Vivant Pizza: Sourdough Pizza and Fresh Vegetables in the Plateau

In the Plateau Mont-Royal, Vivant Pizza was born from a sourdough pizza long perfected at home. The name says it all: a starter fed every day, living wines, food that is as minimally processed as possible, and the life of a neighbourhood business run by two neighbours who live a few steps away.

Behind Vivant is a brother-and-sister duo, Idir and Nadia Saïdani. After 20 years in actuarial science, Idir left his job in September 2024 to pursue his passion for pizza and took over the kitchen. Less than a year later, Nadia, who comes from event production and film, joined him and took over the dining room.

Well Surrounded

The Vivant duo went looking for a team of key players to join them. Chef Stelio Perombelon, Montreal’s reference when it comes to vegetables, led the menu brainstorms and brought precise recipes so that vegetables would shine alongside the pizza. Mélanie Blanchette (Bouillon Bilk, Cadet, Place Carmin, among others) served as a mentor on the service side, for both Nadia and Idir.

In the kitchen, Juliette Renaud, in her early twenties and an ITHQ graduate, trained at Le Filet and Mon Lapin before a stint at Le Violon. Stelio referred her, and she quickly made his recipes her own, adding her touch. She was looking for a position with real responsibilities; she found it.

At the oven, Vladimiro Barbato, born and raised in Naples and a pizzaiolo his whole life, has worked at Bottega and Moleskine since arriving in Montreal. First approached as a consultant to fine-tune Idir’s recipe, he ended up joining the team full time. Together, they adjusted the sourdough ratios until they landed on the current dough.

Keeping the Homemade Spirit, Even at the Restaurant

The result is a surprisingly light al taglio pizza, with a beautifully airy crust and an edge that crackles before giving way to a soft crumb. Our favourite is the caprese: cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella di bufala melting onto the still-warm dough. There is also always a special pizza in rotation.

When they are not on the pizzas, the vegetables are just as carefully prepared, from salads to crudités, and you can taste the freshness in every dish. Homemade is part of the kitchen’s identity. When an ingredient is not served in its simplest, freshest form, it is transformed on site: peperoncini, pickled fennel and peppers on the pizzas, and even a tomato jam. Preserves should start appearing on the shelves over time, and there is little chance the peperoncini will ever be bought ready-made.

Vivant first opened for daytime only and has just launched its evening service, where the menu will develop further. The Neapolitan pizza, which Idir has been working on for years in the kamado oven in his backyard, will follow. “The Neapolitan is the queen of pizzas. We clearly plan to add it to the menu, one thing at a time. Our oven can do both,” he tells us.

Wines They Love, Microbrewery Beer

The drinks list, put together by the brother and sister, starts with the wines they love: private imports that lean natural without shouting about it, chosen to stay easy-drinking with pizza. Beer on tap rounds out the offering, including a pilsner from Herman for the classic side and a light IPA from Messorem, plus a few cans. For non-alcoholic options, they offer house-made sodas.

The decor, by architecture firm La Shed, fills the room with accents of yellow, pastel pink and wood. For now, it seats about twenty, plus a heated outdoor bench, and there are no reservations. The second floor, planned within the next year, will add 35 to 40 seats and more than double the capacity. Until then, we go back for the caprese and wait for the Neapolitan.

Written by Marie-Ève Godin
Photography by Alison Slattery

Updated on September 18, 2026

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