Chez Chili invites you to discover China's authentic delights. In the Northern provinces of China, where the temperature is always low, people warm themselves up with spicy meals filled with flavours. We offer you the 5 main flavors present in Chinese cooking: sweet, sour, bitter, spicy and salty. Let us take you on a traditional Chinese culinary experience right in the heart of Montreal!
Chez Chili is widely praised for authentic Sichuan flavors, bold spice, and generous portions that offer good value, with standout dishes like General Tao, salt and pepper shrimp, eggplant with pork, mapo tofu, and Hunan specialties frequently highlighted; multiple comments call it the best Chinese in Montreal's Chinatown and a reliable go-to for spicy, well seasoned dishes, including tofu options and vegetable dishes; the atmosphere is described as cozy and basement-like, sometimes noisy, with fast service that can feel rushed during peak times; several reviews commend friendly, attentive staff and quick turnover, while a few report inconsistent service, attitude around tips, or slower moments, and some hygienic concerns such as not seeing hands washed or occasional cleanliness issues; takeout can be problematic at times with missing or late orders, and there are occasional complaints about spice levels not matching expectations or dishes arriving not as spicy as advertised; overall the food is delicious, authentic, and worth a visit, with many plans to return despite some caveats.
used to come here pretty often, but after this last visit, I'm done.
The food has seriously gone downhill. What used to be a decent spot is now completely inconsistent - the same dishes taste different every time we come. One day it's acceptable, the next day it's bland, greasy, or just off. At this point, it feels like there's no consistency in the kitchen at all. For a restaurant that expects repeat customers, that's a major problem.
But honestly, the bigger issue is the way this place is run.
There's a short male staff member who appears to be the owner, & he clearly has a habit of treating customers differently depending on how he judges them. If he thinks a table is'worth more,' his attitude suddenly changes. It's very obvious, & it makes the whole experience uncomfortable.
What pushed this to a 1-star review was what happened with the seating. Two white customers came in about 5 minutes after us, & the owner personally chose to seat them at a large table, even though they only ordered 2 dishes. Meanwhile, there were two of us, & we ordered 4 dishes, but the owner still put us at a small, cramped table. That wasn't an accident, & it wasn't a space issue - it was the owner's decision. If you're going to run a restaurant, at least treat customers fairly instead of making your favoritism so obvious.
On top of that, the owner keeps coming over to the table again & again, asking unnecessary questions & interrupting people while they're trying to eat, but he doesn't actually do anything helpful. Instead of improving the service, he just makes the experience more irritating. Hovering around customers is not good hospitality - it's just intrusive.
Ironically, the actual servers were much better than the owner. The short female server was warm, attentive, & kindly refilled our water, & the male server was polite & helped pack up our food. The service staff were doing their jobs well. The problem is clearly with the person in charge.
To make it worse, the whole restaurant was filled with a strong greasy smoke smell, which made the entire place feel stuffy & unpleasant.
So overall:
the food is noticeably worse than before
the taste is inconsistent from one visit to the next
the owner personally gave later-arriving customers a large table while squeezing us into a small one
obvious favoritism in both seating & attitude
constant interruptions from the owner that add nothing to the dining experience
greasy smoke smell throughout the restaurant
There are way too many good restaurants in this city to waste time on a place run like this. Won't be coming back.
It is simply delicious. I went with my family to eat. We had a table immediatly since it was a monday. We ordered Pineapple chicken stir-fry, dumplings & fried rice with veggies. Everything was good. I just wished there would be more juice in the dumplings. The chicken was crispy & the flavor was rich. Every ingredients of the pineapple chicken worked harmouniously. Perfecty, I would say. I really hate when the dishes taste like different ingredients mixed together. It's the same for the other dishes. We got served the chicken in few minutes after ordering. Honestly, I don't even know how they managed to make fresh & delicious pineapple chicken like that in just a few minutes. Maybe we arrived little bit after the chicken was made. I don't know. It's a mystery. I really liked the ambiance. I also liked the fact that people were'nt loud there. There is truly no flattery in my words. It is is truly good there. I wish I could taste more. I'll surely come back.
Mar 30, 2026
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Cheerful & bustling spot in a giant downstairs room with big savory sharing plates placed on turntables atop round tables. Casually tasty & relaxed happy vibes. Mix of authentic flavors & dishes alongside crowd favorites. Solid beer or wine, or a pina colada in a can. Get a reservation!
In Montreal.. kinda hard-to find.. but hole in the wall type of place.. ordered a spicy chicken & fried rice chicken. Service was fast but kinda rude... food was fresh made & delicious... little too salty but was good.... chicken was tender & flavorful with hot heavy spice.. delicious... vegi rolls sucked .. not fresh but microwaved.....prices were reasonable.. parking kinds sucked .. will come back if in the area.. try other dishes..
We came here for dinner with my family?the food is good, & the waitress who took our order was very kind, checking on us multiple times during the meal. However, there was a small guy seemed unhappy to have us dining there-perhaps because it was almost closing time? He simply placed the dishes on the table without a word, & when I tried to ask him about the names of the dishes, he ignored me. It seems that rather than answering our questions, he preferred replying to text messages on his phone
Had dinner her last night 12.13.25 while visiting from Florida. It's a small place, upstairs, located in the Chinatown area of Montreal & the food was very good. We had the beef fried rice & the general Tao's chicken. It was just us two, but the generous portions were plenty for 4. If we're in Montreal again, we'd love to try other dishes here.
Dec 14, 2025
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Awesome Chinese restaurant situated in a basement with cuisine mostly revolving around Szechuan, with some twists. The menu has lots of options & the pricing is great considering the very shareable portion sizes. Service is excellent as well. One of our dishes came out a bit later than the rest of the food but a near flawless dining experience otherwise.
I may have reviewed this place before but in case I'm stoned:
Chez Chilli is the best chinese I've had in this city by a wide margin. Only La Perle comes close.
I've tried: the laziji, the hong shao rou, salt n pepper porchops, fish stew, yu xiang eggplant, several noodle plates, general tao, salt n spicy chicken, cumin squid, beef & lamb, the spicy beef stew, caramelized shortrib, yang zhou fried rice, & a few others I can't remember. Every single one of these dishes is top notch.
The service is great too. They always reseat us when our orders are huge, they explain the dishes very well in case you have doubts, & they're very friendly.
I'll never stop singing their praises, best chinese you can get, hands down.
Really wanted to rate this a five star but dishes that were supposed to have spicy peppers had none. No level of spice in a restaurant that is supposed to specialize in Hunan or Schezuan cuisine. Food was tasty but just now what I was expecting. Maybe it is served to a level of heat suited for Montreal taste?
Nov 13, 2025
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The food was delicious. We ordered eggplant with pork & black bean sauce & braised pork belly. Both dishes were aromatic & very flavorful. Would definitely come back again.
This Chinese restaurant really impressed me with its bold flavors & fresh ingredients. The dishes were cooked perfectly, especially the eggplant & squid, which had great texture & spice without being overpowering. Portions were generous, service was quick & friendly, & the cozy indoor setup made it a relaxing place to eat. The location is tucked away down a few stairs, but it's definitely worth the visit I'll be coming back for sure.
I came all the way from Nova Scotia & had one of the best meals here. The portions were generous, & while the prices felt a little on the higher side, the food was absolutely worth it. I especially loved the fish dishes. They were so flavorful, & I haven't found anything else quite like them since. I still crave them! I also tried Soju for the first time, which made the experience even more special. Highly recommend this place.
We discovered Chez Chili thanks to a recommendation from Jie Hau, the incredibly helpful doorman at Holiday Inn Montreal Centreville Downtown. We were headed to a different restaurant in Chinatown when Jie suggested this spot instead-& we're so glad he did!
Tucked away in a basement location, Chez Chili might be easy to miss, but it's absolutely worth finding. The menu is enormous, with a wide variety of dishes to suit every taste. The staff was friendly & helpful, answering our questions & making sure we had a great dining experience.
Every dish we ordered was flavorful, fresh, & well-prepared. The portions were generous, & the food came out quickly despite the busy atmosphere.
Whether you're staying nearby or just exploring Chinatown, Chez Chili is a fantastic spot for authentic Chinese cuisine. Big thanks again to Jie Hau at Holiday Inn Montreal Centreville Downtown for sending us there-it truly made our night in Montreal memorable!
We ordered delivery to our hotel from Chez Chili. We got the ginger scallion chicken, pork meatballs, & green bean with minced pork. All the dishes were excellent. Totally satisfied our craving for Chinese food. Authentic & affordable. Highly recommend!
Chez Chili offers an exceptional dining experience with its authentic Sichuan cuisine, which has become my all-time favorite. The restaurant delivers on its promise of bold flavors & traditional dishes that capture the essence of Sichuan cuisine perfectly. From the aromatic spices to the mouth-numbing heat of dishes like mapo tofu & spicy garlic eggplant, each bite is a delight. The ambiance is cozy & welcoming, complementing the flavorful meals. Whether you're a fan of spicy food or seeking an authentic taste of Sichuan, Chez Chili delivers an unforgettable dining experience.
