Restaurant le St-Amable

Last year I spend 8 months living in Montréal and fell in love with it.  There are so many great things about Montréal, and the diversity of great dining experiences are just the tip of the iceberg.  My husband and I took advantage of the great weather this weekend to go hang out in Montréal.  We both love the fusion of architectural styles in Vieux Montréal, so we decided to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon wandering through the old streets, stopping into the odd shop or gallery, and watching all the interesting characters.  We found a nice French restaurant with a patio along one of the busier squares in the neighbourhood - Place Jacques-Cartier.  Restaurant le St-Amable (located at 410 Place Jacques-Cartier) is a perfect place to sit down for a snack or meal on a sunny day while watching the world go by.  We watched a clown present a great big balloon flower to a bride who was walking through the square with her husband trailed by a few bridemaids and groomsmen and a dutyful photographer.  We watched another bride-to-be sporting a disheveled veil and carrying a tray like a cigarette girl at a ball-game approach two police officers and exchange words with the male officer.  One of her friends was holding up a sign and was obviously egging her on.  The female officer was obviously entertained as her partner shifted uncomfortably.  Tourists were browsing jewelery laid out on tables in the square, and artists had caricature drawings of famous Canadians on display.  The menu had some nice fish options - including mussels, lobster, salmon and tilapia - as well as some wild meat including rabbit and red deer.  It was the middle of the afternoon, however, and we only wanted a snack.  We ordered a couple of glasses of red wine and Joe started with the seasonal soup - potato leak.  The soup came with a dollop of fresh butter dropped right into the centre to slowly melt and add to the creamyness of the soup.  It was delicious.  We had a basket of warm rolls and crispy pieces of baguette and shared a cheese tray.  It was all very appropriate for the setting and we thoroughly enjoyed the service.  Inside it seemed like a nice atmosphere, Joe described it as "aged ambiance" and I couldn't help but notice the puffed-up spikey blowfish on display in one window.  Although we only snacked at the restaurant, we were quite impressed and would go back to sample a complete meal.

Tastiness Factor: 8

Advice: Go there on a nice sunny afternoon, watch the life in the square while indulging in wine and cheese on the deck of le St-Amable.