Very much enjoyed my meal here on a weekday last week. First of all, the atmosphere is great, very unique decor and the staff were extremely friendly. The portions are small so don't expect to order 1-2 and be full. Between two people, we shared 5 dishes and we probably could have ordered 2 more. We tried a variety of items off their menu including one sashimi and one fried dish. Everything tasted good, was fresh and had different flavour profiles. I wasn't a huge fan of the matcha cheesecake because I found that there wasn't enough of a cheesecake taste. It cost us each 25$ before tip which I find pretty reasonable. Overall, I would return and I look forward to trying more dishes. read more

Kinoya Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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Last full day in Montreal and our last meal was here! While I was figuring out which places I wanted to check out ahead of my trip, I was most intrigued by their interior architecture. The walls appear as if they are sunken in, but the wood panels are just positioned in very interesting angles that make them look like a literal hole in the wall. We arrived for an early dinner, but luckily, we made it right on time for happy hour. It worked out so well, so we started the evening with drinks - Kyoto Cooler (sake, honey, grapefruit) & Yuzu Sour (shochu, yuzu, soda). Althpugh the drinks were presented nicely, they were not mixed at all! Everything we were interested in on the menu happened to be on the happy hour menu. Well, that worked out so perfectly! This is what we got: Toro Age, Tebasaki, Sake Wasa and Maguro Nudo. For value at happy hour, it was great to share these small plates, but they were not portioned enough to fill an appetite without spending a couple extra bucks. Since we were still hungry, we also ordered an item on the regular menu - Unagi Aburi. Portion was extremely small with thin slivers of torched freshwater eel topped with sliced almonds and tobiko caviar. I wasn't sure if the yuzu honey sauce on the plate made a difference, but there's a lot of sweetness in the dish itself. Our favorite was the tebasaki though. Fried to a golden crisp, the wings were juicy with a light soy glaze. We loved it so much, we ordered another plate and because it was on happy hour, I didn't feel too bad or wasteful ordering up. Overall, Kinoya was a fun place to visit for its novelty, but not a place I would find myself returning to. Actually, maybe for the wings, just the wings! The food didn't deliver as much as I had hoped and the portion to price ratio was a bit pricey for value to satisfaction. However, the happy hour deals are great and worth a visit! read more

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A friend and I wanted to try out some new Japanese restaurants that aren't that popular in Montreal and this was one of them. As we went into the restaurant, there were several Japanese designs on their wall that makes it look very stylistic and modern. It was around 1PM at the time so we were only able to order from the lunch menu. Service was pretty slow although there were only a few groups dining. We got the pork broth ramen along with the sashimi-don. I really anticipated on having some nice Japanese flavors in these two dishes, but as it turned out, we don't think the place is Japanese owned. Ramen consists of Chinese noodles instead of Japanese (noodle was wavy instead of straight), and the broth has a Chinese taste to it. Sashimi-don had decent fish and sushi rice along with a few pieces of avocado, but the salad side-dish consisted of a Westernized sauce. I wish the salad had a Japanese vinaigrette instead to complement the dish. Overall, I think the price is not bad for what we get, but I really wish it was a real Japanese restaurant with real Japanese flavors. read more

Kinoya Izakaya - Sashimi-don! - Japanese Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

My boyfriend and I stumbled upon this place and absolutely loved it. 1. The interior is incredibly cool. Sunken in, geometric walls, almost like you're in a bunker made by Japanese hipsters. 2. Service was a leisurely but attentive pace and the wait staff was very pleasant. They also hit a gong when you do sake bombs. Bonus points for enthusiasm. 3. The food was AMAZING. Keep in mind it is a tapas style restaurant with small portions, so you need to order roughly 3-4 per person to feel full. Highly recommend the karage, which was crispy as hell and tossed in ginger sauce (one of the better karages we've had), as well as the salmon tartar, which was a total delight. If you save room for dessert, you HAVE to get the matcha cheese cake. It'll change your life. 4. Price. A little on the pricier side, but we have the American exchange rate working in our favor so it didn't end up being bad at all. Let's say I've paid much more for more mediocre meals before. 10/10 recommend this place! read more

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I walked past this place a lot but never had a chance to try it. This time with MTL a Table event I finally ate here. We had seven dishes to share and also the drink. To be stuff, expect to pay at least 60$ each. I'd say the price is a bit high and portion is small. However, we need to admit when dinning outside we also pay for the service and environment/deco. For that part, Kinoya did a good job. The dishes we had were octopus meatballs, sashimi combo *2, seared scallops, steak on a iron plate, fried chicken and fried shrimp like a tempera. They all very small. My husband loved the sashimi, the yellow fin tuna the best. I liked the fried chicken the best. Worth a try but there are other places I prefer to go. read more

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Ya I'm a fan. The eel is probably the best eel in the history of eels. I wish there was a more extensive menu to choose from. I'm a big fan of izakaya and this one didn't dissapoint. Service was friendly and the waitress explained every item in detail. read more

Kinoya Izakaya - Eel - Japanese Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

For better or worse, I have to compare it to nearby Yokato Yokabai. Kinoya has lower prices, which is a good thing. The quality also seemed to be slightly lower. We had the takoyaki, which was $2 cheaper than at Yokato Yokabai. We liked it in both places, but thought it was better at Yokato Yokabai. $2 better? Eh, debatable. The cocktail selection here is also much more limited. That being said, I'd probably come here more often than Yokato Yokabai if I lived in Montreal. Kinoya was more chill and a better value IMO. read more

A good tappas place. Good for groups or for dates, a very casual place, perfect to drink and get drunk there. They have sake bombs. I enjoyed their sashimis. Sapporo pitcher is $24 and my table took around 4 pitcher. Service was very good, the waiters and waitress are very friendly, I would definitely come back. read more

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Most probably worse izakaya in Montreal from what I've tasted so far. Their dishes either lack taste or taste overly sweet. The ramen was 12$, the noodles weren't fresh, soup wasn't even real. Totally not worth, knowing that most ramen restaurants in Montreal price it about the same for a bigger size. Most of the dishes were overpriced, wouldn't have ordered as much if it wasn't happy hour. The sashimi weren't as fresh. The biggest regret is that I can't put zero stars. read more

Kinoya Izakaya - 8$ for that small ball, 5$ during happy hour. The fish wasn't even fresh! - Japanese Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

I came here on a Friday night for dinner with a friend, we wanted something casual and fun and this was perfect. the decor is very unique inside as the walls and ceiling are all made out of angled wood , it was very unique fun and cozy. GreaT for a friendly hangout or a casual date. The atmosphere was lively without being too loud and the service was friendly and on the ball. Prices were affordable and they have quite a few options to choose from , they have various ramen options and lots of tapas options. their yuzu sangria was refreshing and delicious without being too sweet. We tried quite a few items on the menu but we especially enjoyed their gyoza dumplings, octopus balls, seaFood pancake and spicy calamari , their matcha cheesecake was also a standout. I didn't love their vegetable tempura or their tofu& shitaki tapa I found both were fresh but lacked flavour and I found the tofu very watery. We both really enjoyed the experience and I would definitely go back to try more of their tapas and their ramen (a lot of people were ordering it and it looked and smelled great !) read more

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I'll be honest. My initial plan was to eat at L'Avenue, but there was a 30m line up and I was already starving so I just ended up randomly in this restaurant. The interior is super nice (instagramable ;D) with wooden deco. The wood ceiling is not flat but had irregular triangles shapes that make it really interesting to the eyes. The lunch menu is quite limited: only few options in either poke bowl, ramen, and rice. We had karaange, poke bowl, and pork ramen - karaange: quite average. Crispy on the outside, but dry in the inside. The sauce was really sour, had a lot of lemon juice in it. Can't beat Nozy's karaange, which is probably the best I've had so far. - The all seasoned poke bowl: the presentation is really nice, looked super appetizing. I took the bowl with salad instead of rice. There was enough sashimi in it, the portion looked small but it was actually really filling. I just felt like there wasn't enough flavor to it... something seemed lacking. I still prefer Poke Bar's poke bowls. - Pork ramen with BBQ pork: tonkatsu ramen with a really really really heavy and creamy broth. A bit too heavy to my taste. I had two sip of the broth and I was already feeling sick of it... No wonder my mom couldn't finish it. I feel like they need to serve it with pickled radish of veges on the side coz otherwise it just felt like drinking fat. In general, the meal was just ok. Had high expectations because of how good the restaurant looked like from the inside, but I was quite disappointed by the taste. Everything was just meh, I could easily think of other restaurants that offer of the same things but tasted better. I might come back in the evening just to try their dinner menu, but I won't be back for lunch. read more

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We had an incredible experience at Kinoya from start to finish. The atmosphere was jovial and the decor was really interesting. It was amusing to watch guests doing sake bombs (or hearing from a distance) and I loved how the staff got really into it. They were all professional, quick and friendly. We called ahead of time to check how busy it was and they offered to save us a spot since we were going to arrive within 20 minutes. We were immediately seated and our server explained that it was tapas-sized portions and recommended that we order 2-4 dishes. We also had about an hour before a show so we let our server know and he was very accommodating. He put a rush on our order right away and made sure we were out of there on time. Everything sounded delicious but we settled on ramen, Yaki Gyoza (dumplings), Gyu Tataki (beef sashimi), and fried chicken (which was the perfect amount of food). My boyfriend (a self-proclaimed ramen connoisseur) said it was the best ramen he has ever had and loved the fried chicken. I really enjoyed the beef dish and dumplings. We really loved the experience and would definitely go back. It was on the pricey side once we added our drinks but worth it. read more

They have the best staff ever. They were connectable and fun with the celebration of my friends birthday. The staff brought the cheers and the sake bombs loudly for our group. When they were closing they also joined in our celebration. read more

Birthday dinner here with 1) Octopus Balls with Flakes 2) Duck Breast 3) Fried Chicken Karaage 4) Chicken Wings 5) Okonomiyaki 6) Filet Mignon Carpaccio 7) BBQ Eel 8) Matcha Cheesecake It was our first time and our favourites were definitely the chicken wings, octopus balls and BBQ Eel! Must try these dishes. The flavours in all the dishes were very seasoned well and presented beautifully. The Okonomiyaki at Kazu is much better because there was no much shrimp in this one. The filet mignon in ponzu sauce was a little over powering because the filet was so thin and the sauce was drowning them. We were surprised by the generous waitress with a FREE matcha cheesecake for my birthday and it was wonderful! For two people to have all these tapas dishes, it came to $81 after taxes. Each adult should order maybe 3-4 dishes unless one is a large dish (that they have on the back of the menu) Service was fantastic! We will definitely come back here again. read more

such a cool place in montreal a Japanese pub. I just walked by and found it so interseting hahha...had a Kyoto cooler here(sake honey and fresh squeezed grapefruit juice) for 9 bucks read more

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Love love love this place. The decor is perfect! smells of fresh wood and is decorated with various japanese elements. as someone who's spent some time in japan--the menu of whiskey, sake and food is on point. There are a few ramen things, but everything else is mainly small plates and appetizers--just like in japan. come here for the snacks, sake, whiskey and be capable of talking all night to your friends. The food was okay--i guess since ive had the real thing its kinda hard to please that but its okay. ill leave it at that. the takoyaki needs more squid flavor and should be cooked more. but i think coming here is worth it, especially on a saturday night--being packed--the service was good. read more

I wanted to visit Kinoya ever since I was passing by this place and saw their $1 oyster on Thursdays promotion. Unfortunately, the experience left me disappointed and a little bit angry with the "service" (or lack of it) we have received. I made the bookings for 18:00 for 2, my husband and I were there on time sharp. I was looking forward to oysters and eating delicious Japanese appetizers and drinking plum wine. We arrived to this place and there were only few occupied tables (it's important later), so not it was not busy. First of all, the service was almost non- existent, once we received our bottle of wine and oysters it pretty much went downhill from there. Several waiters/barmen came to bring the food, no one asked if we wanted anything we had to always try to get staff's attention to ask for more ice or water or anything. The oysters? I get why the price is $1 now because the way it was presented and the taste? One of the worst ones in my life. The food took a while, and we were prepared to wait since the bar/resto was getting busier and busier, however, when the tables closer to the entry were getting more food and dumplings while we did not even get our dumplings that we've ordered. Suddenly we have received one of the appetizers that we certainly did not ordered, however, not wanting to be difficult or cause inconvenience I said we'll keep it and informed the person to put it on our bill. After almost an hour and fifteen/twenty minutes of wait, a different staff member brings another of our orders and informs us that this is the LAST from our orders. We gently explained the situation and told him that we were still waiting for one more plate that we still have not received. This is where my patience started to run a bit low. Anyway, we have finished with our meal and waiting for the plate of dumplings that we've ordered over an hour an a half ago by that time. I definitely saw several plates of dumplings being carried to other tables, not ours. At that time I've told my husband that I'm going to give the last chance and wait 10 more minutes, however, if we're not getting our plate we're definitely out of there. Well, as I thought it did not show up, so I got up and asked for the check. This was just not a good service at all. Finally, when I came to pay the check, surprise surprise! The dumplings that we have never had were definitely included in our bill. This was the last straw for me, I was disappointed and angry and felt like I've just wasted our night on something which is not worth it. I asked for the bill to be corrected and paid the bill. However, for the first time in my life I left 0 tip. Since I was upset I didn't bother explaining the staff or complaining because it's not something I do. However, I thought I would leave my feedback here to help you to build a good customer service and reputation. Please take my constructive criticism and use it to improve this place if you want to have a successful business and happy clients. It would not hurt to hire maybe few more people and give them a proper training instead of training them how to say "Irasshaimase" in badly mispronounced Japanese. Anyway, that's my review of this place. Would I recommend it to any of my friends? No. read more

For Japanese Tapas, this is THE spot in town. I've been therea few times. I loved their salmon in spoons, tuna tartare, ceviche, grilled scallop, squidé Everything is tasty But, the service is little bit slow. Not too pricy. You must try this place, a great spot read more

Overall, not impressed with the experience. Arrived on Saturday 630 to avoid the rush. After being seated we were quickly served with beverage. The place isn't busy yet it took about half an hour for the waiter to come take our order. The food was served very slowly. We ordered two appetizers with five main (not quite but slightly heavier portions) to be split amongst three people. Strangely the appetizers (one of which was sashimi) weren't served until another twenty minutes later. We already ran out of tea and the server never walked by to refill it. I caught him playing on his phone for most of the time I was waiting. The food didn't blow me away either. Out of the 8 dishes ordered we were only satisfied with three of them - the sashimi platter, the ramen and the tuna/salmon/avocado rice bowl. The chicken skewers were dry, the mushroom / cheese stir fry didn't bring out the flavours of the mushroom, the rice balls tastes bland, the deep fried tofu was overly watery on the inside and over-fried on the outside, the deep fried cheese stick w Yuzu was just.. Kinda weird. I can't really formulate an opinion about this last dish because I just have no idea what it's trying to be. Overall the experience is passable. The price is not exorbitant (100 before tips for the three of us) so I don't feel robbed. But probably won't make my way back there again. read more

Quiet Japanese restaurant with great tapas! I have to admit that I am a Japanese tapas addict. Kinoya is one of of must-try restaurant in Montreal. Recommand the tenderest beef tongue, ramen soup, and wasabi salmon. read more

Very good. This has been on my "must try" list for a little. I had the chance to go for lunch today. Was impressed by the decor. Feels like your in a ship with all the wooden walls and ceiling. The bento was full and tasty. The fried chicken well seasoned, the potato croquette was very crunchy and not oily. The miso soup had lots of umami present. The price was very affordable too. Will be back for dinner! read more

Kinoya Izakaya - Nice interior design. - Japanese Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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Great job Kinoya! This restaurant ended up being much better than I thought it would be. I usually eat authentic Japanese food and recently went to Japan a few months ago. Their food wasn't bad, but it wasn't the best Japanese food I have had. I got the salmon tartare, sashimi tuna salad, deep fried tuna cakes and parfait for dessert. The salmon tartare was pretty good, as well as the sashimi tuna salad. The sauce that they used really complemented the fish. The deep fried tuna cakes were a bit odd since instead of the traditional panko or tempura coating. The tuna cakes were coated with rice krispies and deep fried. They were served with grated radish and with a ponzu sauce. The dessert I had ordered was ok. The custard, fruit and cream tasted good together, but the jam that was at the bottom of the parfait was too sweet and did not taste that great. It was more like marmalade rather than jam, which is what they had wrote down in the menu. I also tried grapefruit sawa; the waitress told me it was juice with vodka. It was only $5 so I got it and was pleasantly surprised. The drink was pretty appetizing and pretty cheap for an alcoholic drink. The meal was decently priced since all of the dishes I had ordered were on the Happy Hour menu (certain tapas were half off from 5-7pm). It came up to $35 including tax and 15% tip. Overall it was a decent restaurant! The inside decor was really cool. The waitresses were nice, but weren't very attentive when it came to water, asking if the food was ok and other things like that. Also something that was quite strange was when I made my reservation over the phone for 12 people, the man on the phone was pressuring me to give him my credit card number to make a reservation since he didn't want me to not show up. He did tell me that he wasn't going to charge me, but I was uncomfortable with giving him my credit card number. Instead I just reserved two tables of 6, so I wouldn't have had to give him my credit card information. read more

Kinoya Izakaya - From top to bottom: deep fried tuna cakes, shake wasa (salmon tartare), maguro nuda (sashimi tuna salad) - Japanese Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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Really good service and the food is pretty good but as it is a tapa restauraunt you don't feel especially full if you don't order a large amount of side dishes which can get pretty pricey. I recommend the okonomoyaki, oysters (a dollar each on wednesday), and the karage (fried chicken). The ramen was good, but not spectacular. The small portion for the price was not really worth it and it didnt taste that authentic. Still, there food is okay-pretty good, be prepared to spend money if you intend to be full! read more

Kinoya Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Izakayas or Japanese-style pubs have becoming very popular in and around Montreal over the past year or so. Previously, there was Imadake and.... well no others really. Now, each neighbourhood seems to have one and more are soon the way. Through a friend's birthday gathering, I found myself at Kinoya along St-Denis curious to see if this particular Izakaya holds up to my previous experiences itself in the city and elsewhere. Walking into the wooden hut/grotto Kinoya has structured within the standard plateau storefront, the restaurant definitely has a unique visual appearance compared to many of the new Japanese pubs in town. They do have the classic "salute" from the staff when you walk in - which I've always loved despite the awkwardness that it can create for the uninitiated. Also, it is rather weird to be saluted in Japanese by an entire French Canadian staff I must admit but I digress..... The space is nice overall however the low ceilings created by the grotto look creates more cacophony than is ideal. We were at a pub after all so a drink is a must. Given the presence of some speciality cocktails on the menu, we decided to try a couple. First was the Zen - Sake, Midori and Lychee Juice. Very strong on the Lychee side of things which worked for my girlfriend but not so much for me. My choice was the Gingin - Gin, Ginger Ale, Fresh Ginger Juice And Soda. Once again, the non-alcoholic components overpowered the alcohol. I enjoy ginger but not on the level that this drink brought forth. A totally miss on my end here. Given the nature of an Izakaya, over the course of the evening, we ordered a much of plates in no particular order. The key is that process is that service is spot-on and the dishes come quickly which is exactly what occurred. First up, I can never say no to a nice bowl of salty edamame. The Tako Kimchi or octopus and cucumber with spicy kimchi sauce was less successful. The spicy kimchi was good but the octopus was a little chewy and frankly the portion was much too small given the price of the dish. The plate could barely be shared by 2 people. I know an Izayaka is all about small plates but this was pushing it a little too far The Kamo Carpaccio - seared duck breast carpaccio with spicy tahini sauce - was a better success. The rich fatty duck was sliced thinly and paired well with the sauce although it wasn't as spicy was perhaps I would have expected. I couldn't help ordered some Gyoza - pan-fried Japanese dumplings - as well. The dumplings were okay nothing more sadly. The filling was nice and meaty but I wanted them a little more fried up and the sauce was unremarkable. The big hit was the Ikayaki - squid marinated in sake and grilled with shichimi spice and mayo. The squid was beautifully tender and grilled nicely although the sake marinate really wasn't noticeable flavour-wise. The spicy mayo provided a nice kick and a good pairing to the squid. I also wanted to try the Kara-Age - Japanese style fried chicken marinated in fresh ginger and soya sauce. Very enjoyable on my end. Great crunch to the chicken while still keeping the meat tender and juicy. Again, the marinade wasn't noticeable flavour-wise but it was good regardless. Lastly, I felt the need for a dessert so I went with the Anmitsu - mochi pearls in red bean sauce with ice cream and matcha. A very nice dessert - I love red bean sauce and matcha with vanilla ice cream matched well with that sauce. A great way to end the meal. Kinoya was a good experience but not a memorable one. Some dishes were hits. Others were disappointments. With an Izayaka, the ambience is very important but if the dishes don't hit consistently, it is hard to be a memorable night regardless of the rest. Kinoya goes into the mix of all of the other Japanese pubs in town but doesn't elevate above the fray to be one of the best. Cheers! read more

Incredible experience, delicious food and amazing service !! No questions asked, I would recommend this restaurant! Ask for Sylvia, she's the best read more

Try the ramen restaurant just the corner "Yokato Yokabai". Way better! This place is amazing looking but the food is not to try. The staff is great and friendly! read more

Good food but very small portions and the fried shrimp came very oily, the service was good however we were practically expelled cuz half an hour before closing they began to close the restaurant putting the chairs on the table forcing us to go out, I have no desire come back! read more

Kinoya Izakaya - Good food but very small portions and the fried shrimp came very oily... - Japanese Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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I am shocked by the lack of professionalism from the staff here. I made reservations yesterday at 8pm and they were nice enough to find us a table even though they were practically booked for the night. We arrived 20 minutes early and were seated right away. We took our time to look at the menu and placed our order at about 8:00-8:10pm. I ordered a seasonal special hot pot and a few rounds of sake bombs. The waiters were energetic and created a fun dynamic vibe. Our waitress even partook in two rounds of sake with us. It was all good up until the point my friend never received his food (literally an hour later). He ordered a Japanese shrimp pancake. We were told only an hour later that the dish takes time to prepare. However, that doesn't justify the long delay AT ALL. It's not as if we were ordering steak. Even then, a plate of steak shouldn't arrive to your table an hour later. Being a perfectly normal human being, I understand that we can all make mistakes. But what I do expect is a sense of hospitality. We were four people in total. All 3 of us finished our food and my friend who still hadn't received his plate lost his appetite before he can even eat. The wait staff didn't seem to understand that the importance of a restaurant isn't just a matter of receiving your food at the end of the day; it's the entire experience that counts which also includes timing. I also felt there was a lack of empathy and understanding coming from the waitress and the assistant manager. When we simply explained "Hey, food is taking more than an hour and I'm losing my appetite", the waitress replied with a blunt "But your food is already ready". Okay, first of all... if it was ready, why aren't you bringing it to the table? Second, try to be a bit more empathetic. I wouldn't be happy if I was starving for an hour while watching my friends eat. They really seemed stingy. They were reluctant to fix the situation and expected us to be satisfied with an hour late meal. They didn't try to fix the situation at all. We had to argue until they can actually "offer" a free round of sake bombs. At certain point, they actually said "What do you want me to do?" We ended up cancelling the plate. Funny yet, the assistant manager forgot to cancel the plate because that damn shrimp pancake was still on the bill. Come on guys. I know it's stressful to handle upset customers, but you'll go a long way by being more generous with your resolutions and being more empathetic with their lack of satisfaction. Long story short or a piece of advice, retrain your assistant manager and wait staff properly or hire competent service-oriented people. If you need an idea of a good service, go to Burgundy Lion. I've never been so impressed. It's bustling and busy there, but damn I felt really prioritized even over the smallest thing. The manager checks up on you every other while and the wait staff is always present (very knowledgeable on top of that). I complained about a cold dessert dish and the manager had no hesitation to come and see me with a smile and great sense of humour + a genuine care for my satisfaction. He fixed my problem right away. Please take this as an example if you'd like to improve your service. It's a shame because I thought it was a cool place. I even wanted to come back and try different dishes but it looks like that won't be happening in a while. read more

It's a really cute restaurant, the decor was really beautiful and the service was great! However, the portion to price ratio was terrible. It was not expensive but the portions were very little. My boyfriend and I were very disappointed especially because it was meant to be our cheat meal. We ended up going back home and ordering a pizza because we were still hungry. The fried calamari was way too oily and the fried chicken was burnt...other than that, the bigger portion plate we ordered was delicious. read more

Neat little taste of Japan- My wife and I ended up an hour ahead of reservations. We felt bad, but figured we'd chance it. The place opens at 1700 so as we sat down they were still prepping the dining room. Still, no problem. Notice how i said sitting down. Our waitress let us pick a spot and the house had no problems with our (very) early arrival. We had a Tuango coupon for a tasting for two, so we passed that to our server, and ordered some cocktails and some sake bombs (if you go make sure at least 2 of you have the sake bomb. They have their own mantra for enjoying this little devil and you will smile). The meal was so much fun to see and eat. Everything was cooked beautifully, going by taste and presentation over size and breaking belt buckles. Out of the foods brought to the table a few stand outs were the Salmon spoons, with popped rice, with a honey wasabi sauce, the butterfly shrimp, covered in a wonderful garlic sauce and topped with fish roe, the fried balls of octopus, and beef sashimi, that had a ponzu ginger sauce that could melt away a sour Monday. Only one gripe is the Kimchi Cesar. It wasn't anything like it sounded it would be... but the waitress traded it for a lychee cocktail that tasted like a rush of all the wonderful smells of a botanical garden. I cannot stress enough the service was wonderful (but a bit slow due to full front of the house and one server). She did her job though and kept us happy as customers. We will definitely come back for more with friends.. read more

The service speed is terrible. We ordered at 7:45pm and we're still waiting at 9:15pm. The food is delicious. Octopus balls are to die for. The zen cocktail tastes delicious. On the other hand, I need to reiterate the speed of the service. Bottom of the barrel service. Sure, the ambience fits the small space but i would expect to have my food by the 30 min mark. read more

I ordered dinner through Foodora, 2 salmon-tuna poké bowls, and I was just not at all impressed. It didn't taste too bad, but presentation and ingredients were questionable. It was a mix of rice, iceberg lettuce, cucumber, avocado and rice crispies (?!) along with the fish and sauce. I was expecting much better for $14 a bowl. read more

Nice atmosphere and good service but terrible food. My girlfriend is Japanese so naturally, we try all the Japanese restaurants and I've become a bit of a snob having had the best. This restaurant is subpar in almost every way. Most of their food is shipped in boxes from Japan and frozen on site. If you look into the kitchen you can even see them pulling everything out of the massive freezer. The butterfish wasn't real butter fish, the salmon in the rice ball was from a can, the miso soup was basically salt soup (more than usual), etc. Afterwards, I even had strong stomach cramps. To top it all off, it's insanely overpriced. I only gave it two stars because of the atmosphere and waitstaff. read more

If you want to enjoy delicious food, good drinks and have fun, this is the place to go! This was our first stop on a girl's trip to Montreal. They serve tapas styled Japanese food and we really liked the ceviche in spoon, chicken wings, sashimi and many others dishes that our servers recommended. The manager was sweet & attentive. We had a few sake bombs and the energy from the vibrant staff got us moving from our table to the bar. We asked the bartender to create a specialty drink. He put together a curious mixture of things. The result was delightful! It is refreshing to go to a restaurant where the entire team works together so well, cares for their patrons, and has fun while doing it! read more

Great service and equally great food. A little on the expensive side but worth it even just for the ambience! We just randomly stopped in while looking for a restaurant on st Denis and we definitely weren't disappointed. read more

This place is reasonably priced and thus you get good value for what you pay. Food is all right. I had the eel dish which was pretty good. Sashimi wasn't the freshest I've ever had but it got the job done. The mochi dessert was fun to eat because of the chewy texture. The downside to this place in my opinion is the interior where it felt like everyone was crammed inside a tight space. I got a bit uncomfortable eating in such a tight space. With a lot of people, it can get really noisy so just a calm night out I don't think is possible here. One can make the case that it's part of Kinoya's theme to have a festive atmosphere but it was too much for me the night we went. read more

Friendly staff but most of the dishes were heavily overpriced. Usually in izakayas the portions are small but tasty, here the portions are small but below average in taste. read more

Kinoya Izakaya - 2 scallops and 2 prawns for $14, what a joke - Japanese Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Loved it! Some of the best gyoza I ever had. Also really enjoyed the Japanese fried chicken and the squid. Drinks were reasonably priced and fun was had by all! read more

Kinoya Izakaya is the best! I came here with my in laws and my husband on our last day in Montreal. I had lived in Montreal for almost 6 years before and never came even though I always thought it looked cool from the outside. Sylviaaaaa was our waiter and was so attentive , making great suggestions to us for the freshest fish they had available! We ended up trying 10 dishes or so, all shared. Some of our favorites were the eggplant, cod, takoyaki (fried octopus balls), and the ramen. Their ramen was some of the best I've had in Montreal. Great broth, fresh noodles, simple and fantastic. Their takoyaki was also excellent, and on par with some I've had in Japan. Their drinks are also great. I got the Kyoto cooler (sake, honey, and fresh squeezed grapefruit juice), and another one of us got the Mori (a lychee drink that was excellent even though I don't even really like lychee that much). I would definitely come here again and recommend this place to anyone! Thanks Sylvia for such a great time! read more

Excellent food. Try the octopus balls and okonomiyaki. Excellent cocktails and plum wine. Sashimi was a tad less than excellent however. Service was exceptional. Not just friendly but super-friendly. Very fun atmosphere. read more