We named our restaurant Bistro Nolah, an acronym for New Orleans, out of a love for the style of comfort food they serve down south. This style of food will be the inspiration behind some of the dishes we will be serving at Nolah.
Bistro Nolah is described as a warm, intimate spot with a small but lively dining room and a vibe that nods to New Orleans. The food receives high praise across the board, with standout dishes including gumbo, jambalaya, shrimp and grits, fried chicken, brisket, catfish, hush puppies, bread pudding, and beignets, noted for rich flavors, generous portions, and thoughtful presentation. Brunch is a major draw, offering inventive southern favorites and a few guests calling it among the best, though the restaurant can be busy and reservations are often advised due to limited space. The service is repeatedly described as attentive, knowledgeable, friendly, and accommodating, contributing to an overall welcoming atmosphere that makes it feel like a special occasion without being overly formal. Several reviews mention a charming interior and, in good weather, a terrace experience that enhances the mood. Occasional notes of spice balance and timing show that the kitchen can be very busy on weekends, with a few patrons noting long waits or specific dishes that could have more heat or variety. Overall, Bistro Nolah is seen as a top choice for southern comfort cuisine in Montreal, delivering consistent quality, strong hospitality, and a dining experience that fans are eager to repeat.
Definitely a place to try in the West Island! Very unique Southern style meals & appetizers to choose from. I would recommend the fried chicken appetizer it was delicious! For the main courses, we got the jerk shrimp & grits & the braised ribs. Everything was delicious & not overly spicy. Great service from Chris & very nice atmosphere in the whole restaurant!! Reservations are definitely needed as the restaurant is small inside. Would recommend this place to anyone !
We've been to Bistro Nolah many times & it never disappoints! The service is always excellent - the staff take the time to explain the menu & make great recommendations. The appetizers are especially delicious - we love the mac & cheese & hush puppies! The ambiance is warm & romantic, perfect for date nights or special occasions. Highly recommend!
Nov 1, 2025
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Please take this review with a grain of salt - or cayenne pepper.
Went there on a Friday night with a reservation. The greeting was warm & friendly & the music was upbeat but subtle. Our waiter came promptly & took the time to answer questions about the menu then took our order.
My wife eas very specific about the spice levels & took the information from the waiter into consideration in making her selection.
The apetizers came within 15 minutes & the crab cake was outstanding. The gumbo on the other hand was 80% rice & beyond spicy. There were 3 small pieces of sausage.
The main dishes took an hour to arrive. The fish which was supposed to be mild was spicy. The shrimp was great but ultra spicy.
Because of the delay no time for dessert.
The drink we ordered was great.
Nearly 200$ with tax & tip for 2 appetizer 2 mains & 1 drink.
Disappointed.
My husband & I went to Bistro Nolah for our anniversary dinner. As soon as you walk in, you feel like you're in a different place. The atmosphere is so zen, the decor brings you to New Orleans.
We have the grits & jambalaya as appetizers. I always wanted to try grits, but never had the chance. These grits will make you slap your mama. They are tasty, smooth & full of flavour. I could eat it morning, noon & dinner, with snacks in between. If I could, I would've sneaked in the kitchen to take the rest of it home.
The jambalaya has the perfect blend of spice & flavour.
Main course: brisket & catfish. The brisket comes with mashed potatoes & mushrooms, surrounded by two different types of sauce.
The catfish lays on a bed of mashed sweet potatoes.
Again, both dishes are packed with flavour & a right size portions.
Desserts: chocolate torte & bread pudding. One word: Decadent.
What I loved about the menu is the amount of gluten free items.
The food is well worth the price. Bravo Chef Richard! We will definitely return for brunch.
5/5 would visit again. I wasn't impressed with the crab cake appetizer. I enjoyed the shrimp & grits. The food surpassed the service. The waitress did not check in often so that meant getting our bill took a long time.
Absolutely outstanding experience at Bistro Nolah! The food was exceptional-flavourful, beautifully presented, & perfect for sharing. The staff were warm, attentive, & genuinely pleasant throughout our visit. We sat on the patio, which was gorgeous & cozy with its twinkle lights adding the perfect touch. Every appetizer we tried was delicious-this place truly delivers on all fronts. Highly recommend!
Amazing service, delicious food & easy parking in parking lot! I would recommend Bistro Nolah for southern dishes !! I came yesterday with a friend for the first time, & we tried the hush puppies, peach &beets salad as appetizers. Our main dish was the blackened Catfish (my favorite & good spices!!) & the Braised short ribs (Tender & tasty) both were very good! Comming back soon :)
Jul 26, 2025
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Realizing why this restaurant is so highly rated! Definitely deserved!
Partners Chris & Richard are totally invested in the smooth running of this great place. We sat at the bar, which was only available shortly before leaving work. Lucky us as we enjoy eating out, we were able to get a real feel for the place & chat with Chris. Myself, I realized I was in a little trouble ordering the jambalaya appetizer - really tasty but a little heavy for me. I ate too much. So when my entree came'blackened catfish'served on a bed of mash sweet potato accompanied with lovely fresh beans etc, I could barely finish. My bad. Food is amazing. Service great. Ambiance ; top notch. So, make sure you call & reserve - then enjoy
Monica & Jeff
So 2 years ago I wrote the review above - thought it was time to update !
We have found our favourite go-to place when we need to feel spoiled ! Ahh the food is wonderful & the staff is really attentive & accommodating. Being Gluten Free- I present challenges which are quickly solved with absolute success- a big thank you to friends who keep us happily fed!!!
It is an unforgettable & amazing experience from appetizer to dessert. We had Jambalaya & Southern fried chicken as appetizers. We had southern style beef short rib & Duck Conflict in dirty rice as main. We had Banana Pecan Cheesecake & Bread Pudding in Bourbon sauce as dessert. We emptied everything & we will definitely visit again.
I can't recommend this place enough. It has been my wife's & my favorite date night spot since we found it many years ago. The food & service are always exceptional. Tonight my wife had the blackened shrimp, fried chicken(main dish) & Mississippi mud pie & I had the friend chicken(appetizer), brisket mac & cheese & key lime pie(best I have ever had). All our food was delicious & I can't wait for the next time we are able to go :)
First time here & not the last! The food was perfect. We had the fried chicken as an appetizer & enjoyed shrimps & grits as a main. The service was also impeccable. A bit on the slower side, but they seemed short staffed that day.
Sep 25, 2024
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Wow, everything was perfect! The shrimp & grits were incredible. The death by gumbo was amazing. All the appetizers were also incredible, drinks were perfect. The service was second to none. I highly recommend this restaurant, it's really hard to beat.
Definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Montreal. The boulettes jambalaya with jalapeno sauce as appetizer, shrimp & grits as a main, & *divine* bread pudding dessert are a must. The banana cheesecake dessert is a must try when they have it on the menu. Cocktails are perfection & the staff is lovely... can't recommend more!
I went for dinner with my husband last night & wanted to try this restaurant for the first time. We were pleasantly surprised that there actually was a good number of options for gluten-free food as my husband cannot eat gluten. Overall, they do not have a massive menu selection to choose from, but in this case I think it's quality over quantity (a very good thing) - the items they do have on the menu they can really focus on making sure it comes out with great quality: excellent presentation, flavor, etc. The alcoholic beverages (cocktails) are very pricy but do taste great & aren't watered down. The overall ambiance of the place is cozy & the noise level is acceptable for a bar-restaurant. However, had I known better, I would not sit at the table which is directly under the AC unit again (it drips a lil bit of condensation) - that was the only minor issue I had with the whole experience (& kinda my fault for picking the spot before realizing about the AC dripping). Bistro Nolah - if you guys are reading this, maybe move that particular table a bit further out from the wall so the AC unit cannot drip on the table directly below it. The staff are friendly, welcoming, helpful in answering any questions we had about the food, attentive (checking if everything is to our liking, asking if we need/want anything else, etc. at reasonable intervals), & also bilingual which I appreciated (I do speak/understand a bit of basic French, but English is still my main language). We were provided with 1 bread roll per person with their special chipotle butter (? I think) & I got to enjoy both 😅 (I did feel a bit bad for my husband missing out). For appetizers, my husband got a creamy corn soup & I got the boneless fried chicken. The corn soup was creamy, savory & refreshing (I took a lil taste test) & the chicken was fried to perfection - tender & crispy with a nice sweet & mildly spicy sauce drizzled on it. For the main entrée, we both went for the Beef Short Ribs with mashed sweet potato & vegetables which we both enjoyed. For dessert, my husband got the gluten-free Chocolate Torte, & I went for another round of the boneless fried chicken as strange as that might be (I'm trying to eat less sweets & the chicken was just too good for me to not to get seconds). I wanted to give my compliments/thanks to the chef(s) at the end because I was very impressed with how delicious everything was. We had an enjoyable evening here & would recommend this cozy lil bar-restaurant.
I've been hearing nothing but great things about this place for a while & the ratings were quite high, but my level of disappointment, even higher. People claim it's extremely authentic Cajun food, as do the people who work there; nothing could be further from the truth. Service was fine, atmosphere was okay as well, however, the food left much to be desired. We ordered three different appetizers consisting of the fried chicken, the gumbo, & the pork bellies. I can't say that any one of them had any kind of an authentic Cajun flavor, & the chicken wasn't even on par with PFK, which is just basic fast food. It was served with some type of a honey glaze & it wasn't tender, just overcooked & crusty. The pork bellies were nothing to write home about either, not great tasting & the texture left much to be desired. I had high hopes for the gumbo, but it had a strangely familiar flavor, anything but Cajun & anything but good. Finally, we ordered the brisket... & it was a huge disappointment...texture was fine, but that's about it, taste, just not there. The drinks were good, but we didn't go for that. It's not somewhere I would visit again. Too bad, because there are very few Cajun restaurants in this city & I was looking forward to a fantastic meal.
May 29, 2024
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The experience was a 10/10. From the food, to the service, the ambiance, everything was chef Kiss. We came here for the Valentine's Day special & it was indeed special. The serves were wonderful. The atmosphere was super romantic. The food was amazing. The three course dinner experience was delicious & filling! From the special chef appetizer to to the main course, nothing missed a beat, & I'm a picky eater. I'm American & it was a pleasure finding some Southern American flare in Montreal. ❤️
Last night was my first dining experience at this exceptional gem of a restaurant. The octopus appetizer was phenomenal. I was advised by many people to order the shrimp & grits & could not believe a dish could be so heavenly delicious. I was too full to order the bread pudding which I was planning to, so I shared the Mississippi mud pie which is a chocolate lover's delight. This was one of THE most delicious meals that I have ever eaten & cannot wait to return.
Our dining experience in Montreal has been somewhat disappointing recently, with restaurants charging very high prices for sub-par quality. I'm absolutely happy to pay for good quality food, & I understand the difficulties restaurants are facing post-pandemic. That being said, we went to Bistro Nolah tonight & were blown away by how wonderful everything was. Ambiance was lovely, really loved how cozy the restaurant is, the jazz music & the decor. Tables are spaced well enough apart & music is a good volume so that you don't have to yell over any noise. My partner & I definitely plan to come back for another date night. The service was great. I almost wished they came less frequently to our table, but we arrived at 5 pm when it was initially less busy. Still, it was not overbearing by any means. We were given plenty of time to relax after getting our check without us needing to search for our waiter to pay. & our waiter clearly knew the menu really well - we really appreciated his input when we were choosing our meals. Finally, the food & drinks were fantastic. I had a Dark & Stormy which was double the size of a cocktail I'd get in the city. Great value, well made. Nothing special on the cocktail menu front, but still very much enjoyed my drink. Started out with some nice warm bread rolls with some very addictive smoky/sweet butter. We shared the sausage gumbo appetizer. Really tasty & notably the texture of the rice in the gumbo was perfect, but can't speak to how it compares to gumbo from Louisiana. Not particularly spicy, as someone who eats a lot of spicy food, contrary to what some reviewers have said, but flavorful. I would recommend trying it, but will skip it next time & try out the fried chicken or mac & cheese, as a matter of personal preference. We shared the brisket & creole shrimp mains. Brisket was phenomenal, especially the barbecue sauce. Love oyster mushrooms, but could take or leave the ones on top of the brisket. Felt like they could use a better sautée & that they didn't mesh that well with the dish. Mashed potatoes were also delicious. That said, it was my favorite dish we ate, as well as my partner's, but was very closely followed by the creole shrimp. If you don't like heat of any kind, the creole shrimp might not be for you. We love spicy. The shrimp was cooked perfectly & the flavor was fantastic. The tomato sauce was also incredible & had the perfect amount of heat. The side of jambalaya & veggies were good too, but not the star of the show. To be fair, I was incredibly full & saved them for last - a testament to the nice portion size for what we paid & my mistake of eating a pain au chocolat an hour & a half before dinner. For me, what makes a restaurant stand out is attention to detail, & Bistro Nolah does not disappoint in that regard. I can't wait to come back & try some dessert next time! If you're like us & live nowhere near the West Island, I hope this convinces you to make the trip. My only regret is not coming here sooner.
A wonderful, original restaurant for when you want something different then the normal, Italian, Greek or American style food that is predominant in the West Island. My party enjoyed every part of their meals from appetizers (Hush Puppies, Fried Chicken, Jumbalaya, Sausage Gumbo) to dessert (Mud Pie, Chocolate Torte, Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce). Four out of five of us choose the Blackened Creole Shrimp (a special) as the main meal. It was very tasty.
Dining at Bistro Nolah is an experience not to be missed if you appreciate superb & unique cuisine, excellent service, fair prices, & a friendly, but classy bistro setting. I have dined at Nolah on several occasions, & each time it just gets better! Their menu includes New Orleans-style dishes like beignets, hush puppies, jambalaya, gumbo, & so much more, with specials that change nightly. Last night my wife & I enjoyed a leisurely, romantic evening at the bistro; we had the best fried chicken either of us had ever tasted, as well as incredible hush puppies & a melt-in-your-mouth pork belly appetizer. We savoured every bite of our generous entrees of delicious shrimp & grits & blackened catfish. The Cajun flavours were complex & exciting, but not overpowering. Chef Richard has been tweaking his culinary skills & his knowledge of this style of cooking for over 30 years, & believe me, he has it down! A gem of a place to visit on the West Island!
