ake cover Provigo dwellers, the once-jagged edge of nowhere has gotten a bit smoother with the help of an upscale tapas lounge at Parc and Sherbrooke. Taking over what was formerly a carpet store, Pullman has brought in an industrial-luxe notion - a gigantic chandelier collection of glasses, stone walls, train inspired tables and chairs - decorate the luxuriant 30-seat cocktail lounge.

The new space bagged the heavy satin drapes in favour of luxury locomotive, an antidote to the generic lounges and frat-boy hellholes that line the area. With its romantic glow, mirrored ceilings, and semi-hidden location, Pullman glows with Parisian authenticity. Even the epic menu is legit, albeit, tapas-sized.

The space takes its inspiration from the opulent sleeper cars that were produced by namesake George Pullman in the mid-1800s - his noble portrait adorns one wall. A hipster-aristocratic dining room of old-school opulence - Limoges china, warm hand towels and more than 120 varietals by the glass (from robust reds to crisp Rieslings) - mixes with fixed tray tables and rail car arrangements, all adding solidly to this very opulence.

Trend watchers say that luxe high-end tapas is one of the next great cuisines waiting to be discovered locally, but any next-gen restaurant would have to do a lot to improve on what's being served by what Pullman is dishing out. Owners use homeland for inspiration, but has modernized the cuisine with lighter techniques and cooking methods. The dining room has a distinctively unique mood and design is high, but that doesn’t detract from the true star: the food.

There are hints of St. Laurent style in Pullman’s menu, which offers tapas portions of saunternes-laced venison tartare and caviar blinis, ringing in around $7 on average and higher end apps like grey sevruga caviar hitting highs of $11. All the tapas-sized items are in fine form, but three stood out. One is the scallop and mango, served regally in a tiny spoon, helped along with a fragrant bit of sweet coconut milk and lime. The Quebec cheese fondue with garlic toasts and the venison tartare are the other must-haves. The venison reveals small portion of delicious tartare fanned out under a mix of capers and mustard sprouts.