Sneak and Chic

For the last twelve months Pandore has proven itself as one of Montreal’s most stylish event spaces. Now, after a successful first year atop one of the busiest corners in the city, they are shaking things up a bit on Friday nights. Welcome to Sneak and Chic, a throwback to a time where live music and good food went hand in hand. 

Sneak and Chic is a new musical programme that launched last Friday night with a bang. Celebrating a more tactile approach to creating a musical ambiance, Pandore will invite up and coming performers to serenade the restaurant’s dinner guests all evening long. At the stroke of midnight a DJ will take over the space, amping up the mood and setting the stage for the weekend to come.

Present at the launch were some of Montreal’s busiest media personalities, actors from the very popular Bravo TV show, 19-2 (a show based on the Franco-Montreal original), musicians and more. We were greeted with a glass of Moët et Chandon while we chatted at the bar before heading to our seats to enjoy our meal. The menu featured a selection of appetizers, entrees and desserts including fried zucchini flowers with ricotta, basil and tomates confit, braised beef with a fried egg, spinach, beets and salami and for dessert a manjari chocolate mousse with blueberry chips, Quebec berries and a spicy guava and jalapeño sorbet.

The appetizer was lightly fried in tempura batter and was a great start to the meal. The beef was well braised, the beets were a fantastic autumn addition to the plate but the sausage was over cooked, tough to eat and was distracting. I recommend ordering the dish but ask to have the sausage removed if its not your thing. The chocolate mousse was wonderfully confected with the spicy sorbet adding depth to the dessert. The blueberry chips were absolutely perfect.

We had just started our dinner when Shaharah Sinclair took to the spotlight. Shaharah is very well known in Montreal and throughout Quebec, having several albums under her belt and having appeared on la Voix. She continues to attract large crowds to her live shows around the province. She was stunning as she took to a platform over the bar and explained how the night would go. Live music is a far more intimate mood setter in restaurants and it adds to the experience of going out on the town. Once very popular in eateries around North America, the tradition died out but Pandore is bringing it back with style. Shaharah crooned to classics and mixed it up with sultry versions of some of Beyoncé’s biggest hits. Her songs had the tables dancing while we enjoyed our food. At midnight the DJ took over and we danced the rest of the night away, looking good and feeling fine.

Pandore should be applauded for taking a step in the right direction, creating a bond with the patrons who want a little more from their dining experience. The space a truly unique and designed with spectacle in mind. Sitting atop the building that houses Quartier des spectacles, the view of the city’s skyline is breathtaking. Pandore has all the elements in place to continue to be one of Montreal’s most successful entertainment venues.

Image credit: Karel Chladek