On the face of it, swigging a beer in a convent may seem a bit of a sacrilegious thing to do. But when you find a nice bistro-brasserie that happens to be built on the former grounds of a convent, well, you quickly come to understand that it would be a sin not to thus indulge.

Les Soeurs Grises, a place whose opening I have been anticipating since Facebook first undertook to track the progress of its renovation, offers several types of beer brewed on site, at the corner of McGill University and the Commune. Among them: blonde, white, brown and something called mad cow, a stout that’s definitely at the top of my list of must-try beers. Not a fan of the hops? No worries. There’s also an abundance of cocktails and martinis here, both with and without a beer base.



But first, a little history on this unique establishment.

To start, let’s consider the name. “Grey nuns” is the more common appellation of the Order of Sisters of Charity of Montreal, a religious group started by French Canadian saint Marguerite d’Youville. Before he died and left her a widow, d’Youville’s husband Francois operated an illicit alcohol trade with local natives. Locals used to shout “grey nuns!” to mean “drunk nuns!” in response to the traffic generated by his operation. Margaret chose the name to christen her congregation.



DÉCOR



The restaurant boasts a beautiful design that appropriately recalls the rich history of the place. Everything from the collection of on-site decorative objets to the dining tables themselves invite patrons to travel through time. If you’re a history buff, you’re bound to enjoy your visit. And if you’re not, you’ll certainly enjoy the bright dining room where warmth and comfort reign supreme.

AMBIANCE



The atmosphere here, thanks to the combination of staff and décor, is relaxed and comfortable. During our lunchtime visit, I had the strong sense that my fellow diners, like me, were also enjoying their lunch at this establishment for the very first time.



CUSTOMERS



The restaurant attracts business customers for lunch on the weekdays, and family and youth in the evenings. Dress is casual at Les Soeurs Grises, no matter the time of day or week.



BEER



If you enjoy extensive choice and the cachet of exclusives in your beer, you will be well served at Les Soeurs Grises. The facility features an impressive bar where you can find beer to match any taste. You can also drink a martini here, if ​​that’s what your heart’s telling you.



MEAL



To start the food component of our dining adventure here, we shared a plate of gravlax and salad with fennel.
The presentation was stunning and glowing with freshness. As a side dish, I chose to order a bowl of olives. It was the right choice. Onto the main course, I went with the house-smoked trout, which was prepared in a generous mound attended by pieces of crusty bread that facilitated tasting to the last crumb. You could tell the star player of my meal was smoked in house for its light, delicate flavours. Perfect.

Meanwhile, my dining partner ordered a pork sandwich, an ideal choice, complemented by side servings of sauerkraut with bacon that proved both delightfully sweet and tantalizingly spicy. He declared it a fine example of the best kind of sandwich, made more enjoyable by the fact that he’d not had the chance to eat such a thing in some time. Not bowing under the soggy pressure of too much sauce, the sandwich held its integrity, not falling into pieces as so often happens. We finished with a dense and delicious pudding chomeur topped with whipped cream. An impressive array of different boards of cold cuts and cheeses are available on the menu, and we noted that they were very popular with the lunchtime crowd. After eating this surfeit of earthly delights, a sated diner might consider saying his prayers.

SERVICE



Servers were courteous, professional and possessed of an impressive knowledge of the menu. They made several suggestions over the course of the ordering process, the following-up on which proved their merit.
Overall, the service on offer at this reinvented space was stellar. Some might even say holy.