This was my "nice" meal during my very short trip to Montreal last weekend, and it turned out to be…read morea great choice. There are 2 sides of the restaurant: the more casual order what you want brasserie side and then the fancier multi-course chef menu side. I chose the brasserie side, where I had a reservation for a bar seat - turns out that wasn't really that necessary as there were several individual bar seats open; A group would probably have a difficult time getting a seat on a Friday evening though. For drinks, I had a paper plane and a last word. Those are my two go to cocktails for nicer bars, and they pulled them off fantastically (they also knew what I was talking about which is kind of rare for the last word). For an extra nice touch, they clipped an actual paper plane to the paper plane drink. Fun! For food, I ordered the Duck Confit. It was super crispy on the outside, but the meat was super tender and juicy and melted off of the bone. My mouth is watering while thinking about it. It also came with bread service. For dessert I had the tiramisu. I would give it a 4/5 - it was a little more bland than others I've had - not bad at all, but not my favorite one of all time. They seem to be serious about their coffee (see pictures). Since I was sitting right in front of it I had to order one to go with the tiramisu. I had a basic americano, and it was a great addition. My only real complaint is the bar seating felt a little bit exposed as the main walkway through the restaurant goes along the bar seating. Drinks 5/5, Service 5/5, Food 5/5, Ambience 4/5

First meal in Montreal and what an experience! We dined in the brasserie side of the restaurant…read more Even though more casual dining, still experienced elevated food and service. We started with oysters from PEI and New Brunswick. Loved that they let you choose the units so we only ordered 4 (2 each). We also had as appetizer their foie gras parfait and tomatoes from our garden. Both we wonderful choices. The tomatoes were perfect for the season with a beautiful balance of tomatoes, stracciatella and focaccia. Foie is a classic and loved the grilled bread and pickled vegetables to accompany it. Our entrees were the lamb rump, braised shoulder and butcher cut steak and frites which was the hangar steak. The lamb was delicious and very hearty in a good way. The steak was perfectly prepared and the frites stayed warm the entire meal with their presentation. We ended with their house fav passion fruit pavlova. Light and airy texture with lovely flavor. Nice way to compete the meal!

Great food, great service and a dimmed yet casual atmosphere…read more The ribeye was cooked to perfection. The steak tartare was delighted.

Excellent experience! I ordered the best beef wellington I've had in my lifetime. Cooked perfectly…read more Service was excellent and you have to dry the scotch misted old fashioned. It was soooo good and they let you keep the Gibby's flask that it comes in. I'll be back the next time I'm in Montreal.

Came for the cozy winter vibes and left slightly traumatized by the food…read more The KeggNog drink is literally liquid gold, best eggnog cocktail I've had in years, full stop. The prime rib was also really good, and sitting near the fireplaces in the bar was so aesthetic. But the NY Strip was incredibly tough, and the burger was a total crime. It came out completely charred and burnt. Like, how do you serve that? 3 stars because the bar experience is elite, but skip the burger at all costs.

We had a fantastic dinner here on our way north skiing. We made a reservation, but showed up and…read morehour early (455) and thankfully they sat us at 5. Our waiter Daniel was lovely, attentive and had impeccable service. A true professional. We all ordered steaks. They were cooked perfectly to order. Love the "keg" specials that gave a small salad and side included. Drinks felt expensive compared to everything else, but we had a lovely time!

Had dinner here while in town with my husband as he raved about it from his prior trips to MTL and…read moreWOW. He was not wrong. We ordered a variety of things (including things we wouldn't usually order to try and enjoy the full experience). We had a special that they were having that night similar to a charcuterie board, croquettes, hangar steak, lobster spaghetti, fries, bread and pickle, and a scallop soup type dish (I forget what it was called and honestly it was my absolute favorite most unique dish). The service is outstanding and our server was so knowledgeable and helpful. The space is small and intimate - perfect for a date night!

I've been wanting to come to Joe Beef for years. I've been to Liverpool several times but I've…read morenever been able to get a reservation for Joe Beef. This time, I was prepared. My entire Montreal trip was planned around getting this reservation. The food here is good. It reminds me of what restaurants used to do; cook for enjoying instead of just paying the bills. When you start to cook for just the money, you lose the risk taking and excitement from the food. Firstly, the restaurant is very hot. They need to check their AC or maybe they're just choosing to be very European. But that aside our waiter was very good and friendly. He really helped make our dinner fun and memorable. The beef tartare was ok. The sweetbreads were probably the best I've ever had anywhere. The double down is their riff on the KFC sandwich where they used two pieces of fried chicken as bread, instead these guys used two pieces of fried foie gras. It's rich, fatty, and delicious. You do not want to eat more than what they've given but it was every bit enjoyable. The pasta and sausages were good as well. But the strawberry sorbet dessert was so damn good and exactly what I needed to cool down. I had a great experience and highly recommend Joe Beef.

First time eating at Reuben's. We came in from a rain storm with 2 young children. From the moment…read morewe walked in, the host, a sweet older gentleman, offered us paper towels to dry up, since we were soaken wet even with umbrellas. He seated us in the booth and got our little children settled in with coloring material. He was so gentle spoken with our children, and for that matter, the entire staff was! Our family felt welcomed and not a bother. You would be surprised at how few places make us feel this way, even though our children are calm little beings. Ok, now... to the food! When I hear brisket, I think of Texas styled BBQ, this brisket is different, this is a deli style brisket, think Reuben Sandwiches. The brisket was sliced so thin and was juicy, it was delicious! Our kids had kids meals and in their opinion, the best part was the ice cream at the end . I highly recommend eating here! The staff is friendly, the food is great and overall, just a comfortable place to be! Tip the staff well, trust me, by the time the bill arrives you will already have experienced their top notch service. I don't have pictures to share because we were hungry and ate everything up before I could remember to snap some photos!

We stumbled on this establishment this evening and it did not disappoint. We had a brief 5 - 10…read moreminute wait but it was well worth it for in house smoke meats/seafood. We had the the spinach and artichoke dip to start which was really good. I had the original Reuben which was memorable with the in house smoked corned beef brisket. The pumpernickel bread was awesome as well. My wife had the smoked lox bagel sandwiches ch with the fried capers and that too was amazing. Bonus points for the Molson Export Ale on draft which was a nice change of pace from all of the craft drafts I've been having.

Dining at Bar George was one of the highlights of our quick 24-hour layover in Montreal. We stayed…read moreat Le Mount Stephen Hotel without doing much research on dining options, assuming we'd just find something nearby. But before even checking in, we had to walk through Bar George ~ and instantly knew we wanted to eat there. We were lucky enough to grab a last-minute reservation, and Julien took a good care of us throughout the evening. His recommendation of the Beef Wellington was spot on (it's already one of our favorite dishes), but this was hands down the best we've ever had. I ordered the lobster risotto, which was excellent with just the right amount of spice. My son had the 10 oz striploin steak with homemade fries (chips), and it was absolutely delicious. I also loved the Canadian touch of coarse salt on the steak, plus the option to choose between Béarnaise or peppercorn sauce. Julien also mentioned their pastry chef placed second in a NY competition, and the desserts absolutely lived up to that reputation. We tried the pineapple and coconut pavlova and the "lick me hazelnut" ~ both beautifully presented and incredibly delicious. We also ordered iced coffee and a latte, and noticed something interesting: this was the second place where we found Canadian coffee to be smooth and mild ~ such a nice change from the often bitter, over-roasted American coffee. Yes, dinner was a bit steep ($300+), but it was worth every penny. Between the rich history, stunning design, outstanding service, and unique cuisine, I would highly recommend Bar George. I would absolutely love to come back!!

food for dinner was awesome, service great, in our hotel. I can't give it 5 stars because while…read morebreakfast toast is delicious. the dinner bread with a $10 day charge was very meh!

Top 5 dining experience of my life! We started with the fattoush, which turned my salad-hating…read morehusband into a believer. We followed that up with the batata harra, which were spicy, acidic, crispy little morsels of perfection. We rounded out the meal with the lamb and hummus dish, along with the filet mignon and little pickled peppers. Everything was perfection. Beyond the amazing food, the restaurant itself was beautiful and service was friendly, attentive, but never intrusive or annoying. These guys are doing everything right. I don't know when I'll be back in Montreal, but I can promise I will be right back here when that happens.

5:45 pm dinner on the patio, with nicholas as our server. the outdoor patio made for a relaxed…read moreearly evening setting, while the interior has a much more dramatic, intimate feel, with dark wood, ornate hanging lanterns, patterned tile floors, warm lighting, and rich middle eastern inspired details. it has a distinctly upscale and atmospheric feel that suits the restaurant's refined take on syrian cuisine. service was impeccable throughout the meal. nicholas and his team was attentive, professional, and genuinely on top of everything without being intrusive. the pacing was well handled, and we never felt neglected or rushed. the level of service definitely matched the upscale setting and was one of the stronger parts of the experience. we ordered the meat platter for two, which was $220. the meatballs were easily the standout for me, juicy, flavourful, and probably the best part of the platter. the beef was good, but the prime rib was overcooked and the chicken was quite dry. at $220, i honestly expected more, particularly from a restaurant with this level of reputation and positioning. the uneven cooking was disappointing and kept the platter from being the highlight it should have been. the fattoush salad was much more successful. it was light, fresh, and refreshing, with plenty of herbs and pops of pomegranate. this was actually my favourite dish of the meal. the freshness and acidity worked especially well alongside the richer grilled meats. the grilled octopus was another highlight. it was tender, nicely grilled, and had a good texture without being tough or chewy. overall, the experience was a mix of excellent service, a beautiful setting, and some genuinely memorable dishes. the fattoush, grilled octopus, and meatballs were all standouts, while the prime rib and chicken fell short of expectations. the impeccable service and atmosphere certainly elevated the evening, but given the $220 price tag for the meat platter, i was expecting a more consistently impressive meal.

Love, Love, Love this place! Very informal setting with…read morefantastic food. The attention to detail with their food was amazing. Dylan was our bartender and he made our experience feel like we were the only people in the restaurant. If you are in Montreal this is the place! Seriously great... Paul

Best oysters ever! My dad had their duck risotto which was great but he wished the duck wasn't as…read moreblended in with the risotto. If it was a little less thoroughly combined it would've been a 10/10. I had their PIE oysters and I ended up ordering an additional 9! Their cosmos was good, nothing spectacular, but their non alcoholic sparkling lemonade was awesome! Regarding service I'd say it's okay. A little slow at taking orders and completing orders. Took me a while to get cocktail sauce. They could've been kinder but I think it's just a matter of which servers you talk to. Overall it was a great first dining experience in Montreal and one of my favorite overall.

Honestly, one of the best food experiences I've had while up in Montreal. While it seems pretty…read morechill and laidback at a glance, this spot was busy and bustling (and sorta cute as a pseudo casual spot for a more memorable date night). The fois gras nigiri was pricey, but was definitely worth the try - especially with how the fois gras melting upon contact with the tongue and how the fats and flavors meld together through the rice, it was simply divine. Though my favorite would probably be the Duck in a Can, which was surprisingly tender and juicy. The flavor was pleasant and savory, and I didn't really feel much of a gamey taste at all when I tried it. As someone who normally doesn't enjoy duck, I thought this dish was really quite lovely. Anyway, would probably come back to this spot in the future if I was ever back in the area.

This is hearty Québécois cuisine, perhaps so hearty it's exactly what the pioneers needed to…read moresurvive the early harsh Montréal winters! Indeed the signature move of the chef, Martin Picard, is to elevate traditional, rustic Québécois "peasant food" into world-class fine dining. With the philosophy of unapologetic excess in every dish comes a line up of starters and mains packed with foie gras, butters, and oils in every corner. While the flavors in each dish by themselves are delicious, the onslaught of richness may not be for everybody, and it seemed deliberately without a palate cleanser or lighter counterbalance. In fact, knowing what we were getting into, we ordered an accompanying green salad, and the wait staff forgot to bring it out! We were outright denied anything but sheer gluttony. Our meal consisted of the foie gras poutine, duck in a can, and green tagliatelle. The mantra of excess here meant foie gras melding with cheese curds and gravy on the poutine. Their unique "duck in a can" involved packing quite literally a can with fatty duck breast, foie gras, buttered cabbage, herbs, and gravy, and blasting it all together with heat for 27 minutes. The result is a delicious stew of decadence, for which I wish I had more bread to dip and devour. Even the tagliatelle was bathing in a rich, oily pesto that provided no reprieve from the onslaught. We didn't try the namesake dish of the restaurant, the stuffed pig's foot (le pied de cochon), but seeing it served was an experience and nicely highlighted the elevated "peasant food" aspect of the entire affair. Very unique! Overall I had an excellent experience trying the local cuisine and this more decadent approach to dining. While it's fun sometimes to break culinary rules, I did overall find myself missing a more balanced meal that could feel more sustainable and less coronary artery disease-inducing. I think as long as you know what you're getting into, it's worth a visit, but probably not several!

This is the kind of neighborhood bistro you'd expect to find in Paris--only cleaner and friendlier…read more The service was exceptional: attentive, welcoming, and perfectly paced without being overbearing. The food was excellent. We enjoyed the steak frites, duck confit, fish soup, and the complimentary cornichons, which were a lovely touch. By the time we were ready for dessert, they had sold out of the île flottante, which was disappointing, but the crème brûlée and tarte au citron more than made up for it. Both were outstanding. A wonderful meal from start to finish, and a place we'd happily return to.

L'Express is my go-to foolproof French restaurant perfect for dining with friends who came to…read morevisit me in Montreal . You get a casual yet elegant fine French dining vibe effortlessly. No reservation needed for parties under two, plus it stays open till 1 AM, super convenient for flexible travelers. A local staple with countless loyal regulars, famous for its signature bone marrow and homemade pickles. Warm welcoming atmosphere, friendly seasoned staff, free bread and pickles right after seating. Must-try picks: rich bone marrow, smooth chicken liver mousse, tender duck confit and fresh beef tartare. Classic authentic French classics served in genuine local style. They have an amazing affordable wine list with massive collections.