Routy, where Boxermans reinvents itself

If you were a regular at the late Boxermans on Van Horne Avenue, won over by its kitchen, you’re going to fall for the brand-new Routy, which has come to life within those same memory-laden walls.

A warm setting, crafted with care

Owners Éric Berlin and chef Grégoire Routy (the restaurant’s namesake) have reimagined the space with a confident sense of taste and true elegance. The result is warm, refined, and welcoming. Wood dominates throughout, tables are beautifully dressed, and the walls are adorned with black-and-white photographs — family portraits of the chef, taken last century — lending the whole space a very particular soul. The lighting is soft, the background music unobtrusive. At the center of the room, a beautiful cabinet showcases the glassware from which the finest wines on the list will be served. The bar counter, which seats four, along with that central cabinet, are the work of George Papas, a talented cabinetmaker whose craftsmanship you won’t fail to appreciate.

A short but truly enticing menu, and superb wines

Chef Grégoire Routy and his brigade offer cooking worthy of the finest tables. The menu, concise and well-constructed, is full of appealing dishes and whets the appetite from the very first read. Five starters, four mains, three desserts — brevity itself — are more than enough to speak to the seriousness of the kitchen. Since everything is tempting, choosing becomes a deliciously difficult task.

The chef’s past experiences are traceable in every plate: several Michelin-starred kitchens in France and England, as well as time spent at Raele in Copenhagen. From the former, one senses an inherited creativity and a certain culinary boldness; from the Danish experience, he took away “the minimalism in the plate and in the design, and also the fact that the cooks would always come out into the dining room.”

On the wine side, Routy has assembled a list that pairs beautifully with the chef’s cooking. A long selection of reds, a few sparkling wines, some rosés, and a carefully chosen range of whites. Among the reds, a Clos Marie Pic Saint-Loup 2023 brimming with the scents of the Languedoc garrigue, offered at a very reasonable price for the quality.

The first bites set the tone

On the evening of our visit, the wait was eased by a few slices of sourdough from Automne, a bakery whose talent needs no introduction. Paired with an absolutely irresistible smoked butter — to the point of wanting more — this simple prologue already set the tone for the evening. The chef then came out to the dining room to present delicious amuse-bouches: small pissaladière-style rolls, delicate and refined, with hints of onion, olive, and anchovy.

The dishes: between mastery and generosity

Among the highlights of the menu: on the starter side, asparagus with honey pollen and hazelnuts, and a crudo of Newfoundland scallops with bergamot and mint, topped with very thinly sliced radish. For mains, a generous piece of sea bream, pan-seared to perfection — a dish that, on its own, justified the journey. The trout, meanwhile, might have seemed understated on its own, but paired with carrots, a touch of saffron, and biquinhos — those small Brazilian peppers of remarkable mildness — it came together as a thoroughly satisfying main course.

Desserts: a finale to match

A silky raspberry-rhubarb sorbet, adorned with fine ribbons of rhubarb and lifted by sprigs of tagetes, that fascinating aromatic herb that elevates any dessert to near-heavenly heights. Dark chocolate lovers, for their part, will happily surrender to the chef’s “Hot/Cold” creation — a bold pairing of chocolate and herbes de Provence that is pure indulgence.

In conclusion

Routy immediately establishes itself as one of the standout addresses of the season in Montréal. You come once for the food, and return for everything else — the welcome, the atmosphere, the service, precise and gracious throughout, and that rare feeling of being exactly where you ought to be. A table to add to your favourites without delay.

Written by Jean-Philippe Tastet
Photography by Alison Slattery

Updated on May 28, 2026

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