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.
For being so expensive, the food kinda misses the mark. We got the beet salad, focaccia, the croquettes, the beef tartare & the lamb. Over all things were okay but the attention to details was missing. About half the lamb piece was fat which was kinda disappointing. The croquettes came with a sauce which was a little tasteless. Same with the sauce that came with the focaccia. We got a chocolate tart for dessert & it was okay. Not too bad. Can't go wrong with peanut butter & chocolate. The drinks were nice but the attention to detail was missing. Eg no cherries for old fashioneds. Like I get it different places make it different but if it's in the classic recipe & we're ordering a classic drink... would be nice to just include it in the drink. The service was wonderful & fast :)
Dec 28, 2025
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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.
vibe? cozy dark & great for a date. service? 10/10. food? OH MY WORD the best!! the sauce that's on the black cod was one of the best things i've ever tasted. we paired that with their grilled focaccia! so so yummy. we got the lamb chops with the risotto. again, the risotto is probably the best thing i've ever eaten. sad to say we're from the US so we can't come here all the time!! what a gem
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.
Ma copine & moi avons réservé quelques minutes avant de nous y rendre. Il y avait de la place au bar, où notre serveur/barman Lucas (dsl si c'est pas la bonne épellation) nous a servi avec humour & entregent. Il était présent pour répondre à nos questions mais nous laissait tout l'espace pour discuter entre nous. Un bel équilibre.
La nourriture était excellente. Nous avons pris la burrata, les brocolis, les calmars & la morue charbonnière. Points bonis pour les calmars, dont j'ai dégusté la sauce à la cuillère tellement elle était bonne!
Lucas nous a très bien conseillé pour les vins & m'a fait un cocktail de son cru avec le Calvados (la grosse bouteille me faisait de l'oeil) après m'avoir demandé ma palette de goût.
The food is superior! Definitely one of the best French restaurants in Montreal.
- Fried sea bass: the fish is fried but not oily with a very special taste. The vegetables in the dish is also very tasty. The sauce is nice & creative
- Black cod: nice & soft texture with great sauce
- Beef striploin: this is medium rare but somehow I felt that it's not tender enough
- Eggplant: newly added to the menu. Very special taste with some minced plum (fried)
- Oyster mushroom: always a fan of mushroom. & this combines with vegs & slices of pears to bring out the fresh flavor
- Beef tartare: fresh beef & well cooked mushroom
Not much to complain here. Just one note that the main courses come to the table really slow. After we finished the appetizers, it took them about half an hour to bring the main courses, which is a bit disappointing. Nonetheless it's a great experience & I will definitely revisit this place.
Jul 1, 2025
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The flavors were quite creative - definitely a fusion style that draws from different Asian cuisines. For example, the fried sea bass reminded me of Yunnan China-style grilled fish with a rich, flavorful sauce. The hamachi had a fresh, clean profile with elements like sashimi, shredded daikon, & citrus zest, very much inspired by Japanese cuisine. The risotto, on the other hand, leaned more toward Middle Eastern flavors, with yogurt & aromatic spices.
Each dish came with a surprising twist & thoughtful flavor combination. That said, portions were quite small & the space felt a bit cramped.
We order focaccia bread, cod croquette & 3 different salad as there's not many vegetarian options.
The focaccia bread is home made accompanied by a mild spicy sauce, which we find a nice touch to reduce the burnt-ish flavor off some parts of the bread.
We continued with the beet salad, & it is excellently delicious - very well executed. The dressing sauce definitely makes this dish a die-for for us!
Then comes the oyster mushroom salad. We found it less impressive than the beet salad, but the taste is quite nice with fresh touch of sliced pears harmonizing flavors.
The eggplant plate is, however, quite disappointing despite its beautiful presentation. We found it overly salty & the flavor pair seems a bit odd - spicy jalapeno + tangy pomegranate - that doesn't go well for us.
Last but not least, the cod croquette put a nice ending to our meal - it is flavorful & crispy when being dipped into yummy mayonnaise sauce.
The waiters were kind but it seems that we received less attention than other tables around us because we didn't order anything to drink. When we finished our meal, no one came to check on us to ask for desserts or coffee. & we had to wave our hands to get someone's attention for the bill.
Overall, our experience was pleasant & we enjoyed the ambiance.
Suite aux excellent avis Google ,nous nous y sommes rendus hier soir.1ere impression : un vacarme incroyable .Il y a tellement de tables les une sur les autres que personne ne s entend parler .Impression de brouhaha insupportable.La cuisine est vraiment moyenne .A éviter les spaetzles avec des brocolis ainsi que le crabe.Je suis française,alsacienne & les spaetzles sont notre spécialité.L'association avec les brocolis & une sauce acidulée,pas terrible.Quant au crabe servi avec des morceaux de laitue 🙄 vraiment pas top.Sauce forte,le goût du crabe pas raffiné .Aucun vin ne nous a été proposés pour accompagner les plats .ils veulent juste que vous mangiez rapidement pour passer au service suivant Bref juste un endroit à la mode & dont la note est vraiment salée .Nous n'y retournerons pas 🤷🏻?♀?
Very good food. I would avoid ordering the Octopus as it was pretty slimy no texture to the dish. Sauce was gooey, octopus was soft but I wish it was grilled crispier as the dish felt like I was eating mush. The tuna, scallop, focaccia & duck breast were the highlights of the dinner.
Dec 1, 2024
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What a fantastic spot for a pre-show meal before heading to Place des Arts. The calamari is a standout-perfectly cooked with a sauce that's irresistible, especially when paired with their fresh bread for dipping. Our server was incredibly attentive & made sure we had everything we needed. The atmosphere is lively yet relaxed, making it ideal for sharing a meal with friends or a date. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a memorable dining experience in Montreal!
Overall, cadet was pretty good & the service was really nice. However, don't be surprised at the size & price of the plates. 6 pieces of gnocchi in a bit of sauce for 24$. Portions are pretty small, we had to order one more dish to the already 2 we ate + the focaccia to be sustained Dessert was bomb tho ! Recommandation are the foccacia & the bread pudding for sure. The gnocchi & the beef tartare were pretty disappointing. They do have good cocktails.
Based on reviews, we were excited to dine at Le Cadet. But - the experience did not live up to expectation at all. Service was neither attentive nor very present. Had to ask a few times to order a second drink. Food was very average - not at all the quality or innovation that was hyped. Calamari dish was drowning in luke warm chili oil & was on the cooler side of room temperature. Beef tartare had the taste & texture of aged beef, though not mentioned as such on the menu, & the service didn't seem to know how it was prepared when we asked. Cod croquettes were ok but a dish that could be found anywhere. Gnocci was ordered without ham (due to allergies) but came served with ham anyway. Broccoli & contre filet were tasty. The spicy sauce that accompanied the foccacia was overpowering for such delicate bread. The menu is served tapas-style, & it was recommended that we order 3 dishes per person. We ordered 2 per person, which was absolutely enough, & in hindsight was probably a few dishes too many. Atmosphere was a bit boring.
Aug 7, 2024
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We had a superb meal at Cadet. 2 adults & a child had 5 plates plus the focaccia & we were stuffed. I think the steak plate counts as two. Each dish was unique & meticulously prepared. The beans (green beans) was an excellent salad like dish with many flavors & textures. It took me a minute to figure out unwrapping the leeks instead of cutting them & they were a good texture in a nice sauce. Our two favorite dishes were the ratte potatoes (great sauce) & the beets. The server recommended a very nice cocktail for my wife & I hade an excellent glass of wine.
Cadet is a perfect restaurant to stop in at before/after a show near Cartier des Spectacles. Great wine selections. Fresh menu. Always a full & vibrant dining room. The waitress was a little distracted & didn't really give us the time of day which was a bummer considering this is a pretty elevated restaurant. But everything else was so good, I'd come back anytime! That focaccia w. piri piri sauce. YUM. Also the seafood section is all really really good.
Excellent plats à partager , prix abordable pour la qualitée de la nourriture, les sauces sont leur point fort assurément. Coup de coeur pour le plat de calmars .
We came around 9pm on a Sunday night for a late dinner, not expecting such a wonderful experience: the restaurant is airy & beautifully modern/industrial, the service was truly amazing & the food was creative & delicious (special mention to the grilled leeks with mackerel & salmon roe, & the squid in a divine white butter/chili sauce). Great selection of natural wines from all around the world. Overall incredible quality for the price (150 CAD for dinner for 2 with a glass of wine each), & a truly special experience.
