I stumbled across Brutopia completely by accident on my last trip to Montreal. Looking for a place to grab a pint on Rue Crescent, this place seemed the most inviting. A truly local establishment, the Habs were showing on the TVs, and Quebequois were lounging on couches cheering on their team to the Stanley Cup. The brewpub carried a series of traditional beers, as well as a slew of homebrewed ones as well. Most intriguing were the Nut Brown and the Honey Beer… and then a combo of the two called “Honey Brown.” Personally, I felt that separately they were passable – the Nut Brown having more depth, but the Honey having a better, sweeter aftertaste. However, put the two together, and you have a winning beer! Complex and sweet, the Honey Brown complimented our appetizers perfectly.

So, I know this is a beer blog, but I would not doing Brutopia justice if I didn’t mention the food. The menu was VERY international – from samosas to quesadillas, onion rings to edamame. Usually, when a menu is this diverse, the result is one “good” dish and a half-assed attempt at the rest. In Brutopia’s case, this could not be farther from the truth. We ordered Pakoras (an Indian dish of fried spinach, onions, potatoes and chickpeas) served with a spicy Tamarind chutney, Belgian frites (served with ketchup and mayo), and Guacamole with fresh, homemade chips. All were superb, and adding the tamarind sauce to the frites made a delicious curry fry. Also on the menu was a burger made from beef, ham, and chicken with avocado and aioli, but we were not daring enough to try it.

Would highly recommend this place for a true local experience in Montreal. 

(CAVEAT: They do NOT have poutine! But you can get that pretty much everywhere else. I’ll let the food bloggers help you find that.)