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.
'Nolah is a total showstopper! The interior is absolutely beautiful-elegant enough for a special occasion but with a warmth that makes you feel right at home.
We started with the Sausage Gumbo, & the rich, dark roux was perfectly authentic. If you're a fan of Shrimp & Grits, their Charleston-style version is a must-try; the mascarpone-infused grits are incredibly creamy. Masha loved her ribs, & my Buttermilk Fried Chicken had the perfect balance of tenderness & a heavy-duty crunch.
We finished with the Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce (an absolute essential) & some airy, powdered sugar-dusted Beignets. It was easily one of the best Creole meals we've had. Highly recommended!'
1st time experience with my girlfriend & her husband. Was recommended by a co-worker & drove from the east end to try this spot.
WOW!!! EVERYTHING was on point! The blackened catfish, the fried chicken & the Creole shrimp plates were extraordinary. The grits are so good, creamy & rich with a mascarpone cheese.
I'm a critique when it comes to taste & quality. All 3 of us were in AWE. Aw wonderful experience for the taste buds.
We shared the bread pudding with the bourbon sauce. OMG
We will definitely be back for the terrasse in the summer 😊
No photos for food. We simply enjoyed the culinary experience !!
Jan 19, 2026
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One of the best restaurants my husband & I have ever been to. The food blows my mind with the rich flavours & amazing ingredients. I am blown away every time I come here.
The staff goes above & beyond & the owner is charming & welcoming.
Top meals: octopus with black rice, lobster mango avocado salad, brisket, shrimp in creole sauce. I've never had grits but it's now my favorite thing to eat.The beignets are mouth watering & a must order!
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.
Best brunch spot in Montreal! We started off with Bread Pudding Pancakes & levitated to heaven. Then we got the Southern grits with poached eggs & chorizo & the angels started singing. By the time we finished our guava mimosa & the pancake bourbon sauce we couldn't come back down. Coming back fosho 🥞
We visited Bistro Nolah, a refined restaurant inspired by the rich & soulful cuisine of New Orleans, Louisiana. The name'Nolah' is a nod to NOLA (New Orleans, LA), & it's a fitting tribute-the flavors truly capture the spirit of the region.
The space is small & cozy, with a vibrant, energetic atmosphere. The lively background noise adds to the charm, creating a warm & animated dining experience without feeling overwhelming.
The menu is compact, but each dish is thoughtfully crafted. We began with the jambalaya arancini, served with a deliciously spicy sauce that lingered pleasantly on the palate.
For our main courses, we had the smoked brisket-exceptionally tender & beautifully seasoned-& the shrimp & grits. The shrimp had a bold, spicy profile, perfectly balanced by the smooth, comforting grit. Each bite was both satisfying & refined.
To finish, we shared the banana cheesecake flambéed with Jack Daniel's-rich, indulgent, & the perfect finale.
Bistro Nolah offers a more upscale dining experience, & while it comes at a higher cost, the quality, attention to detail, & overall atmosphere make it well worth it. I would gladly recommend it for a special occasion or a memorable evening out.
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.
May 20, 2025
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Group dinner for 14 people, very accommodating from the time of reserving all the way through. Food was amazing (special note to the Shrimp & Grits & the bread pudding with bourbon sauce!!!). Will go back, excellent experience!
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.
Wow ! Le service est impeccable 12/10 ... bravo à notre serveur! La nourriture est excellente!!! En entrée, Le Gumbo aux saucisses est une portion assez généreuse pour 2 personnes. La sauce est incroyable, gouteuse & le riz est excellent! Ensuite, les crevettes Créoles... Miam... encore ici la sauce était exquise! Le riz Jambolaya Excellent! Le Jarret avec son accompagnement & sa sauce était aussi excellent! . Le Cocktail était bon & le vin Les beignets étaient chauds... Je n'ai que de bonne chose à dire de ce restaurant! L'ambiance est excellente... Je le recommande fortement! Cheers
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!
Aug 8, 2024
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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.
My family & I attended brunch at Bistro Nolah on Sunday April 14th, 2024 & we were blown away. The food was outstanding, the service was top notch, the restaurant was beautiful & clean. Chef Richard showed us lots of love by visiting the table to ensure that we were happy with our meal. My mom & i had the French toast... the best we ever had. The bourbon sauce smooth, tasty, I can eat it everyday. My brother, daughter & nephew had the "Le Richard "...loved it. I highly recommend everyone to visit Bistro Nola, it is definitely worth it.
Service was good, friendly & timely. Nice cute looking restaurant with a good atmosphere. Problem is the food, everything I ate was shockingly sweet. The bread tasted more like cake, the sauce served on my short rib dish was cloyingly sweet & ruined most of what it was poured on. The presentation was beautiful & short rib was nice & tender, the sweetness really ruined the experience, please use less sugar.
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.
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.
Bistro Nolah is, & will continue to be, a hidden gem in the West Island of Montreal.
Before I finally indulged myself & experienced its offerings, almost everyone I know was raving about it. "The best elevated cajun food in the city" they were saying....& to that statement: I wholeheartedly agree.
From the subtle ambience, to the genuine manners of the staff, this establishment has come to be one of my absolute favourites in "the West".
I ate there with my mom, who is mutually an eloquent woman with a refined taste. Not afraid to speak her mind, she is always honest about her outlook on a restaurant. To be clear, she also very much enjoyed the tastings & libations of Nolah.
Upon ordering our meal, we were graciously offered a New Orleans delicacy known as "a hushpuppy". A hushpuppy is a bite sized, savoury ball, made with a cornmeal-based batter; that is deep fried. Sometimes being overly dense & over-fried, they can be too chewy. To my surprise, these hushpuppies were absolutely crisp on the outside & had a perfectly tender interior.
For our appetizers, we ordered the Louisiana crab cakes & shrimp tacos. The shrimp tacos, although as delicious as anticipated, did not go beyond anything ordinary. The crab cakes however, were absolutely scrumptious. The fried cakes bursted with crab flavour, rightfully highlighting it as the hero ingredient of the dish. Served with a mildly spicy aioli & some corn niblets, every layered flavour & texture accentuated the flavour profile of the crab.
As for the entrées, we ordered the jambalaya & blackened catfish to share. Both dishes sang a sweet, melodic Louisiana song. They were truly delectable. The deconstruction of the jambalaya was innovative in presentation & made for a combination of different bites. This dish included all the familiar flavours of a jambalaya & enhanced every single one. It included jumbo shrimps, a tomato-based, dark roux, sauce with rice that was packed with creole herbs & spices. The added vegetables & micro-greens were unnecessary but provided the "fine dining" touch.
The blackened catfish simultaneously tickled our tastebuds & unquestionably transported us to the docks of New Orleans. A perfect blend of spices, alongside fresh sautéed vegetables & raw shaved radish, the balance within each & every ingredient was a perfect equilibrium. A truly authentic & grasping touch, on the fish, was the orange "Pontchartrain" sauce. I have never seen this sauce served with fish anywhere in Montreal. The name of the sauce derives from Lake Pontchartrain in southeastern Louisiana & like the lake, the thick, buttery sauce, was teeming with fish.
To end such as stunning meal was an even more stunning dessert. The bread pudding, being a humbling & when done correctly: crowd pleasing dish, was luscious & delightful. Topped with fresh fruit & a Jack Daniels syrup, it was frankly hard not to finish. Simple, not simplistic, this is a staple in southern cuisine & was executed with such finesse & ease (as it should be).
Bistro Nolah is a distinct establishment & in all honesty, an exquisite restaurant that is recommended to anyone who loves cajun cuisine &/or looking to expand their culinary horizons.
After hearing some 20 something people discuss how great Nolah’s food was, I decided that I should check it out. Looking at the web site…. New Orleans food seemed an odd choice for Montreal , but the Chef's were highlighted by name. Having the Chefs names featured, is unusual in West Island restaurants. It’s usually higher end restaurants downtown that feature their ‘ Chefs’ name, as a draw. Sometimes it’s just image & sometimes it’s because the featured Chef is special. Featuring the Chef usually indicates that the profile of the restuaurant is higher end & priced accordingly. So far OK . The West island does not have any really good Chef driven restaurants in my opinion, & it would be nice to have some.
So enough for the preamble……….. After visiting Bistro Nolah for Dinner this week I am still waiting for a good Chef driven restaurant in the West island. As a background, I have been to a few very good restaurants in New Orleans during a business trip around 10 years ago.
I started with a Gumbo with Choritzo. A bowl of dark brown sauce surrounded a mound of rice. Bits of tomato, ocra, & Choritzo sausage could be found under the dark mix. Quite spicy , the thick mixture was heavily spiced . The taste was unrefined & uninteresting. It didn’t taste fresh & probably wasn’t. The spice was the dominate taste except for the bits of choritzo which registered a hotter taste. To be honest, I’ve had soups that I enjoyed more ,come out of a can.
The main was a decent sized piece of Alaskan Cod on a bed of wild rice. The Cod was dry & overcooked. The taste was so so. Maybe it could have been fresher. The wild rice was plain & uninspiring. The surrounding vegetable were mostly roots, carrot, beet, & did not compliment the fish or wild rice at all. Flavors were boring & I ate it for sustenance rather than enjoyment. I didn’t finish either the appetizer or the main.
My partner had a Shrimp main. The shrimps were a bit too spicy & masked the shrimp flavor. They were cooked OK, not overdone. I usually don’t order shrimps in Montreal restaurants due to the poor quality of farmed shrimp imported from Asia. I love eating shrimp in Florida & I make sure they are wild & fresh caught domestic shrimp. Not frozen & farmed. So I guess I am prejudiced against shrimp served in Montreal restaurants since they invariably use defrosted & farmed shrimp. The shrimp were OK , for what they were. Again the side flavors on the plate were uninteresting.
So I am still looking for a good Chef driven West island restaurant.
Would I want to have a recipe for how they prepared any dishes I ate………… No!
Prices were certainly not modest . Service was OK. For the price they charge, tablecloths would be nice, even if it’s a bistro. It’s a bit noisy & they played the music a bit too loud for my preference. I guess trying to appeal to a trendier crowd.
Would I go back to Nolah.....I don’t think so. Maybe I could give it a second chance, but it didn’t give me any pleasure to eat there so why bother. I might have given it a 2.5 star if I could. I would have rated it a 3 star if it was a diner instead of a restaurant with airs.
