Located minutes away from Old Montreal, this sushi restaurant is a decent mid-tier establishment. You won't be embarrassed taking your in-laws here or going on a first date here. And, you won't break the bank either. Our Chirashi Don consisted of some pretty exotic fish including King Salmon, Blue Fin Tuna and Hamachi (Yellow Tail). Nice presentation, with the slices of fish enveloping a bed of minced salmon and rice. It was a lot more filling then it appeared. The Salmon Yaki included a large serving of fresh salmon and a bowl of rice. This isn't the dry, overcooked salmon you'd get at the food court. The dish also included sauteed mushrooms and zucchini wedges. Salmon was so soft and moist. Wonderful choice if you are hungry. If after your meal, of you are still hungry but running low on cash, you will be pleased to know that there is a Poke Bowl place next door. read more

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Nestled in the heart of downtown Montréal among corporate and commercial buildings, Saiko Bistro Isakaya may have an unassuming appearance. We had reserved a table. When seated we were changed to the counter seating, because we picked Omakase option. Our evening centered around the Omakase 5 option, which not only allowed us to sample some of the chef's creations but also provided a front-row view at the counter to witness the preparation of each course. The Omakase 5 included two appetizers, a main course, 10 pieces of sushi, and a dessert--a generous and fulfilling selection that left us full and content. A standout dish was the fish consommé, a clear, delicate broth cooked over six hours and served piping hot. The chef guided us to dip each sushi piece halfway into the broth, balancing between warmth and the sushi's coolness. The heavily vinegared rice, when paired with the rich consommé, created a beautiful contrast of flavors, temperature and textures. The sushi course was equally remarkable, presenting ten pieces, each with a small mound of rice topped by a thick, fresh slice of fish. Two King salmon pieces--one marinated for eight hours and the other served raw--showcased the nuanced ways salmon can be enjoyed. The selection of tuna varieties (big-eyed, yellowfin, bluefin, and fatty tuna) provided a spectrum of flavors, each distinct and satisfying. Scallops, shrimp, sea urchin, and eel followed, rounding out a "parade of fish" that captured the freshness and diversity of the ocean. Our meal concluded with a cheesecake dessert, a sweet and light finish that topped off an excellent evening. read more

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A 30+ seater izakaya & sushi restaurant located near beaver hall. The menu was a bit limited but nothing to complain about if you're there for the sushi, maki, chirashi. The beef tataki was juicy and tender, although the 2nd plate was a bit dry. The tempura was one of the best I've tasted, with a very light & crispy tempura batter. Was hoping to have some dashi with the tempura sauce though. The service was immaculate and professional. Would definitely go back again. read more

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I came to Saiko Bistrot Izakaya a while ago and tried their Omakase. For the 10 piece omakase, I had: King salmon (Fairly fresh and crunchy, with a tint of sweetness), Bluefin tuna (Good texture, fresh, firm but not chewy), Hamachi (Excellent, oily on its own but good blend with condiments), Sea bass (Very crunchy, nice spice mix), Red snapper (Crunchy but smoother/softer than sea bass, really tasty and refreshing), Shimaichi (Good, new/unique flavour), Saba (Very fresh and sweet, extra tasty with the marinade), Otoro - Tuna from North Sea (Fatty, good but not as good as Japan), Toro - Caribbean (Fatty, soft, good), Hotate/Scallop (Fresh, sweet, nice balance). Overall, the omakase offered a wide variety of quality fresh fish for a decent price so I'd give it 8.5/10 read more

What a fantastic omakase experience. Chef Shin Ichi was knowledgeable, personable, and passionate about his craft. He's trained and perfected his skills for over 30 years and it shows. We opted for the "bigger" omakase option with 2 appetizers, soup, 10 pieces of chefs choice, and our choice of dessert. Everything was delicious and well prepared (eg: he took the time to score the lines of the squid). Apps were top notch and 100% worth the extra splurge. Saiko has a lovely & chill atmosphere, although the exterior is unassuming (most of downtown Montreal seems this way). Would definitely come back again next time we're in town, and I recommended you do too. read more

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Came on a Thursday night with 14 people. The service was very slow we waited an hour and a half for our food. I can understand that we were a bigger table but by the end of the day it was just us another table of 4 and the omakase people left. It felt like they prioritized the omakase people over the people that were sitting in the dinning hall. The food was good but wasn't amazing. I had the chirashi it was alright the avocado was super hard and sashimi lacked the rich fatty flavour it just tasted bland. The only thing that was amazing was the uni hand roll. But overall it was just nothing special. read more

Saiko Bistrot Izakaya - Uni hand roll - Japanese Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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The foot was fresh and tasty and the cocktails were pleasantly surprising as well. A quiet dinner in a low key area.

We had an exceptional dinner at this restaurant. We had the sashimi, the chirashi and other assorted dishes. The fish selections were excellent, ranging from the tuna to the scallops and everything in between. A really nice variety of fish which was great to experience. The service was spot on and the ambiance is nice. This place gets an extra star given the price point. It really should be more expensive given the wide selection of fish. Outstanding! read more

Had loots of pieces! Very friendly service but slow, therefore i wouldn't recommend you to be very hungry. The quality and taste are really good, I recommend it read more

Saiko Bistrot Izakaya - a variety of sushi - Japanese Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

While walking to Old Montreal mid-day recently, my kid suddenly said that she was "starving". So typical.... lol. Since sushi is her favorite food and we were passing right in front of this restaurant, she suggested we have lunch here. It looked awfully fancy as we peered inside through the windows, as there were white linens on the tables and the interior looked swanky (in other words, it looked like it'd be pricey), and I wasn't sure this place was in our budget, but I checked out their posted menu outside and, surprisingly, there were plenty of options that were quite reasonably priced. Despite being dressed super-casually (we weren't planning on fine dining for lunch! And it was crazy hot out and we were walking for miles. NOT pretty!), we were still greeted warmly inside and shown to a lovely table by the front window. I think it was the last available table in the restaurant, as it was lunch-time and hopping. This was obviously a popular lunch place for the downtown weekday crowd. Sharply-dressed waiters were bringing beautifully plated sushi dishes to the tables beside us. My kid was oohing and aahing at each passing dish. We chose two inexpensive dishes to share: the California rolls and the tempura plate. It was plenty of food for us to share, and it came with tea, too. We were too full for dessert (and they all looked delish). Our server was very friendly and attentive, and the sushi was fresh and wonderful. What a great place! The bathrooms were super nice. (I always take note of the bathrooms!). Nice touch that they have complimentary, great quality hard candies for the taking. My only gripe is their website: it's only in French. I'd love to show my mom their online menu but she doesn't speak or read French and there's no English option that I could find on their website. So that's unfortunate. read more

One of the good Japanese spots in downtown Montreal. Very nice decor and sit down. Waiters are courteous. Sushi chefs as well. The food is just incredible, starting from the Miso soup and salad, to the shrimp tempura. The beef and salmon tataki are mouth-watering. The vegetable sides are cooked to perfection. You will not regret ordering those. Sushi is fresh and very tasty especially the chief specialties. The maquerel and the salmon Nigiri were delightful. The lower priced rolls are however average. Service was kind of slow but to be expected during lunch time. Overall a great experience. read more

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Sushis here were soooooo gooooooood!!! Fish was very fresh! Inside the restaurant, it was very clean. Also I like the tableware in Japanese style. The service is normal. The price is a little bit expensive but I think it's worth it because of the taste and the freshness of food. In one word, I strongly recommend this place if you want to treat yourself one time for a while with delicious sushis. read more

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I recently ordered maki, nigiri and sashimi platter and oh my, it was such an amazing sushi experience! The rice was fresh and just perfect, the fish was to the point, it was everything I wanted and more. This was definitely one of the best sushi I had since my last trip to Japan. I highly recommend it. read more

Had the chef's tasting menu at $88 for 4 services. Although the food was pretty good, definitely not worth $88. I easily can get better at more affordable pricing elsewhere. read more

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Definitively one of the best places in Montreal to have fresh sashimi! The chefs and part of the clientele are Japanese. I first wanted to order the tasting menu, but for $80+ per person, the 4 course menu did not appeal to me. I opted à la carte instead and ordered the following: -miso soup ($5!!): won't recommend -beef sashimi: very good, but sauce a bit too sweet -seafood ceviche: delicious, but taste too much lime/yuzu -omakase sashimi: HEAVENLY gooooood!! Seven kind of fishes, 2 pieces each for $45. Not cheap at all, but definitively worth it!! -seared salmon and unagi sushi: Unagi is a must! So tasty!! -miso black cod: very good Service, however, was really so-so. The waitress was not very knowledgable. I've asked for suggestions and she just gave me a description of a few dishes. She didn't even know which fishes were available on that night. That was very disappointing. Quite expensive, but for a special occasion, I will definitively return to try out more sushi and sashimi! *nom*nom* read more

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It's literally Japan in Montreal! I lived in Japan for quite a while and ever since I came back in Montreal, I couldn't find any sushi restaurant that was equivalent to the ones in Japan. And then I found Saiko. The fish was very fresh, the flavour was incredibly delicious and the food presentation was beautiful! I was getting teary. Although we waited a little long, it was definitely worth it. Nice decor, nice staff. This restaurant needs more popularity. It's a great place to go if you are not afraid to try new meals. Japanese culture is seriously getting popular in Montreal and I am so glad we are getting REAL authentic cuisine by REAL Japanese cooks. (No offence to cooks from other nationalities) 最高！ read more

Saiko Bistrot Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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My husband and I went there for Valentines day dinner. We checked the special menu for that night on their website and knew what to order. But when we saw the menu, it was different and more expensive than we found on the internet. I suppose it was a year before menu probably? Anyway, new menu had more dishes and sounded good. So we decided go with it, and it was a right decision! Fish carpaccio, lobster with brie cheese, eel&avocado sushi roll, fish tartar, hosomaki with broth(the consept used from Japanese "ochadtuke", nigiri omakase and dessert, from the start to finish, it was amazing. I'm from where sushi is the best place to eat in Japan. I have eaten lots of great sushi including in Canada and this was by far the best I've ever had in Canada. Everything was so fresh and tasty. The portion of fish on nigiri was generous, they used a whole scallop on 1 nigiri! That is quite unusual in Canada. After dinner, I happened to speak to the chef, he asked me where I was from in Japan and we found out we were from the same prefecture. I told him that the best sushi my husband and I had was in his hometown. It was the second time to visit this place after I was recommended by my doctor. This is my new favorite restaurant! Next time, I'll try omakase for sure! read more

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I've visited Saiko bistrot Izakaya for the 3rd time just a few days ago. I'll start by saying they have to be the best sushis I've ever had in Canada. You enter the restaurant, greeted in Japanese, rooms have a great ambience, intimate candle lit tables. Long bar where you can watch the chef cook. Their house cocktails are delicious. Lychee martini is a must try! I always order a few starters: carpacchio of the day, gratin oysters an Kara age this time. Everything was phenomenal beside the karaage which just tasted like popcorn chicken... Getting past that we received a few roll which I've mostly forgotten: we try the Kamikaze everywhere we go. I remember loving all of them and one of the beaver roll. Perfect amount of petrified fish on to top. They had an everything matcha night and we shares a matcha cake roll filled with very light cream and sweet Rice puff. I would recommend this place to others And you can expect my visit sometimes soon again! read more

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It's my second time having dinner here, last night was my best friend's birthday dinner, she really likes the Japanese food, so she made the reservation two weeks ago. While eating our dinner, I checked in on Facebook said happy birthday to her. I have no idea how the staff found out that it was her birthday but they gave her a cake surprisingly. The food was excellent but I find the price was too expensive tho read more

Saiko Bistrot Izakaya - Black cod, Gindara very soft - Japanese Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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Another great find for mtl a table resto week. For 41$ I chose to have scallops stuffed with crab filling, a chef's choice sushi platter (including a variety of sashimi!) and green tea roll cake (not the best after a strong meal). Presentation was impeccable, location is prime with plenty of parking around the area. Highly recommended! read more

Saiko Bistrot Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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Very poor service, we waited 1.5 hours until we got our first dish and it was not even fully packed. The fish quality was not good. The roles were not made properly. read more

My favourite sushi restaurant in town. I am having diner there at least twice a month with my family read more

Saiko Bistrot Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

decent sushi, fresh not to bad of a wait, tempura was a bit oily and serving sizes where small

One of the best sushi places in Montreal. Well located, very fresh and well put together sushi. Music was a bit loud and had background noise from the computer running it, but it was not a big issue. Service was also fast and courteous. read more

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Just ordered take out, 30 piece sushi combo. It was THE best sushi I had in Montreal. Mind you, Being half Japanese, I'm very picky with sushi and everything I'd had so far in Montreal, was very unimpressive to say the least. Fresh ingredients, good rice, good seasoning. You got yourselves a loyal customer. 本当に最高だった！ありがとう read more

Exquisite food in small portions. Good for those days when you're recovering from a big lunch and you want something light but delicious. If you are feeling splurgy for sushi, Saiko is probably your best (IMO your only) bet in Montreal. Don't try to "save money" by going to other places that are cheaper in Montreal. Unlike other big cities where cheaper sushi can still be great quality... NOT SO IN MONTREAL. read more

I go to this restaurent quite often. Good service, good place, good quality of sushi, fresh ingredients... I highly recommend this restaurent. read more

Saiko Bistrot Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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If I could leave ZERO stars I would. Currently waiting nearly 1 hour for our food to be served and the place is not even crowded!!! very poor service. Nice ambience and music, not sure how the food is yet, I think they are catching it from the ocean at the moment. The cocktails are pretty much juice, not strong at all. Will not return and do not recommend. Food came back, absolutely horrible. Not sure what all these other reviews are talking about. DO NOT COME HERE. read more

This little gem is just off Rue de la Gauchatierre in downtown Montreal. It's the only restaurant in that strip that's open at night, and was recommended by a client. The entire staff is Japanese, and you might wonder why that matters, but only until you've been to a different sushi joint where the guy behind the sushi bar was a tall redheaded farmboy and the sushi was just what you'd expect from that kind of a guy (ran into this in Kentucky, not a hotbed of sushi). The manager himself made me up some sangria (not a normal staple in a sushi joint), and it was fantastic. Yeah, it's hard to screw up, but this was good. Their miso soup was good. Hard to screw that up too. I ordered the Duo, which is a mixed bag of maki and nigiri put together by the chef. When it was brought out, the manager explained to me what all I was eating. He pointed out the one kind of sauce you use for the maki, and the other for the sushi. There was one item he said to eat without any sauce. Wish I'd saved that for last, since it was incredible. Price was pretty good, $28 for the Duo, service was good, although it wasn't crowded. Highly recommend. Quick walk from the Marriott Chateau Champlain, which is a great hotel as well. read more

I've passed by this restaurant a couple times before but never went in. Not sure what made me decided to go in. Perhaps it was such a nice day and I felt like splurging on a good meal. Glad I went. The place gives off a pretty nice vibe- clean, comfortable and relaxing. My friend and I both think the food was excellent. Well worth the money. It's hard to find quality sushi restaurants in Montreal. This is definitely one of them. Only con about this place is that the service can be somewhat slow during lunch time. Better to come after lunch rush. Haven't tried dinner there yet. Looking forward to my next meal there. read more

Saiko Bistrot Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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Outstanding - simply put the chef put together our menu for the evening and every item was made with passion and expertise I have not seen such mastery in a Montreal sushi restaurant ever! The fish is totally amazing. THE BEST ! read more

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Excellent sushi with very helpful waitress. The saiko maki roll was very tasty as were the vegetable tempura rolls. read more

Saiko Bistrot Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Slowly but surely, the state of Japanese restaurants is getting better and better in Montreal. Saiko is without a doubt amongst my Top 3 sushi restaurants in Montreal. The nigiris are absolutely amazing and the quality of the fish is irreproachable. Some of the fish is imported from Japan. Your best bet would be to do an omakase dinner and let Chefs Yusa-san and Shin Ichi-san know your preferences. Do not be shy and ask which fish is freshest on the day that you are there. Do not skip on the dessert, especially if you love green tea. My wife and I have been here a few times and are surely about to become regulars. We always had good service, even when we were in a large group. Before I came here, I didn't know much about this restaurant. Indeed, Saiko does not receive nearly as much buzz as some other sushi restaurants in the city. I first came with no expectations. It is now one of my favorite spots. read more

I rate this place 3.5-4, keeping in mind it was meant to be a quick lunch so we did not partake in the way I usually would at an Izakaya. Most of our table had delicious bento boxes but one had an absolutely beautiful looking chirashi plate. The pictures of the chirashi shown here just do not look as awesome as it did. Service was attentive and the restaurant was clean. I'm likely to return on a subsequent visit to Montreal and order lots of smaller dishes. read more

The Brie with scallop combination test strange. A bit bitter so I have to use the sweet sauce to cover. Haven't tried the other so I may give it a shot again. Ceviche was okay. Hard to chew as usual. read more

Saiko Bistrot Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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Service was slow... Didn't offer us drink menu.... Didn't give us water refill.... We ordered miso soup, grilled squid, yakitori, carpaccio, gentleman, my life and duo. The miso soup, according to my friend, she knew which brand of miso soup they were using... Aka bought from the store and it was five dollars each. Grilled squid and yakitori were okay, nothing special. Carpaccio and gentleman were good. The beef in my life was not tender. It was average standard. The rice in the sushi and the makis in the duo was awful.... Not sticky not flavored. read more

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Was like described by others. Wasn't disappointed at all. Waiter was very nice. Good inventory of fish. Order the toro sushi, no picture i was to in the hurry to savored it. Fresh and melt in my mouth. Chirashi was well present dish see picture. Full of fresh fish kig salmon, scallop, tuna, hamachi and others kind of fish and nicely fresh cut avocados slice. Good service, nice decor. Will defitnetly go back and i really recommend this place for a nice sushi date in montreal. read more

Saiko Bistrot Izakaya - Chirachi. Omomom - Japanese Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

High end Japanese restaurant with the freshest fish I've had. Omakase, chef's choice, is the best option... The lobster and ceviche aps were to die for. Tuna belly nigiri had my feet dancing under the table, and I finally understand why people swoon over unagi. The sauces were lovely in presentation without being overly sweetened like the fast food sushi you find elsewhere. Every course was delightful and spaced out beautifully yet it took, despite having a reservation, a while to place a drink order while we perused the unique menu. 4.5 stars. I'd go back again and again. read more

Saiko Bistrot Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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If you are seeking delicious, fresh sushi, make a reservation ASAP. Nice variety of not-so-common Japanese dishes. I'd even say they offer an exotic, fairly extensive menu compared to many North American sushi restaurants. Elegant presentation and service. Salmon Roe with Quail Egg was phenomenal. Octopus Pancakes = deliciously breaded, crispy exterior, succulent-in-the-center (think seafood falafel). So don't expect a flat "pancake". Hope to return for many future feasts. Carpaccio of the Day was the highlight... perfect appetizer of thinly sliced daily catch heaven for two people to share. No need for soy sauce because the fish and delicate sauce was so melt-in-your-mouth delectable. read more

Very outgoing, friendly chef that creates art. Delicious fish, so fresh, this was a wonderful experience. Can't wait to come back! read more

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