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.
EDIT: The owner reached out to me after I posted this, & was very apologetic & just wanted me to come back & give Damas another chance. I'm increasing the service rating as this was entirely surprising & made me feel that the ownership genuinely cares about the guest experience. I really wish I could rate Damas in line with the quality of its cuisine-if I could, it would easily earn five stars. However, high prices come with high expectations, many of which were unmet during our visit. A particularly notable issue was our water glasses being refilled only once over a two-hour tasting menu. My partner & I had eagerly anticipated this visit for months, considering Damas the highlight of our trip. Unfortunately, after our initial order was taken, our waiter seemed to vanish, & my partner's attempts to flag down another staff member were necessary just to get another drink. This incident exemplifies the overall lack of attentiveness we experienced. Despite these service shortcomings, the food at Damas is truly exceptional & stands out markedly from its competitors. The lamb in particular was the best bit of meat, I have ever had. For those who don't mind a struggle for basic customer service, Damas could still be a fair choice. For future patrons, I might recommend visiting during less busy times or for occasions where the pace of service isn't of consequence.
I've eaten here three times so far, & hope to return again! It is also currently my favourite restaurant of all time. The food is delicious, unique, & iconic. I have not had the pleasure of trying the tasting menus, but there are some regular menu items on it that I have loved. A shoutout for the cocktails is needed, & I recommend either the Aleppo Gin Sour or Damascus Blinker. As far as food goes the hummus is remarkable, & the option with the shawarma is a meal on its own. I also recommend the Sour Cherry Kebab & the Samke Harra. The food service is organized around sharing plates, & they run a tight ship replacing platters & utensils. Staff have always been helpful & kind. Not to mention the restaurant itself is gorgeous & has an intimate atmosphere despite its density. Overall, it's worth the price to try at least once. You will probably find yourself wanting to come back!
Apr 13, 2024
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had: baba beet mutabbal mouhamara yalanji shish borek friki bamia moujaddara shish taouk first of all- yes very expensive plate prices but unlike most in this range these are big boy & girl portions. so its not SO bad. mezze were some of the best ive had. truly elite stuff. sauteed lamb mains were interest. chicken taouk, while fresh & all, was really boring & kind of a damper in otherwise good meal. so i guess order the interesting stuff. nice place.
It's okay. On the menu it said one thing, but on the plate something was missing. Once to try, but there's better places - better tasting & less pricey.
Beautiful restaurant! We got the tasting menu & it was so delicious with great variety. One of my favourite things was the fried shrimp with labneh. The tasting menu is a little pricey in my opinion but it is filling & very well made. I would love to come back & just order dishes from the menu though!
The food is usually quite good, the service is great but they changed some classics on the menu they shouldn't have. Was better before! It's a bit loud & overcrowded. A little pricey, too.
Very heavy fine dining & expensive. However, this place has the best food. My expectations climb up with price & this place charges a price & actually deliver on it. Many fine dining restaurants fail to meet expectations as they just cant match their prices but try to hard with atmosphere. This place however does both properly. Took my girlfriend here on an anniversary & would say for sure that this place is up there to the best restaurants. Very expensive tho.
Jan 20, 2024
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Damas is a nice high end Syrian restaurant with friendly staff & delicious food. The presentation is very nice & the portions quite generous. I thoroughly enjoyed my evening with my wife, however it is on the more expensive side. I would say the price is my only complaint otherwise I highly recommend eating at Damas for some delicious Syrian cuisine.
Stellar service from start to finish. Thank you George. Atmosphere & design is very authentic & appealing. Prices are inflated however when you're in your'prime' I suppose you milk it for all it's worth. Lentil soup, pistachio kebbe, & braised lamb dish among others. Oh a very unique appetizer; PASTIRMA, (Cured beef filet mignon, aged sheep milk cheese, & quail egg). Very good. I'm being generous with 4 stars. $24 for a glass of Armenian white wine? Not worth it. I will have to return to this establishment. This time with a guest, unlike the one who was with me on this eve, that will be appreciative & kind. This lady was not a'lady' at all & has left a bitter taste from my experience. I shall'redeem' myself. Cheers.
The decor is stunning, with oriental music on low volume, just perfect.
The food is delicious, we tried a few cold & hot mezze, as well as the grilled kebabs. Everything was beautifully presented, & very tasty. Portions are adequate, we went with a small fatoush salad, mouhammara, mutabbal, shish borek, Alep kebabs & a dessert. We could barely finish & could have ordered a bit less for 2.
My only issue is the price, I do think this is way overpriced. This is very good traditional Syrian food, very well executed (better than most other levantine restaurants), but it's still simple food. While I understand some of the high prices on racks of lamb & noble pieces of meat, most of the menu doesn't warrant these prices. 18$ labneh? Really
Oct 19, 2023
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This was my 4th trip to the restaurant, a last minute decision when the wait time for our first choice Haricana was 30 minutes. I was rather surprised that there was room at Damas on a Thursday night.
On the phone I was asked if bar seating was fine, unfortunately my guest had other plans. We got a table in a n area I had never seen before right beyond the bathrooms. Apparently used for groups we learnt later..
The seating area in any other restaurant would have been great, yet it if felt we far from the action & tucked away not to be seen. The room was also quieter which in a sense also diminished the experience found in the main dining area.
My guest I learnt was not a fan of lamb which is probably an item on half the items on the menu. I've often repeated what a waiter mentioned "chicken! you can make chicken at home" so we were left with less options.
I ordered the eggplant salad which to my amazement well appreciated by my guest who after having ordered it also said eggplant was yucchy. This dish however has always been delish. Good ingredients make this dish pop.
We flowed with shrimp which is a generous portion of large shrimp. My guest was impressed with the quantity size & flavour of these crustaceans. She even enjoyed the garnish that surrounded the dish. To my taste the shrimps were too soft not even bite to them, but then again shrimp have never been my favourite. The last dish was a lamb suggestion from the waiter...he went on a limb I guess. It was actually good as the lamb was braised in a tomato based sauce, yet there was a lack of flavour considering the ingredients.
The wine was how can I say this nicely, not worth the price. The restaurant should include some more moderately priced wines with a little more punch.
All in all we had a great evening but I am still looking for that wow factor I experienced my first 2 visits to Damas.
I'm French so sorry if my English is bad. I had wanted to go & visit this restaurent for years & last night, I was very happy to go there. It was such a disapppointment. First of all the waiter was very impatient. If you don't understand the items in the menu (which is normal as they have syrian specialties that you might not know) don't ask too many questions as he is not going to like that ! The food is great, don't misunderstand me. I will not go back to this restaurant. Because of the service & the price.
