Bistro Koz

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Name with Roots

Kóz is a shortened form of Kouzina, the Greek word for kitchen — and also the name of a small island off the Turkish coast. Both meanings speak directly to what this Magog bistro is about: a Mediterranean cuisine that draws its flavour from Greece, Turkey, Tunisia, Georgia and Lebanon, served on the shores of Lac Memphrémagog in Québec's Eastern Townships.

The Chef Behind the Plates

Executive Chef Geneviève Filion is a native of the region who sharpened her skills with a stage in France and eight years under Alain Labrie at the renowned Auberge Hatley. A keen traveller, she has drawn on trips to Tunisia, Greece and Italy to shape a menu that is aromatic, generous and unapologetically colourful. Her personal favourites say a lot about her cooking: a whole fried fish — dorade, sea bass or redfish depending on the market — that arrives at the table as a true assiette spectacle; lamb kebabs; and grilled octopus. Sous-Chef Annie Dion contributes her own signature, including a portokalopita — a Greek phyllo-based cake fragrant with orange and thyme syrup, served with pistachio gelato — that Filion herself calls a pure delight.

Completing the team is sommelier Michael Otaka, whose background includes building a cellar from 600,000 to over 115,000 bottles across 2,000 labels at a Massachusetts inn, earning a Wine Spectator Grand Award in the process. At Kóz, his wine list — heavy on private imports and thoughtfully matched to the kitchen's spice palette — earned the restaurant its own Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2024, recognition that the magazine reserves for cellars perfectly adapted to their cuisine and appealing to a wide range of wine lovers.

The Setting

The bistro sits adjacent to Hôtel Versō, right on the waterfront in central Magog. The dining room's contemporary décor carries deliberate Greek and Turkish accents. The terrace, which looks directly onto Lac Memphrémagog, is first-come, first-served — a detail worth knowing before you arrive.

What to Expect at the Table

The menu is built around sharing. Cold and warm mezzés, falafels, keftas, locally sourced meats and fresh fish anchor the regular menu, seasoned with zaatar, smoked paprika, sumac, fresh mint and grilled lemon. Many dishes are gluten-free, lactose-free, vegetarian or vegan. The dessert list closes the meal with the same regional sincerity: homemade baklavas with honey and orange blossom, a muhallebi milk custard with caramelized pistachios, and a dark chocolate fondant infused with thyme zaatar and olive oil. Servers are trained to walk guests through the spices and the story behind each plate; Otaka's team handles the wine pairing from there.

For anyone in the Eastern Townships looking for a serious Mediterranean table — and a wine list that a global authority has formally recognized — Bistro Kóz is the address.