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LES DEUX SINGES DE

MONTARVIE

176 rue Saint-Viateur Ouest, Montreal. 514-278-6854. Dinner for two before taxes and tip, about $50.

Like the eccentric Mile End neighbourhood it calls home, Montreal's Les Deux Singes de Montarvie combines classic, familiar elements with the new, unexpected and slightly quirky to create its own magical personality.

The formula works: In the year and a half that it has been open, the small restaurant named after a couple of marsupials has earned a loyal following of hipsters and foodies alike.

With dinner mains ranging from $19 to $30, Les Deux Singes isn't necessarily cheap. But you and a friend can certainly eat well for less than $50.

And like most good neighbourhood restos, this small, bistro-like spot is all about the little touches: unique, flavourful cuisine, place settings featuring knives and forks intertwined in a friendly embrace, good company and conversation. The minimal-chic design of this cozy space, which seats about 40, is warm and inviting. With wooden floors, exposed brick, high ceilings and hanging wrought-iron lamps resembling upside-down streetlights, owner Merlin Lambert and company have created the sort of intimate ambience that makes you want to linger forever over your digestif or espresso.

On the warm summer evening of our visit, the huge front windows were rolled open, letting the space breathe with the street's vibrant summer energy, while also allowing a few extra tables to be placed on the sidewalk.

The restaurant's open kitchen is nestled at the rear, adjacent to a long L-shaped bar where clients can also dine. Service is both discreet and friendly, with tanned, charismatic Lambert flying effortlessly through the room, chatting up diners and pouring wine.

Light drinkers will be delighted to discover that every selection on the extensive wine list, written on a chalkboard mounted on the wall, is available by the glass. (A nice glass of 2005 Présidial Bordeaux cost just $8, compared with $40 for the bottle.)

Les Deux Singes is renowned for main courses such as lobster sausage and lamb, yet its menu of starters is just as exciting.

Ranging in price from $6 for a basic green salad to $20 for terrine de fois gras, a few choices from this diverse, exotic selection would make a lovely light meal in themselves.

Crab cakes, for instance, are complemented by vanilla pepper coulis and tomato salsa, while a small shrimp salad with grapefruit undertones is served with a toasted baguette.

Presentation is colourful, clean and artistic, with feather-like slices of plantain adorning various plates.

If you want to splurge, daily specials (priced at around $30) feature generous portions of perfectly cooked meats.

Or try the meatless green lentil mille-feuille with coconut milk, curry and chèvre.

Desserts, also posted on a blackboard and priced at $7, include summer sorbets, fondant au chocolat, and crème brûlée.

Ultimately, whether you're having lunch or dinner, the secret is out: Les Deux Singes de Montarvie is a stylish-yet-relaxed place to hang out, have an exquisite meal, and soak up St-Viateur Street's old-meets-new vibe.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the joint earned its odd name when Lambert visited the French town of Montarvie during a bicycle trip from Delhi to France.

As for the monkeys, they're the focus of a luminous art piece that hangs in the restaurant.

Joanne Kates will return in September.

simonarabin@aol.com