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.
Reviews portray Bistro Nolah as a cozy, welcoming spot with a warm New Orleans vibe and attentive service. The menu shines with Creole and Southern favorites such as gumbo, jambalaya, shrimp and grits, fried chicken, brisket, and catfish, with several dishes praised for being flavorful and well cooked. Brunch and tasting menus are highlighted by many guests, and desserts like bread pudding and banana cheesecake are frequently praised. The space is small and intimate, which can feel bustling at times but also adds to the charm; reservations are often recommended. Overall, Bistro Nolah delivers high quality, flavorful Southern dishes, a strong drinks program, and a memorable dining experience that makes guests eager to return for both brunch and dinner.
We absolutely enjoyed Bistro Nolah, one of the best restaurants that we have tasted in a long time. We had Hush Puppies (Cornbread) & Fried Chicken for appetizers. The fried chicken was really flavourful down to the very fibre of the chicken. For dinner, we ordered the shrimp & grits, pan seared scallops (special on the menu) smoked brisket. & for dessert, we had the beignets (the best donuts that you will ever taste in your whole life). Every single course of the meal which they make completely in house including the bread & the special butter was absolutely gorgeous & extremely flavourful that wakes up every single taste bud in your palate.
& our waiter Chris was very attentive & fantastic to us. One of our children has Celiac disease & cannot eat gluten so he could not eat any of the appetizers except one (Chris was also very knowledgeable about the gluten & the non-gluten menu choices as well btw.) & had to wait for his main dish which took a bit of time to arrive as the night was quite busy. When we asked if our child can have his plate first before the rest of us, Christ promptly went to the kitchen & got our child's dish to serve it to our child. & he even remembered that my child might not be used to the spiciness in the dish & they set the spicy sauce on the side so not to make the dish too spicy for him. My child ordered the Blackened Catfish & it was so delicious my child finished every single morsel on his plate even the vegetables asparagus. He finished the food so fast we couldn't even take a photo.
We are so glad that we found this place which is nestled away in a small plaza. It's one of our most enjoyable gastronomical experience inside a beautifully decorated dining room. It's our first time visiting this restaurant & tasting Southern comfort food New Orleans. We will definitely be back.
We went to Bistro Nola last night & had an excellent experience from start to finish.
We shared a few appetizers including the mac & cheese, fried chicken, & gumbo sausage, all were absolutely delicious & full of flavor. Perfect for sharing & a great way to start the meal.
For mains, we had the smoked brisket, braised short ribs, & blackened catfish. Every dish was cooked perfectly & packed with rich, authentic flavors.
Dessert was on another level. We tried the Mississippi mud pie, pain perdu, & beignets. Everything was amazing, but the Oreo mud pie really stood out.
Service was fast, friendly, & very smooth all evening. The restaurant was packed, so we were really glad we made a reservation.
Overall, great value, amazing food, & a fantastic atmosphere. We'll definitely be back.
May 2, 2026
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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!
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.
Aug 11, 2025
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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 :)
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!!!
Jul 25, 2025
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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.
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.
Aug 16, 2024
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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.
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.
