Bottega
Capture the spirit of urban Italy in the heart of Montreal's Little Italy with a weekend dinner at Bottega. We waited 25 minutes for a table in the open and bustling space and the waiters had their work cut out for them. But well worth the wait!
Despite its stylish and sleek interior, what Bottega strives for is authentic Italian cuisine with a rustic flair. The menu isn't extensive, but what it offers is hearty and inexpensive. A long list of appetizers include Marinated Eggplant in a Wine Marinara sauce that is excellent. The Fresh Tomato and Mozzarella Salad with Fresh Basil was drizzled with olive oil and reminiscent of a Mediterranean summer afternoon, rather than a subzero Montreal evening.
But people line up at Bottega's door for its pizza: 10 different varieties, all served individually (they only have one size in authentic Italian style). We liked the Caprese with cherry tomatoes and fresh basil, reasonably priced at $14. Some other styles contain smoked mozarella, anchovies, and Italian sausage. Bottles of wine start at $25 for an adequate bottle of Chianti and up from there.
An enjoyable evening, if the servers seemed a bit stressed out at times. Like Italian restaurants in the movies, at least one server called the proprietess "Ma" a few times which made us happy. Home cooking is a treat indeed on a January night in Canada!
Bottega
65 St-Zotique E (one block east of St-Laurent)
(514) 277.8104
Dinner only; closed Mondays
Credit Cards OK
Dinner for two including appetizers and two drinks: $50
