Sophie Laurent

Sophie Laurent was born in Lyon and raised in Montreal, which gives her the unusual advantage of having grown up eating in two of the world's great food cities before she was old enough to pay for a meal herself. She has been covering French-inflected dining across North America for more than a decade, with a particular focus on wine bars, natural wine programs, romantic rooms, and the kind of bistro cooking that rewards a second visit over a first impression. Her guides are known for evaluating atmosphere and food as inseparable — she believes a beautiful room with mediocre cooking and great cooking in a room that doesn't support the occasion are equally not worth your time. She covers Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and makes regular trips to Paris to reset her reference points. Before TastyPals, she was the wine editor at a Montreal-based food magazine and contributed dining criticism to national Canadian publications. She holds a WSET Level 3 qualification and is currently working toward her fourth.

Areas of expertise

Cities covered