Rue Duluth in the Plateau is known for its numerous bring your own beer/wine restaurants, making it a great spot for date nights. My boyfriend and I stopped by the conveniently located SAQ on the intersection of Rue St. Denis and Rue Duluth before investigating our options. We knew we wanted Italian, but we didn’t realize how many options we would have. We settled on L’Academie, a fusion of French and Italian, partly due to good reviews and partly because their floor-length windows were open and we wanted to enjoy the fresh air.
L’Academie has multiple locations in Montreal, but we ate at the 4051 Rue St. Denis location. The décor is modern and comforting, and the food delicious. Starters range from $4 – $10 and pasta dishes are around $18, with the meat and seafood options edging on the pricier side.
Cam and I brought two bottles of Sauvignon Blanc from the nearby SAQ and were happy to only have to decide on food. I appreciated that our waitress immediately filled an ice bucket for us to chill our wine, as too many BYOW places don’t think to do this. L’Academie also offers multiple bread roll refills, which is always dangerous — in the best way.
We started with the parmesan fondue, which was a slightly misleading title considering what we ate resembled mozzarella sticks rather than fondue. Nevertheless, the dish was well presented and the fried parmesan was a heavy but satisfying appetizer. Next time I would want to try the snails or the mussels.
I was severely tempted to order the steak bavette special that they were offering, but opted instead for the spaghetti carbonara. Cam chose the tortellini rosé and ate it all in about two minutes. The service was impeccably fast, and both of our dishes were delectable. The carbonara was perfectly creamy and the pancetta was amazing. The rosé sauce on Cam’s tortellini was especially heavenly.
We passed on dessert despite the offerings of crème brulee simply because we were so stuffed, and had plenty of wine left to drink.
Overall, L’Academie is a casual but enjoyable restaurant when you’re craving Italian or French food. The bring your own wine aspect is a huge draw, as are their affordable prices, fast service, and generous portions.
All photos are the author’s own.