Mémo: Enjoy delicious meals for lunch and dinner in Old Montreal

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  • Mémo

  • $$
  • 644 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest Montréal H3C 1J2
  • Monday: Closed
    Tuesday: 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM
    Wednesday: 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM
    Thursday: 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM
    Friday: 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM
    Saturday: 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM
    Sunday: Closed
  • Restaurant

Mémo is one of those excellent dining spots that occasionally pops up on our radar in an unexpected location, and we love sharing them with you.

Located at 644 Notre-Dame Street West, Mémo opened its doors in late October 2024 for dinner service, with lunch service starting in mid-November. “Memo is short for mémoire, for the dishes that linger in our memory. It’s shorter than memorandum and evokes something memorable,” explains the smiling chef. And memorable is exactly how your experience at this table will likely be. “We wanted to break the mold of ‘Gastronomy’ with something more along the lines of ‘Eating well and having fun,’ but with an eye for detail,” adds Sabrina, his partner in the dining room.

This impressive chef presents plates worthy of a fine dining establishment. In another country, Rémi Lemieux would surely earn a top toque and stars. Here, this native of Shawinigan is poised to win over a loyal following of gourmet diners. A graduate of ITHQ, with experience under Martin Picard — from whom he inherited a penchant for indulgence — Lemieux honed his craft at Au Pied de Cochon, La Cabane à Sucre du Pied de Cochon, and most recently at Nord-Est, which has since closed its doors.

In its small space, easy to walk past without suspecting the delights waiting inside, Rémi, his sous-chef Jaya McNeil, and Sabrina offer diners truly memorable experiences.

Lunch service is more restrained but still absolutely delicious. In the evening, however, the chef lets his culinary imagination run free with tasting menus that are genuinely unforgettable. His work with scallops, for example, deserves special mention: a fireworks display combining dashi broth, a touch of smoked salt, soy, seaweed, and fermented celery juice. The dish is as visually stunning as it is flavorful, and it will linger in your memory long after you’ve savored it.

Other highlights include a beet tartare made of tiny rehydrated cubes, beautifully presented as a starter, and a rich, buttery squash cream with cheddar, served with delicate croutons as another appetizer option.

For main courses, highlights include scallops paired with potatoes and cabbage, as well as a truly memorable “Burger and Fries.” The burger features squid ink-infused buns, beef hand-chopped into shards, triple-smoked, and served perfectly rare. At Mémo, the fries are irresistible slices of Russet potatoes cooked in butter—utterly indulgent, even if you feel a twinge of guilt about the richness.

For lunch, there are two dessert options: chocolate mousse and mille-feuille. The finale is as decadent as the appetizers and mains.

You’ll leave Mémo slightly dazed by all the culinary wonders. After lunch, a leisurely walk is highly recommended before heading back to work. In the evening, don’t expect to fall asleep right away—the chef and his sous-chef will have left you with extraordinary memories to savor long after the meal.


Photography by Frédérique Lemay





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