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Le Violon

Montreal

Sophisticated plates and a star-studded cast of characters

The buzz: The internet erupted when former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau brought American pop star Katy Perry out on a dinner date in summer 2025. The spot they chose? Le Violon. No surprise, Chef Danny Smiles' restaurant was already attracting a star clientele since opening in June 2024, quickly becoming one of Montreal's most acclaimed restaurants. The combination of refined market cuisine, elegant design and star sightings earned Le Violon national recognition within months of opening.

Cool Montreal central: Montreal's Plateau Mont-Royal is a wildly popular restaurant destination, but Le Violon escapes the hordes with its residential location deep in the heart of the neighbourhood. The restaurant has received as much buzz for its super sleek look as its food, thanks to the design of Zébulon Perron and co-owner Dan Climan.

Who's in the kitchen: Co-chefs Danny Smiles and Mitch Laughren, along with chef de cuisine Sara Raspa, are the talent here, with Smiles the best known of the bunch. Long a celebrated Montreal chef, Smiles rose to fame as a finalist on Top Chef Canada before acting as chef de cuisine at fellow celebrity chef Chuck Hughes' restaurant, Le Bremner. Then came a stint at The Willow Inn, before the opening of Le Violon, whose name was inspired by Smiles' early violin lessons.

Precise cooking, local produce: Smiles' heritage is Italian and Egyptian, and while there are traces of the latter, it's the former that dominates the menu. Start with beef battuta, porcini aioli and champignon de Paris; continue with agnolotti del plin a la Milanese; and round things off with the photo-ready lemon and pistachio baked Alaska.

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