Sala Rosa Restaurant

Source: By SIMONA RABINOVITCH

Posted: 09/22/09 4:14PM

Filed Under: Canada Travel Guide

If you could simmer authenticity in a paella pan then dish it out with an indie-rock twang, you’d have Montreal’s Sala Rosa. Hidden in what looks like an old apartment building, this traditional Spanish restaurant (and adjoining concert venue) is housed in the site of The Spanish Social Club.

Lo-pro owner Mauro Pezzente (bassist of local indie fixtures Godspeed You! Black Emperor) has preserved Sala’s old-fashioned charm while incorporating a fresh, artsy energy that attracts hipsters to join and Spanish community veterans who have been frequenting the joint for decades. Pezzente also co-owns the Casa del Popolo bar across the street and many staff members are also musicians.

Decor is simple and without frills: open dining room, basic tables and chairs, white tablecloths, red curtains, ceiling fans, and a small bar that fills up as the hours fly by. Paintings, some of Flamenco dancers, hang on white plaster walls. The restaurant features a live Flamenco show every Thursday.

OK, so the food is amazing! Hearty mains include fish of the day at market price, a seafood platter at $22.50, and the restaurant’s famed paellas. Tapas (most under $10) include vegetarian options like warm salad with asparagus and mushrooms, potato and onion omelette, rapini with garlic and lemon, and heavenly fried mushrooms. Chick peas in tomato, onion and garlic sauce are spiced with chili, cumin, and ginger. Other popular dishes include quail, mussels, and spicy bite-sized Chorizo Frito (fried Spanish sausage).

Scoping the scene, one might wonder what 80-year-old Spanish grandpas and their beaming brides have in common with young musicians in tight trousers. But somehow, it fits. Sala is as real as it gets: friendly, low-key, and serving delicious, affordable food.

Sala Rosa: 4848 Boul. Saint-Laurent, Montreal, (514) 844-4227