Opened in 1972 in the former stables of the Gray Nuns, built in 1740. Gibby never wanted to give his name to the restaurant — he ended up giving in.
Gilbert “Gibby” Rosenberg and his brother Allan grew up in the family restaurant equipment business; It was by observing, behind the scenes, the opening of dozens of Montréal establishments that they developed their eye for the dining room. In 1969, they bought a country house in Saint-Sauveur, in the Laurentians, and made it — almost by accident — their first restaurant. Gibby didn't want the place named after him; his associates insisted.
The success of Saint-Sauveur led to a second address, opened in 1972 in Old Montréal, at 298, place d'Youville — the former Écuries d'Youville, which are part of a complex built by the Sisters of Charity, the "Grey Nuns", founded by Marguerite d'Youville. Part of the structure dates back to 1740; the Gray Nuns General Hospital, nearby, retains sections dating from 1694. Restored in 1967, the stable is one of the very first heritage preservation projects in Old Montréal.
The aged cut of beef, called the “Gibbys cut,” the Monte Carlo potato and the house ritual—cake and a Polaroid offered for special occasions—have survived the decades unchanged. Gilbert Rosenberg died in 2018; his family sold the establishment in 2023 to the Grandio Group, owner of Moishes and La Cage. The group invested more than two million dollars in the kitchen while keeping the classics on the menu, management says.