topless Sophia Loren photo hidden somewhere—happy hunting). A large canvas by Montréal artist LeBicar, created especially for the restaurant, towers over the dining room, alongside a more discreet piece by Dan Climan. Joel Malkin, another Montréal artist now based in Toronto, designed the restaurant’s emblem: a snake coiled around a sword (“spada” in Italian). The original sketch is also displayed on one of the walls.

Near the entrance, in the small section nicknamed “purgatory,” guests can sit at the bar or a small table for a Negroni and a bite at aperitivo hour. At the back, near the second bar and the kitchen, you’ll find “the chef’s table.” A handful of fortunate guests can let themselves be surprised by the chef and his team with a customized, off-menu tasting experience.

Roman Classics

On the menu: great classics of Roman cuisine—ragù alla romana, cacio e pepe, carbonara, linguine alle vongole (white wine and clams), eggplant parmigiana, Caesar salad, sautéed rapini, and more. For amuse-bouches (or sfizi, little pleasures), you’ll find tasty polpette and wonderfully supple supplì—fried oblong rice-and-cheese croquettes, somewhere between an arancini and a mozzarella stick.

We especially loved the Tortellini in Brodo, delicate ricotta-filled pasta served in a broth poured tableside by our server. Among the primi, the Ravioli Francese, served as a single large sheet in sage brown butter with butternut squash purée and amaretti crumble, also deserve high praise. The Vitello Saltimbocca (literally “veal that jumps in your mouth”)—a generous bone-in veal cutlet wrapped in prosciutto and bathed in sage butter—is already a must-order. Seafood lovers will also be tempted by dishes like squid-ink linguine with lobster and seafood, breaded cod, and a whole pan-seared sea bass. For dessert, you simply can’t skip the decadent tiramisu.

In the dining room, you’re in excellent hands with maître d’ Liam Painchaud (ex-Taverne Monkland and Nolan) and his attentive team. Scott also called on his close friend, sommelier Jon Cercone (a.k.a. Brommelier of Taverne sur le Square), to curate the wine list—featuring bottles for every occasion and every budget. “We have very accessible options, as well as bottles for those who want to splurge a little,” says Scott. Alongside the classics, the bar offers a few signature cocktails, including an enticing Peperoncini Martini, as well as a beautiful selection of aperitivi, limoncello, and grappa.

In short, La Spada doesn’t reinvent the wheel—but why overthink things when the classics are this delicious?

Enjoy the discovery!

Written by Jean-Philippe Tastet
Photography by Scott Usheroff

Last update: December 10, 2025

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