Pintxo

2 blocks west of St-Denis Cuisines: Spanish

About

Pronounced "Peent-choo," the Basque word for tapas, this tucked-away resto draws from the Spanish Basque tradition, going in for exquisitely composed dishes at fair prices in pleasant surroundings. The Mexican chef spent 5 years in kitchens of the País Vasco, the region in north-central Spain known for its gastronomical audacity. His performances take place in an open kitchen in the middle of a two-part room with antique wood floors and brick walls. Each pintxo is true tapa size, only three or four bites, so order recklessly. Some of our favorites: the braised beef cheek, the seared foie gras on a bed of lentils, and the white asparagus with Serrano ham and fried onion cut so fine it looked like tinsel. Diners aren't confined to meals composed solely of tapas presented on 4-inch tiles or slates, although that isn't a bad idea. For C$28 (US$24), the menu dégustation provides four pintxos and a main course of your choice, in considerably larger proportion. With the chef still ensconced, this is again accorded the honor of best budget resto in town. Recently, Pintxo opened a smaller resto at 2 rue Sherbrooke est at the corner of boulevard St-Laurent, open weekdays for lunch and Tuesday through Saturday for dinner.

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