Da Emma
RestaurantTop Pick
Da Emma
Opens Tuesday at 6 pm
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 6 pm - 10 pm |
| Wednesday | 6 pm - 10 pm |
| Thursday | 6 pm - 10 pm |
| Friday | 6 pm - 11 pm |
| Saturday | 6 pm - 11 pm |
| Sunday | Closed Today |
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Info & Location
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.
Amenities, services & more
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Reviews often mention
Display Allitalian(33) pasta(20) authentic(19) dessert(17) sauce(12) dishes(11) italien(10) recommend(9) tiramisu(9)Page 1 of 1 - 18 Reviews
Nikhil
A long standing restaurant serving great Italian food. Had the swordfish which was quite average but the pasta dishes were great.View more
John
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.View more
Deanna
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!View more
Alex
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.View more
Eamon
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.View more
Youngmin
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.View more
Audrey
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.View more
Shawna
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.View more
Marc
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.View more
Jill
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.View more
Evan
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.View more
Raoni
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.View more
Johanne
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.View more
Catalin
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.View more
Patricia
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.View more
Wendy
Everything was amazing! Food was spectacular & tasted authentic. The simplicity makes it even better. The waiting time between the courses was on point. The service was great, our server Jean-Luc was super efficient, as well as the tall young man who was the assistant server.
First, you get bread & bruschetta on the house. After, we got the ravioli soup of the day with the tomatoes burrata as appetizers. We then got the peppercorn steak & the veal meatballs. We both chose the side of garlic pasta. The dessert put a beautiful period to the experience. We got the pistachio ice cream & the tiramisu.
This place is incredible & we will definitely come back! We absolutely loved everything!View more
CRITICAL
26 Reviews
This restaurant is located in old Montreal, décor is stone walls with wood beam ceilings, in a basement with no outside light. With all the constructions going on, its hard to get to. Food is good but way over priced for what you get. We ordered the grilled tuna steak which had no flavor, the Pasta with garlic was so potent, almost uneatable. The broccoli was also very spicy. out of 6 people, no one actually said it was great, only okay, but for $250 a couple ($750) you want wow or fantastic. 2 bottles of wine , okay at about $70/bottle. The menu is read from a blackboard which is long & tedious to listen to. Overall would not recommend.
Bison Stew
10 Reviews
The few pastas I've tried are out of this world; Tortellini with Gorgonzola sauce, Veal raviolis with speck, Fettuccine mushroom pasta. All some of the best I've ever had. Their piglet roast shoulder is also a must, haven't tried their lamb. Their veal roast (sliced) though was on the disappointing side, not tender enough. Would definitely recommend Da Emma.