Came here during Happening Gourmand, with a pre-fixe meal for $29 and though the experience was splendid. There was live jazz and a very comfortable table to sit in near the music. The restaurant itself is pretty large and spacious and while it's inside of a hotel, it's classy with a touch of elegance. Food-wise, I had the mediterranean sea bass as an entree and the beef tartare as an appetizer along with salad and a dessert. The dishes were delicious. The sea bass could have slightly benefited from being a fatter cut, as the perfect sear on the outside made the white meat just a second overdone, but overall it was delicious and unavoidable with the cut. The desserts were excellent. Service was excellent. I wouldn't hesitate to return. read more

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Nice restaurant located in Hôtel Nelligan's grounds to the left of the lobby. Although we didn't dine here, we stopped in after our dinner elsewhere to pick up dessert and bring to our hotel room upstairs. Just so you know- even if you aren't staying at Hôtel Nelligan, you can access Verses using the restaurant's entrance right Saint-Paul St. Spacious, dark woods and greenery add a cozy feel. By the way- there's LIVE Jazz Thursday- Saturday from 6:30-(I think) 9(?)....just check for timing. Ordering up at the Bar was quick and easy and Lia(?) was a doll. We ordered a Chocolate Moussey thing with Passion Fruit which was good- but hubs actually enjoyed it. Seems like LIVE jazz is Verses soul. I'm not sure though if this is the place to do a full-on dance routine- but if you want to get your toes tapping...I don't see why not. read more

Verses Bistro - Night Cap~ (Passion Fruit & Chocolate Mousse)- Tasty - French Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Fantastic small bistro corner in the very center of the Old Port area. The lunch menu was a decently priced,19 Canadian dollars, and included couple of options for apetizer and entree. I selected lentil soup which was most flavorful, all in balance, nothing too much or missing. I continued with the beef. Chimichurri on top of the medium rare meat, with quinoa, asparragus and green leafs made this plate absolutely wonderful. I can highly recommend this place for a high-quality lunch in a nice atmosphere. read more

Verses Bistro - Lentil soup - rich flavors. - French Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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Horrible services. We were here for lunch and took the table d'hôte menu plus the foie gras appetizer. The server got the wrong order and only gave me the foie gras and missed the table d'hote. The foie gras terrine is literally worse then atwater market lol. What was The chef thinking. Then when come the bill, we got over charge for something we didn't order. According to the website there is valet parking available and we couldn't find any valet personnel by the main entrance of the hotel which where the restaurant is in. Sorry to say this but this is my 1st and last time here. read more

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Small portion but delicious. I came for happening gourmand and had the seafod chowder, the fish and the chocolate dessert. They were all delicious and the fish was very crispy. The chocolate dessert was perfectly sweet. The service was quick and the staff were nice. We stayed for 2h30 as it was a nice place to talk with friends. The place is clean and it's next to a hotel so when u go inside it just feels fancy. Would definitely come back! read more

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We stopped in here after our tour of The Basilica. We knew nothing about this place it looked nice when we approached it, we were hungry so in we went. Got a great table at the open front window. The lunch specials were about to end and for under $20.00 was a deal so we got our order in quickly with the suggestion of our waiter. We both got the grilled cheese, it came with a full salad to start then another salad and fries. The starter salads were fantastic and large, we really didn't need to order two meals we could have shared and had plenty. Definitely not your average grilled cheese either, I'd come back for this meal again for sure. I don't remember what the name of the desert we had but it was also fantastic!! A bottle of wine from France that our waiter suggested was wonderful and set off this meal beautifully. The service was friendly, helpful and good but not the kind that pushes you through, it's more relaxed which I tend to enjoy when on holidays. I wouldn't necessarily recommend going here with children as it's more for an upscale dinning experience than a family restaurant. We'll definitely be back in Montreal soon and hopefully we can have another wonderful meal here again!! read more

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Awesome brunch menu with a twist! My friend and I both felt adventurous with our choice that day - I had salted pancake with poached egg, spinach and feta, the texture was very interesting and refreshing! The place is nicely decorated too! read more

Verses Bistro - French Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

If you're looking for a nice quiet place in Old Montréal with your wife or girlfriend this is the place. You will have a nice table with lots of space, great decorations and a really nice meal make with fresh food. My girlfriend and I had fish (grouper) with Quinoa, edamame red pepper and terrago oil, and my girlfriend had grouper but with butternut squash puree, kale and bacon. The meal was delicious and healthy, you won't have lots of food in your plate but with each bite a rainbow of flavors will touch your taste buds. This new kind of cuisine always fascinated me as it's really hard to enhance something like food, but with an open mind you can do marvels ! The service was also excellent. I recomment this excellent restaurant to anyone who wants to relax and enjoy life. Si vous cherchez un resto pour un rendez-vous doux c'est la place dans le vieux-Montréal. Vous obtiendrez un bonne table avec assez de place pour relaxer, un beau décor avec un excellent repas fair avec des aliments très frais. Le repas était délicieux, bon pour la santé et imaginatif ! Ma blonde et moi avons commandés du poisson ( délicieux merou) moi avec du quinoa rouge, piment et huile à l' estragon. Ma copine pour sa part a eu du merou avec de la purée de courge butternut accompagné d'une poelee de choux frisée et lardon. La nourriture était nutritive et exquise ! Votre assiette ne debordera pas, mais chaque bouchée apportera un arc en ciel de saveurs qui touchera vos papilles gustatives ; ) Cette nouvelle cuisine m'a toujours fascinée car rien de plus difficile que de faire du nouveau avec de la nourriture, mais avec l'esprit ouvert on peut faire des merveilles ! Le service est excellent. Je recommande grandement ce restaurant. read more

The staff are so well-trained and extremely personable! Atmosphere is amazing, especially on a crisp fall evening! Must try their cocktails if you drink! Not cheap but well worth it for a special occasion. read more

Verses Bistro - View of my cocktail from the window table. - French Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Parfait de fois gras,apple, cannele ( a dense type of French pound cake)....guinea fowl with a fois gras jus. Exquisite!!! Make sure to ask a lot of questions about the menu. They use google translate fir the English menu and so many ingredients were wrong. read more

We stepped in for an afternoon snack and drinks. Service was great. We had duck tartar. Exquisite! Fries were like home made. Olives were a lot ... like half a jar but very delicious. However it was towards the pricy side. About $40 per person. read more

Verses Bistro - Snack and drink! - French Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Whatever you do, don't order a dirty martini. Definitely a Lost In Translation moment at this cute little cafe. When ordering a vodka martini with extra olives, I expect a cocktail served "up" with a toothpick of extra green garnishment. Not the case. This was quite possibly the most unique martini I've ever had. Read the menu more closely and it's really a vodka-laden white sangria. And they added a layer of chopped up olive bits at the bottom, per my request. No wonder our server gave me a strange look when ordering. The first two gulps were tolerable, but as the salty met the sweet, it wasn't good. The house sangria in a pitcher is way better! read more

Verses Bistro - Martini with olive - really, it's a white sangria with vodka. Don't add the dirty! - French Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Omg, we ordered the "cauliflower steak" appetizer. Don't let the name fool you. It was exquisite and showed an absolute mastery of flavors by the chef. Everyone loved the main courses that they ordered. The flavors in particular were just impeccable. read more

Came here for happening gourmand, where they offered a 3 course meal for $29. Service was good, we accidentally came a earlier than the reservation but they could seat us anyways. However it was quite slow at times so we had to flag them down to get the bill. I got the duck liver mousse to start. The flavours were unique, but too strong and quite heavy. Once you run out of the bread sticks to eat it with, you're stuck with the overly sour confit cranberries and heavy liver mousse. For the main, I got the braised beef chef papardelle. The components were very well made, both the beef and the pasta were cooked perfectly. However, it was dressed in an INCREDIBLY salty sauce. I couldn't finish the dish. I do understand that over salting is an honest mistake, and I brought it to attention when our server asked about it. Lastly, I got the apple tart at an extra fee of $4. I do believe it was worth the money because it was the best dish of the meal. The tart notes combined with the ice cream and pastry came together quite well. Overall, I had a good experience, but the food is just not on par with most french restaurants here. read more

Came here for some drinks and dessert. The ambiance was super relaxing and cozy. We ordered drinks and 2 desserts to share between 5 people. The desserts were on the smaller side so if you have a sweet tooth, order yourself one and don't share ;). We got a Chocolat abricot and Pistache thé vert. Both were full of flavor and very delicious. Drinks were super good too. You can get dinner here as well but if you are looking for a relaxing place to have drinks and dessert, this is a great option. read more

Verses Bistro - Pistache thé vert - French Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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Somewhere between a 3 and a 4 star. Very torn on this review. Some dishes were excellent, others just average. Service was excellent and ambience was sensational. Beautiful setting, well situated in Old Montreal, and very quaint and cozy. Very impressed with their "20 wines under $40" - had an outstanding Syrah from California that was sensational. Also a great selection of scotches and they made an excellent Cosmopolitan. As for the food, we rated as follows: Scallops - sensational; worth trying Octopus - very average - would avoid Pasta - very good Halibut - OUTSTANDING - great dish - try it! Lobster - below average; not well prepared Sorbet/Ice Cream - excellent Overall great service, some great and some average food. Worth a try, but dont set your expectations too high. read more

the place is very beautiful, nicely decorated for christmas and beautiful brick walls. we went for the holiday brunch, on the 25th of december, because the majority of the restaurants were closed. the brunch was consisted of delicious fresh beignets and chocolatines, a main course of benni eggs with pork that was delicious, and a white chocolate berry mousse desert that was to die for. all that for 29$. read more

Verses Bistro - French Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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Service 10 stars !!! Food very creative !!! We ordered about 10 things off the menu and everything was really delicious !!! Foie gras cold and hot was amazing , each good portion for one person ! But I cant get over the waiter how much passion he has for food and he took all the time in the world to explain everything !!! Thank you Martin !!! Best experience I've ever had in the restaurant !!! read more

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We were a party of six and the quality of food was quite uneven - the Cornish hen and a trout dish were reportedly delicious, while the duck was overcooked and dry, and a crab risotto bland. For the price one should expect consistently high quality, not hit or miss. I might have given 3 stars for the good dishes had it not been for the terrible service. We were seated right by the bar and servers passed by all the time, yet we were ignored and neglected throughout the meal. I cannot recall ever having such a hard time getting a server's attention - it felt as though they were purposefully ignoring us, and that put a real damper on the evening. With so many excellent options in this neighborhood, I recommend giving Verses a pass and heading elsewhere. read more

Highly recommended! Great dining experience with its atmosphere, service, wine selection & food quality. I will definitely visit again next time in town. read more

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While wondering around old town, wondered to this place accidentally. Very glad we did. The service was amazing, food is so delicious! Everything we ordered was top notch. I recommend this for brunch! Will definitely come back :) read more

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We made a reservation at 1215pm, made our drink and food orders right away since the place is not busy. First and only one drink came some 30 minutes later and the rest of our orders was totally forgotten. We finally got our coffee and beer after 45 minutes. Food took a long while to arrive as well, we got our food after over an hour wait and most food has gone cold. The lobster poutine is only luke warm and not hot enough to melt the big chunks of cheese curds. The egg Benedict fell off of the duck confit and over all we are not impressed with this restaurant and the service. It's a place with nice ambience but if you are hungry, try to avoid this place. read more

Verses Bistro - French Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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I went here with my partner on a Sunday night. We arrived around 8:45 and was greeted by a super friendly hostess. She had us wait at the bar for a few minutes while our table was being cleaned. This restaurant is in a boutique hotel and has a wonderful ambiance. Their staff are very well trained as all of them were extremely helpful and nice. Once we were seated, we were served an amuse-Bouche, which was small but good and a basket of bread. The bread wasn't the freshest but it was fine. For our meals, we ordered from the bar menu for appetizers. We got the spicy chips and the salad. We found the chips to be really bland so we told the waiter who quickly took them away and told us there would be no charge. The salad, however, was one of the best I've ever tasted. For our mains, we shared the filet mignon and the basil pasta dish. The pasta was good but the steak was absolutely delicious. The potatoes and vegetables that were served with it were so good, my partner did not want to share with me. For dessert, we ordered the "summer memories" which was a banana milkshake, a homemade ice cream sandwich and a smore. It was a really sophisticated and pretty desert but wasn't amazing. If I were you, I would just order more food and skip dessert there. The service was incredible from our waiter Maxime. He was so professional and kind. For example, when I accidentally spilled the milkshake, he got me a replacement so quickly I barely had time to blink. He was really a pleasure. Overall, I would love to come here for a fancy (and slightly overpriced) meal. Food 4.5/5 Price 4/5 Service 5/5 Ambiance 5/5 read more

Verses Bistro - "Summer memories" dessert - French Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

This restaurant, nestled in old Montreal, was in our hotel's lobby, so after a long drive from Massachusetts, we thought we'd give it a go. The dinner menu offered about 6 appetizers and maybe 6 main course choices along with a huge wine list. Service was excellent, and polite, although maybe a little disorganized. We both had the soup, which was butternut. It was delicious. The Elk entree was quite good, and we compared it to the Filet Mignon entree which was also good but not remarkable. They were both in the same sweet barbecueish sauce. For the price, I would have expected something maybe a little bit more involved but I still recommend this place. read more

Verses Bistro - French Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

I came once a couple of years ago during happening gourmand but didn't remember what I had there. This time we missed happening gourmand by about a week but the portions are smaller and the waiter was telling us the desserts were not that good and the place was always packed with people. Everything looked good on the menu except for maybe the seal tataki which is very unusual to me .I'm on antibiotics and a lot of the mains had dairy so I was a bit limited on what I could order. I ate three rolls of olive bread before my main arrived because it was warm and I was hungry. I had the lamb and it was very good ! I asked for medium rare and it was perfectly cooked. It was breaded and stuffed with artichoke and piquillos pepper, there was some garlic cream, marinated turnip, roasted cippolini onions, and squid ink on the plate. The piquillos pepper is not spicy. The lamb was nicely presented. I think if I hadn't eaten all that bread I would have been hungry after because the portion was small. So if you have an appetite get an entree and a main. My cousin had the tagliatelle carbonara. It was homemade fresh pasta with garlic, parmesan, anchovies, and braised pork. I tried some and it was delicious and her plate was a good size. She definitely did not need an entree. The waiter, Chris, was very funny and friendly. I recommend this restaurant! I think it would be good for a fancy date or for a business meeting. read more

Verses Bistro - Lamb - French Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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Very nice and upscale restaurant in the old town in Montréal. We came here to celebrate our anniversary and had a great experience. Our server was Julien and he was impeccable. We started the evening toasting with a glass of Cannonau and Tautavel. The menu felt a bit limited as there were very few options to pick from, so we ordered for a burrata and a foie gras appetizer that tasted delicious. I had the deer as a main course while my hubby opted for the Caille soir. The dessert was spectacular and the presentation was very original. read more

Verses is located in the Hotel Nelligan right in the heart of Old Montreal. I have to admit that I'm always hesitant to eat at hotel restaurants especially in Montreal. That being said when Happening Gourmand was on my friend and I decided to come here and give it a go. It turned out to be a great experience finally. I started with a bison tartare which was a tad too dry even after the egg yolk had been mixed in but it was still pretty decent. That was followed up with an herb lasagna with lobster and saffron bisque. They didn't skimp on the lobster which was very welcome and I enjoyed the bisque immensely. Dessert was a dark chocolate banana dacquoise with hazelnuts which was pretty good. The portion size was perfect. At the end of the meal I felt full but not like I had overdone it. We also decided to finish dinner off with a cocktail. They had a special one for Happening Gourmand which was cheaper than the usual ones on the menu. The cocktails are pricey but they are quite strong. I'm not sure though I would pay the non-discounted price for one though. Service was slow but our server did apologize for it and when he was with us he was very attentive. It turned out that they were short-staffed that night so one waiter was responsible for more tables than usual. He was incredibly welcoming and friendly and he did a good job despite the circumstances. read more

My friend and I had an amazing dinner while visiting Montreal! Service, ambiance, food and wine were exquisite. We paid $230 for two of us (not including gratuities) but we'd never forget a wonderful time we had. I would definitely eat there again. read more

It was my first time at Verses Restaurant last Friday. Me, my boss and 6 other colleagues went there to celebrate a good business deal. Location : This is really a nice spot. It's big and spacious. Meal : Very disappointing, nothing out of the ordinary. A meal at La Belle Province would have been better and cheaper. I ordered fish and giant shrimps. It was really small portion ! I left the restaurant still hungry. Service : Slow and unattentive. I ordered coffee and pastries for desert and only got the coffee. I don't know what happened to the pastries. I hated the service so much that I just wanted to get the hell out of that place. Don't go there ! read more

My friend and I went as part of the Happening Gourmand festival in Montreal. As avid foodies we had tried most of the other places on this year's list and, upon friends' enthusiastic reviews, decided to try Verses. The restaurant is large and elegant. Standard hotel restaurant décor. Both our host and waiter were young, good-looking and gracious men (always a plus!) and our waiter kindly took our coats after showing us to our seats. Both my friend and I sampled from the 37$ Happening Gourmand menu. We both started with the Grilled octopus and chorizo with stewed potatoes and pepper sauce. The serving was tiny (1 tentacle and 1/2 chorizo with tiny cubed potatoes) but DELICIOUS. The octopus wasn't rubbery and the chorizo wasn't too smoky. The tiny potato cubes were a perfect little compliment. I had the Crusted rack of lamb, potato gnocchi and sautéed mushrooms as a main and was certainly not disappointed. The serving was a good size and the lamb was tender, juicy and not at all game-y. The gnocchi tasted more pre-packaged than home-made but were well-cooked and tasty nonetheless. Dessert was all chocolate cake with bergamote cream and candied kumquats - a tiny mousse-y confection that was rich and delicious and very well presented on the plate. The stand-out was their 40$ wine selection - a decent amount of varied choices listed at 40$. Our waiter listened to our preferences and recommended a great pinot noir. Our waiter was pleasant, attentive and knowledgeable of both the food and wine menus. Definitely a great pick for a Happening Gourmand menu! read more

I give a 3 stars for food and 5 stars for service. The items we ordered were not memorable. The presentation was great but the the taste was bland. read more

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The service was great. The ambiance was wonderful. The food was good, but my expectations were high. The home made linguine was delicious, but I give it the 3 stars because the trout was t that great. read more

I went here for a business dinner and couldn't have been more pleased. Fantastic service and a very attentive waiter who knew when to give us time to continue our meeting or check in with us. I can't say enough about the stellar French cuisine. Everything was in small portions and light, but rich and seductive favors. Verses was a wonderful treat in Montreal that I would visit again for a lovely French dinner. Merci Verses! read more

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Came to Verses during restaurant week (happening gourmand), was a little disappointed by the experience and truly expected better from a French restaurant at the Old Port. We had a reservation for four people on a Saturday and basically got to try just about everything on the restaurant week menu. The atmosphere was nice, a lounge/bar area is at the entrance and over to the left side is the dining area. The maitre d and the wait staff wasn't all that warm and welcoming. There were only a few tables occupied so the slow service was dazzling, especially when we were finished and prepared to leave, we must have waited for someone to come and bring us the check for 20 minutes. There are 2 sides of the restaurant menu, one is a 3 course for $27 menu and another is a 3 course for $37 menu. Some dishes requires an additional (+$) which is indicated next to the menu item. For appetizer, we got the foie gras, tuna tataki, octopus with squid, and bison carpaccio. I had the tuna tataki and had a taste of all the other three, the tuna tataki sauce is slightly oily and blend for me, the cut is rather thick and the taste of tuna isn't so pronounced. I also had a strange white sauce on the plate, which tasted like paste. The octopus dish with potato is pretty savory and well made. Foie gras melts in your mouth but for some extra $$, although definitely not anywhere close to the best I've had. For the main dish, we got surf and turf (soft shell crab with short ribs), duck leg with couscous and lamb chops. I had the surf and turf, the dish wasn't so pretty on the plate but the soft shell crab tasted amazing, juicy tender and well seasoned, not over fried or oily. The short rib tasted okay, nothing extraordinary, tender but perhaps a little overdone on the sauce. The duck leg was quite a bit salty and the lamb chop, though prettily entertained on the plate, it was blend and the flavor did not match up to it. For the dessert portion, I had an AMAZING grapefruit sorbet. A swan was made out of sugar to sit on top of a triangular piece of sorbet (easily mistaken for a watermelon), some fresh grapefruit and a small piece of pastry on the side. The sorbet was refreshing, an intricate balance between the slight bitterness and sourness of the grapefruit along with its ultra smooth consistency. It was perfect for a fruit lover like me. The chocolate mousse with fancy gold flakes was pretty standard and the dessert sampler (also for extra $$) came with a variety of small size pastries. Also tasted quite standard. All in all, it was an okay experience but definitely expected much more. read more

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Open table allowed us to make a reservation earlier than they officially opened for brunch so we sat in the outer area and ended up eating there. The service was wonderful. Food was excellent. I had the spinach and goat cheese Benedict and my husband has the smoked salmon Benedict. Highly recommend. read more

Good service. Nice deco, comfy & cozy. Loved my entree. Main meal was duck & lentils - pretty plain & undercooked. Will not go back read more

Verses Bistro - French Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

We dined here with our kids. Service was great as well as the menu. The food did not disappoint. We had their full course election for two. The pea soup was excellent as was their quinoa salad. The lamb was cooked to perfection. read more

It was the menu in the window that appealed to me when I walked by early in the day. It just seemed inventive. If you're a foodie, and you enjoy quality food with impeccable presentation, Verses is the place to have dinner. Specifically, I had the "instant lobster soup" -- don't worry, it didn't come in a can. My entrée was seared ahi tuna with vegetables and, I think, a type of pea mayonnaise. Unfortunately, I can't remember what I had for dessert, but it too was good. This is an exceptional restaurant, easily a step above most other restaurants in Old Montreal. read more

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One of the best restaurants in the Old Town of Montreal, we ate here primarily because we were staying at the attached hotel, the Nelligan. The atmosphere is very cool, especially since we sat by the window and could gawk at people as they walked by late on a busy Saturday night. The wine list is extensive, but very expensive. I had an excellent glass of barolo - the best glass of wine I would have in Montreal, but it cost me $21. The most memorable dish we had were the elk medallions, although it wouldn't be the best elk we tried in Quebec (that honor goes to the blue cheese/elk turnovers in Charlevoix). The lobster was also very good, but not as fresh as I would have expected. The dessert was a delicious maple-syrup infused baba. It was surprisingly light and subtle, although if I were ordering again, I would probably go with a different dessert option. Definitely worth trying if you're looking for a special meal in the Old Port area. There are a lot of touristy places a few blocks away that don't offer nearly the quality. read more

Service was very slow- no atmosphere for a Saturday night- and no options for children apart from supermarket pasta with red sauce. Owners should appoint a professionally trained manager to whip the place into shape. Food was generally good let down by front of house. read more