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.
Didn't have any reservations on a weekend & was quickly accommodated. Service was very good & the atmosphere was lively. The food was a let down. The jambalaya rice balls were missing a punch & pretty dry. The hush puppies were bland, the sauce that it came with made up for it. The crabe cake was meaty but it had a very strong smell to it. The fried chicken was ok but not crispy. It's sad that they use already peeled shrimps for the shrimp & grits. In any case I'd come back for the service we received in hopes of having a better experience food wise.
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 :)
Jan 2, 2025
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Absolutely delicious food. Attended with a party of 6. The service was very attentive. Everyone enjoyed their meal but the standout items were the fried chicken & bourbon shrimp. Will have to come back & try their brunch.
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.
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.
Nice little gem in DDO (West Island) serving Louisiana food. It's a New Orleans themed bistro & the food is consistently good. Fixed staples like Butter fried chicken & Shrimp & Grits are executed to perfection. Weekly specials like Oysters or lamb shank let's you try something new. Maybe come here to break a fast because you need do the full meal combo. The beignets (think Tiny Tim Dougnut ... but way better) is a must. Like most Bistro's in Montréal, coffee is solid & a Terrace is available when the weather is warm. Great Bistro if you're in the area
May 14, 2024
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Food & service are amazing. You gotta try the blackened catfish, it's spicy but very delicious. We also tried the fried chicken & the shrimp, both were great. The only thing is the place is quite small, so it feels squeezed when dining in. I would go back though.
I finally made it here after years of wanting to try this place out. Fun menu, great wine list, warm & welcoming service & a stellar playlist. The menu was a mix of the chef's takes on New Orleans creole classics & some all around fun & innovative offerings. It's a great place to go for a gourmet night out. I wouldn't go here for authentic New Orleans cuisine, but aside from Popeyes red beans & rice, that's better homemade anyway. My favorites were the charbroiled oysters & the beignets. On a return trip I'd be curious to try the fried chicken, bread pudding, & the Sazerac.
Great food, service & ambiance. Some of the best fried chicken I have ever had. Shrimp Creole had moderate spice & was packed with flavour. The brisket was delicious, very nice sized portion. The service was great. Our waiter went through the menu with us since it was our first time. Good music, I recognized a lot of NOLA favourites like Dr John & Trombone Shorty.
Mar 24, 2024
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We had shrimp etouffee & tuna steak, ordered the hush puppies, mac&cheese & fried chicken for the kids. Everything was great & flavourful, will definitely come again.
As a die hard fan of creole food this place was amazing. The food was so good. The fried chicken was light crispy & full of flavour & the gumbo & smoked brisket were packed with rich & on point flavours. The service was outstanding our server was attentive & very knowledgeable & looked after us. If you love southern inspired food great service & ambiance I highly recommend going. We will be back
AMAZING food & service. Our server Chris was great. He recommended some signiture dishes... Definitely go for the fried chicken, gumbo, & anything with grits 😋😋😋
Bistro Nolah is a New Orleans delight! From mouthwatering fried chicken to the flavorful jambalaya, every dish screams authenticity. The charming ambiance, complete with jazz music, transports you to the heart of Louisiana. What truly made our visit exceptional was Chris, our waiter, who provided the best service we've ever experienced. A must-visit for an authentic taste of New Orleans with impeccable service.
Dec 7, 2023
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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.
Long overdue post. The food was delicious.the fried chicken & crab cakes were amazing. The blackened fish was tasty, a little on the salty side but mouth watering & the dessert was decadent. A must if you’re looking for authentic New Orleans cuisine in Montreal.
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!
There are good restaurants, very good restaurants, exceptional restaurants & then there is Bistro Nolah! Wow, this place just gets better & better.
I’ve been many times, & it has been consistent, but tonight, I see that they have perfected what I thought they already mastered! The fried chicken was melt-in-your-mouth perfection! My husband had the pork belly appetizer, & it did not disappoint.
The curry mussels were unbelievable, a sauce you will be thinking about for quite some time. I had the shrimp & grits as a main & my husband had the catfish. We both kept shaking our heads in disbelief as to how perfectly & carefully all the flavours came together flawlessly.
We have had many wonderful meals, this one will remain high on our list of the most unforgettable ones.
