Welcome to Bonaparte restaurant! Imagine a stream of soft light focused on a single white orchid, set on a white tablecloth... Comfortable ambiance that invites you to settle in for the evening... Romantic little nooks for an intimate dinner... Contemporary décor within historic stone walls... And exquisite cuisine, prepared with French savoir-faire and showcasing the finest fresh regional products... At Bonaparte we are constantly trying our best to please you. After all it is all about the little details. Therefore we offer in additon to our À la Carte menu a Theater menu which is available during regular Centaur season from 5:30pm to 6:30pm and our Table d'Hôte. Gourmets in hurry can always count on us. If you desire to savour the chef's specialties, our Dégustation menu will seduce you.
Bonaparte is described across reviews as a refined Old Montreal destination for classic French cuisine, offering a romantic candlelit atmosphere and attentive, professional service. The menu shines with dishes such as duck confit, duck breast with maple syrup and wild berries, lamb shank, beef bourguignon, veal chop, and foie gras, with standout lobster bisque and desserts like profiteroles and chocolate mousse, all complemented by a superb wine list and thoughtfully paired tasting menus that many guests consider well worth the splurge. The setting is consistently praised for elegance, a quiet, intimate ambiance, and old world charm, making it ideal for special occasions and romantic dinners. While some guests note price considerations and occasional delays or variability in seasoning, the prevailing impression is that Bonaparte delivers excellent food, memorable service, and a standout Montreal dining experience that keeps visitors returning.
Sadly we were highly disappointed in this restaurant especially after reading so many wonderful reviews. The food was not well prepared & completely lacking in flavor. I feel like the focus was more on the tasting menu rather than the standard menu. The service was extremely slow but ultimately our waitress was sweet. It is a beautiful building in old Montreal, so the atmosphere was great. There are far better options with a beautiful atmosphere for half the price.
This restaurant perfectly embodies the essence of Old Port: good looks, no substance. We got the tasting menu. The appetizers were interesting but nonetheless disappointing. For example the foie gras crème brûlée was an interesting concept, but didn't deliver. The savouriness did not pair well with the pear compote. The lobster bisque was thoroughly disappointing. It was grainy & lacked any flavor other than the stench of a fish market. There was little, if any, lobster in it. For a meal of this price, it's a slap in the face. The entrées were similarly lackluster... by the time they came. The lamb stew was decent, but the sauce had coagulated. It wasn't memorable, & not something I recommend spending money on. The poisson du jour was average, but the sides it came with were scarce & unimaginative. Finally the desserts were good, but nothing special. All in all, I cannot recommend spending money at this restaurant. You're far better off going somewhere outside of Old Port.
Dec 3, 2023
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We had the tasting menu with wine pairings for $192 CA each. The meal was a major disappointment. The lobster bisque with ginger tasted like burned lobster carcass. My "filet" was gristly & tough. The accompanying wines were pedestrian at best; I can't imagine that any of the bottles (of which we had a small pour) cost more than $25.
We did the tasting menu, though I'd describe it more as a prix fixe menu. The food overall was good, but not supurb. The ginger lobster bisque did not have much lobster & I didn't taste any ginger. I also wasn't a huge fan that the seafood options were flavored with vanilla. But our waitress was great & had an awesome bowtie. The blueberry nonalcoholic drink was very tasty, sweet.
Consistent, reliable, gustatory excellence in the heart of Old Montreal. Here, you will see guests who know their food. & you will see an excellent functioning team of professionals attending to their guests' every need at exactly the right time. There are all levels of seniority & experience at work here, on the restaurant floor, & most definitely in the kitchen where they produce their artwork. What's good you ask? Everything. Try the tasting menu. & then try it again. It's a different experience every time, with each bearing only one thing in common - excellent execution, for which I am personally very grateful.
Went here for my wife's birthday while on a trip to Montreal. C'est magnifique! Everything was...completely & utterly perfect. From the cocktails (an excellent Vieux Carre for me) to the tasting menu (the rabbit in the phyllo was my favorite) -- all amazing. Of note, they surprised my wife in the tasting menu - on the dessert plate it came out with a sparkler in it. The entire restaurant could not take their eyes off of it. It was spectacular!!!!
I'm surprised I forgot to leave a review right after.. but better late than never. Everything about this restaurant was impeccable from the service to the food they served. Kinda felt like I should've dressed up a bit instead of my typical casual wear. Splurge for the tasting menu if you can.. If you're going with a la carte, don't miss out on their duck! It was .3631017028537E+24;🤌!
Oct 16, 2023
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Updated review: ambiance is good, staff is a bit less experienced than it used to be but did very well :)
Food took a nose dive since our last visit. We had the tasting menu & this was not our first time so our expectations were high. The lobster bisque lacked depths, salt & the twist you would expect from such a place. It tasted like lobster bouillon mainly. The Smoked Salmon & the scallops appetizers were amazing. The mushroom raviolis were dry & crunchy around the edges as if there were left outside under a heating lamp too long.
The mains were good. However my wife was disappointed by the size of the lobster serving. About one claw… I was expecting also expecting the desserts to be at the same level as last time but was let down. Dried out macarons are just not Ok for a place that charges 150$-200$ per person . If it was a regular restaurant maybe our expectations would be lower, but a place of this standing & price you expect impeccable food & service. Not to mention the fact that the neighbouring table returned their dessert & didn’t seem impressed.
Disappointed to be honest. It used to be a favourite.
We wanted to treat ourselves, so we went to Bonaparte & ordered the tasting menu. A little bit of everything for $124 each!
The staff were very attentive. I enjoyed the service very much. The food was also very good... but not to the level I would have expected for paying so much. The presentation was beautifulbut in some cases, the flavor was just okay.
In the end, I enjoyed the time with my wife. It was worth doing (once every 5 years or so... lol)
