The Au Pied de Cochon restaurant is where it all began. Passed from one generation to the next, family knowledge contributes to the restaurant's reputation. Constantly evolving, the Pied de Cochon celebrates its 20th anniversary in November 2021. This à la carte restaurant is located in the heart of the Plateau Mont-Royal. Authentic to its Quebec and Canadian roots, the dishes are hearty and comforting. Adopting the style from French brasseries, the chef and his team draw inspiration from local and seasonal products to create a timeless menu. With private import wines, beers brewed in Montreal, and signature cocktails, Au Pied de Cochon restaurant is a friendly place where local products are showcased. There is one of the first open kitchens in Montreal where you can see the cooks in action.
Reviews portray Au Pied de Cochon as a landmark Montreal experience that combines indulgent Quebecois cuisine with a festive open kitchen atmosphere. The menu centers on rich, hearty dishes like the famous Duck in a Can, foie gras poutine, and other duck and pork specialties, with many diners calling the food decadent, flavorful, and unforgettable, though sometimes heavy. Service is repeatedly praised as attentive, knowledgeable, and warm, with several reviewers highlighting memorable staff, while a few notes mention slow pacing or occasional missteps during busy periods. Reservations are strongly recommended, especially for bar seating or peak times, and the restaurant is often described as lively, bustling, and loud but welcoming, sometimes feeling like a culinary show. Overall, Au Pied de Cochon is celebrated as a must-visit Montreal institution, worth the splurge for bold flavors and a unique immersive dining spectacle; some readers suggest it may not suit those seeking lighter fare or quiet dining.
This was truly one of the most remarkable dining experiences I've ever had! The tuna, freshly caught, was absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious, bursting with flavor. The foie gras parfait was a delightful treat that I doubt I'll ever replicate. & the duck sashimi? Oh my goodness, it was unbelievably good! As for the shepherd's pie, trust me when I say you've never had one like this before-so creamy & packed with incredible flavors. The restaurant is vibrant & bustling, with a lively atmosphere that can get quite loud, & the space is cozy. It runs like a well-oiled machine. We were seated at the bar overlooking the open kitchen, where the chef was truly impressive. She managed food prep, training, & everything seamlessly & calmly, which was amazing to witness. What an exceptional experience overall! I highly recommend this place if you don't mind the noise & the organized chaos. I rated the atmosphere a 4 due only due to the noise level & close quarters but I was conflicted because these things are also part of the charm, it was a fantastic experience! We will definitely go back.
Sep 26, 2024
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Went twice during our time in Montreal, it lives up to the hype. Don't expect many (any?) salads, this temple of gastronomy is pure gluttony at its finest. Shout out to our server Gabriel, he was super friendly & attentive & everything you would hope for in a waiter. Really made the experience for us the second time
Wow! Came here with some friends on a recommendation from their friend in London. Did not disappoint! Menu is filled with decadent options, including fois gras poutine & duck in a can (it sounds gimmicky but is some of the best duck I've ever had!). Unfortunately they don't sell the duck in can to go 😂. Would absolutely come back.
This was our second time dining here, & the first time bringing our seven-month old. The staff were incredibly accommodating, & the food was excellent (as always).
La qualité & la richesse du goût de la nourriture était vraiment au rendez vous. Nous étions juste déçus car nous sommes répartis sur notre faim, les quantités étaient trop petites pour nous surtout considérant le prix. Du pain & beurre ou un amuse gueule au début aurait aidé.. Un peu plus de pain ou d'accompagnements avec certains plats. La taille de la poutine était décevante malgré que le goût était incroyable. Belle expérience au final mais nous sommes répartis un peu insatisfaits à cause des quantités.
Sep 21, 2024
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I'm torn because this is some of the best food I have ever had in my life. The only problem is everything else such as the service & atmosphere was really, really, bad. Starting off with the good, the food here was amazing. Every single dish that we ordered blew our minds off. I'm not sure if they change their menu but I highly recommend the sweetbread, duck temaki, plogue a champlain, pork shank, & the salt & maple sugar fries. It was my second time having sweetbread & this was sooooo delicious. The duck temaki was the perfect ratio of rice & other ingredients. I loved the uniqueness of pouring your own yolk out of a small quail egg. The plogue a champlain came with a huge serving of foie gras & was amazing. I had nothing bad to say about any of the food we ate today. Definitely the best food we have had in Montreal so far! This is why it was so disappointing that I could not say the same about the service & restaurant itself. First, the tables at the back are super crammed. I could not get into my seat because the guy at the table besides me was literally touching my chair. Another patron saw me struggling & him & his wife moved my table forward for me just so I could sit down! Then when my mom sat in her chair, the lady at the table behind her came back from the washroom & couldn't get into her seat! She ranted something in French which I'm assuming wasn't positive about the tight space situation. When we first sat down we were greeted by a really nice server who was helpful & gave us great food suggestions. But then he rarely came back to check on us. I wanted to tell him how amazing the food was except, he never asked once we finished our courses! When I turned around I saw him bartending at the bar, so maybe he was both the server & bartender for the night? Maybe the restaurant was short staffed? I don't know, but the service was disappointing. So yes, my wine glass sat empty on the table & no one bothered to ask me if I would like another drink. When we finished our pitcher of water, another server took it away but didn't bring us a new one. When our water glasses sat empty for some time, I finally asked someone for another pitcher of water. & then, the strangest thing happened during the middle of dinner, where a guy took a Swiffer duster & started dusting the vents on top of everyone's heads while we were eating!! Me & a girl at the table across from me gave eachother a "what the F" look because we were bewildered they would not wait until later to do this? & I don't know why, but they kept trying to serve us other people's food!! Lol! This one poor guy brought us three dishes that weren't ours. So this is why I'm torn. I would absolutely die for the food here but I just wish the service was better.
Une expérience culinaire inoubliable. Les plats sont tout simplement divins, alliant des saveurs délicates & des produits de grande qualité. Chaque bouchée est un voyage gustatif, préparé avec soin & créativité. Le service est impeccable, attentif sans être intrusif, & le personnel est passionné & souriant. C'est l'endroit parfait pour passer un moment exceptionnel en couple!
A must visit in Montreal if you like foie gras! We had it in many forms when we visited. Individual pieces on sushi rice (aka foie gras nigiri), foie gras poutine, foie gras mapo tofu, & foie gras with the duck in a can! All were good but in particular the foie gras nigiri was the standout followed by the poutine.
For over a decade, I have dreamed of Au Pied de Cochon. I was so glad to enjoy a meal there with someone I love. Turns out, 100g of foie might be a bit too rich for my blood, but in the house that tried to kill Bourdain with the stuff, it felt apropos. Everything we ate was just perfectly executed. The service was seamless. If a restaurant can be a hero, I'm happy to have finally met one of mine in Montreal.
Sep 19, 2024
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A heartfelt thank you to Alex, Sous Chef James (I hope this name is correct. It was loud. He's from Saskatchewan. Makes a mean salt & maple sugar pomme frite) & the entire team. We had a fantastic evening at Au Pied de Cochon last night, due largely in part to their warmth & hospitality. **Sit at the bar if you dine here**. Watching this team work their tails off to serve us impeccably presented dishes elevated the experience in a way sitting at table wouldn't deliver & we greatly appreciated the front row seat & the time they took to interact with us. We enjoyed the foie gras nigiri, the infamous duck in a can, & the salt & maple sugar pomme frites. The restaurant boasts a great wine selection as well. Definitely order a side of the sourdough bread if you try the duck in a can to mop up all of the delicious sauce. The shots of jalapeno vodka & St-Germain proved to be a delightful surprise. We're contemplating a return visit to try the poutine, which stands apart from all the other poutine in Montreal in that the gravy is enhanced with fat from the foie gras. Thanks again, chefs.
Excited to score a counter reservation here on our first night in Montreal & we were not disappointed! There's a real buzz & energy to the place & staff are super-friendly. There were so many specials on offer that it was difficult to remember them all; a blackboard or printed slip of paper would have been helpful. Sitting at the counter was fun but our seats did keep getting knocked by both guests & staff so be prepared for this if you sit here! Food was outstanding, particularly the foie gras profiteroles & aged pork chop. A couple of dishes surprised us by not being what we'd expected from the menu description, for example a'scallops' dish in fact being a kind of mousse. We were pleasantly surprised at what good value the meal was for such high-quality cooking.
Sat down at 5pm. Left at 8:15pm. We didn't order anything crazy, just two apps, one foie gras, two mains, one dessert, & somehow that took 3 plus hours. The food was fine. Nothing spectacular. Luckily the prices weren't exorbitant since the flavors really weren't very special or defined. Overall it was not worth the time more than the money. The service was sloppy & unprofessional, lots of reaching over the table & elbows all over.
We came mainly for Pork & foie gras. Everything was beyond our expectations. Servers were all very attentive. Chefs worked so hard & even interacted with customers occasionally. Respect & kudos to one of the most solid teams we've ever seen! (P.S: you may want to reserve enough time on the road if you are traveling by car. We spent too much time on finding a parking spot & arrived 20 minutes late. Otherwise we would definitely want to try a dessert!)
Sep 10, 2024
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Che dire di questo posto? È stato una bellissima sorpresa .. Sapevo che "Phill" non mi avrebbe delusa.. la migliore poutine mangiata in Quebec con una salsa al foie gras incredibile... poi stinco di maiale molto buono, ma la cosa che ovviamente mi ha stupita di più è stata il loro Canard, che è il piatto di punta ed è cucinato e servito in modo veramente particolare.. sapori intensi che hanno veramente lasciato il segno. Inoltre abbiamo preso Pane caldo madre servito con un burro buonissimo e menzione speciale margarita con succo di cetriolo..Se dovessi tornare a Montreal ci tornerei subito!
