For almost a decade, Foiegwa has been serving it’s delicious diner mash-up of French meets American. Foiegwa first opened at the corner of Atwater and Notre-Dame in 2016. It’s part of a restaurant family run by Groupe Barroco. Other related restaurants are Barroco (of course), Milky Way Cocktails, Good Fun, and Trattoria Fugazzi.
Mais Oui/Howdy
The exterior of Foiegwa is very much giving diner vibes. The polished steel siding makes it look almost like an Airstream trailer, and a retro neon sign hangs on one side.
It’s an American French bistro; it’s a French American diner. The name is a playful Americanized pronunciation of the French ingredient that, for a while, was a running joke and hashtag for the team. Then, it became an inspiration point for the restaurant concept: French meets American.
The interior has the classic seating of a bistro with banquettes and cane chairs but the bright white tile makes the dining room feel more diner-esque. The concept feels like a natural combination in terms of design as well as culinary direction. The guiding forces in the kitchen are Jérémie Falissard, co-executive chef and owner, in partnership with fellow Co-Executive Chef Clément Girodengo.
Yes, Foiegwa Serves Foie Gras
Okay, to be fair, there is a lot more on the menu besides the signature, iconic Spaghetti Maison. For example, you can start with chicken liver mousse and milk bread, oysters, Piédmontaise potato salad, or fried chicken. I recommend the Shrimp Cocktail because the cocktail sauce has finely chopped lettuce as well as pickle in it. I loved the extra flavour and texture.
Given the restaurant’s playful spelling of the unctuous French ingredient, I would also suggest the Foie Gras Au Torchon. The decadent foie is cooked so gently that it remains the consistency of butter. Spiced onion and red wine jam adds just the right complementary sweet tang to cut the fatty richness of the foie gras.
Another signature dish that leans more French bistro than American diner is the tartare de boeuf, which is finished with truffle and a 64° egg yolk. A precisely cooked yolk also tops the Spaghetti Maison. Butter and black truffle pasta comes piled high and crowned with a golden yolk, which, once broken, spills all down the pasta like a luscious lava.
One of Foiegwa’s siblings is close. So close that if you’re visiting Foiegwa, you must visit it as well.
Speak-Easy Sibling
In fact, it’s right next door, but you might miss it if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Perhaps that is less true now than when Atwater Cocktail Club, the sneaky speakeasy tucked down an alley, first opened. Noted by critics and the winner of a number of prestigious awards, Atwater Cocktail Club is very much on the map. They are #32 on North America’s 50 Best Bars, #3 in Canada’s Best Bars, and they’ve been noted as one of the top 10 Best Cocktail Bars in the Americas by the 2019 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards.
After you venture down Atwater’s alley and through its graffiti-ed door, you’re met with a lush and gilded interior. Hang your coat, and head in. The bar, although not central, is the most eye catching focal point in the room. The tables and seats at the front are low, with higher seating further back near the bar. Both Atwater and Foiegwa have smaller capacities (both around 50), which makes them feel intimate and exclusive.
Atwater Cocktail Club is known for its creative cocktails that showcase fresh ingredients, homemade syrups, and carefully selected spirits. The menu at Atwater helpfully provides photographs of the drinks as well as in depth descriptions, including three poetic descriptors, including adjectives like “funky,” “complex,” “unctuous,” “fresh,” and “vegetal.” Drinks range in price from an $11 Gin Tonic ACC or a $16 Piña Accolada on the low end to the $130 Vintage Sazerac made with Cognac Croizet Vintage 1975 Fins Bois X.O. Regardless of what you decide to order, and good luck deciding because the multi-page menu offers many options, be sure to check out the black-lit neon grafffiti-ed bathroom while at Atwater. And, besides creative alcoholic cocktails, they also have a selection of non-alcoholic options as well as food.
Spend the Night, Come Back For Breakfast
They also share a kitchen with Foiegwa, so you can get all the same menu items as next door. Even in a dramatically different setting, the food suits the space. Who doesn’t love a high/low mix of oeufs mayonnaise, fried chicken, and oysters?
While to hit both Foiegwa and Atwater Cocktail Club, you need to stop by in the evening, Foiegwa is also open for brunch from Friday to Sunday. French bistro brunch items include Omelettes and a Croque Madame, while you’ll find American diner dishes like Chicken & Waffles as well.
