Osteria Basta: authentic Italian cuisine on the North Shore

In the charming village of Sainte-Thérèse, a small osteria quietly opened in November 2024. Osteria Basta is the project of a couple of chefs: Juliette Leininger, who arrived from France eleven years ago, and David Castro, a Montrealer of Sicilian origin, who decided to do things their own way.

The two met in 2020, in the kitchen. Very quickly, a shared dream took shape: to open their own place and leave behind the high-volume brigades to focus on what truly matters to them. “We really wanted to cook dishes that represent us, and above all avoid staying in kitchens that prioritize volume. We wanted to focus on the quality of our products and our food.”

In August 2024, they found a small space in the Laurentians, in Sainte-Thérèse. What followed was a renovation project carried out largely by the couple themselves — floors, chairs, the full layout. The result: a cozy 37-seat dining room, bar included, plus a terrace of similar capacity for the warmer months. Osteria Basta is above all a place full of character, charm, and warmth that the two built together.

Authentic Italian cucina

While David’s roots are Sicilian, Osteria Basta’s menu is not limited to a single region. The duo travels across Italy, from Alto Adige to Tuscany, and of course Sicily. “We’re not necessarily tied to one region, as long as it remains very traditional. We also try to highlight dishes that aren’t very well known in Italian cuisine.”

Choosing Italian cuisine was no coincidence. For Juliette and David, it’s as much a philosophy as a culinary style: a cuisine that celebrates simple, high-quality ingredients where the product speaks for itself.

During our visit, we fell for the bucatini alla carbonara, a dish that perfectly reflects their approach: simplicity, quality, tradition, and execution. Everything was there for a classic carbonara. We also loved the piece of meat served over risotto — perfectly cooked, incredibly tender, paired with a rich and creamy risotto. And how could we say no to a cannolo to finish the meal? It was in-cred-i-ble.

The Osteria Basta menu evolves constantly, almost every week, depending on ingredients and inspiration. In the summer, things change even more with an outdoor wood-fired oven, fueled entirely by wood, which opens up a playground far beyond pizza. “We don’t just make pizza: we cook fish, pasta, and meats in the wood oven. We also try to introduce people to real traditions.”

On the wine side, Juliette leads the way. The list is entirely private import, but not limited to Italian bottles. The goal is to find wines that work in harmony with the dishes and the restaurant’s identity, no matter where they come from. For cocktails, the same philosophy of authenticity applies: all syrups and bases are made in-house.

Basta: enough!

The name “Basta” was born almost by accident. While preparing one of their first menus, Juliette and David imagined a full service and, at the very end, the word naturally came out: basta (enough!). But it also carries a broader message — a “that’s enough” addressed to an industry that too often prioritizes quantity over quality. “It was a bit of a message to the restaurant industry that works with a lot of quantity while sidestepping quality. We really wanted to put an end to that.”

Mission accomplished. Osteria Basta is undoubtedly one of the best tables on Montreal’s North Shore. Auguri! 🍷🍝

Written by Jean-Philippe Tastet
Photography by Alison Slattery

Updated on March 05, 2026

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