e Local is a nice addition to the Old Montreal dining scene from the two-headed wonder chef team of Alexandre Gosselin (Simplechic, O Chalet) and Louis-Francois Marcotte (SimpIechic, Le gout de Louis). These guys are pretty serious about their food and have created a complex menu filled with dishes comprised of a variety of seemingly incompatible flavors. Gosselin and Marcotte have crafted a haute gourmet menu where items like truffle foam never seem out of place.

The industrial design of the restaurant leaves a lot of empty space, but the furniture (built primarily from leather and wood) fills in the space nicely, transforming a potentially cold dining area into a warm and intimate one. The service is also fast, efficient and friendly, but the star of this restaurant is the food. Starters like escargot with mushrooms, garlic gnocchi in a bordelaise sauce, or suckling pork belly with Du Puy lentils, diced carrots and onions set the tone for a meal of experimental high-end cuisine that will make your taste buds shriek with delight.

The main courses include anything from classic items like braised beef with a parsnip puree, to more experimental fair like shrimp risotto with Isle aux grues cheddar or pan-fried halibut with a salad of coco beans, cipollini onions, confit tomatoes, brussels sprouts and calamari, with a hazelnut and balsamic vinaigrette. Sure, it could take you half an hour to merely say the name of your meal, but at least you’re not one of the poor waiters who have to memorize the specials. Desserts are equally enjoyable with items like 70 per cent Valrona chocolate cake with nut ice cream and lavender creme brulee served with chocolate shortbread cookies that will make your toes curl.

Le Locale is poised to be one of the hottest new dining spots in Old Montreal. Foodies will be blown away by the layered flavors of every item on the menu and should also enjoy being able to show off their culinary savvy while rattling their dish’s complicated names. So go ahead, unlock the pretentious gourmet hidden inside. You can’t eat at Denny’s forever!