Dorsia is a swanky new Montreal restaurant to die for

“Courtney, dinner — I’m thinking Dorsia.”

Movie buffs will recognize this line as a tantalizing invitation from American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman. They might also remember Courtney’s reply, “Dorsia’s nice.” Cult classics aside, Dorsia is a spectacular new restaurant from WITH Hospitality (Ryu, Ayla, Sushi Dept, Livia), and not only is it nice — you won’t have to kill anyone to get a table.

Let’s get it on record: Dorsia is swanky. Its lavish decor, prime Old Port location and imported Michelin-starred chef have all played their part in piquing my curiosity. Montreal’s culinary scene has long been defined by small budgets offset by an abundance of good taste; we’re known to bootstrap the build-out so we can stock the cellar with the good stuff. But as Montreal evolves into a world-class city, with rising prices and fine dining increasingly impacting the wallet, I can’t help but wonder what this city could produce with a “blank cheque.” Unlike Marcus and Maison Boulud, which align with luxury hotel brands, Dorsia feels like WITH’s bold, standalone bid for high-end dining. And with the MICHELIN guide announcing its local picks in early 2025, the timing feels right to test Montreal’s appetite for luxury. 

Located in a grand, wedge-shaped building on the corner of Notre Dame and Sainte-Hélène, it’s got all the makings of a posh night out. The interiors, designed and rendered magnificently by Ivy Studio, are inspired by the opulent dining rooms of London, Paris and New York. The space is positively dripping in luxury from the moment you walk in — grandiose floral displays, beautifully crosshatched parquetry and a massive central blown-glass chandelier. Most striking, however, is the central service station, which is custom-made in what appears to be Empress Green marble. There’s some whimsy, too — playful art on the walls recalls India Mahdavi’s use of David Shrigley’s art in her rendition of Sketch in London. Plus they’ve got this colourful pastel paint-stroke motif that finds its way onto the inside of the menu and eventually onto the tiny dessert plates. Dorsia’s most significant import, however, is their Michelin-trained chef, Miles Pundsack-Poe. 

Having made a name for himself working under Christopher Kostow at the Restaurant at Meadowood, a celebrated three-star Michelin restaurant in Napa Valley, he would follow Kostow to Ensue in Shenzhen, where he’d take on a more senior role. Pundsack-Poe carries a lot of weight on his shoulders, especially as he’s helming a restaurant with obvious Michelin aspirations — a tall task for anyone, especially in a market as unique as Montreal’s. Unlike Ensue, which marries Napa’s farm-to-table philosophy with Chinese ingredients and techniques, Dorsia’s menu follows a much more approachable French-Italian formula, though still with plenty of attention paid to sourcing quality local ingredients whenever possible. 

As my dining companion and I perused the menu, I ordered Dorsia’s signature dirty martini. Made with your choice of gin or vodka (gin all the way for me), the cocktail arrived properly chilled, accompanied by a sidecar of assorted pickles and olives. It was a flawless martini, and if not for the $20 price tag (and the fact that it was a Tuesday), I would have happily had three or four more. The service also deserves a special mention: the white-jacketed staff were consistently professional yet approachable, providing a truly impeccable level of care. The wine list, while more conventional than my usual preference, was filled with great choices for fans of both old and new-world wines — though be prepared; it, too, is on the pricey side.

Our meal started with an order of littleneck clams. Taking the role a half-dozen oysters might usually play, eight littlenecks were served on the half-shell in a dazzlingly grandiose crystal bowl filled to the brim with crushed ice. It’s a magnificent display that far outclasses most plates of oysters I’ve had, and at $22 feels entirely reasonable. The clams themselves are dressed with a briny and electric green kohlrabi and seagrass condiment, which gets a touch of heat from a drop or two of mustard oil. It’s got the kind of freshness and brightness you’d expect from an augachile but the flavours are more nuanced and complex in a way. An absolute hit. Alongside the clams, we ate a classic beef tartare, which was dressed up with some slices of cured duck yolk and a pappadam-like sunflower chip. It’s a great tartare, but next to the revelatory clams (and even the bread and butter service) it’s somewhat overshadowed. 

Our next course was the star of the night: squash agnolotti with sage and black truffle. It sounds quintessentially autumnal, perhaps even predictable, but Pundsack-Poe’s version is special, featuring about 10 perfectly plump parcels filled with sweet, fragrant kabocha squash, dusted with sage crumble and grated black truffle. If that were all, it would already be an excellent pumpkin pasta dish. However, what truly sets it apart is the butter sauce, infused with the scent and flavour of citrus — specifically lemon and orange peels that, we were told, had been dry-aged along with the meats. I can’t say what magic is at work here or if the dry-aging is more than just a clever story, but the citrus element elevated the dish in a surprising way, allowing me to experience this classic pasta combination with fresh perspective. At $37, it was a generous enough portion to share and in line with what you’d expect at Nora Gray or Moccione. Another brilliant dish.

The final savoury course was the duck crown for two. The crown, which refers to the entire bone-in breast of the bird, receives a treatment that draws on Chinese techniques Pundsack-Poe learned at Ensue. Dry-aged, five-spiced and roasted to achieve a glistening, crisp, lacquered skin, then sliced thinly, it is a near-perfect plate of duck. Once again, Dorsia offers a generous portion for the $110 price tag: both duck breasts, along with a heaping side of roasted and glazed mushrooms (including maitake, enoki and king oyster) and sunchokes. It’s a rich, unctuous and powerful dish, with some relief from a scattering of sea buckthorn berries, though a bit more acidity would have helped balance the flavours.

The final flourish was Dorsia’s millefeuille. Stacked just three layers high, it was a pretty, albeit dainty tower of cream and wafers. I worried it might sacrifice indulgence for aesthetics, but thankfully that wasn’t the case. Silky dollops of cashew cream were suspended between impossibly crisp, flaky pastry layers, accompanied by a quenelle of passionfruit ice cream. Just before we dug in, a luscious — better than the real thing— mango sauce was poured onto the plate. Cutting into the dessert, my spoon easily sank into the decadent cream and shattered the delicate pastry. Texturally perfect, indulgent and masterfully balanced between sweet and savoury, it was one of the best restaurant desserts I’ve ever had.

As I’ve said, Dorsia clearly has grand ambitions, and from my experience, they’re fully delivering on them. The meal for two came to nearly $500 — a price point that, while alienating for some, feels entirely fitting for the calibre of experience Dorsia aims for and achieves. I’ve had plenty of dinners at neighbourhood spots and casual fine-dining restaurants that ended with a similar bill but left me wanting more. Leaving Dorsia (after a tour of Bowie, their soon-to-open basement bar), I felt full, slightly drunk and genuinely happy. From start to finish, we were well taken care of; the service was impeccable, and the food was both approachable and delightfully surprising. Most importantly, it was a complete dining experience. If you’re seeking a special night out that’s sure to impress, I urge you to visit Dorsia — you won’t be disappointed. ■

For more on Dorsia, please visit their website. This article was originally published in the Nov. 2024 issue of Cult MTL.

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