Walking into the Old Montreal location of Gibbys makes guests feel like they’ve gone back in time. Sticking with the vibe of the rest of the area, the restaurant, with its big iron gate and stone walls both inside and out, has a delicious menu filled with seafoods, steaks and other delicious delights.
The restaurant is very big with several dining areas, including outdoor space. Once seated, diners are not only given a small loaf of bread, but also a large bowl of very juicy pickles – the first time I’ve seen it at a non-deli restaurant as well as bacon bits. My husband and I figured that the pickles were, like bread, given to us to munch on before appetizers, but thought bacon bits at the table was a little unusual. I have to admit that despite not being a fan of pickles, I actually liked the ones at Gibbys.
Gazpacho Soup
I started off my meal with the Gazpacho (all mains come with a choice of this soup or a salad), a favourite summer staple. There are many places where Gazpacho is gross – nothing more than pureed tomatoes with some onions and stock. This was not the case at Gibby’s. The soup had the “proper” tangy taste and was presented well – not sloppy like many other places. As a main, I had the Rack of Lamb – Youville, which was marinated in fine herbs with a side of rice. Other starch choices are a baked or Monte Carlo (double baked, stuffed potato). Main courses come with asparagus and a small piece of roasted red pepper. Though the lamb was juicy and delicious, I would have preferred more vegetables and less rice. Otherwise, I would definitely recommend the lamb if you don’t want steak or fish. If you’re not a fan of lamb, chicken kiev is also good.
Lamb d’Youville
Because my meal was so heavy, I decided to go light on the dessert and had strawberries with cream, which was an addition/special when I was there. If you’re looking for pastries, the hot apple croute, a delicious pastry served with apples, caramel and vanilla ice cream is a good choice (but I recommend that this be shared with someone else. It’s BIG!).
Warm Apple Croûte
Gibbys is definitely a restaurant to try if you’re going to be in Montreal, especially if you want to have good food in a historical building without seeing servers in period clothing. Gibbys is located at 298 Place d’Youville. Phone is 514-282-1837. There is another location in Saint-Sauveur, about an hour away from Montreal.
