I'll update this review for O Cantinho based on a recent enough visit. It's hard for me to find…read morePortuguese restaurants I like since I prefer the mid-range ones that cook a little bit of everything. That means you have to discard the few high end ones with small portions, the authentic ones with gruff personnel on the Plateau, and the Portuguese grilled chicken places that hipsters might frequent.
I came in and it mostly looked the same, but a little different. Maybe it's that there was more focus on the pick-up counter area in front than on the restaurant, which wasn't that crowded. I was going to get a cut of meat, but then looked at the menu and they had a nice platter of chicken with salad, small potatoes, and started you out with some bread and olives. I was assured it wasn't spicy, so that's what I ordered. I like that they carry Sumol, a citrus flavored Portuguese soft drink that comes in 3 flavors, so I also got a can of Sumol. There were no complaints about the meal because it was good. The chicken had a mild glaze on it, the potatoes tasted "interesting," and the salad is always the simple kind with only a few additional ingredients.
The service was sort of stale. They got things done, but it wasn't like the service of my first visit here. However, the prices were fair. The interior is airy and clean and, in time, more people were showing up for a sit down dinner.
They really pissed me off between this time and the last time at which I actually ate here and, while I should factor this into its rating, I won't. O Cantinho is not that close to the center of Montreal. It is out by the 40, the Autoroute Metropolitaine, which sits in the middle of the Ile de Montreal and the restaurant is in the Villeray - St.-Michel area. On 2 past visits in different years, I drove all the way up to the restaurant, only to find all their windows covered with paper. There was no written indication of what was going on. Again, that was on 2 visits! This time, I called them before heading over there, for which I used the Metro to St.-Michel, and asked, "Are ... you ... open?" They were, so it's still a viable business. I asked with normal inflection and not a testy one as inferred above, and they seemed bothered that I was even calling for this. If you went to Portugal, Brazil, another Lusophone location, or simply on vacation, you need to display it prominently on your website, write something on the exterior of the restaurant, and add a recording to your business phone telling people of a temporary closure ... in three languages. Not doing so is inconsiderate.
O Cantinho is authentic. If I ever return, I will again call before going over there. Because they fill a niche I like, have respectable food, and the pricing is fair, I will hold their rating at 4 stars.
