Bona Fide: Italy between nostalgia and novelty

It’s safe to say that Italian cuisine is universally loved. In Montreal, where it has always been very present, it seems to be experiencing a new golden age with the opening of several restaurants with retro atmospheres, such as La Spada and the brand new Birbante. Bona Fide (which means “good faith”) is also part of this nostalgic trend.

It’s a former trio from the Antonietta osteria who set up shop in the late Paloma’s premises. The elongated dining room on Saint-Laurent Boulevard (north) is both recognizable and radically transformed. There is now wood on the walls, paintings, old lamps and other small details that warm up the space and evoke a period basement in Saint-Léonard.

The co-owners, Luigi Minerva, Renaud Bussières and Camille Laura Briand, speak of “Italian inspiration” when it comes to the offerings offered by their new establishment. “Luigi is the only one of us who is Italian. David Alfred, our chef, has worked at Liverpool House and Nora Gray. We have all been immersed in Italian cuisine, but we don’t want to limit ourselves to traditional recipes either,” says Renaud.

The current menu is undeniably autumnal and local with squash, apples, bitter lettuce, chestnuts, parsnips, duck, etc.

The wine list put together by Renaud Bussières contains a certain number of Italian vintages, but it is far from exclusive. Quebec, Spain, France and other origins are also well represented.

It was the cocktail scene that encouraged the trio to meet, but at Bona Fide we stick to the essentials: negroni, spritz, martini… If you want to please Renaud, order a Spaghett, a Miller High Life to which we add Aperol and lemon juice.

You will have understood that this new restaurant in the north of the city does not take itself too seriously, that it is focused on simplicity, pleasure, sharing and… good faith.

8521, boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montreal

Visit the Bona Fide website