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.
During our most recent visit, the portions were just incredibly small!! - Pate was cut thin like ham. Seafood entre ($26) offered 1 mid-size scallop & 2 shrimp!! Filet mignon at $59 was really small! - We love the place & staff but this is probably our last visit.
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.
The space is lovely, the service is excellent & the food is good. I ordered an orange carrot soup (soup of the day) which was very nice & the lamb shank. I was a little disappointed with the lamb shank as it was overcooked--something you don't expect in a restaurant of this standing. Also, I personally prefer Quebec (local) lamb vs New Zealand lamb, but I believe I was served the latter. My experience with lamb has always been that New Zealand has the stronger, game-y taste, which I am personally not found of. Overall, a great experience, but not an experience you can't find elsewhere in Montreal, for less $$.
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.
Nov 27, 2023
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Nous avons passer une magnifique soirée, tout était délicieux de l'entrée au dessert .A+ pour le suprême de volaille au brie fondu. Le service était aussi impeccable & l'ambiance calme & chaleureuse.
Nov 13, 2023
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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.
we were lucky to get reservations on two evenings & the food & service were excellent. Wonderful flavors & accompaniments to the dishes. A very wide variety of meat, fish, & game with excellent wines by the glass. On the second evening, the manager sat us at a beautiful window seat so we could see Montreal at night. Highly recommended!
Magnifique expérience ! De l'entrée au dessert en passant par les cocktails & recommandations de vin de choix ! Un grand bravo à l'équipe qui nous fait sentir être des princes. Je recommande vivement le profiterole avec son choux maison. Un délice !!
Oct 30, 2023
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(En Français ci-dessous) I rarely say this but mark my words ,wish i could rate more than 5 stars on every categories for this place. The staff is incredible from the very moment you step foot inside. The food was delicious & incredibly reasonably priced for the luxurious service & experience received. From the ambiance to the decor ,the food, the staff, the cocktails, if you are looking for a fine dining experience without making your wallet cry , do yourself a favor & give this place a try, i will be back & next time try the hotel iteself as well. Je dis rarement cela, mais notez mes mots, j'aimerais pouvoir noter plus de 5 étoiles dans toutes les catégories de cet endroit. Le personnel est incroyable dès le moment où vous entrez. La nourriture était délicieuse & à un prix incroyablement raisonnable pour le service luxueux & l'expérience reçue. De l'ambiance à la décoration, en passant par la nourriture, le personnel, les cocktails, si vous recherchez une expérience gastronomique sans faire pleurer votre portefeuille, rendez-vous service & essayez cet endroit, je reviendrai & la prochaine fois, essayez l'hôtel lui-même aussi.
4.5/5 Great ambience & vibe. The avg age of guests there is high, meaning it's a consistent & authentic restaurant. The interior gives some French castle vibe. Love it. The service was good except that our server was covering half the tables there by himself. He was nice but too occupied with other guests. Food was great. Appetizers were better than the mains. Great seafood, foie gras, lobster salad & duck breast. Beef bourguignon & lamb shank was alright. P.s. their wine list was impressive
Go for: a legitimate fine-dining experience, from start to finish. Avoid if: you're not sure which piece of silverware to use first. Something surprising: the number of different servers that waited the table throughout the meal. Reservation needed? Yes, definitely Overall Experience: Strong 4/5. It was an extremely busy spot & we had to wait despite having a reservation, but the staff was incredibly professional & the food was what you'd expect from a high-end French restaurant. You would be wise to order the Profitérole for dessert. Value for Price: 4 Sanitation: 5 Food Quality: 5 Menu Precision: 4 Service Quality: 5 Timing: 3 Decor: 4 Access: 4 - 5 among the best 4 strong 3 not too bad 2 mediocre 1 never again
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!!!!
