Bocata is like a little treasure chest buried inside Montreal's old historical district. The food, service, and atmosphere are all solid gold. Rue St. Paul has many establishments to choose from, but if you come here I guarantee that you won't leave disappointed.\n\nWorking up a healthy appetite after a late evening stroll, my girl and I peeked inside to scope out the scene. The little darling hostess was very accommodating and asked one of the servers prepare a table for us. All the servers look sharp, work with great finesse, and seem quite happy thanks to their genuine smiles.\n\nThe wine list offers a wide selection of bottles from France, Italy, and Spain with the addition of a few special features that are written on a blackboard. After looking over the cocktail menu, I opted for a tasty classic Old Fashioned. My girl's Cava had plenty of bubbles, so we knew the bartender wasn't trying to chintz us with a stale bottle.\n\nStarting off our fabulous meal was an order of fired smelts and a warm octopus salad to share. Smelts are a fantastic finger food and the portion here is very generous for only $4. Be sure to squeeze a good amount of lemon over them to cut through the richness of the batter and aioli. The octopus salad was spectacular with regards to flavour and presentation. The unbelievably tender chucks of octopus are rightfully the star of the show. However, it's the combination of black olives, caper berries, and roasted red pepper coulis that help to bring this dish together into one delicious bite after the other. The whole dish is very elegantly presented on a wooden cutting board.\n\nThe sea bass main was near perfection. The fillet was cooked well and I loved the combo of saut\u00e9ed spinach and mushrooms. Unfortunately, it was the vanilla inside the sweet potato puree that really brought this dish down a few notches. Adding vanilla to an already sweet ingredient gave the starch component a dessert like quality. On the sunny side, I thought the mullet roe was a nice touch and all things considered I still enjoyed this dish immensely.\n\nSomething as mundane as putting food in your belly can easily turn into an unforgettable evening when all the essential elements fall into place: warm hospitality, the right clientele, sexy ambiance, and most importantly, delicious food. Those are key ingredients for a 5 star review and repeat visits. Without a doubt, Bocata is a must try restaurant.