Riposte: Against the Tide Cuisine in Saint-Henri

At Riposte, an evening can be as simple as a drink and a few pintxos at the counter, or it can stretch all the way to a digestif over a large dish for the table. That flexibility, paired with cuisine that draws on the Roussillon, where northern Spain meets southwestern France, is what makes the place so distinctive. Spanish and French influences serve as the starting point, and from there the menu allows itself plenty of detours. In Saint-Henri, the team set out to build a true neighbourhood restaurant, with prices designed so you can come back often.

Behind Riposte are Julien Betancourt, Frédéric Bigras-Burrogano and chef Matthew Finn. A longtime wine lover, Julien has run cocktail bars and opened Nolan, which has since closed. A mixologist by training, Frédéric made the leap into restaurants at Gia Vin & Grill, where he notably led the bar program. He is now a PhD candidate at Concordia, where he researches art, philosophy and food, and Riposte sits at the heart of his thesis. Born in Belfast, Matthew cooked at Frieda in Berlin, ran the kitchen at Bistro L’Stage in British Columbia, and spent time at Bar Minou on Avenue du Parc. Rounding out the project is Julien Hebert Nguyễn, a lower-profile partner but just as involved. “Worst case scenario, it’s a fun neighbourhood restaurant. Best case scenario, we inspire people to do business differently,” says Frédéric.

Two Time Zones on the Plate

Matthew arrived with a whole stock of sauces, spices and ferments, which he pairs with Québec vegetables and products harvested that same week. “On the plate, it’s like you’ve got two time zones at once,” Frédéric explains. Julien points to the chef’s restraint: “The main ingredient is the main ingredient.” Period. Everything else on the plate supports it without ever stealing the spotlight.

The menu works as well for a light appetite as for a full meal. For a few bites to share, go with the pintxos, like serrano ham and olives. Among the small plates, the barbajuan, a little fried turnover from Provence, is filled here with raw scallop and blood sausage, while the beef tartare borrows the spices of pinchos morunos, the marinated skewers of southern Spain. Hungrier tables can turn to hearty, comforting cuts of meat. Think guanciale cocido, pork cheek with eggplant and figs, or the Berkshire pork chop platter for sharing, served in its jus with good olive oil and shishitos.

Riposte “Apéro Plus-Plus”: Cocktails, Wine and Eaux-de-Vie

The cocktails lean toward gentler flavours, designed to go with the food. “It’s a kind of apéro plus-plus. You can come in and you can always keep going,” Frédéric says. Our favourite is L’Émeraude, which brings together gin, tomato and cucumber, playing on the lacto-fermentation and tomato martini trends with striking freshness. And of course there’s tinto de verano, the Spanish classic that fits right in with the kitchen’s culinary inspirations.

Let’s not forget the wine! Sommelier Eleonore Schreiber has put together a list of about 50 labels from France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Québec, including an entire section of skin-contact wines and rosés. Starting from a more natural concept centred on the Roussillon, the team added more classic bottles so the whole neighbourhood can find something to enjoy.

Frédéric also runs an agency that imports products from independent distillers, and the aperitif and digestif program benefits from it, as do we. Cognacs and armagnacs, eaux-de-vie born from wine, sit alongside calvados and fruit eaux-de-vie, all at very reasonable prices. To finish the meal, the herb parfait, which recalls the spirit of a semifreddo in a lighter form, pairs beautifully with one of the digestifs on the list.

Where Minimalism Meets Comfort

Set in the fully renovated former Nozy space, Riposte relies on a dining room that leaves the spotlight to the plate. Red steel lamps above the tables, orange accents and comfortable retro banquettes share the room with a dark marble counter and politically charged posters. The whole remains minimalist without ever feeling cold. The alternative music playing in the background carries through what you find in the decor, the glass and on the plate.

For the team, the word riposte evokes a mode of action, “something a little electric,” Frédéric notes, and a way of going against the current. The lightning bolt chosen as the logo, a nod to hardcore band Bad Brains, illustrates this idea of a swift move that strikes “at a precise point.” The restaurant’s graphic identity, right down to the menu, draws on hardcore iconography.

Riposte thus offers its own response to Montreal’s culinary trends, and you taste it first and foremost on the plate. There’s no equivalent in the city, which makes it a wonderful discovery and a well-deserved entry on our list of the best restaurants in Saint-Henri.

Written by Jean-Philippe Tastet
Photography by Alison Slattery

Updated on October 21, 2026

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