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.
From start to finish, the hospitality we received was overwhelming in the best possible way. We were sat at the bar, which as a chef, was exactly the experience I wanted. Our waiter, whose name eludes me, was knowledgeable in both food & drink & made the best recommendations. The cook on the other side of the bar counter overheard it was my daughter's birthday & surprised us with a mini poutine & a dessert. What a fantastic first night in Montreal!
Aug 5, 2024
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Overall we enjoyed the food, the service & the atmosphere. But there are definitely some areas that can be improved. Food: Foie gras poutine gravy was luke warm & not hot so the cheese curds were not melted, not even the least bit. After about 7 minutes or so, the last bites of the poutine were cold, not warm. They do give a lot of foie gras so value wise overall not bad. Duck in a can tasted good overall but the duck contained some tendon. Extremely hard to cut. I spent 3-4 minutes trying to slice the duck in order for it to be shared between two. It was a workout for my wrist. Eventually i got the piece that had the tendon & it was not chewable. Had to spit out the unchewable piece which was not what i was expecting from a $60 dish. That aside, the rest of the dish tasted great, & wasn't as heavy as others have commented which is a good thung. Service: good service overall but i wish more attention would have been made with our party's seafood allergy Despite putting the allergy on the reservation & advising the waitress ahead of ordering, it was only discovered after the plate was brought to our table & after we asked, was it confirmed that the appetizer special contained seafood. Ambiance: lively & laid back made for a great atmosphere. But i was taken aback when one of the workers would use a swifter right above all the guests & their food to remove what im guessing as dust/webs/mosquitoes from the ceiling. & then that same person came back a second time 30 mins later; what is accumulating up there every 30 mins? Bathroom location was odd. There are only two single stalls. Both require walking through where the bar staff is actively working to get to. There is zero signage. If the bathroom is occupied, & you could only tell by standing next to the bar staff & try to open the door, then you would have to wait in an area where you are in the way of the bar staff, the servers & the bussers. You would also be standing right next to where people are eating which is weird. We ended up just leaving instead of waiting. Especially since we heard another woman tell the server that one of the toilets wouldnt flush, bringing down the functional stalls from 2 to 1.
Not worth the hype. Food was inventive but didn't taste good. Service was pleasant but brutally slow due to lack of staff. Very loud, hard to have a conversation.
OK, so maybe we had our hopes set high. A couple of nights prior we had an outstanding experience at Garde Manger & had mentioned to our server there that we had reservations on our last night in Montréal at Au Pied de Cochon & she said it would be spectacular so we were pretty excited. But... We decided to just order two mains & sparkling water (total $146 before tip), the Duck in a Can & the fowl as we had planned to have a delightful meal & head back to the hotel to pack up for an early start tomorrow. Then came the wait. We chatted about the pleasant ambience & engertic vibe & well as the hustle of the staff in anticipation of the arrival of our food. Then twenty minutes passed, forty minutes passed, fifty minutes...& our server came by to apologize for the wait & said it would be another 5 minutes (it was more than 10). During this time, one of the staff kept walking up & down by the tables with a Swiffer wiping the vents located on the bulkhead over the tables, presumably to prevent condensation from the air vents from dripping down onto the patrons & their food. I cannot say if there was any dust that could have been dislodged as well... Finally, over one hour after ordering, our food arrived. The food was decent but not the amazing experience we were anticipating. I will say my fowl was tender & tasty. My wife's Duck in a Can was also tasty but parts of the duck were a bit rubbery (maybe it's supposed to be that way?). Having worked in the food industry in the past, we can understand when a place has an off night. But if patrons have to wait as long as we did one would think that the staff, albeit friendly, would try to do better than a weak apology & a promise to do better next time to make up for it. Hopefully this was a one off experience & others fared better this evening.
service was excellent & food was exceptional. the foie gras nigiri is in the top 3 bites of food i've ever had. also highly recommend the Plogue à Champlain: it's like cabane à sucre on a plate!!!
This was hands down the worst food we had in Montreal. In terms of food: the foie was average at best, the poutine had been sitting out (the gravy was congealed), & no dishes were well balanced. Service: Mains didn't arrive til 90min+ into the seating; our server didn't stop by for 30min & made up an excuse for the delays instead of simply apologizing. Atmosphere: We were seated right next to the register which made the entire experience chaos, & overheard the kitchen staff comment (in french) "oh this version of the dish is messed up, but this one is fine." There's so much amazing food & drink in Montreal that spending 2.5h here felt like an utter waste of time. It's sad to see a restaurant so flagrantly ride on its past success.
If you're a foodie or want a foodie experience, this is a definite one to go to when in Montreal. The foie gras appetizer with a pancake, bacon, maple syrup was insane. It only got better from there.
A really impressive restaurant that lives up to the hype. Food is remarkable, the service is great, & the staff are charming. Well worth the time & price.
Came here after having it suggested to me a few times. We made a reservation about a week in advance & just managed to get one at 9:30 on a Saturday, so if you're planning on coming to this restaurant I would suggest booking farther ahead of time. Our server was top class, her drink & food recommendations were based on her extensive knowledge of the menu & we appreciated that so much. The food was incredibly rich & had many complimentary flavours - the foie gras terrine with the maple butter being a standout in that regard. The oysters were perfectly balanced & fresh, & the beef tongue was decadent. For our mains, we ordered the pork shank & the duck in a can. Both were fantastic. The only complaint I have is that the food is a bit too rich, & we definitely would've benefited from some more vegetables (unfortunately they were sold out of the charred lettuce appetizer by the time we had got in). If you're looking for an authentic Quebecois meal while in Montreal, this is the place!
Jul 28, 2024
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Over priced for fatty greasy food, the duck tartare & the sweetbreads were exceptional but nothing else. extremely loud & crowded & the washrooms were dirty.
The food takes some time to arrive, but the wait is definitely worth it! The duck foie gras poutine was clearly perfected & had gravy which was not too sweet or salty. The fries were crispy, but not burnt & the foie gras was perfect when eaten together. The canned duck was also a really good & well thought of dish. It comes in a can, like the name suggests, & with bread too. When eaten together, the canned duck tastes amazing, while not being too salty. If you're thinking about ordering a lot of food, you should order about 1 dish for every 2 people, as the dishes we ordered were very, very filling (thanks to the waiter for telling us!) The service was very amazing, as well. They were always friendly, & ready to help, but never felt annoying & in your face. Finally, the space felt very cozy, small, & well laid out. This restaurant is recommended by me!
