Cadet comes across in reviews as a polished, shareable tapas style destination in Montreal's Quartier des Spectacles, praised for refined, flavorful dishes and a lively, modern atmosphere. The menu, designed for tasting and sharing, features standout seafood and vegetable plates like black cod morue charbonnière, octopus, scallops, calamari, beef tartare, hamachi, and focaccia, with sauces and presentation repeatedly called thoughtful and delicious. Service is described as warm, attentive, professional, and often fast to accommodate show times or busy rooms, with strong wine pairings and inventive cocktails cited as a plus. The ambience is elegant yet relaxed, though the space can feel loud, crowded, or cramped at peak times, and some reviewers note small portions for the price or occasional missteps such as undercooked potatoes, fatty lamb, or overpowering sauces. Overall, Cadet emerges as a standout dining experience with excellent food and knowledgeable staff, a good option for a date night or pre show dinner, and a place many would return to, despite the occasional inconsistency and noise.
Visited on a Monday - the restaurant was quite busy, despite being in an area that has unfortunately declined & is now one of the rougher parts of downtown.
The food was good overall, about what you would expect. The scallops stood out, & the chocolate tart & tartare were also very solid.
Unfortunately, the service was extremely disappointing - one the worst we've experienced in Montreal, especially for this type of establishment.
We had clearly noted that it was a birthday, & it was completely overlooked. It took 45 minutes just to place our order, & clearing between courses took another 10-15 minutes each time. Getting a server's attention was consistently difficult.
At the end, we were told the team was overwhelmed & that the birthday had not been communicated. That doesn't excuse the experience.
Overall, I would not recommend this restaurant. There are far better options in Montreal.
Tried this place last night & overall it was a mixed experience. The restaurant itself is very nice & the atmosphere is enjoyable. The sommelier recommended a bottle of wine that we really liked; however, after asking to see two bottles around the $85 range, we were presented with one priced at $120. We decided to go with it & did enjoy the wine, but the upsell was a bit surprising.
We ordered four dishes to share. We started with the butternut squash, which was pretty good & well prepared. The lamb T-bone was very tasty & well seasoned, but unfortunately about half of it was fat, which took away from the enjoyment. When we mentioned this to our waitress, she was very professional & immediately offered for us to choose another item from the menu at no charge, which we appreciated. The side of fingerling potatoes, however, was undercooked & disappointing. We finished with the chocolate tart, which was excellent & easily the highlight of the meal.
Overall, there were some strong points, & the service handled the issue with the lamb very well, but a few execution & value concerns kept it from being a great experience.
Feb 11, 2026
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
The whole time my husband & I were there we had very poor service. It took more than 15 minutes for us to have someone take our order. From there once we received the food roughly 20 minutes later the waiter & waitress did not check in on us once. Never came to ask how we are enjoying the meal or if they can bring us anything. Once we finished our meals the servers never once came by to clear our table & remove the dishes. They never offered us a dessert menu & never approached us. This is the worst service I have ever received, especially for a Michelin star restaurant. We had to wave down a waiter to get a bill, otherwise it seems like no one would've came & ask or check.
The food was mediocre at best, we had the chicken wings to share which was decent. But my husband had the steak & it was not very good, he noted it was cooked strangely & it was chewy. The flavors did not make sense with chutney & Szechuan. & I had the market price fish & it was tasty at the time but later that night I had been glued to the toilet. The whole time I've been at Montreal & eaten all sorts of food this is the only place that made me feel sick physically after.
I also noticed that after my husband & I left that there was a coat check at the front, something nobody offered us? We noticed that the other tables received proper service having servers checking in on them regularly. & we were practically ignored the entire time we were at the restaurant. We were going to get a dessert but no one came to check on us for more than 20 minutes that we just wanted to leave.
Either way this is the worst service I've received anywhere, nonetheless a Michelin star restaurant. The food was mediocre, I will never come back to this restaurant & will never recommend anyone to come here.
Good choice & Michelin recommended restaurant. Service was a bit rushed but the food was good. It is well balanced menu with good vegetables options, good selection of seafood & meat options. I really liked their tartare & their fucecchio bread is must try. Overall solid option for dinner in Montreal.
Another great spot to check out in Montreal. The service was friendly & smooth from start to finish, & the food overall was solid.
It was a delicious meal with some really fun flavour combinations. You can tell they're going for something a bit more creative & experimental with their menu, which I appreciate. The black cod was definitely the highlight. It was fresh & tender. The sauce leaned sweeter than I typically go for, but the fish itself was excellent quality.
That said, it didn't quite have that wow factor that makes a meal unforgettable.
Still, it's a good spot for sharing tapas style dishes & trying something playful. Would recommend giving it a go if you're in the area.
Oct 23, 2025
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
Solo trip to Montreal. Want to try a nice restaurant. The name Cadet comes up when I googled Michelin recommended restaurants.
Not far from my hotel. & it accepts reservations. I booked 8 pm. I usually eat at 6:30 pm but you never know if there would be any flight or train delay on arrival.
Party of 1. Checked & confirmed & reconfirmed by text message.
I walked in at 7 pm. Sorry we are fully booked. She turned around & checked the bar. It's not even half full but she goes by the book. Not bending any rules not doing me any favour. Great greeter!
& I left & looked at their website. Text based website in this generative AI world talking about agentic AI. The restaurant is still using old school website
Apparently their menu is not kept up to date. To prove it to all the google masters, I ordered the zucchini dish.
& also took a picture
The dish is very very delicious. Lots of flavours. Fortunately I am the only person having that dish that night. I wish I could lick the purée off the plate. I was thinking of a spoon full sushi rice to finish it all
I also ordered the Deep fried sea bass. Excuse moi. ne parle pas francais. Don't come with a plate next to me & asked me if I want you to debone it for me.
I would do it differently. I would debone the meat & put it back & let customers enjoy.
Good to know the chef had some lots of work before putting it into the fryer
Removed the scales, trimmed the fins & even took the bones out from the fish tummy. It is very well done. Someone don't eat fish a lot might not think of these. The chef did a lot to prepare.
The fish & the sauce is so tasty but the bottom of the dish is raw cabbage chopped up. It was kinda disappointing. The cabbage averages down the great taste of fish & the sauce.
I would highly recommend you go before the owner wants to be on fine dining experience market.
It's a family restaurant for sure. Expect you would hear whining kids or laugh out loud people dinning with you.
Service is neither good nor bad
I am so torn to give you 4 stars. But it is what is it.
Incontournable près de la Place des Arts.
Une expérience exceptionnelle du début à la fin. Service chaleureux, ultra professionnel. Les conseils pour le vin sont d'une justesse remarquable. Cuisine délicieuse, ambiance élégante & détendue. Cadet est une adresse qu'on recommande les yeux fermés. Un vrai coup de coeur à Montréal.
The service was great, but the food was subpar. The oyster was not fresh, the beef tartare barely had any beef (it was mostly a mix of vegetables), & lobster was a bit too fishy. Wouldn't recommend the food here, but the drink selection is great.
Jul 11, 2025
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
The restaurant offers creative dishes with something for everyone - a real highlight! Make sure to try the focaccia, it's an absolute must. One small tip: the dining room is heavily air-conditioned, so bringing a jacket is highly recommended.
Found this place in the Michelin Guide. We were told 2 dishes per person would be sufficient, so we ordered 4 dishes plus a focaccia (for 2 people). This order was split into a 2 course serving, both of which took a while to arrive. Unfortunately, all the dishes we ordered turned out to be very small (except for the black cod), so the focaccia was absolutely necessary. I feel they should have recommended 3 dishes per person, as I believe without the focaccia we would have left the restaurant hungry (we didn't take dessert). The quality of the food was great, but the overall experience didn't give me the'wow' factor.
Cuisine délicieuse, & service parfait. Mes compliments au chef qui a su nous surprendre avec le délicieux amuse-buche à l'huître & poisson, mais aussi les aubergines relevées à l'harissa & enfin ce tartare de boeuf très umami avec des champignons qui semblaient marinés. Tout était excellent ! Le service aussi était super, avec des personnes très souriantes. Le vin & le coktail aussi était très bon. Je recommande fortement ce restaurant.
Exceptional Tapas & Wine Pairings at Cadet - A Must in Montreal
Located on Saint-Laurent Boulevard in the heart of Montreal's Quartier des Spectacles, Cadet is a vibrant & stylish restaurant that has earned its place among the Michelin-recommended gems of the city. The atmosphere strikes a perfect balance between casual & chic, making it ideal for a night out with friends or a pre-show dinner.
The menu features a variety of refined tapas-style plates designed for sharing. The standout for us was the black cod (morue charbonnière)-incredibly tender, beautifully caramelized, & full of delicate flavor. Each dish we tried was thoughtfully presented, with excellent attention to balance & texture.
One of the highlights of the experience was the wine pairing. The selections were expertly matched to each course, enhancing the flavors without overpowering them. It's clear that great care goes into curating both the food & beverage offerings.
For dessert, the chocolate, caramel, & banana tart was simply unforgettable-rich & indulgent without being too heavy.
The service was warm, knowledgeable, & genuinely welcoming. The staff made us feel right at home while guiding us through the menu.
In short, Cadet delivers a polished & memorable dining experience. Highly recommended for food lovers visiting Montreal.
Visiting & a local showed me Cadet. Amazing atmosphere, great service, food portions are small, but the quality definitely justifies the portion size. Would recommend for a nice date or celebration spot, tapas style.
The atmosphere was minimalist & was bland. Also the waitress didn't seem interested or knowledgeable about the food or the wine. Thankfully the food was so outstanding that we'd go back & recommend Cadet to others.
