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.
Damas earns widespread praise for its refined Syrian and Middle Eastern cuisine, with a wide mezze spread, standout lamb dishes, octopus, and a balanced mix of bold and subtle flavors that many describe as deeply satisfying. The presentations are often praised as beautiful, ingredients high quality, and the open kitchen and warm ambiance add to a special night out. Service is repeatedly lauded as professional, attentive, and knowledgeable, with staff guiding guests through the menu and wine or cocktails, though a few experiences mention slow pacing during busy times or inconsistent timing. The tasting menu and wine pairing are a highlight for many, offering generous portions and a cohesive culinary journey, while others feel the price point is high for the portions or that some dishes do not justify the cost. Brunch is also highlighted as a good value and a way to sample the kitchen, while some reviews note that the atmosphere can be loud or the room crowded. Overall, Damas is regarded as a top Montreal dining destination for rich flavors, elegant service, and a memorable, if premium, dining experience.
Been here several times. Recently, my perspective has changed dramatically about Damas. Once a top restaurant in Canada, now has turned into a cash grab. The prices here are outrageous, & nothing to justify it. The ingredients & meats are mostly all local products, not like they are importing seafood or getting wagyu beef. The food is decent, but honestly I likely would not be able to tell the difference in a blind taste test for a $30 dish at another restaurant. the menu has changed as well, & it is not as attractive as it once use to be. Only way I would go back is with a tasting menu, otherwise, just not the same... - Appetizers hummus & beet hummus were good, nothing out of this world - Meals - meat platter & chicken shish taouk, same were good, nothing out of this world. The lamb rack on the meat platter wasn't good, no one enjoyed it, same with some deep fried meat, that was extremely dry. - Had three of the desserts & they were all terrible, left a bad taste leaving the restaurant
Tasting menu is a must for first timers. I'm not a fan of lamb but they lamp chops were smoky delicious! I left a birthday note when I made the reservation & they did end the dessert with a candle 🩵 I can't get enough of the attentive service, very rare nowadays.
We visited Damas last week with our family. The food was exceptional - some favourites were the lamb with hummus, the fattoush salad, lamb dumplings, fried cheese dumplings - but everything was fabulous. The decor is beautiful & we received excellent service from Yannick. We will definitely return.
Is it good ? SURE ! Is it the best tasting food ? No. The basterma bites were AMAZING & better than the mains. Is it worth the outrageous prices ? not at all. The staff were very professional & nice though !!!
May 20, 2024
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
Un des meilleurs restos à Montréal. Je crois n'avoir jamais vu un aussi bon service aux tables qu'au Damas: serveurs patients, enthousiastes, riches dans leurs descriptions & à l'écoute.
We chose the prix fixe pescatarian tasting menu, which came with a lot of food. Salad, babaganoush, egg/pita, falafel, octopus, stuffed grape leaves, bulgur, fish & baklava. We enjoyed this feast with a refreshing white wine from Syria. The highlights were the babaganoush (truly a surprising flavour explosion), falafel, octopus & fish entree. The food was very solid with a few surprising stand outs. The service & atmosphere was typical for such a big space (reminded me a bit of Dishoom). However, the price was very steep & would have appreciated some guidance on our tasting menu choice. (Assuming this would have knocked a couple hundred $ off our dinner for two...making it more palpable)
I'm usually not a person who leaves reviews good or bad but THIS RESTAURANT kept making me speechless every single time honestly the best Syrian/ middle eastern food i ever had better than homemade this aside THE SERVICE they were explaining every single thing & making sure everything was as we like. The atmosphere was so beautiful taking me back to old Damascus overall worth every dollar 100% recommended dear owner & your crew you guys are doing amazing!! Thank you for the experience
May 10, 2024
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
Service attentionné bien que un peu trop familier . Décor & finition de belle qualité,sièges peu confortable. Nourriture agréable bien que surcotée,36$ la salade Fatouche ,76$ l assiette d agneau délicieuse malgré que l agneau provienne de nouvelle Zélande réputé pour être 2/3 fois moins cher à l achat que l agneau du Québec . Une belle soirée en perspective si vous ne regarder pas à la dépense.
We had an exceptional experience at the restaurant; I have to say the entire evening was delightful. Our servers were remarkably quick, friendly, & attentive. As first-timers, the server explained the food ingredients amazingly. The food we chose was bursting with flavor, & the side dishes were outstanding. With its fantastic atmosphere, I wholeheartedly recommend this place.
Apr 29, 2024
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
- 40% of the tasting menu was delicious & the rest were subpar or very disappointing today - mindful of dietary restrictions (adjusted one item on their menu as needed) - some courses were crammed together & some had huge gaps between them - water was refilled frequently, which is an improvement from before, but it was too frequent to the point where it felt disruptive several times - kind service, but they seemed to be in a rush & we could barely hear them describe each item due to how loud it is inside due to poor room acoustics probably - not as good as it used to be unfortunately, so likely won't be going back ever again
Been at damas many times over the years. The last experience about a month ago was mostly disappointing in terms of food quality. Place is very clean. Service ok .
The service was very good as was the atmosphere & the restaurant. The food was perfectly executed Middle Eastern fare & very tasty but at that price point, I'd expect some kind of innovation or something you couldn't find elsewhere.
