If Ferreira Café has quickly established itself as one of the best restaurants in town, there is no mystery: a visionary owner, an inspired chef, high quality products and a talented and dedicated team. In Montreal, Ferreira Café gives the Portuguese cuisine all its nobility.
Reviewers describe Ferreira Café as an elegant, intimate setting with chic Portuguese influences and a strong focus on fresh seafood. The menu is praised for beautifully balanced dishes, high quality ingredients, and care in both flavors and presentation. The service is repeatedly described as attentive, knowledgeable, and professional, though a few guests note occasional lapses when the restaurant is busy. Many guests praise standout items such as octopus, black cod, bouillabaisse, and other seafood specialties, with compliments on generous portions and thoughtful pairings. The wine list and cocktails receive frequent praise, and the open kitchen adds to the lively, upscale vibe. Prices are described as high and some feel value does not always match the cost, along with occasional notes about additional charges for bread or olives. A few reviews note noise level or occasional off nights where dishes arrive not as hot as expected, but the overall sentiment remains highly favorable. Overall, Ferreira Café stands out in Montreal for authentic Portuguese dining and top-tier seafood, delivering a refined yet welcoming experience that many would happily return for.
There is one option for small 8oz steak, fillet mignon. I wanted ribeye which only comes in 16 oz & all other options are for 2 people really, so I had fish. But I wanted steak. It's not a big choice. Seafood side better if you like mussels & octopus. The service is amazing.
It was our first visit to Ferreira Cafe. The service was excellent. Our sever Marco was very knowledgeable. We ordered the appetizers of Eggplant & the house cures smoke salmon. Both were very tasty & satisfying. For our Entree/Mains we both ordered the House dish of 30 years. Black Cod. The entree was tasty but it failed in one major area. It was Luke warm & not HOT. Whereas our server came over to ask if we were enjoying our appetizer, no one came over & asked how our first bites of our entree were & we were also not offered fresh ground pepper. In 2026 it is very RARE not to be served HOT food when fine dining. If I had that experience previously on a return visit to a restaurant I will ask for the food to be hot. At the end of the meal we still were not asked how our meal was. I finally volunteered that the fish was Luke warm & food taste much better HOT. The response was weak & tepid. No apology. Just,'I'll Let the Kitchen know'. We were sitting behind the glass wall watching the cooking. There were a lot of staff. Whether it was the fault of the waiter or the expediter is moot. No apology & weak response is not a very guest or customer centric friendly answer. We eat out for dinner every Saturday night. The enjoyment of he meal includes the food, how it is prepared & service, the service & the atmosphere. We will probably give Ferreira another try sometime in the future. But when I am paying $299 for two. I expect better from a seasoned restaurant. Why would any restaurant be satisfied with serving lukewarm warm food?As in any retail experience? Your last touch is the most important. It was poor here. I will tell friends my unvarnished experience & hopefully this is a one off.
Feb 22, 2026
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Ferreira Café - A Truly Exceptional Portuguese Dining Experience
My visit to Ferreira Café was nothing short of extraordinary. Their cuisine is truly amazing, showcasing a perfect blend of creativity, quality, & authentic Portuguese flavors. From start to finish, every dish felt like a carefully crafted work of art.
We began with their signature appetizer, the Crispy Octopus & the Seafood Platter & both were spectacular. The presentation was beautiful, & each bite was well-balanced & full of flavor. It set the tone for what became an unforgettable dining experience.
The main courses were just as impressive. The'Fresh Catch from the Market & Portugal' lived up to its name: fresh, soft, & rich in flavor. The Fish & Seafood Bouillabaisse & the Lagareiro Octopus were incredibly savory & deeply satisfying. & the Tomahawk? An absolute masterpiece, perfectly cooked & bursting with flavor. It was truly one of the highlights of the night.
The cocktails were equally impressive. The Negroni, Filthy Martini, & Gaia were crafted with precision & tasted like works of art in a glass. The sommelier's champagne & wine recommendations were spot-on, & we thoroughly enjoyed every selection he made.
With great ambiance, friendly staff, & outstanding service, Ferreira Café delivered a memorable dining experience from beginning to end. As my first time enjoying Portuguese cuisine, I couldn't have asked for a better introduction. This restaurant is truly worth visiting.
Our first time at Ferreira cafe.
From the beginning we were greeted with a friendly & kind smile by the hostesses. We were early so sat at the bar for some drinks, beautiful bar & comfortable high chairs. Our waiter was very attentive & gave us a good rundown of the food on the menu. I ended up having the fish & seafood bouillabaisse & my wife had the seafood rice casserole. Both dishes were cooked to perfection & the flavour were delicious. My bouillabaisse sauce was so good I had to have it like soup with bread, I also order the carabineiro which added extra flavour!
We will definitely come back to Ferreira next time we visit Montreal.
Obrigado!
Attend this restaurant for my birthday. This is a Portuguese Michelin mentioned restaurant offers various types of seafood & fish as well as steak. Started with the octopus & it was fantastic. Main course was the Rice & Seafood & also very tasty. dessert was Pasteis de Nata, 2 small Portuguese custard tarts. This is my favorite dessert. They were good, but still prefer them directly from Portugal. Overall a great experience.
Menu is creative & filled with awesome options. Interior is swaggy & sleek. If seafood &/or Portuguese cuisine is your niche then you'll love it here. I had the swordfish appetizer & the signature black cod - both excellent fish & well-balanced dishes overall.
Aug 2, 2025
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Really great seafood. The cod cake & fish of the day were delicious & the pasteis for dessert were spot on. Service was attentive & our server was very knowledgable. All in all, would highly recommend!
This was my favorite place for a long time for fresh seafood & fine dining.
However my latest visit is anything but pleasant.
I visit on a Monday evening, the place is still relatively busy as they recently received a Michelin recommendation. The host sit me at the bar, when I ask if I can take the seat at the end she said she would save it for other reservations. I have no problem with that but the seats remain empty til I left.
It took a while before anyone greeted me & take my orders. I'm a simple person & since I visited here so many times before I already know what I wanted & placed my order quickly: include a pan seared dore sole as my main dish.
Now here is the problem, I got a fish with a ruptured gallbladder, which happens once a while & can make the flesh very biter, it's a common problem when cleaning the fish. I made a mistake of not sending it back right away, as on the top side it was not so notable. But when I got to the bottom part it's so biter as the flesh has soaked up the gallbladder juices, I have to stop.
The stuff noticed that & ask me if everything is ok. I said I don't think the fish is cleaned( as in by the fish man) properly. That's when they got really defensive & keep saying that why they want to clean (meaning deboning) the fish for the customer, for the customer. But I doubt that would change anything about a gallbladder juice soaked fish. & the two of them keep saying that I should let them to'clean the fish' for me just killed all appetite for me.
I don't know what have change but clearly not what I expecting from a Michelin recommendation Restaurant.
We were visiting from Toronto to celebrate my mother's 82nd birthday & enjoyed her birthday dinner at Ferrerira. All the staff were most welcoming & made my mother's evening so special. We were fortunate to have a table by the kitchen & watched the chefs work their magic & appreciated their efforts in the fine details in preparing the dishes. We all had seafood & found the portions a good size but more importantly were fresh & delicious! The sardine & scallop ceviche apps should not be missed. The fresh grilled fish of the day was simple but so tasty & the bouillabaisse was cooked to perfection. Nicole, our server, was absolutely lovely! She was so kind to our family & provided dessert for our table. My mother was so touched by this gesture. We would like to thank the Ferreria team for going above & beyond to make my mother's Montreal birthday such a memorable one. Merci!
Top notch experience. Had the oysters, blackened sea bass, & signature cod. Both fishes were melt in your mouth fresh. Oysters were perfection. They made us a free dessert in celebration of our anniversary. Ferreira is the finest in Montreal.
I had the pleasure of dining at Ferreira Cafe twice in four days, first for lunch & then for dinner. I have to tell you, if you are Montreal, this place is a must for at least a meal. The restaurant is elegant & gives a real "sense of occasion" without being stuffy or uptight. The staff is warm & helpful & is able to accommodate both French & English. I am so grateful that staff were extremely patient with my French, I'm still learning & need the practice! At time of writing, they still have the outdoor sitting, which looks very lovely but not my taste. The people looked very happy & it if decorated beautifully. & the food. Wowowowowow. At lunch we were told the specials & they were doing one of my favourite things as a special - salmon tartare. It was incredible. Probably the best salmon tartare I've ever had. The salmon was perfectly fresh, the dish was a perfectly balanced & seasoned & the intriguing garnishes were delightful. I will admit that everyone I spoke to for the rest of my time in Montreal had to listen to how excellent the salmon tartare was. I kept replaying in mind how very perfect it was. Our lunch waiter was extremely helpful with our wine selection - usually at lunch my dining partner & I would have white, but I've been having a palette issue & lost my taste for the more acidic whites. Our waiter suggested a rose that was the perfect companion to my meal & I greatly enjoyed it. Now for our dinner. After that perfect lunch I had a lot of confidence dinner would also be incredible. & it was! We took a dear friend to dinner & he was thrilled with every moment of dinner. We were so lucky & felt that we were seated at the best table in the house. My husband & friend indulged in a perfectly made Vesper & perfectly made Martini. I had a lovely glass of wine. None of us opted for the daily specials, but it was a very difficult decision. They all sounded so good, so did the menu! Our appetizers were all tasty, beautiful & so good to eat. Our friend marveled at the beauty of the restaurant & how amazing our table was. I have to make special mention of the sommelier, he was so very helpful in assisting us finding a white that was complimentary to all our mains & also one that I greatly enjoyed. I realize that losing the love of more acidic whites is a problem, & it was handled by the sommelier beautifully, thank you again. The portions were incredible & I don't mind telling you I couldn't finish mine. Our meals were presented beautifully - I had the bouillabaisse & it was presented in a Le Creuset in one of their intriguing shades of blue. My husband was also served his main in a Le Creuset, in a different share of blue! I'm trying to tell you, if you are Montreal or plan on being in Montreal, this place is a must for people who love fish & seafood. I'm already looking forward to the next time we are in Montreal & able to have a meal here. For me, it's lunchtime. I'll be thinking about the salmon tartare...
Our party of four started with cocktails & roasted sardines then ordered fruits de mer, grilled fish, bouillabaisse, sauteed chanterelles, & a fine bottle of vinho verde. Our somaleir helped us find a wine that pleased everyone. Our server, Nicole, struck the perfect balance between being attentive without being intrusive. A very fine meal in a sophisticated environment.
Aug 3, 2024
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It was our second time at Ferreira with the first time being wonderful. We decided to go for our wedding anniversary while on a trip to Montreal. What a deception, the food was subpar for a restaurant that is that expensive. We ordered the seafood tower, the lobster & smoked fish were dry. The wine list was great & the wine very good (good job to the Somelier). After the tower, I really felt bad & did not really want to eat anything else. They should also update the restautant.
It was a very busy Friday night when we arrived. Shortly after we got seated, our waitress Nicole kindly went over their daily specials & answered our questions with patience since it was our first visit there. She was knowledgeable, attentive & pleasant, so great first impression! We ordered a half dozen oysters, fish & seafood bouillabaisse & seafood rice casserole, with a tiger prawn for each. The texture & flavors are simply perfect & original, without being overpowered by the sauce. We were absolutely amazed by the quality & quantity of both dishes! Needless to say, we finished everything in the pot & loved every bite & wrapped up the night with a lovely dessert!
It was a crowded evening, but the owner managed seats for us. Of course the ambiant noise was terrible due to the number of customers... nevertheless, the fish was excellent. Cooked to perfection... & a perfect cooking is THE secret for a really good fish. Thanks for this & for your friendly welcome
Rice & fish dish was absolutely excellent. Recommended Portuguese wine Aldeia just ok & not a $22 4 ounce wine. Fish & potatoes soup was just ok. The monk fish is a nice touch. They should serve it with a piece of bread. Fried app Octopus very well done. Went with my wife & two daughters. Ordered adult meals. My 13 year old was offered a seafood linguini. It arrived extremely spicy & inedible. She took 2 bites & stopped eating. I tried it & it was too spicey for me. Our kids are accustomed to spices & eat adult dishes. After some time they check in we asked for the dish without spice. We would have appreciated knowing it was an arrabiata when ordering in the first place. He made another & charged $45 for both the one thrown away & the second which she did enjoy. $90 dollar linguini with shrimp & scallops. It took away from an otherwise good experience. I don't mind paying $460 for 2 adults & 2 kids if we eat the food & enjoy it, but the wine & pasta was a mishap. We felt like the manager should have used better judgment. Not sure if we will go back.
