Le Butterfly | The Delectable Evolution of a ’90s Butcher Shop
A modern steakhouse experience focused on simplicity and quality ingredients, Le Butterfly used to be a butcher shop in the 90s! Ludovic’s father was the owner and growing up in the meat business has given Ludo the perfect excuse for one of his restos to be his crown jewel and homage to his dad. Ludovic is one of several partners and really cares about the ingredients his chefs source. Executive chef Rob Leonard really goes out of his way to find the perfect marriages for the meat.
We see right away the advantages of being at a resto whose owner is the son of a butcher in the bone marrow dish, which is like history served on a platter. An impressive bone filled with sizzling marrow and covered with chimichuri sauce. The spicy sauce cuts the bubbling fat perfectly and creates the ideal starter for the meat lover.
While vegetarians are not advised to go to a steakhouse-style-resto, the sweet roasted brussel sprouts stand as a testament to the chef’s versatility. Gently roasted to perfection in a sweet honey and almond glaze. They are my favorite marriage to all the main courses there… perfect to share. I love the little roasted almond crunch.
Like lamb? Well I DON’T! And guess what, I LOVE their lamb. First time in 6 years that I have enjoyed a lamb dish. It’s just not a meat I love. There is a gamey aftertaste that I find utterly revolting in lamb, but incredibly, I don’t taste that flavour in the lamb here. My guest Marnie is a lamb-lover and she loved it too. It’s juicy, tender and grilled to perfection. It comes with some grilled veggies that get forgotten quickly because they aren’t the star of the plate! I think it was carrot and asparagus.
Ready for the burger? I was so certain that my trip to Moishes had given me a burger bestie for the rest of the Summer (QDC’s burgers are sick too – Rob and I had a long talk about the Lefty!). However… the chef diversified my burger crushes in a New York minute after my first bite of Le Butterfly’s burger! A juicy and generous patty covered in a blanket of tomme aux fleurs cheese from Alsace. This cheese tastes like nuts and flowers. A little scattering of red watercress dancing in Le Butterfly aioli behaves itself quite well underneath the black and white sesame brioche bun!
A resto is just not fun without a good bar. Khal made us pear martinis with legit pear purée and mysterious dragon fruit margaritas with Sombra Mezcal, tequila Reposado, Cointreau, lime juice, dragon fruit puree and a salt that is smoked in-house!
There seems to be a trend of long comfy bars as of late, in all the post-pandemic renovations and while I get annoyed with having to constantly turn to talk to my guests, I do love being part of the action! The bar service is timely and comes with a side of sass. The crowd is a fun mix of locals and tourists, unlike some old MTL hot spots that are a little too touristy for my taste!
Come for the food, stay for the fun. Le Butterfly will be a repeat location. Are you more into Italian? Same owners. Different resto. Take a little click over to Marcella!
