Cabotins is tucked away at the very end of Sainte-Catherine, so either this is the only restaurant within a 15 minute walk or you've walked 15 minutes out of your way just for this. It's worth it. And, there's always the 34 bus.
You have to have a schtick if you're going to be located deep in a residential neighborhood and they clearly understand that. The kitsch is dialed way up.
There are mannequin parts before you even get inside. Table lamps on the ceiling. A wall covered in buttons. Vintage everything. Each table has a different funny salt and pepper shaker set. The menus are held together by wooden pants hangers. There are fresh and new white gym socks instead of napkins, although they also provide you with a paper napkin.
Someone said the servers wear underpants on their head, but I didn't notice this. Who knows, though, I'm the sort of person who might overlook that sort of detail. Also, their private room, where the servers never see the diners, is apparently a neighborhood legend. The name of the restaurant references their quirkiness (being a ham) and supposedly these reference the space's past as a men's clothing store.
I had the duck and the lamb (on different nights, with leftovers the next day) and both were delicious. Tender, juicy, meat falling off the bone. My dining companions were happy with the onion soup, burger, and cassoulet, although both times I felt smug in having made the better choice.
The portions are large. Both times I went I made the mistake of eating too much of my main and thus being too full for dessert. Don't make the same mistakes I've made and save room, because they look very good.
So often places pay more attention to the theme than to the food, but that's not the case here. They're serious about it, even if they are wearing underpants on their head. There's an open kitchen, so if you're a stickler for cleanliness, you can keep an eye on things.
I may have been a little tipsy, but there appears to be a hall of mirrors on the way to the washrooms. There's a mannequin in there, too, obviously.
Note that they only serve dinner and Sunday brunch.
If you come in the summer, there's a large outdoor seating area that probably has some excellent people watching. And, in that case, it's conveniently located between two bike paths. read more