Since opening this past December at 150 Rue Bernard Ouest, at the corner of Waverly, Mile End has a new haunt for lovers of oversized cuts of meat and tables that never seem to end. Founded in 2013, the brand now counts 27 restaurants across France, Switzerland, and Belgium, along with magazines, a book, a web series, a distillery, retreats, a catering service, and an online shop. It took six years of scouting and patience before the concept finally settled into Montreal. It was in 2025 that Bertrand Cros-Mayrevieille and four future partners set themselves the goal of opening the brand’s very first location on this side of the Atlantic.

At the helm of the kitchen is young chef Lucas Roumagnac, working alongside François Floris, one of the five co-owners, and Bertrand Cros-Mayrevieille, manager and co-owner. A team bound by a shared philosophy: “We all share a love of good things, of terroir. We have the same values.”

Walking into Gueuleton feels a bit like being invited to an exclusive, wonderfully loud family dinner on a French farm, except here, you’re welcomed under a moose antler proudly mounted above the door, a deliberate nod to the local terroir. The dining room seats about sixty, designed for tables that linger rather than hushed tête-à-têtes. And tucked at the back of the room is a space apart: a wine cellar where guests can see the bottles themselves and choose the one they want to accompany their meal.

Chef Roumagnac leans into shareable plates, grilled meats presented on a chalkboard menu and billed by the kilo, along with bone-in cuts (including the whole duck carcass I was about to try). In practice, the chalkboard changes with each delivery; the available weight sells down over the course of the evening, and it’s not unusual for a cut to run out before service ends.

On the starters side, several French classics get a local spin, with “Canaille” croquettes and Montérégie duck hearts proving especially popular. For those who’d rather skip the ritual of sharing a large cut, a more classic à la carte menu also offers recurring individual dishes.

As for pricing, expect to spend generally between $60 and $80 per person, depending on appetite and thirst, the large cuts sold by the kilo, plus the obligatory detour through the cellar, can quickly push the bill past the hundred-dollar mark, as it did in my case.

My Experience at Gueuleton Montréal

That evening, I wasn’t dining alone. To start, a cheese board from Fromagerie du Presbytère, one of my favorite cheesemakers: Bleu d’Élizabeth, Louis d’Or, and Religieuse. Three very different expressions of the same terroir from Sainte-Élizabeth-de-Warwick, served with a generosity that never feels stingy. The Bleu d’Élizabeth, in particular, pleasantly surprised me, not as overpowering as some blues can be; it stays restrained, almost creamy, making it the perfect opener before tackling the bulk of the evening.

Then came the moment I’d been waiting for: 1.2 kg of duck carcass to share, the breasts served right on the bone (the presentation is striking, almost theatrical, the moment the dish hits the table). The cooking was true to what we’d asked for, nicely pink, tender flesh. The one real shortcoming: the skin lacked lacquering for my taste. I would have loved that caramelized, almost sticky layer to contrast with the melting fat underneath.

Next, an absolutely enormous pork flan, the meat falling apart at the fork’s touch. It’s a proper indulgence, heavy, unapologetic, but devastatingly effective. The kind of dish you finish by unbuttoning your pants for a little extra room.

The high point of the evening, though, was the rib of beef, also served at 1.2 kg. A pink, melting cook, with a quality that barely needed any outside help to win us over. We’d ordered both sauces on the menu, one with Bleu d’Élizabeth, the other peppercorn, and they were, frankly, left almost untouched in their ramekins, the meat speaking entirely for itself. Perhaps the finest compliment you can pay a piece of beef.

On the side, mashed potatoes served with ketchup and aioli.