Situé dans ce qui fut la première prison de femmes, Restaurant Da Emma vous sert une cuisine traditionnelle italienne avec des spécialités romaines et vous promet une soirée très agréable. Ce lieu unique a gagné le prix de design de Montréal en 1999. Emma, toujours en cuisine, nous régale de ses agnolotti, medaglioni, ravioli, fettuccini ai funghi porcini, ossobuco, pesci...
On dispose maintenant d'une très belle terrasse.
Da Emma est perçu comme une destination italienne authentique et élégante, avec un cadre méditerranéen et une ambiance romantique qui revient souvent dans les avis. La cuisine est globalement bien accueillie, avec des plats classiques comme les pâtes, l'agneau et la burrata, et un tiramisu souvent mentionné comme satisfaisant; certains commentaires soulignent quelques portions modestes et des prix élevés. Le service est décrit comme attentif et compétent dans l'ensemble, mais des critiques pointent des moments d'inattention, d'intrusion ou un service plus lent selon les soirs, et l'organisation du service peut freiner l'expérience. L'addition et le rapport qualité-prix font l'objet d'opinions partagées: pour certains, Da Emma justifie le coût par la qualité et l'authenticité, pour d'autres le prix est trop élevé pour ce qui est offert. Dans l'ensemble, l'expérience est souvent considérée mémorable et recommandée pour des occasions spéciales ou des dîners en amoureux, le lieu étant présenté comme un classique de l'italien à Montréal.
Food was below average. We had different pastas & they were very average. Tiramisu was really bad. Service was unprofessional & slow. Overall not recommend
Da Emma is absolute, reliable value, year after year. I was with a foodie for Milan last I was there & he was astonished by the quality & price. He essentially said; this is as good as the best places I know in Italy that serve classic Italian cuisine & it costs half of what I would pay in Milan.
As someone who has grown up in a Roman family I gave to agree. I would love to see more classic Roman trattoria dishes such as Stracciatella, Zuppa di pasta e fagioli, spaghetti cacio e pepe, but I'll anything served at Da Emma without hesitation or regret.
Our group hit one of the godawful tourist trap restaurants in Vieux Montréal the following evening ; it cost twice as much & it was so bad & unsatisfying, we all felt used & abused. I made a point to to leave that place a very bad review.
This experience in retrospect made us feel we had been pampered at Da Emma.
If you see a super expensive restaurant in that area that pretends to serve'rare' Italian dishes, run for cover : You're about to get robbed & you'll be treated unpolitely by staff who clearly see you as the loser their business was designed to abuse.
None of this at Da Emma. You'll be treated with genuine attention & respect. I'd go there everyday if I lived by, but wonderful places are best kept for when you deserve them.
25 oct. 2025
sur Google
🍽️
Sachez où manger à Montréal avant tout le monde.
Découvrez en primeur les ouvertures les plus branchées, des menus secrets et les coups de cœur de RestoMontreal.ca. Rejoignez plus de 50 000 foodies.
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.
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...
The bread was exceptional. Old school loaf with hard crust. The pasta was perfect with delicious simple tomato sauce. I have definitely had better carpaccio. I was not particularly happy with either of the fish dishes. My biggest issue was definitely the service. On a Wednesday night, it was not busy. But everything was slow. It took a very long time to get sparkling water. I began looking for the waiter so we could place an order before he finally came. The food took a long time & was not really hot. By then I had stuffed myself with too much bread. That one is on me. After two bottles of sparkling water I asked to switch to just regular ice water. The waiter agreed & then never brought me any. To pay the bill, I was tempted to take a walk to see if I could find our waiter. I finally flagged him down that I wanted to pay, & it was at least another 10 minutes. The rest of my family had already left the table & I was sitting there tapping my foot until he finally finally finally showed up. The waiter was a disaster. & he was completely unsupported by the other wait staff. They seemed more interested in having a conversation with the table next to us. Maybe they are regulars? On a final note, I am removing this restaurant from my recommendations to friends & other business associates. The food was not quite up to par, but the service took it straight down the drain.
5 juin 2025
sur Google
🍽️
Sachez où manger à Montréal avant tout le monde.
Découvrez en primeur les ouvertures les plus branchées, des menus secrets et les coups de cœur de RestoMontreal.ca. Rejoignez plus de 50 000 foodies.
My fiance & I drove from Ottawa to visit Da Emma & we would definitely do it again!! It did not disappoint! Nestled in the basement of a heritage building, the atmosphere brought you back to Italy. The service was on point; very polite & attentive. & the food... was INCREDIBLE!! From the complimentary piece of bruschetta, to the salad, to the homemade pasta, to the desserts, everything was phenomenal! It was an authentic Italian dining experience. We would/will highly recommend this restaurant to anyone!
Da Emma is a delightful gem that offers truly authentic Italian cuisine. The beauty of their dishes lies in their simplicity, staying true to the essence of Italian cooking.
The smoked salmon appetizer was a delightful starter that showcased the perfect balance of flavors. The combination of the smoked salmon, arugula, & a touch of lemon juice created a refreshing & satisfying appetizer that prepared our taste buds for the main course.
The mushroom pasta was executed with great finesse, striking the right balance between richness & subtlety. The velvety, creamy sauce allowed the earthy flavors of the mushrooms to shine through, resulting in a memorable pasta dish that was deeply satisfying.
We complemented our meal with a glass of red wine, which added another layer of enjoyment to the dining experience. It truly felt like a celebration, as if we were being treated to a special homemade meal by an Italian mother on a joyous occasion.
About 30 years ago, an Italian woman named Emma opened this restaurant. She did all the cooking herself, serving up authentic Roman dishes-think roasted lamb, roasted pork, & lots of meat. It's a far cry from the sparse, sun-baked cuisine of southern Italy, where pasta & tomatoes often take center stage. The walls are lined with photos of Hollywood stars, European celebrities, & local personalities posing with Emma, proof of her restaurant's success. She's since retired to Miami, & now her grandson runs the place.
If you like an authentic, traditional, well-served yet super chic restaurant, this is the place. Their Pastas & wine selection are amazing, various choice of antipasti, that are fresh & delicious. The service is on point, you will feel cared at all time.
27 sept. 2024
sur Google
🍽️
Sachez où manger à Montréal avant tout le monde.
Découvrez en primeur les ouvertures les plus branchées, des menus secrets et les coups de cœur de RestoMontreal.ca. Rejoignez plus de 50 000 foodies.
Looked forward to having dinner at this iconic Montreal restaurant for weeks. Was very disappointed. Service depended on which waiter you got. We saw other diners who came in much later than we did get their dinners while we waited an hour for appetizers & another hour for our main. We didn't bother staying for dessert. When we finally got our main courses some in our group had to send their pasta back because it was undercooked. Not what I expected spending $100 per person. Very disappointing.
This use to be a go to spot whenever in Montreal. The quality of the food & level of service has gone down since I first started coming. Waited almost an hour for our food. When it finally came my husband had to send his pasta back because it was severely undercooked. The waiter seemed annoyed that we were not happy with the meal. The bread looked as if it was store bought, did not taste fresh. Overall disappointing experience! So many great restaurants in the city. This is no longer one of them.
A beautiful atmosphere created by large stone adorned with timber beams this Italian restaurant serves great food by a very professional staff. My partner & I had the veal soup, rich in broth with tiny pillows of pasta. We had the Fettuccine ai fungi & Tonno alla griglia (grilled tuna). I'm not usually a fan of grilled tuna but this was cooked to perfection! We rounded out our meal with a lemon tartufo which was light & refreshing. I would recommend this to anyone looking for authentic Italian in a beautiful setting.
My daughter is named Emma & we had the privilege of meeting Emma here. She was so gracious & gave us a tour of her immaculate kitchen. More importantly, the food was delicious! We loved the bursts appetizer & all of the pasta & meatball dishes were so tasty. We felt like we were back in Rome.
6 août 2024
sur Google
🍽️
Sachez où manger à Montréal avant tout le monde.
Découvrez en primeur les ouvertures les plus branchées, des menus secrets et les coups de cœur de RestoMontreal.ca. Rejoignez plus de 50 000 foodies.
Da Emma was good, but nothing standout to me. I went because I like to use eater & it was close by. The restaurant itself is cool & it's got a good vibe was very crowded. I just didn't think anything I had was exceptional. Definitely questioned the boxed pasta at what is marketed as traditional Italian. I liked it but wouldn't go back.
I didn't like the service. It felt like I they didn't want to serve me with carelike other costumers with their Nona's. It's a shame the food was good, except by the pasta (should be al dente but was borderline to undercooked). Ambient is great tho, unfortunately I didn't feel welcome & cared & it changed my overall experience. I really liked their Tiramisu, it's a must for dessert there.
I wanted a good pasta on a weeknight so I walked to Da Emma & sat at the bar. I got a mocktail suggested by my bartender. By the way, the service was very good, my bartender was friendly, kind & basically really good at his job. I enjoyed my experience so much that this is something I will repeat. Cuisine was steady & just as good as every time.
The food was ok but it needs a little bit more attention. For example the plates were cold for the ordered pasta so the main dishes got cold very fast. The service is very good but the atmosphere was 3 out of 5 since it was very cold inside when we arrived. The restaurant is in a basement.
Amazing experience. !! It feels good to be there especially knowing that that place used to be a prison !! So we feel part of the history . The atmosphere is chic & mistérious , rustic chic. The service is perfect , professional staff not temporary students hahaha. I had a tuna selado & my husband & kids , pasta . I didn't like the food that much , maybe that wasn't my lucky day. Ahhh, & there's a parking lot !! We'll go back , definitely.
