Come and join us for an enchanted Syrian evening located Montreal’s chic and gastronomic heart of Outremont, on Van Horne Avenue. At Restaurant Damas, a uniquely comfortable microcosm will greet you with warm colours, velours, carved wood, and multicoloured lights.
Reviews portray Damas as a standout Montreal dining experience, renowned for its rich Syrian flavors, fresh in-house pita, and bold mezze that include dishes like lamb, octopus, fattoush and kebabs, with the tasting menu and wine pairings often highlighted as a must try. The atmosphere comes across as warm, elegant and intimate, and the service is generally attentive and knowledgeable, with a strong drinks program to match the food. Some guests question the value for money, noting high prices and varying portion sizes, and a few report slower service or occasional misses during busy times. Brunch is also praised for its flavorful, well composed offerings and cross cultural flair, making Damas feel like a Montreal institution that many would return to for special occasions or to explore more of the menu.
We had a fantastic time at this restaurant. One of the top food experiences in Montreal thus far. The flavours are deep & unique, & very delicious. You can appreciate the use of high quality ingredients & expertly curated dishes.
The lamb was the best dish we tried.
We ordered several dishes & they were all fantastic. This restaurant is on the Amex platinum dining list, so you can use your annual $200 credit here.
We had high chairs, & the group was great with the children. The service is fantastic, your water will always be filled, & you can appreciate the attentiveness of the staff.
The food here was absolutely stellar, & definitely one of the top restaurants in a week long visit to Montreal. The hummus shawarma was exceptional, & the mixed grill for two is definitely worth it, especially the shish taouk, lamb rack, & filet mignon kebab. The smoked eggplant puree with the lamb was chef's kiss. Definitely come here while in Montreal, but get a reservation.
May 6, 2026
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We went to Damas to celebrate a birthday this weekend & had such a wonderful lunch. We were lucky enough to have the incredible Tessie as our waitress. Her warm energy, beautiful personality & friendly suggestions made our first experience at Damas nothing short of amazing. We decided to go for a 3 course meal because we absolutely wanted dessert, but we would've easily been more than satisfied with 2 courses as the portions are extremely generous. We started with their akawi & lamb fatayer, as well as their lamb kibbeh nayyeh, had the ribeye with the ottoman eggs & the shish taouk for our main courses & for dessert (there's always room for dessert!) we chose the halva french toast as well as the classic halawet el jebn. The presentation of every plate was breathtaking, as you can see below. The flavours are so well thought out, the meat was seasoned & cooked to perfection & their crispy potatoes will have you pushing your limits for one more bite. The most surprising part for me was that, despite the very generous portions, we didn't even get a to go box because of how good the food was. It's one of those places you're planning your next visit before you even finish eating. It's really THAT good.
Ambiance:
The restaurant is very large, nearly 4 whole rooms. It's beautifully decorated, quite warm & inviting. I wouldn't say it's cozy, nor would I say it's an overtly elegant vibe.
Service:
Friendly but distant. Food was explained as it came, but none of our servers seemed particularly passionate about the food. Plates were changed with each service. Nothing that added or detracted from our visit.
Food:
What can I say about the food? Damas offers elevated middle eastern cuisine that would wow those who have not had very much of it. The mezzes were good, but not better than mezzes served by any good Syrian (or Lebanese or Jordanian) restaurant, including a breakfast spot. The hot mezzes were good, but not ground breaking. Flavours were not elevated, they were just solid representations of the standard (cumin, Aleppo pepper, yogurt, etc.) Most damning was the meat - we ordered the filet mignon medium rare & received it medium, the lamb medium & received it well done. At a restaurant charging these prices, this was quite unacceptable.
Furthermore, for a restaurant charging these prices & presenting itself as being high end, the pace at which our dishes came out was overwhelming. We ordered a total of 10 dishes. We received our cold mezzes as a pair. Very quickly after we began to eat, 3 hot mezzes appeared. & very shortly after that, another 4 hot dishes! There was no pause between plates, which made us feel very rushed & anxious about the food becoming cold. We would've appreciated more thoughtful coursing of the dishes & more time to enjoy each dish, without it becoming cold.
Overall, Damas offers a decent dining experience at what feels like rather exorbitant, fine dining prices. Service & ambiance are nothing to write home about. The food is not the best representation of the true breadth & depth of Syrian cuisine, but it may wow those who are not from the region.
Very different middle eastern food, good ambience, wonderful service & great dessert.
We had the tasting menu, most of the things where kind of different, with a variety of taste.
I don't eat seafood, they were happy to accomodate my requests.
The kibbeh & the main course lamb were outstanding dishes, others were also good, but these 2 standout.
The dessert was also very different, never had something like that ! Must go place in Montreal
Dinner was excellent. The food, the service, the atmosphere. We had the fattouche salad which was incredible, super tasty, delicious Shrimp, the main course was the mixed grill that featured succulent lamb chops, filet mignon, rib steak, chicken. Dessert was vanilla ice cream with pistachios & cotton candy on top. Our waiter George was phenomenal, he kept checking up on us & listened to our requests. It is pricey but well worth it for a special occasion.
Damas is definitely a Montreal institution. It's an upscale Syrian restaurant in Outremont that gets a lot of buzz, & I can see why people are drawn to it. The ambiance is stunning, the staff are genuinely warm & welcoming, & the service is attentive throughout the whole evening. No complaints there. That said, I left feeling like the hype doesn't quite hold up. The food is good & decent, but for the price point, I expected to be blown away & I simply wasn't. When you're paying fine dining prices,'decent' just doesn't cut it. It feels more like you're paying a premium for the atmosphere & the name than for truly exceptional cuisine. Worth visiting once if only to say you've been, but it's not the kind of place that leaves you counting the days until your next reservation. A memorable first visit, but not somewhere I'd rush back to.
Lamb tartare is out of this world. I remember fish dishes were much better in its first location in Montreal. Service was good though. Seating by the bar is a good option for intimate, quieter dates.
The dishes were high quality & the service was fantastic. Our server, George, was attentive, kind, & very helpful in guiding us through the menu options. The food was served quickly, & everything was excellent.
We ordered the baba ghanoush as a starter, followed by the eggplant lamb kebab & the lamb shank, all of which were delicious.
It's on the pricier side, so it's a great choice for a special occasion.
Mar 3, 2026
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Amazing atmosphere & the staff were very attentive to details. The food… my god the food was phenomenal. We had the rack of ribs & the braised ribs as mains, with lamb dumplings & spicy potatoes as apps.
They also gave us complementary dishes for the delay in the service, (which we didnt mind at all) but just the attention let us know what kind of establishment Damas is.
Would highly reccomend, even if its a bit pricey. It is worth it. I will definitely come back!
The food itself, is a far cry for me, from fine dining. Everything tastes decent but it was neither better nor more innovative than a really high quality Syrian restaurant that is 1/4 of the price. It was $400 for 3 people without alcohol. The only standout dish was the octopus. The lamb kebab from the charcoal grill was the only dish that was actually bad. The sauces & accompaniments were good but it was cooked poorly.
Admittedly, this is my cuisine so I am more critical, but in Toronto there is Byblos which elevates regular Mediterranean & I was hoping for a similar experience. Even the desserts were run of the mill, nothing innovative or interesting. They need to be elevated at a place like this.
Unfortunately I would not come again despite good service.
Probably my favourite restaurant in Montreal. Stand outs were the Rack of lamb, & lamb dumplings (Shish Borek). Even the ice cream with cotton candy was unique & memorable. Service was impeccable. Rack of lamb took awhile to come out but not an issue given how good the food was. Highly recommend
Jan 29, 2026
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Couldn't say anything bad about Damas. The ambiance is incredible & the restaurant has so many cool details throughout. We loved the cold Mezze, shrimp, the braised lamb, & chicken dish. Everything blew us away. The flavor, presentation, & creativity is unmatched in Montréal. In addition our waiter Diego was extremely professional, kind, & knowledgeable on the food & wine. We loved the tea to end the dinner as well
This was my first time at Damas, the service was exceptional & the food tasted amazing. I ordered the lamb chop, the octopus & the kebabs. I highly recommend the octopus for seafood lovers & the lamb chops because it was the star of the evening. Over all the everything was delicious as well as a great experience.
Damas offers a brunch experience that is as curated as it is flavorful, blending influences from both Eastern & Western cultures for a unique culinary adventure. The restaurant operates on a set-price menu, starting at $55, with additional charges depending on your selections. While it would be nice to see an a la carte option, the structured menu ensures each dish is thoughtfully prepared & cohesive.
The coffee is a standout, beautifully brewed & aromatic, setting the stage for the meal ahead. The dishes themselves are vibrant, richly spiced, & layered with flavor, making for a wonderful introduction to Syrian cuisine. Each bite is carefully balanced, showcasing both boldness & nuance without ever feeling overwhelming.
The ambiance enhances the experience: warm wood tones, magical lighting, & cozy decor create a welcoming & almost enchanting atmosphere that complements the food beautifully.
Overall, Damas delivers a brunch that is flavorful, memorable, & culturally immersive. For those seeking a thoughtful introduction to Syrian cuisine with a touch of cross-cultural flair, it's a satisfying & elevated way to spend the morning.
We ordered the three most popular dishes - Fattouch salad, shish taouk (chicken) & rack of lamb. With several cocktails.
Let's start with the good. The cocktails are some of the best we've ever had before. We sat at the bar (I recommend) & were delighted by a performance of drinks on display. We had the Aleppo gin sour & the cherry sour & both were an absolute delight. Very well balanced, better than drinks at most exclusive cocktail bars in town, all using fresh juices & herbs. Truly a first class experience, much thanks to the bartender Amjad who saved the night for us for what was otherwise a very lackluster experience.
My fiancée had a reaction in her mouth to the fattouch salad where the roof of her mouth was burning but as far as she knows she has no food allergies.
The chicken was good, juicy & flavorful. I would recommend this dish. The rack of lamb was severely charred (beyond maillard reaction to pyrolysis) causing it to taste bitter & we only were able to eat a fraction of it. This is caused by cooking above 180C & the difference is instead of browning, simply burning the meat. Such a shame on such a beautiful piece of meat!
Other problems are the wait times. This is a very big restaurant with clearly a smaller kitchen that can't keep up. We were often waiting in excess of 20-30 minutes between each dish for the next to show up. Also, as many reviewers noted for the quality of the food the prices do not justify.
I would honestly only return to have their amazing cocktails. Unfortunately otherwise we were disappointed.
