Bernard street has had a love-hate relationship with me. When I first started this site, Bernard was the street where you had to have brunch. With lots of choice and good ones at that, it was my favourite place to be especially in the summer with all those terraces. However, as time went on, I discovered new places, better brunches, and the spots on Bernard either closed down or didn’t evolve, that is, until recently when Brasserie Bernard brought a beacon of light on Bernard street and made having brunch in Outremont a more enjoyable event.

Brasserie Bernard is a large venue with ample seating and a large terrace. Reservations are helpful especially if you will be showing up during peak times. The interior has what can best be described as a proper French restaurant. There’s a nice large bar near the entrance with lots of wood and high ceilings.

Food With over a dozen items, Brasserie Bernard has some classic items like eggs Benedict, croque monsieur and a healthy yogourt dish, to name a few. They also have a kids menu with 3 items priced between $5 and $7. Most dishes will run you somewhere between $12-$15 with coffee at $2.50.

Since Brasserie B has opened, we have been here a few times and have been able to try quite a few items on the menu – in fact, we have almost had all of them. Every time we have gone there is one dish that is a must-have and that dish is the pain perdu at $14. More than a French toast, this large piece of bready goodness has the right amount of sweetness and every bite is an absolute delight. With a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a glazed banana, this dish is perfection and is definitely a contender for best pain perdu in the city.

The pancakes ($14) are another sweet dish on the menu that, despite having a simple presentation, have a taste that is anything but simple. With a sweetness that is at the right spot between subtle and over the top, this dish also has blueberries and Chantilly cream on the side. With 3 pancakes on the plate this is a filling dish and packs a standout taste.

The eggs and blood pudding sandwich ($14) is an odd sounding one but has a complex and absolutely incredible taste in every bite. This dish has a generous amount of caramelized onions and, although it doesn’t seem like it will be impressive, it scores points in terms of taste and fillingness. I also like how they managed to incorporate blood pudding in a dish which is a courageous items for some more squeemish eaters. I personally adore seeing this on the menu. The only issue with this dish is that, after some time, the bread can get soggy and a soggy bread with this dish can become difficult to eat.

The eggs Benedict ($15) comes as an option of ham or smoked salmon and has a fair amount of hollandaise sauce and a hash brown made to look like a thick half toast slice. The hash brown is actually quite interesting and adds some fillingness to an excellent classic eggs Benedict.

Lastly, the yogourt dish ($10) was topped with raspberries with a granola at the base and, finally, drizzled with honey. This dish is a nice light item – not as filling as the others – but tasty and healthy.Service The service here is impeccable. Rarely have I been so impressed. They are prompt, professional, well-versed on the menu, the water and coffee get filled quickly and they are helpful with any requests. Not to mention, that you don’t have to wait long for your food and they are always handy, checking up on you very often.

VegetarianThe menu has some vegetarian options since most items are not really meat focused.

Wrap up I really enjoy coming to Brasserie Bernard and I have suggested it to multiple people. I still think this a hidden gem since people tend to gravitate to the usual suspects on Bernard Street and skip over it. This will not last forever as I can see Brasserie Bernard becoming a favourite to many people as the days pass. So do check this place out and please try the pain perdu: it’s that good!

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Price	$$$	$15
Overall		4.5/5
Wheelchair Access	NO	0/3
Parking	Parking Meter & Street	Medium
BUS	160, 368	Get Directions
Metro	Outremont	8 minutes