Radio Nature: Grille-Nature’s Wine Bar Sister

Grille-Nature now has a little sister, right next door: Radio Nature. It’s David McMillan and Derek Dammann’s take on the wine bar, a warm, lively room in the West Island where friends and larger groups gather around plates made for sharing. Prices are gentler than at its big sister, but the spirit hasn’t changed: hearty dishes, the showpiece creations the duo is known for, and the generous hospitality that is their true signature.

Two Chefs, Their Farms and Their Vineyard

Plenty of restaurants say they work with farms. Here, the owners themselves own the land and farm it. Vegetables, greens and eggs come from Saintweed Acres, the farm run by Derek Dammann, former chef at Maison Publique, where his wife also works the fields. Plums, pears, apples and peppers come from Hayfield Farm, David McMillan’s property in Saint-Armand. And soon, honey and Kunekune pork from Saintweed will be joining the menu too.

It’s hard to find a truer farm-to-table experience in the city. McMillan sums it up: “You’re eating my food from my farm that I grew and my partner’s food from his farm that he grew, and you’re drinking wine that I’ve taken eight years to make.” Dammann shares the same pride: “It’s amazing to be able to do that from where I live, bring it here, and see people eating things that were picked that morning by my wife.” We couldn’t agree more: this is the future, and above all, it’s delicious.

Light Bites and Showstoppers

Andrew Leduc runs the kitchen as chef de cuisine, with support from Melinda Gorman, who holds the same role at Grille-Nature. The room is easier on groups than its big sister: parties of up to 12 can simply order off the menu, larger groups can call ahead for a set menu, and the whole space can be booked for private events.

The menu is built for sharing, with plenty of small plates for the middle of the table and a few dishes that turn every head in the room. Curried oysters are a great way to kick things off, as is the albacore tuna crudo, dressed Veracruz-style. The mushroom parfait, a Dammann invention, is entirely vegetarian, yet you’d swear you were eating foie gras. As for the white ham with brown butter, a McMillan signature, you see it coming, and it still wins over the whole table.

Then the rabbit pie arrives, big enough to share, with a large beef marrow bone proudly sticking out of it: there’s no way the neighbouring tables won’t turn around. The steak “spéciale” makes just as much of an impression: Australian A5 wagyu topped with seared foie gras, served with a house-made pressed hamburger bun to mop up every last drop of sauce. For dessert, end on a light note with the blackberry Eton mess, or go all in with profiteroles drenched in hot butterscotch.

Real Wine, Real Art

The wine list at Radio Nature is the same as Grille-Nature’s, and any bottle from one cellar can be poured at the other. The spotlight is on Hayfield’s five wines, including a pinot noir and a chardonnay that hold their own against the great wines of the world.

Under tall industrial ceilings, the room has space to breathe, and its checkered tablecloths bring the same easygoing charm as its big sister. On the walls hang woodcuts and paintings by Portuguese artist Joe Lima, a longtime friend of the house. Come for a glass, stay for a light bite or the menu’s most decadent picks, and settle in for an evening of great wine and great food.

The West Island had nothing like it, and no one was better placed than this duo to fill the gap. Long live Radio Nature and everything it stands for!

Written by Marie-Ève Godin
Photography by Scott Usheroff

Updated on October 16, 2026

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