Restaurant Da Emma, located in what was formerly Montreal's first prison for women, won prizes for its design in 1999. Da Emma serves traditional Italian cuisine with Roman specialities. As for the food: seafood antipasto (squid, mussels, shrimp, and octopus drizzled with olive oil), fettuccine with porcini mushrooms, and suckling pig roasted with garlic and rosemary are among the highlights.
Terrace available accommodating up to 70 people.
Da Emma is described as an authentic Italian dining destination housed in a historic basement, offering a warm, intimate atmosphere and a strong wine list. Many reviews highlight simple, well executed dishes with pasta and meat dishes praised, and standout items like burrata, meatballs, lamb, and a homemade feel. Service is generally regarded as attentive and friendly, though some experiences note slow or intrusive service and occasional missteps. Several guests mention a busy or noisy dining room and, at times, a lack of attention or hot dishes, and a cash only policy that can be inconvenient. Overall, the restaurant is seen as a top Montreal Italian spot for those seeking traditional, flavorful cuisine in a heritage setting, with many guests planning returns. Complimentary bruschetta, good bread and olive oil, and a refined but comforting menu are commonly cited positives, while some feel the portions may be smaller for the price. Atmosphere and authenticity are repeatedly praised, making Da Emma a go to for romance, family gatherings, or celebrations.
What an amazing dinner wow. Excellent service. You're started with some bruschetta & then get bread with olive oil & balsamic. The soup of the day was delicious & I'm still thinking about it a day later. We each got a pasta & then shared a main meat dish but must say the meat dish wasn't needed. The pasta is super filling. Loved the blue cheese ravioli - such a rich yet balanced sauce. Highly recommend for a special dinner out.
The experience at Da Emma is immaculate & definitely a memorable one. Traditional, authentic Italian cuisine prepared with fresh, quality ingredients & admirable dedication. The dishes are presented elegantly in their simplicity & are exceptionally flavourful & delicious. The atmosphere is invitingly warm, the service is stellar & the cuisine is absolutely divine. Compliments to the chef ; I will certainly be back.
Sep 29, 2025
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The setting is so mediterranean that it blows my mind everytime we come.
The servers are excellent, the atmosphere is so scenic & unique, truly a european breath of fresh air & to top it off, the food is of the highest quality.
Can't beat the ambience! Our server was great but over-assigned so not as attentive as I like. Very nice & friendly tho. The food though varied was smaller in portions but the suckling pig was to die for! The meatballs were as tasty as I remember though this time a tad dried out. I will go back to try again as the food has been better before & as I said you can't beat the ambience.
Fantastic experience. Food was fantastic I had the lamb & it was phenomenal, service was excellent our waiter Franco knows what he's doing, making us laugh the whole night & giving excellent service. Would recommend
Déception. Nourriture correcte, mais sans grande originalité pour un prix élevé.Très bruyant. Nous avons commandé du vin & le serveur nous en a proposé un autre, supposément meilleur pour le même prix. Au final, le vin était trois fois plus cher. Nous n'aurions pas dû payer, mais c'était une fête & nous avions baissé notre vigilance. Je n'y retournerai plus jamais : (
Very noisy to have a conversation with friends. Food is good but not for the price we paid. Maybe my expectation is high , Use to much better before, came many times years ago, now I feel the quality dropped . Anyway, still very appreciated.
Visited Da Emma recently with my girlfriend. While the food itself was solid, the overall experience left a lot to be desired.
Right off the bat, we felt like we weren't taken seriously, maybe because we're young, but that's no excuse for dismissive service. I asked the waiter to surprise me with a drink since I'm open to anything, & instead of a recommendation or even a suggestion, I got a flat,'I don't know, it's your choice.' Not the end of the world, but it's not exactly rocket science to pitch your signature cocktail or something you're proud of.
What really took the cake though, cash only. In 2025. With zero heads up until the bill arrived. I don't carry $500 in cash around, & being told to walk to the dep up the street to grab cash? Completely unprofessional.
There are plenty of great places in the city where hospitality is actually part of the service. I'll be supporting Beatrice instead, where we're treated with respect, not judged by age.
Jul 30, 2025
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Will be telling everyone who goes to MTL to try this restaurant!! First glance at the menu doesn't give enough credit to how delicious this restaurant is. The roasted lamb was so yummy, is very large easily shareable. We also got the Gorgonzola pasta which looks small but is very filling.
The soup of the day was a pastina & reminds me of home, might have been the best part of the meal. The artichokes were marinated in oil & were also very delicious
Nice outdoor setting, relax atmosphere, italian music.
Great cocktails & amazing wine list. Bruschetta was tasty, a very nice touch to start the meal.
Food was ok. Aragula salad seasoning was good, mushrooms pasta was cooked to perfection (but the portion was so small), tiramisu was delicious. No bread was offered to us, we had to ask for pepper & cheese. I had to refill my glass of wine myself, the staff was busy chatting with each other.
Service was not attentive, it could have been better. A little detail, the hostess at the entrance was dress sloppy ( baggy jeans, large hoodie & flip flop!), very odd for a refined italian restaurant. Restroom was dirty with no toilet paper, had to chase a server for it...
Maybe it was just on off night & i was not lucky but i dont think that i will be back...
Le service est impeccable. La nourriture est exceptionnelle. Je garde toujours de beaux souvenirs du Da Emma. Je le recommande à tous mes proches qui désirent manger dans un restaurant italien. Ça vaut le coup d'arrêter dans le vieux-port pour goûter à ces plats savoureux ! Pour vous dire, je n'ai jamais été fan de lasagne, mais leur lasagne est succulente & délicieuse, j'en rêve encore.
No cap, this place is one of the worth the money experiences. I've always wanted to try authentic italian food without being in Italy. If this is the taste, Italy here i come.
Excellent experience. Top level service, good wine list with variety in regi9nal selllections & price. Food was exceptional (coming from guy who married into an Italain family)
