Le Garde Manger est une sorte de joyau culinaire qui, de prime abord, n'en présente pas les apparences. Il faut d'abord dénicher l'endroit, dans une ruelle quelque part près des quais du Vieux-Montréal. De plus, ce bistro sans prétention, situé près du centre des affaires, ne possède pas d'enseigne extérieure. Malgré tout, depuis son ouverture en juin 2006, il est devenu une adresse de choix auprès des professionnels branchés qui ont envie d'une cuisine de la Côte Est et d'une pinte de bière locale après une dure journée de travail.
Dans l ensemble, les critiques décrivent Garde Manger comme une expérience culinaire de fruits de mer et de fine dining à Montréal, avec une ambiance chaleureuse et accueillante, un service impeccable et des plats inventifs et joliment présentés, en particulier les fruits de mer et les menus dégustation. La salle à manger est louée pour son énergie et son hospitalité, de nombreux avis soulignant des accords mets et vins réfléchis et un personnel attentif qui donne aux convives le sentiment d être bienvenus et pris en charge. Bien que les visites soient majoritairement élogieuses, certains commentateurs signalent des expériences variables telles que un service plus lent, des plats arrivant tièdes ou trop salés, et des questions sur la valeur par rapport au prix élevé, notamment en raison de l affluence et du bruit occasionnel. Malgré ces réserves, Garde Manger est largement considéré comme une adresse incontournable dans le Vieux Montréal pour les fruits de mer et la cuisine créative, avec de nombreux lecteurs la décrivant comme mémorable et souvent idéale pour les occasions.
Came here looking for the scallops when the friendly host David told me they were out & I was so disappointed. Then the awesome bar chef Ema came to my rescue! I told her to order me a seafood dish & I got the québécois swordfish which totally blew me away! As a snobbish New Yorker, Mon Latin goer this little place stole my heart. I don't eat meat, but I said this bacon tasted good. Spoiler, it was not bacon!!! It was swordfish belly smoked to perfection! The whole dish had crunchiness & delicious caramelized root vegetables. Ema also made me a super yummy mocktail, which was not too sweet. I'll definitely came back & bring my family in here as well. I had the mushroom side as my appetizer & that did not disappoint either. Thank you. Merci beaucoup
We sat at the bar & had an incredible & memorable dining experience from start to finish. The space has a charming & welcoming feel that immediately puts you at ease. The menu is thoughtful & well-executed. The duck, in particular, was outstanding - complemented by the beets & bigarade sauce. Our server & bartender, Jihan, was attentive & personable, striking the perfect balance of care & professionalism. You can feel the intention behind every detail. So glad we came across this gem of a restaurant during our visit to Montreal!
22 juin 2025
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Première fois au garde manger. J'avais des attentes très élevées. L'expérience a été de loin supérieur à mes attentes. Tout était parfait, service (Taylor,Loris & la barmaid) a été impeccable. Les recommandations de vin en fonction des plats, on point! Bravo au chef qui ont sorti des plats d'une qualité incontournable!! C'est un luxe qui doit se vivre au moins une fois dans sa vie. Chapeau à l'équipe & au restaurant, on y retournera assurément!!
We've been coming here for years…& we return every time we are in Montreal. Tonight, we had the pleasure of being served by Felix & watching him at work at the back bar. Food was fantastic (husband's top 10 meals of was the oxtail agnolotti) & vibe was great.
Absolutely fantastic time. Atmosphere was lovely, food was delicious. But our server was by far the best part. Sam you were fantastic thanks for everything!
6 years later after my inital review we came back for a weekend trip & of course had to stop by.
We came for appetizer & drinks. & while the food, was stunning, same as last time. The char was phenomenal & the chicken croquettes my wife loved just as much…
The service is really what shines here. We had Sam at the bar 6 years ago, & we sat with him this time while he shucked oysters! I don't think much needs to be said about Sam, he's amazing at what he does, as a person & as a server. Even though Taylor was our actual waitress & she was just as kind generous & knowledgeable!
Special regards to Gihan for our fantastic drinks, & Wes for being on top of everything!
Any Montreal trip, regardless of where you are from requires a Garde Manger trip! There isn't a restaurant or establishment I've ever been to that I give as high regards as Garde Manger.
Wow, wow, wow was this place FANTASTIC!!! My husband & I were lucky enough to stumble upon this cute, cozy, charming restaurant. There are no signs, so we just went in & gave it a shot. We just saw a performance at the Centaur Theatre up the street & walked by. I noticed the fireplace through the window & saw it as quite lively for almost 10pm on a cold Wednesday evening. We entered with a friendly greeting by David, who sat us at the end of the bar bc all tables were taken. The restaurant is intimate, warm, & cozy. The lovely bartender, Emma, was amazing! She was professional, personable, & took great care of us, which really added to the dining experience. She walked us through the menu, suggested options, made exceptional drinks, all with a warm & friendly demeanor. Being a seafood specialty restaurant, we ordered all seafood. We ordered 3 starters (tuna, arctic char, & snow crab), & 1 main (swordfish), & focaccia bread. Every bite was exceptional! We were in seafood heaven! I HIGHLY recommend & look forward to our next visit.
Très bonne expérience au restaurant Garde Manger hier soir. Je n'avais pas trop d'attentes mais j'ai été agréablement surprise. Nous avons pris le menu dégustation 5 services. Le menu était très copieux & de très bonne qualité. Il ne s'agit pas d'un restaurant de fruits de mer ordinaire, la cuisine y est raffinée & les plats originaux. Le service était impeccable, malgré que le restaurant était très occupé. La femme à l'entrée qui semblait être la gérante s'assure que tout se déroule bien dans son commerce. La barmaid s'est aussi bien occupé de nous, étant donné que nous étions assis au bar. C'est un restaurant assez dispendieux mais en vaut la peine pour les foodies. Je recommande!
Thank you to the team at Garde Manger. We celebrated our 20th anniversary with you this evening & it was so special. The food, the staff, the bartender, the atmosphere. Go on a dining journey & enjoy the trip!
The ingredients were all fresh & well-prepared, but the sauces on each dish were truly outstanding! We made a last-minute reservation, so only bar seats were left, & at first, we were a little disappointed. However, the bartender who prepared our seafood plate kept us entertained the whole time-he was quite the entertainer. He was very attentive to all the customers, & I'm sure he would be more discreet with groups having serious conversations. On top of that, every server & host was super friendly, making us fall in love with this place. We'll definitely be back!
Nous avons célèbre mon anniversaire dans ce restaurant. Le bartender & l equipe sont tres sympathiques. C est le meilleur cocktail de ma vie. J adore l ambiance & de la musique la bas. Tout est parfait
15 sept. 2024
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Absolutely amazing seafood! The cocktails were delicious, & the pricing was very reasonable. We left feeling completely satisfied. The bartender, Jihad, was not only funny but also great to chat with. Will definitely be coming back again.
All I can say is... W O W. What an amazing meal & experience at this restaurant, from the staff to the quality of ingredients used to the delicious smelling candles in the washroom. The attention to detail from all angles was nothing short of amazing. My boyfriend & I went with the tier 1 tasting menu & we left feeling full & beyond impressed with our experience. The food was out of this world delicious & the service was that much better. We were sat at the oyster bar, where Julian was incredibly knowledgeable & explained each aspect of the meal & course with great detail & charisma. He answered all our questions with humour & genuine enthusiasm & it is clear he truly loves what he does (& oh boy is he good at it!). He went out of his way to ensure we were comfortable & made our time there that much more memorable. Strongly recommend this restaurant, can't wait to come back. We felt so special & are already planning our next visit to Garde Manger.
My husband & I have been here before & really enjoyed it. Yesterday we decided to try our odds without a reservation since it was very early & see if we could be seated. To our delight the GM said that there was a table available. Our server was very lovely & helpful upon arrival. We ordered drinks, the seafood platter for 2 & 2 appetizers to share. I was a little confused when the seafood platter came out first, but figured the rest would be out shortly. The seafood platter was tasty but portion sizes were so tiny. One shrimp each, a tiny bowl of smoked salmon, one lobster claw & tail. For $120 I would have expected more. This seafood platter was more of an appetizer than a main. Still hungry, I waited patiently for the other two dishes we had ordered. 20 minutes passed with the finished seafood platter, another server came by & brought plates & new cutlery which seemed promising. He assured us the other dishes were coming. 10 or 15 more minutes passed. Our server didn't even come to check on us or give us an update. At this point I approached her at the bar & asked her to just cancel the other dishes. She seemed irritated but obliged. We weren't offered anything not even an apology or explanation. The classy thing would have been to rush the dishes out & comp them. We left hungry & went somewhere else after $250 bill.
Garde Manger was a world class restaurant. Food, service, atmosphere - couldn't really be significantly better. We sat at the bar, & the bartender was knowledgeable about everything on the menu, gave great recommendations, & made delicious drinks for us. I can't recommend it enough. We had a bit from each portion of the menu, but my favorites were the crab toast & the coffee cake dessert. Everything was great though. It is on the expensive side, but totally worth it. It's the kind of place that I'll be sure to return to every chance I get.
31 juil. 2024
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Sitting at the seafood bar was an amazing experience. Sam is such a thoughtful host as was the whole team. Every dish was served with love & tasted fantastic!
Signature Québécois-Canadiana dining @ 408 Garde Manger falls into the'must-experience' category - this is not your average'pantry chef' (translated)-themed restaurant, but a cool, nuanced, & intentionally-not-to-be-found seafood-focused eatery (despite the massive chandelier, open kitchen, & well-stocked bar top). An intimately designed but vivacious resto created by Chuck Hughes (known for defeating Iron Chef Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America, but his enduring accolades (Top Chef Canada, Chopped, Chuck & al Cuisine, to name a few) supersede that accomplishment), Garde Manger exudes Canadiana cottage time; imagery of canoes, backpacks, sandy firepits to cook up the day's fresh catch, married with eye-rolling innovative creations, from start to end. Presentation span wonderfully the spectrum, exemplified by delicately-prepared Turbot Crudo, laced with the freshest of herbs, all the way to roll-up-the-plaid-lumberjack-sleeves to slurp down briny freshly-shucked maritime oysters. Service for everyone. We were seated at the bar to indulge in our mid-level menu de dégustation - certainly sufficient for two. Our bar seating - while may not be for everyone - was on point; regular Bartender & Head Chef chat-ery, hustle-&-bustle for the eyes & ears, & attentive food & drink on display, all made for a vibrant, eclectic & fun experience. A pair of Amuse-Bouches started strong, with a quirky Homard Pogo topped with an incredibly generous porion of sturgeon caviar, followed by a contrastingly delicate, dill-infused Razor Clam, expertly prepped & served on shell. Observant wait-staff providing (almost too) efficient service & clearing - cadence for these experiences should be tempered, to allow for a fuller appreciation of the offerings, wouldn't you say? Thankfully, it did slow to a comfortable pace. The Seafood Platter did not disappoint. Maine lobster, Nordic shrimp, mussels, briny Oysters from NB, PEI, & Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, served up with a variety of house-prepared mignonettes & Chuck's own sauce piquante. Tres bien! Paired from this point a Kamptal Reisling, we savored Charred Octopus on a bed on seasoned baby potatoes, the aforementioned Turbot Crudo, & a dill Nordic Salad. We followed with their interpretation of surf & turf, exemplified by aromatic Hangar steak, alongside fresh yet savory scallops bedded on smashed potatoes. Merveilleux. Closing out with a serving of Nonino Prunella to pair with Profiteroles, & Crème Glacée breaded pudding. A degustation to remember; taste buds treated well with a marriage of flavors. Bières pour la cuisine! Hints- ample online pay-ahead-of-time parking next to GM. Bar seating: ask for the end bar seats. Mid-level Service can be filling, but not uncomfortably.
Not to be dramatic, but this truthfully was the best meal/ experience we've ever had. We got a short notice reservation at the bar @ 9:15pm. From the moment we walked in, until the moment we left, the service was 10/10. Our wine glasses or water cups were never empty. We opted in for the 4 course "chefs menu", & had a 2 different wine pairing recommendations. Everything was great - from the seafood platter, to the gnocchi with scallops, duck, beans with smoked tuna belly, carpaccio. We also got a cute little sparkler in our dessert dishes since we weee celebrating our engagement. Thank you Garde Manger team for the incredible evening!
