In Montreal, fine dining is no longer a promise, and Sabayon fully embodies this new era. A Michelin-starred restaurant and the winner of Air Canada’s Best New Restaurant 2024, the establishment has quickly positioned itself as one of the city’s most distinctive dining destinations. I experienced a complete culinary journey there, built around a $180 tasting menu, conceived as a gastronomic narrative.

The dining room at Sabayon breaks sharply with the usual codes of Montreal fine dining. Only sixteen guests are seated at most, gathered around a stripped-down space that feels almost monastic. There are no scattered tables, no intimate alcoves: everyone is served the same dishes, at the same time, as though the meal itself were meant to be a collective experience.

A large, striking bar stretches across from the open kitchen. From the moment the restaurant opens, it welcomes guests and creates a silent anticipation for the dishes to come. The lighting is deliberately dim. However, the confined sound environment generates a noticeable echo, which can at times make conversation more difficult.

My experience at Sabayon

The journey begins with a mushroom broth served in a wine glass, accompanied by a goose terrine tartlet with red currants. The mushroom delivers remarkable length on the palate, deeply earthy, while the goose terrine plays against the bright acidity of the currants.

Next come Nova Scotia scallops, impeccably fresh, paired with a clementine reduction and a small tagetes flower. The dish is aromatic and vegetal in nature. The reduction brings an intentional sweetness, perhaps slightly dominant. A subtle lack of finishing salt is noticeable, as the sugar takes up considerable space. That said, the dish never feels heavy or overly acidic. The freshness of the scallops and the floral finesse of the tagetes ultimately bring balance.

The Arctic char, perfectly tender, stands out as one of the highlights of the menu. It is coated in a black tea sabayon, absolutely remarkable and a clever nod to the restaurant’s name. Deep and enveloping, the sabayon wraps around the fish beautifully. The spinach beneath adds welcome acidity, while the squash purée (slightly too sweet for my taste) softens the dish. This minor imbalance does not detract from its quality, but it does highlight a recurring theme throughout the menu, a pronounced inclination toward sweetness, sometimes approaching saturation.

Next comes the Kamouraska lamb, wrapped in a stuffed cabbage of exceptional tenderness. The meat is fibrous and melting. The sauce, reduced from its own juices, is intense and precise, acting as a unifying thread across the plate. The parsley root purée, with a subtle celery-like note, adds vegetal depth, while the beet brings an earthy sweetness. Haskap berries reinforce the restaurant’s signature sweet thread.

A brief cheese interlude follows with a 24-month-aged Louis d’Or from Fromagerie du Presbytère, served grated and as an emulsion concealing a quince compote, accompanied by a honey-caramelized brioche. The cheese, powerful and complex, finds perfect balance in the fruit’s sweetness and the brioche’s indulgent crunch. The sweet-and-savory interplay is well controlled.

The carrot and sea buckthorn granita, set atop a meadowsweet chantilly, surprises with an almost almond-like flavor. Pumpkin seeds add depth and a welcome crunch.

Finally, the meal concludes with a chocolate and coffee mousse of great elegance. The coffee is subtle and perfectly calibrated, appealing even to those (like myself) who are not particularly fond of it. Cardamom, often paired with chocolate, introduces a lightly mentholated note. The mousse rests on a pecan sponge, creating a double-layered effect: airy on the surface, richer and cake-like beneath.

Sabayon clearly asserts its ambition to deliver exceptional cuisine rooted in high-quality products closely tied to the regional terroir. Vegetables play a central role, supported by carefully curated foraging and thoughtfully integrated into each dish. However, the sweet-and-savory thread (an unmistakable house signature) can occasionally reach its limits, creating slight imbalances in certain dishes that prevent complete harmonic resolution.