mile Zola’s spirit is definitely haunting the streets of Montreal; a dedicated spirit is paying respect by naming restaurants under the scribe’s most notorious book titles. L’assomoir, first opened to much acclaim. Now, La Bête Humaine – which Zola published in 1890 - is revived as a warm and welcoming restaurant, specializing in Pierrade.

Owners of La Bête Humaine (the human beast) were inspired more from the radical form of the title rather than the metaphor of the book; François-Olivier Tissot, one of the five partners, insists it’s all about the beast, the organic side of it. The design also follows that path, set in an ancient apartment, divided into three rooms with a capacity of about 80.

“The heart of the place is the bar, with a round shape in the center. From there, all the other organs live and are connected - meaning the three dining rooms, the kitchen and so on.” The ambiance is warm, with wood beams that have been gnawed by beavers lining the ceiling, hovering over guests as they graze on pierrade on polished metal tables. Martin Galbert’s Plexiglas art, lit from the inside in warm tones, adorns the walls and ceiling.

“Almost everything in the restaurant is recycled’’ says François-Olivier. “From the glass shelf to the metal bar and tables we tried to use materials that had a previous life. We have four different recycling bins in the back room; we are very concerned about the environment.”

The chef, Simon Laplante (Café Méliès) joined la Bête Humaine last September. Being the only restaurant in Montreal offering the pierrade, François-Olivier is proud to strut their specialties. Following the tradition of fondue and raclette, pierrade is a convivial meal where diners cook their thin slices of meat or seafood on a hot rock called Pierre à savon (Soap rock) which is placed in the center of the table. This is then followed by a variety of dear, duck, flank, boar, bison, scallop and shrimp. A thin layer of salt is applied on the rock and each guest cooks his own meal. The pierrade always comes with a supply of cooked vegetables.