Happy New Year friendsI don’t know about you but I am having such a hard time rebooting after the holiday season. This is what I get for trying to take some real time off for a few days. I do feel somewhat rested and looking forward to diving into the many projects I have in store for this year. I wanted to publish this article during the Holidays to give you a few places to try while you were on a break, but I couldn’t get to it. It doesn’t matter though because these 3 new(ish) Montreal brunches are a great way to start the year!

HOPKINS

Located on Monkland Avenue in NDG, Hopkins’ Pinterest-worthy interior was all over my Instagram feed before I had the chance to go visit. The space is absolutely gorgeous, with blue and gold accents, plush seating, beautiful lighting fixtures and a mirrored ceiling to reflect all the shimmering surfaces and the back bar’s myriad of colourful bottles. Founded by partners chef Liam Hopkins and culinary stylist Nicolina Servello, the food at Hopkins is market-fresh rooted in French cuisine. They are open for brunch, lunch (Thursdays & Fridays) and dinner. I had brunch there with Janice, my SAISONS partner. We shared the fruit platter with brioche, followed by the omelette and the breakfast sandwich. Portions are generous and the plating is nice but we did find everything was a bit too salty for our taste. However, I just took a look at their lunch and dinner menus and can’t wait to go back to try those soon, especially the housemade charcuterie!

FIELDSTONE

A recent addition to the Mile End food scene, Fieldstone is a unique dining experience combining the culinary heritage and cooking experiences of its chef Chanthy Yen and owner Emiliano Rivera. Cambodian/Mexican flavours with a Spanish flare, the cuisine here is based on local and seasonal products. The service was courteous, friendly and professional. I was there for brunch a few weeks ago and I tried the salmon, blue corn and potato cake with poached eggs, ikura and huacatay, a fragrant herb I had discovered in Peru. It was a lovely and fresh spin on the ubiquitous salmon and egg brunch dish. I also tasted the mushroom hash with poached egg, caramelized onions and fresh cheese, a beautiful, earthy and delicious dish that would be perfect for brunch when it’s cold out. I noticed that Fieldstone is now offering very affordable, seasonal tasting menus for dinner. I must say that these look delicious and doesn’t the sea urchin and churros “snack” sounds so intriguing.

BOXERMANS

Boermans recently opened on a stretch of Van Horne Avenue that has yet to find its groove. I also discovered this spot on my Instagram feed before visiting for brunch on a beautiful late fall day. Open for breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner or a simple coffee, Boxermans is a great, luminous space to spend a couple of hours catching up or working. The dining room is flanked by a long bar backed by a brick wall on one side and a plush, Havana brown banquette on the other. For brunch, I tried the brunch plate with eggs, hash, melon and prosciutto, bread and bacon and the fried halloumi and salami plate with a green and tomato salad. The fried halloumi was a childhood treat that my mother used to make for us and enjoying a couple of slices of the squeaky, melted cheese always takes me back so I very much enjoyed the nostalgic trip down memory lane. They currently have fried saganaki and salami on their menu. Greek saganaki is very similar to halloumi and just as decadent. I am looking forward to heading there soon for a work/lunch session.

For more Montreal brunches, consult this blog’s brunch category here.