Cabaret l'Enfer
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Cabaret l'Enfer
Opens Today at 6 pm
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chef(49) massimo(28) wine(26) vin(18) dishes(17) pairing(16) wine pairings(14) tasting menu(12) dessert(12) flavor(12) sauce(11) recommend(10)Page 1 of 7 - 134 Reviews
Lukesh
This was an all-around fantastic experience.
The food presentation was great. The dishes with South American influence were especially good (mole & an entree containing a paste originating from El Salvador). The concept of each course corresponding to one of the seven deadly sins was fun. I was concerned I would leave feeling hungry, but that was not an issue at all.
We were seated by the chef's bar. It was fun to see the chefs cook, & they were super friendly in explaining what they were cooking.
We did not get the full wine pairing, but did try one pairing as proposed by the sommelier. It was a very good recommendation! Also, I think it's worth highlighting how great the sommelier was. He answered all of our questions, cracked jokes & really elevated our whole experience. We also had some cocktails/mocktails that were tasty.
The atmosphere was nice - lots of candles!
Alexandra
This deserves a special shout out. As a Montrealaise living abroad, when I'm back home I care about where I eat. The food, staff & ambiance made a regular Tuesday evening outstanding. Even without the head chef, they held it down & you could feel he was there! The meal included the best tartare, best scallop, & best duck I've ever had. Special shout out to all the staff this past Tuesday, for indulging our questions about wine, food, etc. (special shoutout to Carlos for the extra attention & the lesson on Mexican cinnamon). A bientot!
Annie
Horrible NYE dinner, spend your money elsewhere. They charged $170.00 per person, & there were FIFTY minute gaps between dishes. The dinner ran so long that we had to leave after the fourth course (seven courses total) so we didn't miss our NYE event. Our reservation was at 6:30pm by the way. They reduced a small amount from the bill, they never apologizes for the delays & nobody from management ever got back to me when we messaged them after the dinner. Really poor all around.
Lauryn
The food here was fantastic. I'll start there. The branzino en croute was a particular standout. But the service was ROUGH. Our 7-course meal took nearly 4 hours, with long, sometimes 20-minute gaps between courses. Tables seated nearly an hour after ours received some courses before we did. I had the wine pairing, & they completely forgot to pour my wine for the fish course. Some dishes were explained well, others were confusing. The chefs generally explained the dishes well, but the waitstaff seldom checked in, which made it difficult for my partner (who doesn't drink) to order mocktails. I don't know if this was an off night or what, but it seemed like they desperately need to streamline service from what we saw. I will say that Massimo himself was fun & delightful, & clearly enjoys interacting with his customers, but for what ended up being nearly $700 CAD after tip, I expected to be taken care of with a little more attention & intention.
Étienne
Considérant le nombre de bons restaurants à Montréal, ne faites pas le détour pour passer la soirée à ce restaurant. Je dis passer la soirée parce que le service est très lent. Pour donner un exemple, les 2 premiers plats ont pris 2h pour être servis. Aussi les portions sont minuscules & plusieurs personnes ont mentionné devoir manger au retour à la maison. Quelques plats étaient goûteux alors que d'autres mal équilibrés & très ordinaires. Finalement, le prix était déraisonnable pour la « qualité » & les portions.
Koko
I'm visiting Canada from Japan.
In Japan, I truly believe that the level of customer service in restaurants is among the best in the world. Even in small bistros-not just high-end places-you receive exceptional service. Because I've been so used to that standard, I honestly couldn't give very high ratings to some of the restaurants I visited in Toronto. Sometimes the service ruined the experience, even when the food was great. There were moments when I thought,'Do I really have to tip for this?' & it made me miss Japan.
But then I visited Montreal & came to this restaurant - & I was stunned.
Not only were the servers friendly, but even the kitchen staff were incredibly warm & kind. Every single person working there made us feel welcome.
& the chef… absolutely incredible. I've never met a chef this funny, kind, & entertaining - even in Japan.
Thanks to this place, we had the most amazing night in Montreal.
Thank you ❤?
Steff
I dined at this restaurant when it first opened & had a good experience.
almost 2 years later I can attest that everything is on the decline, minus the price. Sad to experience given the potential.
the sommelier was lovely, she was knowledgeable & attentive.
Anahí
What a delightful experience!
Visited after attending a conference, & the experience offered just what I needed to relax & enjoy visiting Montreal. The staff is delightful, the way they interact with us & the menu descriptions add great value to the experience. Thank you all for one of the best dining experiences I have ever had
Sandrine
Un seul vin rouge disponible, un seul vin blanc disponible, pas de cartes de boissons.
Si vous êtes prêt à mettre 25 $ + taxes + pourboires pour un simple verre de vin blanc bien classique.... let's go !
Kyle
I went here as I watched Top Chef & saw Massimo on the most recent season. This was our Anniversary meal, & though we didnt see Massimo, the staff treated us exceptionally well.
We were greeted with a welcome cocktail & the meal progressed from there. Our menu was fairly seafood heavy, which was great for me, but not ideal for my wife. The food was all fantastic from start to finish, & I highly recomend the wine pairing with each course.
The restaraunt itself was beautiful, & I loved all the candles throughout.
A perfect place to splurge & enjoy an anniversary (or date night). The menu changes daily, so keep that in mind when you visit.
Justin
Après 2 premières super expériences avec le off-menu (passé 21h, 3 plats possible de complémenter avec des plats additionnels, mais qui n'est plus disponible aujourd'hui), nous avons décidé d'essayer le menu dégustation.
Nous avons été déçu de notre dernière visite.
- La valeur n'était pas au rendez-vous. Le prix de 165$ pour 7 services ne m'aurait pas gêné si j'avais eu l'impression d'en avoir pour mon argent.
- Les associations de saveurs, portions & ingrédients choisis ne justifiaient pas le prix. Nous avons fini le tout à la maison avec un trio Big Mac & des croquettes.
- Sélection de vin intéressante, mais commençant à 100$ la bouteille de rouge.
- Les cocktails n'étaient pas disponibles car le barman n'était pas là. Pas besoin d'un barman pour dépanner avec une carte simple & limitée pour la soirée (ex: Negroni)
- Le service était lent & pas plus attentionné qu'il faut, ce qui aurait dérangé si nous n'étions pas avec un couple d'amis que nous n'avions pas vu depuis longtemps.
Sur une note positive l'ambiance est toujours au rendez-vous.
Nous mettons 3 étoiles car nous avons adoré nos premières expériences, mais on est ressorti avec un malaise à la dernière après notre facture de 640$. On reste persuadé que le chef & son équipe sont extrêmement talentueux, mais à ce prix, on ne peut justifier d'y retourner sur un gamble.
Sylvie
Très belle découverte .
Plat & vin au top .
Très bon gastro
Mya
A superb culinary experience. Delicious, inventive, classic, all of it! 🤤
Evan
I spent a long time searching for a great dinner spot in Montreal to take my girlfriend to on her birthday while we were in Montreal. I felt confident Cabaret L'Enfer would be a hit, but unfortunately, it fell far short of expectations.
Cabaret L'Enfer is different from traditional fine dining restaurants in that you don't have a server in the traditional sense. A young man in black fetched us water when we arrived & asked if we'd like the wine pairing with our meal. When I asked for details about the wine pairing, he had no details to offer. He clumsily said something about how their sommelier chose the wines, & that they pair well with the courses (which is a given) but no knowledge of the actual wines themselves.
Despite this, we requested the wine pairings & the mail began. I will say that for the most part, we enjoyed the courses. Some were better than others, but they were fairly exotic, adventurous, & interesting. The tuna belly was our favorite. The dessert dusted with chocolate powder over a stencil as to create a resemblance of Leonard Cohen .. was laughably tacky & just not good.
But what fell short more than anything was the ambiance & experience.
We were sat at the bar, where you're offered a unique experience of watching the preparation of the courses. If the kitchen is'on' that day, I think it could be a fun addition to the experience. Well, on this particular day - the kitchen was not especially locked in. If your kitchen is on display to your clientele, things should be running immaculately, but there were a number of issues:
- The vent fan was broken & the smoke from the seared duck enveloped the entire (tiny) restaurant area. Watching Massimo himself jump & try to throw a sheet of paper against the vent fan to confirm they were indeed not working, & seeing it fall behind the fryer.. was something.
- We had to lean in & try very hard to hear the chefs over loud 80s punk/industrial music as they described the courses as they were served. They sometimes failed to recall specific English words to describe elements of the meal. Understandable in Montreal, but just a bit clumsy & something that, in my opinion, an actual server should be doing.
- Seeing plastic bins with prepped food pulled out of refrigerators to plate courses - while it is something that occurs at literally every restaurant, it is best kept behind a wall, in my opinion.
This all felt so amateur & unbecoming of a restaurant that purports to be a fine dining experience. It was bizarre & somewhat uncomfortable.
I don't watch Top Chef, so I'm not especially enthralled with the mystique of'Massimo'. If you are, you may enjoy his banter & antics. He was buzzing around the restaurant, serving wine, running food, chit chatting, working the room. He certainly has a big personality, & I could see the appeal for folks who are foodies. It didn't really add anything notable to our experience.
My priority when eating at a restaurant such as this is a delicious, thoughtful set of courses served by an attentive & highly knowledgeable server prepared to offer excellent service. While the food was mostly good, the service & ambiance so aggressively missed the mark that I feel very disappointed with our experience. At $550 USD for two, it is quite expensive for such a lackluster overall experience.
Rheanne
Why ask if you're coming for a special occasion if you dont care!!!! If you're playing $500+ for a dining experience your expectations should be very high but, maybe that is just me.
Putting that aside we sat bar side & the chefs were fun, engaging, & just great people to hang out with. Unfortunately, the rest of the staff seem new, needed much direction, & even timid when engaging with us.
The food….we were served 7 dishes & only 2 out of the 7 were very good. The rest I will have to back to the pictures we took to remember what we ate.
Overall, was the food good- sure, was the restaurant nice - sure, but for what you'd expect from a Top Chef restaurant… very disappointing
David
Do you have an open mind about fine dining? Are you willing to be open to an engaging experience which is both edgy & comforting? If you are, I think you will love Massimo Piedimonte's Montreal restaurant.
The first thing you will notice upon walking into the restaurant is likely the space. It is small & intimate. It feels like you have been invited into an eclectic downtown apartment with loud colors, artwork & punk music. Next you will likely meet Massimo who is a gracious, fun & lively host. Massimo is a bundle of energy- almost punk rock like - at one minute host, at another chef, at another he is at your table serving & describing & telling stories & then, flash, he is off doing other things. It's energetic & fun & you feel like you are a part of something.
The rest of the crew are incredibly well trained, professional kind & calming the frenetic (in a good way) energy of Massimo. The wine service, in particular, was superb & knowledgeable. The sommelier is Argentinian & she has a deep/broad appreciation for wines from around the World. Fall backwards with her recommendations, she will catch you & recommend excellent wines to match the cuisine. While we ordered by the bottle, the wine pairings we saw were generous & clever selections. She is a really superb addition to the restaurant.
The food was wonderful. Small, expertly prepared courses that challenged your senses & taste buds similar to the artwork & music that surround. Acid, fat, umami, textures from soft to crunchy - all swirling & dancing & jumping & then combining for memorable bites.
I understand this experience may not appeal to all in the fine dining world. This is not a restaurant where voices are muted, service is reserved & you can hear a mouse fart. This is an edgy, energetic party with an eclectic host. But at its heart, Cabaret L'Enfer is full of love. I highly recommend it but please go with an open mind & a fun attitude.
P.S. some have described the pricing as expensive. I felt it was quite reasonable for the experience & excellent cuisine - particularly for a small restaurant that lavishes attention on its guests. With wine pairings included you should expect to spend around $200 US dollars per person.
Raphaël
N'avoir d'enfer que le nom
La soirée aurait pu se clore avant même le lever de rideau.
- On devrait peut-être appeler pour annuler.
Cette attitude défaitiste de ma compagne gourmande avait comme cause l'accablante difficulté de trouver du stationnement sur Saint-Denis & environs, notre avance sur notre réservation se transformant lentement en un retard*. Cependant, je ne comptais pas renoncer à ma sortie au restaurant. Il ne s'agissait pas non plus de n'importe quel restaurant, mais bien du Cabaret L'enfer qui cumulait reconnaissance & titres au niveau national & qui ambitionne de continuer à gravir les échelons. « Nous pointons au 21e rang en 2024, après avoir eu le 39e rang en 2023. On veut continuer à monter » m'expliquait avec fierté un gérant du restaurant en me pointant le magazine « Canada's 100 best » sur le bord de la fenêtre. Alors, comment compte-t-il s'y prendre ? Par le spectacle, même si c'est moi qui le dis.
Chaque membre du personnel, que ce soit à la cuisine ou attitré au service, semblait jouer un rôle comme dans un tableau du Cirque du Soleil, & c'est peut-être ce qui m'a paru le plus déstabilisant (je ne suis pas un habitué de tables du genre). En tant que tel, cela se traduit par un rapport axé sur le divertissement & les plaisanteries qui s'éloigne du rapport chaleureux & sincère du style « restaurant chez ta mère ». Quand bien même je pourrais attribuer la note de cinq sur cinq pour la prestation (on nous a parfaitement accommodés tout au long de la soirée, ce sur quoi je reviendrai plus loin), & même si on a rapproché la cuisine, ouverte, & ses cuisiniers de la salle à manger, le contexte scénarisé enlevait de l'authenticité dans les interactions.
Moi, je les rendais nerveux, probablement. Au début, j'avais le dos tourné à la salle, position que j'ai en aversion, car j'aime observer ce qui se passe à l'intérieur. Sois je me retournais constamment pour regarder, soit je me levais carrément. La salle étant petite, impossible de passer inaperçu ! On a fini par trouver le meilleur compromis en déplaçant la chaise sur le côté de la table, me permettant de contempler plus discrètement le bal animé. Aussi, on a eu l'amabilité de m'inviter à prendre autant de photos que je voulais, de partout où je le voulais (& de mon exploration subséquente, je vous fais part que la partie la plus amusante du restaurant est la descente vers les toilettes, illuminée de chandelles).
Autre gentillesse : de façon tout à fait discrétionnaire, ils nous ont permis de ne prendre qu'un demi-accompagnement mets-vin à 50 $. De toute façon, tous les plats, à l'exception du premier, se finissaient en quelques bouchées, & nous avons eu amplement d'alcool pour les accompagner. Cependant, est-ce qu'il valait le coût ? Absolument. Les consommations se mariaient parfaitement avec la nourriture, aussi savoureuse que créative, riche que raffinée. Parmi nos mets favoris, on retrouvait l'éclatant « otoro » sur sa croustille au maïs (un extra à 16 $), la galette de courgettes à faire éclater, les pétoncles extrêmement tendres dans leur sauce au safran, le dessert aux fraises… Ce fut une joie d'avoir du pain à volonté, car je dois l'avoir trempé dans tous les fonds d'assiettes & de bols tant les sauces étaient sublimes.
Je vous offre, avant de conclure, une petite anecdote pour illustrer l'excellence du personnel : lors de la dégustation des anolini, on constata que le vin n'avait pas été servi, mais ma partenaire culinaire, préférant la discrétion, me pressa de taire cette omission. Grâce à cette retenue, nous avons été à même de constater l'efficacité & l'étanchéité du service qui s'est rendu compte par lui-même de son égarement & qui l'a compensé en grand avec du champagne avec le dessert aux pêches.
En fin de compte, au Cabaret L'enfer, on est porté bien plus près du ciel que sous terre. N'eut été ce qui s'est avéré à mon goût une cordialité qui semblait peu naturelle, voire feinte, le spectacle nous en a donné pour notre argent : 500 $ (pourboire inclus) pour un sans faute en haute gastronomie.
Therlinsie
We had the chefs counter experience & it was so amazing to see the magic our head chef incorporated into our meal. The vibe was great. The food was really good but the highlight for us was the angolotti, their hand made pasta dish. The flavors they combined to create all the dishes were creative & delicious. Would visit again when visiting Montreal.