BEVO

Last Thursday I attended the grand opening of BEVO, a new Bar and Pizzeria located at 410 St. Vincent, in the heart and soul of Old Montreal. The evening started off calmly enough when I arrived with my friend Tyrone, co-founder of The Gaily and like me, a fan of the Thursday night 5 à 7.  We went inside to escape the blazing summer sun that made it feel like it was only noon at 6:30 in the evening.  Once inside, we were served a glass of chilled champagne and we snaked our way through the sea of people who were packed inside the two story restaurant, stopping at the charcuterie tables and different bars along the way for refills.

The crowd was vibrant and ready to start the night as the champagne and cocktails continued to pour freely. BEVO is built within a stone structure (it dates back a couple of hundred years I’m sure; I didn’t have my carbon dating tools with me, so I have to assume) near Square Jacques Cartier.   The owners of the restaurant have done a fantastic job of updating the space in a way that’s modern yet still pays respect to the history of the building.  The red hued glass casing at the opening from the second floor was a great way to separate space without closing it off.  The enormous medieval chandeliers, hanging from he vaulted ceilings, gives you a sense of just how long this place has been around while beautiful glass encased wine cellar located at the main entrance is modern but marries very well with the wood and the stone archway it sits under (it’s transparent so coveting the wine is encouraged and FYI, BEVO – I’ll need a key to it, thanks in advance).

A restaurant as cool as BEVO would be nothing if the food wasn’t just as good and they do not disappoint.  The wood fired pizza oven burns hot and the menu makes it hard to choose exactly which pizza you want to try.  Since I don’t choose very well, I sampled almost every single pie on the menu that night; there was no time to be shy.  My favorites were Salame (pepperoni, tomato sauce, basil and mozzarella – simple, delicious) and the Parma in Bianco (prosciutto, parmesan, arugula was so good that I wanted to eat the entire pizza – sharing isn’t always fun).   They have plenty of other items on the menu as well including salads and main courses such as chicken, seafood and beef.

The staff seemed to be having just as much fun as the rest of the crowd as they mixed, mingled and served drinks and food to the masses.  I was very entertained throughout the evening and I cannot wait to go back again with a few friends.  I’m looking forward sitting at one of the bar height tables on the second floor (with friends old and new – the tables are large enough to be shared) and taking it all in.

BEVO is the latest addition to Montreal’s already very active night life and I’m sure I’ll have a few more stories about this place over the summer and beyond. Go! Enjoy! – Let me know what you think!